Post-myo report - Manchester UK experience- Continued

[Guest guest]

DAY 1 [continued]

In the post-op room, I noticed I was attatched to a morphine drip, I

had a catheter anda drain from the incision. Shortly after this I was

wheeled back on the long route back to the ward. I remember looking

up at the clock and being very surprised it was 7pm- had I really

been in theatre since 4pm? It's hard to say as I had lost track of

time completely. I was feeling completely exhausted and washed out

but unfortuately I couldn't sleep as there were so many comings and

goings on the ward. I was given a small glass of water to sip at

first but unfortunately vomittted- even though I had been given anti-

sickness medication. Later on I was given another glass of water and

again vomitted so I was given an anti-sickness injection. 4 hourly

observations were done throughout day. I had a terrible nights sleep

and vomitted again in the early hours so was given a third anti-

sickness injection. I overheard one of the nurses say I had pressed

the morphine drip 13 times!! No wonder I felt high!!

DAY 2

Felt a little better despite lack of sleep so decided to risk a cup

of tea late morning. The nurses got me out of bed and sat me in a

chair- I felt extremely weak and very sore around the incision point.

As I was managing to keep fluids down, the drip was removed but they

left the needle in my arm just in case. Nurses gave me a bowl to wash

myself. After an hour I had to call a nurse to put me back to bed- I

felt extremely weak. Urine and blood samples were given. Then I had a

visit from a House Doctor who hadn't been present at the op so she

was reading Mr Wynn- the consultants-notes. A 10cm grapefruit size

fibroid had been removed by abdominal incision. It had been located

at the front of the uterus- no other fibroids had been found. She

examined my wound - it was about 11cm- and said it looked fine. I

asked if it was possible to have full feedback from Mr Wynn or one of

the Registrars who had been present at the op- she said she would try

to get that arranged. I managed to eat a sandwich late afternoon and

another cup of tea. Had visits from 3 friends early evening- was

great to see them but was glad they didn't stay long as felt

exhausted. Slept better- about 5 hours on and off- had some really

weird dreams though- must have been the effects of the anaesthetic

and morphine.

The problem with the National Health Service is it's so heirachial

and everyone works crazy hours so that means patient care suffers. If

I could have seen Mr Wynn after the op I would have been so much

happier.

DAY 3

8am- Rudely woken up by phlabotomist who wanted a blood sample- Good

Grief before breakfast- what a terrible start to the day!! Got up

with nurses help- painful getting in and out of bed. One nurse

advised me to bend my knees up then swing them over the side of the

bed and then stand up. Had breakfast and then had a shower- needed to

do everything at a snails pace - Was careful not to wash above and

below incision area and to rinse the soap off thoroughly. Cateheter

and drain taken out- the drain being taken out made me cringe- but I

am very squeamish. Ate 2 big meals- chicken pie with veg and potatoes

and omelette. Felt very weak still but managed to walk about OK like

an old lady!! My friend Dave came to vist in the afternoon and told

me all about his excellent social life- he wore me out- so I was glad

he only stayed 15 minutes! Slept not too badly but woke up in night

with bad pains so given parecetomol suppository which really helped.

Had more strange dreams.

DAY 4

Feeling a lot better and stronger. Got in and out of bed very slowly

and realised had to do everything slowly. Watched a lot of TV on

bedside personal TV - one of the mod cons at this wonderful NHS

Hospital!! Had visit from friend Becky who works at the hospital in

afternoon. Another friend popped in briefly in evening bearing gifts

of fruit. Still hadn't opened bowles so given medication at night to

help. Had very bad night- sickness and diarrohea - doctor called in

night and given anti-sickness medication- He said it was common to

get diarrohea first time you opened bowles- had temperature of 38C.

He prescribed antibiotics just in case there was the risk of a

urininary infection but he said wound looked fine.

DAY 5

Had dodgy stomach all day so just had sandwich at lunch time and

drank plenty of water. Tests were done for urine, faeces and blood.

Feeling as bit weak but walked slowly round ward. Read magazines and

watched TV all day. Had better nights sleep.

DAY 6

Hurray they're letting me go home! Still feeling sore- prescribed

vitrinol anti-inflammatory, parecetomol and anti-biotics on

discharge. Dr examined me before discharge and said it was the best

scar he had ever seen! He also said I looked very good for my age-

41 - which really cheered me up- even though I feel about 96 at the

moment!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

I hope you feel younger and younger every day now that you are home. You

may not want to take antibiotics if you don't really need it. And I

don't know why they gave you morphine knowing you felt nauseated.

Take care and continue to move at a slow pace. It's okay to pamper

yourself after all that you've been through.

Jackie

Post-myo report - Manchester UK experience-

Continued

DAY 6

Hurray they're letting me go home! Still feeling sore- prescribed

vitrinol anti-inflammatory, parecetomol and anti-biotics on

discharge. Dr examined me before discharge and said it was the best

scar he had ever seen! He also said I looked very good for my age-

41 - which really cheered me up- even though I feel about 96 at the

moment!!

MEETUP! with other local women who have Uterine Fibroids.

http://uterinefibroids.meetup.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

I hope you feel younger and younger every day now that you are home. You

may not want to take antibiotics if you don't really need it. And I

don't know why they gave you morphine knowing you felt nauseated.

Take care and continue to move at a slow pace. It's okay to pamper

yourself after all that you've been through.

Jackie

Post-myo report - Manchester UK experience-

Continued

DAY 6

Hurray they're letting me go home! Still feeling sore- prescribed

vitrinol anti-inflammatory, parecetomol and anti-biotics on

discharge. Dr examined me before discharge and said it was the best

scar he had ever seen! He also said I looked very good for my age-

41 - which really cheered me up- even though I feel about 96 at the

moment!!

MEETUP! with other local women who have Uterine Fibroids.

http://uterinefibroids.meetup.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

I hope you feel younger and younger every day now that you are home. You

may not want to take antibiotics if you don't really need it. And I

don't know why they gave you morphine knowing you felt nauseated.

Take care and continue to move at a slow pace. It's okay to pamper

yourself after all that you've been through.

Jackie

Post-myo report - Manchester UK experience-

Continued

DAY 6

Hurray they're letting me go home! Still feeling sore- prescribed

vitrinol anti-inflammatory, parecetomol and anti-biotics on

discharge. Dr examined me before discharge and said it was the best

scar he had ever seen! He also said I looked very good for my age-

41 - which really cheered me up- even though I feel about 96 at the

moment!!

MEETUP! with other local women who have Uterine Fibroids.

http://uterinefibroids.meetup.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

Sorry to hear you were sick so often in the first few days post-myo.

I was a bit surprised to hear they let you have chicken pie on day 3,

given that you had been sick till then. They didn't let me eat any

meat until way past day 3 (actually I was on " fluids only " till

morning of day 3 - soups, yoghurts, ice cream, then had an omelette

for lunch on day 3 -- that's as " solid " as it got then). I wonder if

the diarrhoea you had later had to do with you eating meat (=hard to

digest) even though your bowels hadn't opened. Luckily my Dr. and

nurses were almost over-the-top cautious about not letting me get

sick by controlling my meals.They wouldn't even let me have water

until evening of day 2 -- only crushed ice till then, which I'm glad

for, as I may have got sick otherwise...

I wasn't given any drugs to take home at all, since I had no pain

(apart from gas pains while I was in hospital -- those were quite

bad, even though they only lasted a few seconds. They told me to

drink lots of peppermint tea and walk).If you're taking the anti-

inflammatory at home, be careful not to take them on empty stomach. I

had them once at 10pm in hospital before going to sleep, and I felt

nauseated for hours after that. Only on the following day another

nurse told me that it can upset your stomach unless you have it some

food, even a biscuit will do. I was annoyed as the nurse on the

previous day didn't tell me that! I also found out that they can

affect your appetite.When I stopped taking them, my appetite came

back (was eating like a bird till then).

I had lots of strange dreams too every night in hospital. I never can

remember my dreams normally, but while I was in hospital, and even

the week after I was dreaming " intensively " every night and could

remember it the day after...?? I'm sure it's the anaesthetics

affecting your brain! :-)

Hope your pains are getting better by the day.Do take it easy --

carrying anything heavy or stretching your arms upwards will make

your incision sore, believe me. And don't overdo any exercising. The

problems is your head will tell you you're okay and healed, but your

body will remind you every time that it's not ready for so much

action yet. Stay as a 96 year old in your head, just for the next few

weeks (even though you may only feel and/or look 18! ;-))

Chie