Hernia Surgery - horendous pain - also sprouted a leak

Last Wednesday I had surgery for a Ventral hernia - open.  OH, MY, GOD - this was the most painful thing I have gone through.  I think even more than my bowel obstruction or maybe I just dont remember.  The surgeon said it would hurt but I never dreamed how bad.  He did it open = about  5 inches - using part of the same incisions that were used for my other surgeries - the bottom half which is where the hernia was - top half is fine.  He said he put in a huge piece of mesh so it wouldnt reoccur and that is what is causing the pain.  He also put in a J tube which was removed before I left the hospital last Saturday.

 I have been home recovering, mostly resting in bed due to the pain but I do get out a bit to walk around.  I live alone so I think I did a bit too much bending on my own  Last night before going to bed, I notice my abdomen pretty hard, but other than that, I was fine.  All of a sudden I got up to go to the bathroom a couple of hours later  and I was full of blood - my underwear, my sweats, down my legs.  I cleaned myself off and looked at was going on and and saw - the area where the j tube was = opened up and red fluid was flowing out of it.  I grabbed some guagze pads and taped them to my abdomen and pressed down to try to get it to stop.  Went back to bed.  I got up in the early am and it started again.  I packed a bag and called 911 - went to the ER.  Was there for about 5 hours until my surgeon came to look at it.  He said it was fine, just the  clear redish fluid that actually needs to come out and drain.  It just seems so massive.  Still not sure why so much = it is now the next day and still coming out.  He gave me about 10 thick abdominal pads and said I could also use maxi pads to absorb it, so he must expect alot to come out.  He said unless it becomes actually blood and water consistancy - it is fine, if becomes blood, or I develop a fever, then to come  back.  They did take a culture to make sure.

How long until you felt normal? How long until you were able to drive?  He said I could but I am a nervous with the pain and drain stuff all on the right side = afraid it might affect moving my right left.

thanks

I haven't had open surgery in quite a while but I do know that my drain, drained for quite a while. I was out of work for a full 6 weeks with my open GB surgery back in the early 90s.   I would think part of the driving is if you are on pain meds.  I never drove on pain meds, with any surgery including my knee.  It meant a long time that I wasn't driving.

I am not concerned with driving due to pain meds because I am always on pain meds, I am concerned with weather the pain in the area where the drain was will cause me to less movement in my leg.  I actually think the pain meds will help  just not a high dose.

The drainage thing is weird = he took the drain out before I left the hospital because it had pretty much stopped but now it is leaking a red, cleary type fluid - he said it isnt blood but it is almost continuous.  The gauze pads werent working so I now have a sanitary napkin (which he suggested) on it under an abdomen pad to absorb it so I am not changing it every half hour and getting myself crazy.

The last open surgery I had was my partial hysterectomy back i*****I hurt far more from that than I did my DS so yeah, I can understand. Apparently drainage is normal, but it can be scary when it happens. Is there someone who can come stay with you or can you go stay with someone so you aren't alone for about the next week?

Also driving...as long as you are on pain meds, best advice is to NOT drive. If for some reason you had an accident, you could be considered DUI (of medications). Your other concern about driving is a good one...if you had to make a sudden manuver, you would have a hard time and could hurt yourself.

Good luck with healing...you have had your share of issues this year.

Liz

(((((())))))) Hope you feel better  real soon !  Miss U! 

Thanks.  I see you came back to OH - you have been gone for a long time.  Wasnt sure if it was you at first.  Welcome back.  I am not on here that much anymore but I do pop up every now and then.  This surgery was much worse than I thought. 

I hate that you've been going through all this.  ((((rbb))))

--gina

Hey.  Thanks.  It has been a really tough year and I thought what I went through a couple of years ago was enough but it just keeps coming.  It has to stop at some point. I am really at my wits end.  Since June, I have been Hospitalized 12 times. I have been getting chronic UTI;s that are resistant to oral antibiotics and need to treated with IV antibiotics.  I am allergic to most antiobiotics so that also limits what they can give me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Last In October month I had 2 kidney stone surgery (1 emergency) and now the Hernia. (I have had the  hernia for over a year but they couldnt fix it while I had all the other stuff going on - it got really bad in October but I had a kidney stent in and I had to wait for it to come out)  Last year 3 kidney stone surgeries.  Unfortunately when they removed a large part of my bowel and I had the illiostomy it put me at high risk for kidney stones.  I see my Nephrologist and he keeps changing my supplements to try to change to make up of my urine but from last year to this year it did absolutely nothing, if anything it got worse - crazy.  If things ever calm down, they are trying to send me to a specialist in New York City at Lenox Hill Hospital that is a Kidney Stone Specialist but the day I was supposed to see him I was rushed by ambulance and into surgery with a stone lodged in my ureter.  That was unbearable pain - I think just as bad as the hernia pain.

Well, thank goodness it a day later and the pain is getting better and the leaking is alot better. It only prouts really bad when I really make sudden movements using my stomach muscles (standing up or going to the bathroom) and then I have to be prepared with 3 or 4 extra gauze pads to soak it up and I have 2 or 3 of them covering the little hole all the time for what ever leaks while I am out.  I am not doing much yet, maybe next week.  I may try to drive just to CVS or Walmart over the weekend as what happens. 

I will try to come by more often.  Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - a HEALTHY ONE FOR ALL

So sorry. You have been through so much!

From a  medical perspective though, I am glad you sprouted the leak, atleast the fluid didnt get trapped and cause an infection, or the need for another procedure.

I agree, it is a good thing just really hard to take care of.  When I had my illiostomy reversal, my incision didnt heal totally in one area, so my surgeon had to open it up about 1 inch, squeeze out all sorts of blood and fluids.  Then because it was the incision that was open about an inch, I was able to pack it with sterile packing strips and change daily in order to absorb all the fluids.  This is different - it is a tiny hole in abdomen about 3 inches to the right of the incision.  Because the drain was already taken out, all I can do it put tons of gauze pads and an abdominal pad over them and change them constantly.  While lying in bed, nothing comes out but as soon as I get up out of bed or any movements, the flood gaits open and it takes like 2 or 3 pads to soak it up each time.  It is weird because the surgeon took the drain out last Saturday and all was fine until Wednesday when it all started leaking.  Now Saturday and things are still leaking.  He said it could take another week.  I am wondering why he took it out in the first place.

I am thankful that the pain is calming down somewhat.  I still have to take painkillers but not nearly as much as before = a couple of times per day rather than around the clock and I pretty much took them a couple of times per day before for my chronic pain anyway.  I went out today for the first time and attempted to drive and all went great.  The hardest part is getting in and out of the car but the driving is no problem.

I also find it really difficult not being able to lift or bend but all in time.   I see the surgeon at the end of the week for follow up.  My actual incision looks great.  Thankfully no staples, he sewed it up and put glue over it.