Myomectomy

I was scheduled to have a probably hysterectomy on 1/24/12, with the possibility of just myomectomies for the fibroids instead.

1/23
Bowel cleanse: Used Half-lyte or some-such. Although this doesn't taste bad, eventually you feel like you are drinking poison. Supposed to drink all of it no matter your size - I'm 120 lbs, so that "clear" stuff comes out the rear end. I assumed they meant water, but it means no chunky stuff, and of course it is never clear but yellow. So you feel like you are pissing out it. I was on a completely clear liquid diet that day to, so 2/3s of the 64 ozs was all I could swallow and it was all "clear" by the early evening.

1/24
Surgery: Didn't get much sleep - had to be at BI hospital in Boston by 6 AM. I still "pissed" out the rear twice before they put me under. They didn't tell me that would happen but at the hospital they said it was normal. All the many doctors came and met me pre-surgery, it was great fun. I had an anesthesiologist and Nurse Practitioner, my doctor and a resident (who looked 21 years old, but was likely 28 or 29). Basically I started feeling a little sleepy when they put something in my IV and the next thing I knew the NP anesthesiologist was waking me up. I guess I had been sleeping over an hour after the surgery which was 4 hours long. About 8 AM they wheeled me out of the room and into surgery, about 12:15 the doctor called Audrey about the surgery and I was in recovery.

Since I ended up having the myomectomy instead of the hysterectomy, they said I was going home that day. At first I was OK with that I guess since I was so out of it. When they wheeled me to the other recovery room, I just felt really whacked-out and like someone had pummeled me from ribs to pelvis. The nurse there was trying to really get me going, eating, bathroom, drinking. She gave me more fluids because I wasn't drinking enough. I kept falling asleep. I felt like she was really aggressive trying to get me out of there by 5 PM it seemed. She gave me a second Percocet (I had one about 2 hours before)even though I wasn't really in pain so much).

I told them I didn't feel good, but they still dressed me, wheeled me around, in and out of crowded elevator, and out to a lot full of car fumes - and as soon as I got in the car I felt really sick and started getting out of the car. Bethany pushed me back in and told me to use the tiny little plastic tray they gave me for nausea, but that didn't work and I opened door again and spewed massive fluid out using the tray as a directional. I think they really should have kept me for an additional hour (over their 5 PM schedule)!

The drive home was luckly free of the expected rush hour traffic - it was about 5 PM, and it wasn't as bad as it could have been, although every bump hurt my insides. This wan't a short ride either - Boston to Attleboro.

As recommended, I took a mild stool softener before I went to bed. I did wake every three hours and a couple of times was panicky falling asleep.

1/25
I stayed on a 3 hour rotation of one Percocet and one 600 mg ibuprofen regiment over the whole evening and early morning. had a very small amount of stool but didn't need to strain. I walked around the small area about every 3 hours as well. My chest felt crappy with the tube and having had a bad cold the week before. They wanted me to breath deep frequently. My stomach from ribs to pelvis felt as if I had been used as a punching bag. Also, my vagina burned a lot every time I peed, which I assumed was from a speculum being in there for so long.

I had a Percocet at 10 AM and 4 PM and that was my last one. Even though they helped me sleep if I was relaxed, they also caused me a weird feeling if I was awake. Later that evening I experienced a flushed chest and a lot of anxiety trying to fall asleep. The mild congestion in my chest was very disturbing for some reason. Later I learned that these two symptoms are withdrawal from Percocet. How the heck can I have withdrawal from one day on the drug? Took another stool softener - should be last one since not going to take any more Percocet.

1/26
Had a more normal stool in AM, still no straining.

1/27
Vagina still burning today, so I checked with a mirror and it showed a cut on the inside labia. I called doctor about this because only a speculum was supposed to be inside me. Apparently they move the speculum around a lot and it can break the skin. She said it will get better in a week. For the love, honestly it feels like they didn't even lube the stupid device, although I'm sure they must have.