to think that after a BOWEL operation, it shouldn't be my thighs that are hurting so much??

[lovecat]

Sorry in advance if this is TMI...

Have got back from hospital following an op to repair/shore up my bowel wall, wot got poked about a lot during the emergency cs I had 3 years ago.

I have been advised to stay in bed for 3 days, do no heavy lifting, housework or cooking (bliss!!) however, the pain I am experiencing is NOT in my lower abdomen, it is in my thighs!

When I came round from the GA, from my knees to my hips felt like someone had been beating on them with an iron bar! I was literally crying with the pain and I'm not normally a wimp...

Anyway, apparently it's 'not uncommon' to feel this (so says v. posh consultant) and I have been given large amounts of painkillers. Today it has settled down to the sort of feeling you get the day after you've been on the thigh adductor at the gym, only x 1000, but it does make me wonder exactly what position they were hoicking my legs into during surgery in order to make me feel like this....?

Oh, and (cautious hurrah!) the surgery appears to have worked - am tenaladyless for first time in 3 years!

I think when they give you GA they are generally much rougher with you than if you have LA and are awake and know what they're up to. My mum had her wisdom teeth out on GA (years ago mind) and her collarbone was covered in bruises when she came round like they had been kneeling on her chest or something to really get at her teeth. Awful though and poor you - you'd expect them to treat you with the same care and respect even if you are completely knocked out.

Hope you recover soon and enjoy not doing the cooking and housework!

Yes, it did make me wonder what exactly they'd been doing while I was out of it! I know that a student doctor asked if she could do a practise smear test on me and I agreed, but I wouldn't expect that to hurt quite so much!

DH is currently shopping with DD - first time he's entered a supermarket solo with her since her birth, so I am part luxuriating in the peace, part dreading what list-deviations he'll come back with!

It's normal to wake up from a GA with weird sore bits. I had an eye duct operation last week, and woke up with sore shoulders. A friend had an ear operation and woke up with a sore neck.

They may well have over-extended your legs or something to get access... thus stretching everything far too much and leaving you in pain whilst it repairs itself

Glad it has worked though - must be such a relief!

Oh, it is, Lewisfan, I can't tell you how wonderful it is not to be constantly 'dribbling'... (sorry, tmi again!)

I'm sure you're right re. leg extension - in a way I'd like to have been a fly on the wall during the op to see exactly what they did do, I'm not particularly flexible in day to day life (got told not to come back to beginners yoga having done the course twice, as 'it really wasn't benefitting me') so I reckon they must have had me doing the splits!

I have had repeated surgery on my rectal wall and once, as I was going into the operating theatre AWAKE (I was normally out by this point) they put the final injection in. I was relaxing into sleep when I felt someone hoist my leg into a strap hanging from the ceiling and heard a voice hissing "Emma - wait till she's asleep!)

That was how I found out the position they put you in to do this operation. Both legs hoisted to the ceiling. I hope your legs feel better soon.

My DH has a vasectomy under a GA (due to skin issues and concerns as to whether a LA would work properly) and he had the most awful bruising - thumb print bruises ALL round his groin, it was horrific, even the GP was amazed!