At Thu, 22 Feb 2001, jenny low wrote:
> >Hello everyone, > >I want to thank everyone for keeping me in your prayers over the past week. >They have surely been felt. I had my surgery last Friday. They were able to >remove the adhesions with the harmonic scalpel with the laparascope. I have >3 half inch to an inch incisions in my belly, one just above my belly >button, one about an inch to inch and a half below my belly button, and one >about two inches to the left of my belly button. I had adhesions along the >transverse and descending colon attached to my abdominal wall. There was >also a loop of small intestines adhered to the abdominal wall. My rectum was >being pulled by adhesions and was stuck to the top of my vagina (OUCH!). I >was in surgery for 2 1/2 hours which is very good for me! The night of my >surgery I got up to go to the rest room and had a apple sized ball under the >skin on the left incision. It scared me to death. My sweet murse came and >checked it and went and told the charge nurse. She came and pressed real >hard on it. When she left the room I told my friend I really wanted to punch >her in the face. I found out that the charge nurse has been nicknamed "Nurse >Hatchet". It suits her. Anyway, the doctor came in and looked at it the next >morning. It has dispersed due to Nurse Hatchet's smashing. It was only >swelling. They kept me in the hospital till Sunday due to the extensive work >they did on me. Since I have been home though and even at the hospital I >have been having trouble peeing. I have to push down to pee. It may even >start to come out or come out a little and then it stops. I may even feel >like I have to go real bad but when I get in there have to strain to pee. I >was hurting down on the same side Monday. The nurse at my dr office told my >husband it could be trapped gas. She told him to have me take some heavy >duty laxative that would make my bowels work quick. I had had diarrhea 4 >times, 3 being at the hospital and had been passing gas. BUt I took 3 >Ducolax anyway. That was about 2-3 pm. At 3am I woke up in severe pain. I >went and sat doubled over on the potty for 3 straight hours. At 6:30am I got >back in bed. Less than 30 minutes later was up again having diarrhea. I >haven't moved my bowels since. My stomach was swollen and looked pregnant >especially on the left side from the surgery. That has one down alot but I >am having pain up under my ribs and around the waist area. I can't stand >anything touching me around my waist. I feel like all my insides are being >shoved up under my ribs. It is very uncomfortable. I can't seem to do >anything. IF I sit straight up, it makes my back hurt. If I lean over, I >feel more pressure shoving up under my ribs. Has anyone else experienced >this. I can't stand this pressure feeling up under my ribs. It makes it kind >of hard to breath too. I am still experiencing pain on the lower left side. >It is not near as bad as before surgery, it was constant then. But I am >feeling the same kind of pain in that area. I am trying not to let it worry >me yet. It hasn't even been a week yet since the surgery. The drs said the >area of the hysterectomy looked good with the exception of the rectum/vagina >thing. They thought the interceed that they used before seemed to be working >reasonably well. They used it again. So I am hopeful that the pains I am >having are just due to the surgery and not new adhesions. Anyway, that is >what is going on with me. I have a post-op appointment March 9. We will see >what they say. They did print me out some pictures of my insides. There is >an area I want to ask about that looks like what endometriosis looks like. I >had it in the past so it is possible. I guess I will find out then. > >Trace, I'm glad your surgery went well. You were in my prayers. Dee, you are >also in my prayers as well. You all are so wonderful and so supportive. >Janet, I love you so much for being such a friend and support. It was >wonderful talking to you the day before my surgery. I was just coming out of >surgery telling Ted he had to call you. You are precious. Tami, thank you >for taking the time to send me the ecard. It meant alot to me. I don't think >we could find a better group of people who have so much love and support for >each other. I pray I will be as good a friend to all of you as you are to >me. > >I love you all, >Jenny