Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Pelvic Floor Surgery Tidbits

Now that I'm 7 weeks post-op from my pelvic floor repair, I'd like to share a few things that helped during my recovery. It's not a lot of tips, but a few that may help some others.

1) Don't believe everything you read online. Everything I read suggested recovery would be horrible. Other than being tired, drained, and somewhat painful for the first week, it wasn't SO bad.

Now do remember, I didn't have a hysterectomy. Just a rectocele and cystocele repair.

2) Have what you need close by. Remote control, tissues, water, snacks, phone and charger, heck, even a laptop. Pills if you don't want to get up and to take them. Pillows and blankets nearby so when you're cold you don't have to reach far.

3) Things I bought (or had) to help and let me be clear - I have no affiliation with Amazon for these products. These are just things I thought would be helpful and were.

Perineum bottles - Something like this. I had leftover ones from childbirth.

Perineum ice packs - You can buy disposable ones or get them from the hospital if they give them out, but I found these on Amazon and really liked them.

Bedside table/tray - There are a few different ones. I liked this because it had the lip and things wouldn't roll off, however it does bother me when I'm typing on my computer.

Reacher - This helped me picked things up from the floor or reach things farther away when I didn't feel like moving.

Maternity underwear from the hospital - I asked for extra, they gave me some.

Sitz bath - Don't use until your doctor tells you it's okay. I don't use the bag. I just fill it up with hot water and sit in it.

Stool softener - Follow your doctor's orders. Something like these. I bought mine at the grocery store.

4) Let other people help. Spouse, children, mother, anyone around. Have them take care of other children, have them go to the store for you, have them clean, help with homework, have them cook you dinner. Yes, they will get overwhelmed. But this is what you do on a daily basis. Let them experience it. It won't be forever.

5) Take your recovery and return to life slow and easy. Start with one thing, then add another, and so on. I'm not 100% yet at 7 weeks post-op, so don't expect to be either. To me, this felt a lot like childbirth, and that took me a good 3 months to recover from. So that's the time I'm giving it. Then I'll try to get my act together a little more.

I hope this helps at least one person prepare. These things really helped my recovery besides pain pills.

Feel free to ask any questions.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Pelvic Floor Repair Update

It's been 6 weeks now since my pelvic floor repair. I had a cystocele and rectocele repair. The doctor built up my perineum again too.

How am I feeling? Meh - would be the word I use. I don't have a lot of energy. I find that I'm tired most of the time. But, still better than I was a few weeks ago. I don't have much pain unless I'm having a bowel movement or at the end of the day I seem to be "achy" down there - the perineum area. There's one spot at the back of my vaginal hole where it meets the perineum that has a bumpy feel to it and when I wipe or push there, it hurts. Every once in a while, I get a shooting pain inside, but nothing more than that.

Bowels - well, they haven't really gotten any better. I took the stool softener up until my 6 week appointment when the doctor told me to stop. I took Miralax for about 10 days starting day 4 after my surgery until that 2nd week follow up. After reading some things about it, I hope to never have to take it again.

So before my journey started I was going every other day and spent 3-4 hours in the bathroom. Formed at first, then mushy stool. I hated it. I hated the time it took, hated my kids were always complaining I was in the bathroom, hated that I had to plan my appointments around my poop. How stupid. I was weak and always felt blah afterward. So that's when I started my journey last year to try and feel better, to poop better.

I'm worried it failed.

I'm now going pretty much every day and it's always mush. I've tried suppositories, enemas, both to help clean out "quicker." BECAUSE 3-4 HOURS OF BEING IN THE BATHROOM IS INSANE!

This weekend I took a 3 day cleanse from Renew Life. It hasn't seemed to do anything different. I'm on the last day of pills though, so we'll see how I clean out today and tomorrow.

My next step will be adding 1-2 fiber pills a day, maybe more. Than 1 supplements one-by-one and really hope that something helps. I also bought Calm which has some sort of Magnesium in it. It's a powder to mix and drink. I just hope to find something to help.

My 6 week checkup went okay. The doctor said I am healing well. I have no restrictions other than to not move or pick up anything REALLY heavy (like furniture, heavy boxes, or big kids). And no sex for a few more weeks - but with the pain, I'm not looking forward to any sex. She said I can exercise, run, kickbox, squat, whatever *I* feel up to. Start slow and easy and work my way up. Seems so different than what I read online. My doctor said she wants me to have a full life, not a life full of restrictions.

Next post: Tidbits.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Post Op Appointment #1

Since I wrote last, I've had ups and downs. Good days and bad. Some days I hurt and others I'm okay. I went without an ice pack a few days, but most days need it after a BM. The BMs have been diarrhea. Sometimes easy and forceful to get out. Other times it needs help. I'm still taking 2 stool softeners and 1 dose of MiraLax every day. Keeps it diarrhea like. But it's hard because it usually hits around midday. And I never know how long it'll last.

Today was my first post op appointment. The doctor did a very gentle exam. I didn't even feel it. I was worried it was going to hurt, but she was awesome. She said I was healing nicely. No popped stitches. She said I can take sitz baths now, drive, and do normal things. Still no lifting more than 5 pounds, no squatting. I can go upstairs as long as I feel good. No running, no aerobics, nothing like that. But the rest, take it easy. Do what I can.

I go back in 4 weeks and she said I can start PT at that time. Told me to keep on the laxatives if that helps. I missed today's dose though.

Things are going to be okay. I'm not sure how okay, but okay. I'd like to make a post with all the things that helped me and hope to do that within the next week.

I hope the things I've been posting about have helped someone out there.