Experiences from myo Feb 2 - long

[Guest guest]

OK- so I finally feel well enough to post! I'm still feeling kinda

woozy, so hope it's not too disorganized.

We (DH and I) arrived in Cambridge MA on Sunday around dinner time.

Checked into hotel and then he wanted to go out to eat. Big mistake

for me! I had spicy fish and had indigestion all night.

Got to hospital (Mount Auburn) around 7:45. People there were very

nice. I had already gone up previous Friday for pre-op consulattion

with surgeon (Dr. Levine) and testing (blood-work).

The great thing about general anaethesia is- boom!-you're out and the

next thing you now they're telling you you're in recovery. They were

very nice, kept me warm, etc. It turned out I had 16 fibroids ranging

from a softball size on down. He said they were " all over " my uterus.

It's all kind of hazy, but somehow I ended up in my room. I had

pleaded for a private room, but eneded up with a roommate who'd had a

hyst with Dr. Levine the same day (busy guy!) The room was very

cramped and the bed like a concrete slab. Sorry, but I've decided to

give the the unvarnished truth!

I had a PCP. Because I have a hyper-sensitive gut (more on that

later) I had Fentynal (sp?) rather than usual morphine. I was pretty

high and didn't realize it. Thought the whole thing was a breeze!

Then I decided to try to taper down the pain med because of concern

about my stomach (already starting with gas pains- my biggest fear)

The next time I used the pump, I had a reaction where my blood

pressure plummeted, I threw up, got burning hot and basically fainted.

Then they had to lie me head downward, and the gas-pains kicked in

big-time. I've been in labor twice, and quite honestly, this was just

as bad if not worse. I had told them beforehand that I had the same

problem during previous abdominal surgery, but it seems there's not a

lot they can do about it. Before any potential myo patients read this

and freak out, though, let me say that the Dr. and nurses all said

they had never seen anyway have such a severe problem. Lucky me!

When Dr. Levine came to see me he told me that ppre-op tests had

revealed (unknown to me) that I was anemic before I went into surgery

(my count was 32- he says a good count would be 40) Although he had

told me I hadn't lost much blood (hmmm, really?) my count was now 21-

severly anemic. Every time I even sat up I got light-headed and short-

of-breath. So ended up staying three nights, getting a transfusion (2

units) on the last night. Even with the 2 units, my count is only up

to 29.

I was extremely constipated in the hospital and begged them to give

me something so I would get some relief, but they wouldn't. I have to

say, the care at that hospital was not great. Although all the nurses

but one were nice, they seemd very short-handed, and couldn't do

anything, it seemed, without Levines's say-so. Although he had told

me he'd leave orders for meds to help with abdominal problems, he

never did, and then was very hard to reach. I got the impression from

the nurses that he wasn't their favorite doctor to work with -they

seemed quite frustrated.

On the morning of release, Levine called me on the phone and told me

I could go. No check of incision, no written post-op care

instructions. I wandered over to the nurses station (more luck

getting a hold of one than waiting for response to call button) and

they checked my record and said. Oh, the doctor says you can go

whenever you're ready. He had given some written prescriptions for

pain meds to me the day before. My DH cam over from the hotel at

around 1:30. I told the nurses he was there and they said OK-bye! I

asked them to give the incision one last check which seemd to

surprise them. I was expected to make my own way to the car - no

whhelchair even offered. I thought it was very weird.

I had a two-hour car trip home. Put a pillow under the seat belt, and

the ride wasn't too bad.

When I got home, I drank a bottle of magnesium citrate as a laxative.

I didn't realize it would give me cramps, so altough it did the job,

it was hours of massive cramps.

Since I 've been home, the gut problems have been much more difficult

than the incision pain! I still get horrendous gas pains every time I

eat, so it's really hard to get myself to eat. Today was better than

yesterday, at least, and I was able to have a BM (sorry to be graphic)

this morning.

Sorry this post is a downer, but I wasn't one of those who are

cheerfully taking long lovely walks two days post-op! I guess I

wasn't prepared for how wretched I'd feel.

To try to end on a more positive note, I still don't at all regret

doing it. I not on any pain meds at all now (except Motrin before bed)

and the discomfort from the surgery is only bad if I cough or sneeze.

I didn't have any problems at all from being intubated. My lips were

dry post-op, but not horrendously so.

Random suggestions:

lip balm, skin cream (although Mount Auburn did supply this), eye

mask for sleeping, ear plugs, belted comfy robe, loose nightie

(although I never did put it in the hospital, I lived in it up until

today, when I had my first shower), slippers you can slide your feet

into (although they will give you slipper-socks with tread)Someone on

this board had mentioned long-handled " grippers " to reach for items.

I wish I had brought those- it would have been extremely useful! A

very small pillow that i used for support at small of my back (I have

some back problems) Now that I'm home, I use the little pillow to

prop up my belly when lying on my side. I brought magazines and a

crossword puzzle book but was too umcomfortable to use them, although

I have now that I'm home.

Well, I guess that's about it. Again, I don't mean to scare anyone,

but I didn't wnat to gloss over the experience. It was what it was,

but as I say- no regrets! Feel free to e-mail me if you have any

questions, and once again- my belly problems are probably really

atypical.

Bye for now- Mindy

PS Someone asked about consent form. In Dr. Levine's case, at the pre-

op consult he went over all potential problems that could arise

during surgery, and what I would have him do in each case. ie if he

found cancer, if he found adenymosis (sp?) etc. He said he'd nevr had

to do a hysterctomy from myo, but I assume this means without

previous consent.