Anyone up who can give post- hysterectomy advice?

[YaMuvva]

I had a hysterectomy on Thursday.

I can’t sleep due to either the pain or the wooziness from the painkillers so I’ve just been staying awake and napping in the day when i can

TMI ALERT

Just had my first bowel movement since surgery and now I am cramping really badly (obviously it must be stomach/bowel cramps) the bleeding has increased too. Is this normal?

Not a hysterectomy but I had a c section 3 weeks ago and experienced the same, I still get bad cramps when I have to go. The midwife said it’s normal after surgeons were rummaging around there

Thank you @Passenger7 and congratulations on your baby 😊

Increased bleeding as a result of passing bowels is normal - unless it doesn’t settle. (Or is obviously extreme.) Have you tried a combo of paracetamol and ibuprofen for the pain? (Obviously you would have to wait until existing meds are due before trying this. Often post-surgical analgesia is tramadol which is notorious for making people feel gross. It’s a slow-release opioid and it can cause constipation and make you feel woozy and bleh.) Paracetamol is a great pain reliever and Ibuprofen works to reduce inflammation and will help the cramping.

*Just stick to the regular spacing on the box. (6hrs usually.)

Are you still in hospital?

There is no need for you to be in pain so I would be contacting them and asking them for advice. You would have been given a discharge sheet with phone numbers etc to contact this early in your recovery. Call them.

Oh god I remember my fist bowel movement after my laparoscopy.

Insanely painfu.

Can't comment about the bleeding but it is normal for first bowel movement after surgery to be really really painful.

No I’m came home on Friday

It gets easier I promise, but the early days are tough. The GA and lack of movement will have slowed down your guts plus everything in your body will be rearranging itself IYSWIM.
I was recommended to take Dulcoease tablets to soften things up a bit until the pain and discomfort were more manageable, I used them for a few weeks in the end (had a full open wound rather than keyhole).
Take it easy, I know some people bounce back in a few days but it’s major surgery and it’s ok to take it slow for a while.

Thank you all yes I have taken laxatives now as I’m still feeling the pain from last night although the bleeding has subsided. Mine was open surgery too, I felt great yesterday somehow and now I feel absolutely horrific

It will get better.
I had an open hysterectomy and the first week afterwards was very painful ... I wondered if something was badly wrong! But after that it started to improve quite quickly and from about day 10 it was a lot easier. Take the painkillers and REST. I think it's obscene that women are sent home so quickly after what is a huge surgery really..after all they have cut through every layer of you!

Don't do what I did and go 'ooh I'm better now, and return to work too quickly. I went back to a very active job after 6 weeks and it was a bad idea The fatigue lasts a long time..!

Once healed...it's great!

Bleeding always increases after a bowel movement, until the stage when the bleeding has completely stopped (took a few weeks in my case). Your bowel movements will get much easier, though. The GA/meds bung you up and of course your wounds hurt when you strain.

The feeling great day/feeling shite day thing happened to me - it's tiredness - don't overdo it on the feeling great days, do less than you think you are capable of - that will help you stabilise.

Really, really early days for you still - the first few days are by far the worst - in a week's time you will be feeling much better

Thanks all
i am just resting and drinking water now, I think because I had a good day yesterday I tricked myself into thinking I was better than I was. I called the ward and they assured me all seemed normal and the first bowel movement can be very painful.

Just popping in to remind you that in a few days you will feel relatively “normal”, but you have had an entire organ (maybe two or three organs, depending on the type of hysterectomy) and will still be healing on the inside. It’s a very vascular area and you will have lots of tiny stitches and inflammation that will still need to sort itself out, and you will also need to compensate for the blood loss. It is very easy to accidentally hinder your recovery by doing too much, especially lifting things and vacuuming (the movement is notorious for causing issues.) Be gentle on yourself. Take the entire six weeks to recover. You will find that you tire easily even when you think you feel great. Allow others to nurture you if you have them in your life. At the same time, going for frequent, gentle walks will help prevent clots and adhesions, and the fresh air in the lovely weather will stop you from getting bacon fever.

*CABIN FEVER, not bacon, ffs.

I sincerely hope you are getting looked after. I had an open incision and was on an epidural for 3 days afterwards. I was kept in for 5 days. Any issues please call the hospital itself as they will know best. I had to be taken back in after a few days by a paramedic ambulance. Liquid paracetemol is an amazing thing.