Just had surgery and have some questions

[Mel13]

Hi everyone,

I'm going to try and keep this short and sweet. I just had a right hemicolectomy and anastomoses performed on Wednesday (Australian time) for a bowel obstruction in my terminal ileum. Whilst the surgery itself went incredibly well, I feel like recovery has not been what I had hoped, and it's got me a little down. I just wanted to ask a few questions and would be genuinely grateful if anyone could offer their experience or advice:

1. Did anyone present with a fever after surgery? I've been in hospital 5 days now and every day, I keep getting a fever. The nurses have been thorough and I keep getting tests done but have no answers yet.

2. Did anyone get red and hot around their incisions? I have 4 incisions and the one at my belly button is presenting with redness and heat which the doctors keep dismissing.

3. Did anyone get oozing from their incision? If so, how soon and what colour is it? The same site I spoke of above has shown a milky white ooze tonight. Joy!

4. Did anyone experience new pains in areas they never experienced pain before? On day 5-today- I was taken off all drips, most meds except for prednisone and heparin. I am noticing tonight that I'm feeling pains in my intestines that are foreign to me and I'm freaking out!

5. Did anyone experience bad, acidy reflux once you were allowed on free fluids and/or soft diets?

6. Did anyone experience pain and a burning sensation in their incision site a few days out of surgery?

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'm just feeling low tonight as I keep experiencing these hurdles in my recovery. Again, anything you can add in the way of advice or answers will be so reassuring for me.

Xx

 

[Grumbletum]

:welcome: Hi Mel, I'm very happy to meet you but sorry that it's under these circumstances. I'm glad the surgery went well but sorry to hear you're experiencing pain and discomfort. It's a pretty scary experience all in all.
I can't answer all your questions but can share on the ones that happened to me too.
1. I did develop a fever a couple of days after the op, but I also had a cough so was treated with Panadol and antibiotics for a chest infection. How are they dealing with your temperature issues?
4. Have you had a bowel movement or passed gas since the op? Weird pains are quite common. They have been doing a lot of rummaging around in there and also you are pumped full of gas so they can see better what they are doing and the gas can stay in the body and cause quite considerable pain. Walking around can help relieve it and get the bowel going again, although I had to have Movicol Day 5 as I still hadn't been on my own. I felt very tight and bloated before that.
I had highs and lows after the surgery too. I felt immediately better without the symptoms of the fistula, but I did feel quite vulnerable and sort of 'delicate' for a while.
I hope these issues resolve soon. When are you getting home?

 

[Mel13]

Hi grumbletum! I have been reading some of your posts on here for a while now and am so pleased you have taken the time to write to me just now. So thank you! And very pleased to meet you!

You're right- this has been a pretty scary experience. I try to keep up the strong face but I think my lack of sleep (how do the nurses know to come and do obs just when you've fallen asleep??) and my emotions got the better of me tonight!!

I will also try to answer your questions as best I can- here come the numbers again!

1. I too developed a cough and phlegm after the op. And man, does it hurt to cough!! To combat that, I had a physio come and work with me on getting me walking and breathing properly. They gave me this breathing apparatus called a tri-flo. Are you familiar with it? They thought my fever might have been brought on from the lungs plugging with mucus so the doc put me on 3 different antibiotics and panadol. I was told today I could stop all those and lo and behold, I have fever again. Crap!!

2. Yes, bowel movements happened fairly swiftly for me but its all been very watery (sorry to be graphic there!). And you make a good point- they have been rummaging in there...I think I forget that sometimes!!
I had such bad gas pain days after surgery, right up under my lungs. They did a chest x-ray and said there was quite a lot of carbon dioxide in there still. Which makes sense as I'm still feeling pain when I breathe in, under the ribcage. It's a horrible feeling isn't it? And I can't imagine how painful it must have been to be so bloated, you poor thing.

3. Yep, highs and lows is exactly how I'd describe it. I actually felt great today as I'd felt the best I had so far and hence thought the worst was behind me so having the fever reappear late this afternoon was devastating in a way. I think I thought that this good day meant I would be home sooner and having another setback confirmed I'd be here for a while yet. Oh to be back in my bed!! So no release date yet- might get out on a good behaviour bond with any luck!!

So how is your crohns now?

 

[ForeverCrohns]

Hi

I recently had surgery and its almost 3 weeks ago. I didn't experience fever or redness in my incision but fever indicates some kind of infection.. However I had reflux and burning in my stomach.. And I were experiencing pains in different areas that made me freak out too especially a pain under my ribcage and to my shoulder this was the worst even worse than the surgery pain itself.. What did the doctor tell you about your incision pain?

 

[Grumbletum]

Aw Mel, I'm sorry you're not getting home for a bit. It is really good to get into your own bed after the hospital ones. First time I have heard of a tri-flo. They gave me a nebuliser and oxygen through the little nasal tube thingy. I was so scared to cough but they told me I had to and Dusty Kat told me to hug a pillow while I was doing it.
So, they don't think the redness around the incisions is causing the fever? I suppose that's a good thing but very perplexing not knowing what's causing it.
I am doing very well now - thank you for asking - 7 or 8 weeks post op now. I had a bladder fistula which caused me problems - repeated UTIs, pain urgency and other lovely symptoms. It is so good to feel back to normal.
My GP surgery are chasing up my follow up appointment as there's a bit of confusion about where I'm going for it.

 

[Mel13]

Hi Grumbletum, so pleased to hear you're doing well. Have you had any news on the follow up appt?

So day 7 and I'm still here, still getting fevers. They put me back on antibiotics today so I'm hoping we might finally make some progress. But, it looks like I'm here for a while yet

One of the tricks I learnt from being in hospital is exactly what Dusty recommended- the ol' pillow hug. Still bloody hurts though!!!