# another hurtle survived



## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Hi everyone, I haven't posted in a while. I had my complete hysterectomy a week and a half ago. Still feeling miserable, but hopefullly the worst of it is over.The really irritating thing about FM is that we can't do things in simple ways, everything has to be so complicated. The IV they put in made my hand and arm ache so bad (still), my back is still Killing me, all my aches and pains seem so much worse than the surgery itself.And the worst part is that when they tried to inject morphine after the surgery, my body couldn't absorb it, it formed a lump in my muscle, when they pulled the needle out the morphine spurted out through the injection site. I got no pain relief at all, and I still have the lumps in my leg where they tried to give me morphine, toradol and Talwin. They said they had never seen anything like it and after the first day they stopped trying. I figured if its stranges and unusual, someone here has been through it. The muscles which have the lumps are still very sore. Any input would be appreciated so I will know what to tell them next time, and there is always a next time for us.Thanks Lori


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Hi Lori!Gosh, I was hoping you would be feeling a little bit better by now. Darn it!!!







As far as the body hurting more after major surgery---I can identify with that for sure. I ached so bad after my surgeries. And this last May when I had the bowel obstruction, my back and hips ached me so I didn't know what to do. I went thru a lot of pain meds the first week, but after that, I said to heck with it----I felt absolutely horrid from those pain meds and I tried my best to tough it out, but it's not easy. My back still isn't the best. It's like those muscles are still tied in knots.The IV site problem I can identify with, too. My veins are very hard to get at and very small---some of which are permanently collapsed due to illnesses, etc. and it's very hard to keep an IV in at any given site for more than 2 to 3 days max. Then it would infiltrate and they would have to try to find a different site. Horrible!! Sometimes it would take 5 or more attempts. Other times, they would call someone from surgery to try to get it in, 'cause they just couldn't get it in the vein---they kept poking thru the vein wall, etc. Ouch!!! I passed out on them a number of times!!!I haven't had problems with malabsorption of meds, though. Could the Celiac Sprue play a part in the malabsorption? Have you checked the Celiac board and asked them? I would sometimes get hard lumps at the site of the injections, but the meds would still work. Sorry I can't be of more help.Take care of yourself and keep in touch.  Karen


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## weener (Aug 15, 2000)

Hi Lori AnnWhen I had my hysterectomy it took me almost a good month before I started feeling better. I did have a bit of setback about a week after I came home. I also couldn't take the morphine or Tylenol 3. It upset my tummy and I ended up sticking to extra strength tylenol. One of the first things I tried to do was take a short walk every day (even if it meant the end of the driveway and back). I didn't want to have trapped gas. Other than that, it was lots of r&r. Please don't rush things, let your body take the time to heal. I don't know why, but I have to agree that with fm every pain hurts so much more. Just curious did you ask your doctor about the lumps in your muscles and why the morphine would come back out? I've never experienced that before. The biggest problem for me is trying to find a vein for anything. I hope you get some relief soon.


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## Mio (Dec 19, 1999)

Hi LoriAnn,I havenï¿½t done any hysterctomy or major surgery. When I take blood test itï¿½s usually very difficult. Sometimes the nurse use the same kind of needle they use for babys, very thin one. It depends from time to time how difficult is is and how skilled the nurse is.Hope you will feel better soon.  /Mio


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## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Hi everyone,Actually, what everyone said about vein problems made me think, they had problems drawing blood samples as well, some said the wall was "so tough", some said my veins were too small and some said they were slippery, they had problems but couldn't agree on why. So maybe there is a connection, the doctors and nurses were all baffled as to why this was happening to me (with the pain meds) the only thing we came up with was that when my dad was terminal, he experienced the same thing with his pain pump. I remember the home nurses getting us to rub the lumps and to squeeze the excess morphine back out while they looked for another site, maybe its a heredity thing? In my dads case they called a specialist in Scotland (the man who designed the pump)and he suggested that it might be a lack of body fat, (which could certainly be a factor for me as well since I am 5'9" and down to about 98 pounds)But I couldn't help wondering if it was FM related because of the muscle irritation.Karen-I suppose it might be related to the CD somehow but since we had trouble with the computer the site won't recognize my password so I couldn't ask anyone. When I feel more up to sitting at the computer longer I will email someone and ask them to fix it for me, but to tell you the truth, by the time I get logged on, and get to where I want to go, I'm too tired to care anymore. As bad as I feel, and I feel terrible, its still better than I felt when I had my last period.You know, sometimes I feel like the biggest whinner and yet the other day my husband said that women are the toughest species on earth and women like us in particular. It made me feel good when he said he thought we could handle anything.Thanks for the inputLori


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## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

PS Karen, how long was it before your back improved?Weener, did your back bother you after the surgery? And are you taking any HRT?And for both of you, since I know you both had a hyst- did you have rectal/vaginal pain/pressure afterward? I had an abdominal hyst, but I can see where removing the cervix might cause that type of pain, I just don't know anyone else I can ask.Thanks for your help, and good wishes everyone.Lori


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Hi Lori!My back hurt me a lot for almost 2 months after my bowel obstruction this last May. I think I held myself so tense because the pain was so bad before they actually wheeled me into the operating room. I can remember asking hubbie to rub my back it hurt so bad. I still have some hard lumps of muscle in my back and shoulder blades. A week ago, I splurged on a body massage and the therapist couldn't even get to the inner muscles, I was so tight. It's so painful. I keep popping Skelaxin (a muscle relaxer)and Extra-Strength Tylenol or Advil. It helps some, but not totally.I had the "urge" to have a b.m. a lot after the hysterectomy, but the Gyn. said that was because I was experiencing "phantom" sphincter muscle spasms due to his having to fix the rectal wall (it has prolapsed and was squeezing out the vagine). I didn't have pain, though. I had my hysterectomy done vaginally, so I didn't have an abdominal incision. I'm wondering if you could possibly be experiencing what some Fibro patients experience. I can't remember what it's called, but it has something to do with the Fibro creating extra sensitive nerve endings in the vaginal area. Perhaps someone knows what this is called? I think it's Vulva---something.Take care. I hope things get better for you. Make sure you talk to your Gyn tomorrow about this. And keep us posted.  Karen


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## weener (Aug 15, 2000)

Lori Ann, I didn't have too many back problems after surgery, just sore because I was laying around so much and I was walking hunched over for awhile. I also had an abdominal hysterectomy. Surprisingly, I had a lot of energy the months after my surgery. I'm not sure why, but I had to learn to slow down a bit. The only complication I had after surgery was I tried to jump down 3 steps a week after coming home. The jarring that my body took that night caused me the most excrutiating pain I've ever had. Let me explain the reason why I jumped. I was on my way down the stairs and my hubby said that he thought a tornado was coming. We had one go by our farm 2 years before and when I heard the word "tornado", instinct took over. But I felt the pain instantly. As for the rectal/vaginal pain/pressure, I get the rectal pressure, but I didn't know it was connected to my hysterectomy. I feel like I have to go to the washroom, but nothing happens. Is that what you mean? I'm not on HRT since I still have a half of an ovary. Not yet anyways!!! When time comes for the good old hot flashes, I might try something herbal first. I take so many meds to begin with I'm not too keen on taking another. That or I'll eat tofu like crazy.


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## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Thanks for the input you guys. I had my appt with the OBGYN today and found out what is causing the vaginal/rectal pain/pressure. I have a lg blood clot where my uterus use to be! So I have ANOTHER prescription and I have to go back AGAIN. Just call me Murphy, the inspiration for Murphy's law.Blissfully, since I got past being impacted, my bowels have worked perfectly, and thats saying a lot for me. Since I had diarrhea all my life, whenever I had surgery, constipation afterward was never a problem. But since going on the gluten free diet for Celiac Disease in Feb, constipation was a problem. Between that and the period related bowel problems, I don't think my BM's have ever really been normal until now, let me tell you, its a really weird experience.Karen, I'm really surprised that you had your ovaries removed vaginally, most docs won't even attempt it. My OBGYN said the same which is why I had mine done abdominally.We have a new doctor in town, I met him while I was in hospital, and he is AWESOME. An older doctor (probably in his late 50's) who isn't likely to change over time like the young ones do. He listens and is open to suggestions, he answered all my questions, he actually sat down on my bed and went over my pamphlets with me. I was so impressed with him Karen. (he even makes house calls if you can believe it) My GP is moving soon and I pray the new doc can take us on as patients. He is the first doctor I have liked this much since the old country doc who delivered me retired 20 odd years ago.Weener, the discomfort I am feeling isn't like my bowels needed to move, it actually feels like something is swollen, and pressing down on the rectum, guess now I know why. Hopefully when the blood clot clears up that feeling will be gone, at least thats what the OBGYN is hoping for.When the hot flashes kick in (and for some women they never do)a mild anti-depressant can reduce the symptoms for women who can't take HRT, since most of us are already taking one,it could be a big plus. I kicked my anti-depressant back in Feb, but may consider going back if I need to. Right now I am only taking tylonal and cyclobenzaprine for my back, and the new prescription I got today for the blood clot. So far I have had some warm flushes, but nothing too bad, I hope it stays that way because I do NOT want to take any HRT.One minute at a time, hour by hour, and maybe, just maybe, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.Lori


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Oh my gosh, Lori. That sounds horrid! I hope it clears up without any further problems.Yeah, you're right about the vaginal hysterectomy! He did say right before they wheeled me into the operating room, though, that if he could not reached the ovaries, he would then do an abdominal incision. Well, he did reach them and was able to remove them, even though there was some scar tissue from the tubal ligation I had had. BUT, it would have been better in the long run if he had done it abdominally. He could have tacked the intestines up against the abdominal wall and I probably wouldn't have had that horrible ordeal to go through 3 years ago when part of the large intestine fell down. It most likely had fallen down within a year after my hysterectomy 10 years ago, but the Doc's never wanted to truly listen to me when I told them about all my symptoms and that something wasn't right. Well, blow me down!!!! 9 years of agony before it got so bad and lo' and behold!!!!!!I've been cutting my Estrogen replacement in half for the last month. Have had a few hot flashes, but not real bad. Will remain on half a dose for a month or two and then stop it entirely. After all, what good did it really do---I'm still in Stage one of Osteoporosis. And that was their biggest "reason" for talking me into going on Estrogen replacement. Talked to my new Gyn assistant last month and she said that at 53 , I may not experience too many bad hot flahes anymore, so if I wanted to try tapering off, I could. It's the first time anyone has suggested it. I think I like her!!







I took the replacment for the last 10 years. The first one the Gyn put me on made me feel absolutely awful. That was Premarin (made from horses urine---can you believe that!!). No wonder I felt like ####!







Feel better soon, Lori. I'm glad you wrote to let us know what the Doc said.And, I do hope you can get this new Doc, too. He sounds like a good one to hang on to, if you can.Take care.Karen


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## weener (Aug 15, 2000)

Lori Ann, I hope things start to improve for you. Good luck with the new doctor, he sounds like a gem. I would contact his office and inquire about becoming one of his patients. Once word gets around that he's a goodie, he'll fill up fast.


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## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

hi, just a note to let everyone know I am still alive, but I feel terrible, been feeling more and more ill over the past 2 days. If it gets any worse I will go to emergency tomorrow, the prescription does not seem to be helping the blood clot, and its become very painful. There seems to be no end of the misery we can feel.Lori


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Oh, Lori, take care of yourself. Don't wait too long before seeking emergency help. That blood clot is dangerous.Sending (((((((HUGS and  )))))))))


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## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Hi again. Still kicking. Dr. Fouad took me off the meds for the blood clot, said we will take a "wait and see" approach , cuz the meds were making me sick. He said if I get a fever or experience severe pain to call him or go to the ER.I think I figured out why I have been getting worse instead of better. It turns out that the nutritious drinks my hubby bought to build me back up have Gluten in them, so I have been getting a dose of it everyday, that made me do some checking and it seems the "gluten free" cereal I have been eating everyday isn't really gluten free like it says on the label. So its no wonder I feel so bad. Its back to plain veggies and meat until I am well enough to be more conscientious about checking with the manufacturers BEFORE I eat something. So many things to deal with!Lori


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