update, through the ringer but feel great

hi everyone, i have not been here in about 2 weeks but after you read this you will know why. I wrote last about the liver shrinking diet! My surgeon wanted me to lose as much as possible before he would do surgery because the area he was going to operate on was too tight from his tt last year. I lost over 10 pounds in two weeks and went for surgery. I was having multiple surgeries done and he was working with my OB/GYN who would be doing a hysterectomy. WELL!!! I am so thankful I have a great surgeon who knows how to work well with surprises. First off, the obgyn did the hysterectomy and placed in a new pain device called an ON-Q, it was in the last OH magizine and it delivers a novicane like pain relief only to that area. so you are not all drugged up with narcodics.. then My GBS surgeon went in and discovered some suprises!! I had adhesions on my small intestines and he had to remove the adhesions and resect the small intestines in two places.... then he went and removed the scar tissue and the mesh from the hernia repair in my upper belly that he fixed last december. he could not remove all the scar tissue and since my body has had reactions to the mesh more then once, he did not replace a mesh but he sewed up what little scar tissue remained and left it at that. then he found another small hernia in the lower belly and he fixed that without mesh, he also found three growths that turned out to be where stitches did not disolve but became incased in scar tissue and he removed those too. on the way out, just for good measure he took out my apendix,, that way he hopes here is no reason to have to go back in... after all of this i feel really really good, i was on hardly any pain meds and was up and walking the next day. my surgeon said he did more this time thn all the stuff he has had to do in the last 3 years... he was suprised on how well i am feeling also. so i am home now and can start to drive tomorrow. i see the obgyn wednesday and the surgeon on thursday. when i got home i of course gained weight, that IV constantly pumps fluids into a body and you can come home 10 pounds heavier. but after i got home, i drank lots of water and now, two weeks after surgery, i am at 143,,, thats 20 pounds lighter since November 2nd when the surgeon asked me to lose a little. not sure if i will keep it off but we will see... Donna

So glad to hear that your procedures were successful and that you are on the mend. Congrats on the weight loss too. You look fabulous ! Karen G

Wow, you had alot done! I'm glad you're home and feeling pretty good!!!! Tracy B

Hey Donna, Wow, you sure have been thru the ringer. I'm so happy to hear that you are feeling so good, after such extensive surgeries! My best for your continued recooperation. I am curious, what type of surgery were you scheduled for initially, other than the hysterectomy? It sounds by your post that your GBS went in to fix scar adhesions... was that the reason for the surgery to begin with, or did he find those while repairing something else? I'm curious, as to what caused you initially to need surgery, and assuming the hysterectomy was secondary? I'm seriously comtemplating a partial hysterectomy, to alliviate heavy menstrual periods, and I'm gonna speak with my OB/GYN when I finally make my next appt that was due this month already LOL.. yes I'm a procrastonator... but was curious if you had pains, etc, that led you to additional consults with your GBS for scar adhesion removal. Thanks for any info. Wendy

hi Wendy, let me try to explain it all, there is so much to remember.. ok, for years i have had a problem with a "bulge" in my vagina, I thought everyone had the same problem and there was only pain once in a while. but after i lost all the weight, i could actually feel a puffyness on the outside of my lower belly so i went to the obgyn... she said there was a cyst and also i had a prolapsed uterus... she said this may have been causing the bladder problems i have had for years and if she removed the uterus, MAYBE the bladder would take up that empty space and fix its self... always had to go pee and hardly any pee came out... also i had been talking with my gbs he is also a general surgeon and has done two hernia repairs plus a TT. so when I developed hard scar tissue in the upper belly from the mesh he placed in the last hernia surgery, I knew i needed to go to him. his plan was to remove the mesh from last december when he repaired a rather large hernia under my ribs and remove as much as the scar tissue as he could. the cyst turned out to be a new small hernia which he repared but her adhesions on the small intestines was a huge suprise! My surgeon and the obgyn have worked together many times and I was confidant I was in good hands... one time under and multiple surgeries is better then a bunch of small surgeries... if you do have the hysterectomy ask the obgyn about the ON-Q, its awsome, i felt NO pain from the hysterectomy at all. it delivered novicane like medication directly to that site so i was not all drugged up... many obgyn's use it now and i actually found out about it in the OH magizine... surgeons are starting to use it for gastric bypass... good luck, i am so happy to be rid of my periods, I am 39 and was done having babies years ago. all i need to worry about now is getting the right dose of hormones and we are working on that, I just wear a water proof patch for a week at a time and dont have to remember to take any pills Donna If i forgot to address anything, please write me again.

Hey Donna, Thanks so much for taking the time to elaborate on your procedures, and what caused you to seek help. Its wonderful that your GBS and your OB/GYN were willing to work together to help you out. I'm sure it saved you a lot of pain and time. I am a firm believer in combining procedures when ya can! I will definitely remember the ON-Q. It sounds like a wonderful way to manage pain. I will have to investigate it further, when/if the need arises. I'm a bit worried about the Novacaine factor, because when I go to the dentist, they have to use an alternative to Novacain... cant recall the name, but it does not have epi in it.. For some reason Epi sends my heart into a fast race to hell LOL. I have no idea how it would affect my body, when it does this from shots in the mouth. My main reason for being so curious, was due to the fact that for the past few years, I've had "unexplainable" charlie horses (for lack of a proper diagnosis) in my belly. These occur when I do cruches exercising (always), when I'm getting out of bed, and don't use my arms for support. When I'm having a BM (sorry, TMI? LOL) when I turn without thinking, etc... anytime I need to use my ab muscles. I had a very extensive Abdominaplasty 4 years ago, whi*****luded multiple massive hernia repairs... not my first time around the hernia repairs, but my surgeon swore it would be my last. He also inserted the mesh. That part is worrisome to me a bit, as I know scar tissue can adhere to the mesh, over time... and I was curious if this might be the case. I have also been concerned with the possibility of a twisted bowel. (I suffer with severe constipation). Of course, this is all self-diagnosis LOL.. god forbid I get with a GBS to rule these things in/out. My surgeon moved out of the area several years ago. I saw another surgeon about a year ago for a follow-up and he thought I was doing great.. although at the time, I didn't elaborate on the cramping muscle in the tummy. I'll need to schedule an appt. to really address this problem specifically. As far as your hysterectomy, was it partial, or full? Sounds like full if you have to take HRT's, yes? Thanks so much for responding, you've given me a lot to think about. Just need to get my butt into gear, and find some answers. Wendy

Wendy here is the site to find out more information on the ON-Q pump. when I went to my follow up appointment today, my PA was so suprised to see how well i was doing after so much was done to me. because this on-Q controls the pain so well, you can heal much quicker and start getting around faster too. hope the site helps. i dont know what type of pain killer they use, was just told its like Novicain Donna http://www.askyoursurgeon.com/faq.php