post surgery complications

I wasn't quite sure where to put this.  I was dx'd with cervical cancer in late Sept of this year.  It was stage 1B1.  I had surgery on Oct 12th, a radical trachelectomy, instead of the usual route of a radical hysterectomy... to preserve fertility.  Basically, only my cervix and a portion of the top of my vagina was removed, my uterus was then permanently stitched closed to my vagina using a cerclage.  I had a few whoopsies during surgery.  First of all, it was over 6 hours long, done robotically, with my feet elevated and my head tilted toward the ground.  I was basically standing on my head based on how they had the operating table angled.  I would love to have seen it, but I was too far gone by that time.  Because of the positioning, so much weight was pressing on my lungs.  The bottom portion of my lungs both collapsed.  The doctors also had a hard time managing my bleeding, so I had 3 pints of blood the next day due to the blood loss and my extremely low blood count.  Thankfully now I am cancer free!  It has been 4 weeks and I am still at home recovering.  Because of the issue with my lungs, I had visits from a respiratory therapist and was given a device to inhale from... I could inhale very little.  The pain from breathing alone was so much worse than my surgery site.  I continued to use the device, but not nearly as often as they recommended.  I never seemed to be getting any further with it, so I was quite discouraged... it was a chore to do.  I brought the device home and hardly used it... very little.  I have continued to run a low grade fever daily, always between 99-100.3.   One week post op I started running a temp around 102.4... the hospital staff clearly stated that if my temp went above 100.5 or 101 to call (one nurse told me 100.5, another told me 101.)... so I ended up in the ER that day and was readmitted to the hospital with an infection and fluid leaking in my pelvis region.  I was released the next day, after a heavy dose of IV antibiotics and sent home with 2 other antibiotics, which made me feel utterly horrible!  I've finished both rounds of antibiotics, but remain on pain meds, switched from percocet to lortab, and also iron supplements.  I'm still concerned with the fever 4 weeks post op.  I've noticed that it, almost daily, elevates in the evenings to around 100.7-ish.... and I've noticed that it always happens especially if I've been active throughout the day.  Active at this point means getting out of bed and putting on a load of laundry or sweeping the floors, rinsing dishes... nothing much.  I still have pain in my chest area, which is worse first thing in the morning after lying down all night.  The pains are sharp and on my left side.  I find myself having to stretch out my arms and inhale deeply to even be able to get a good breath.  It hurts horribly if I do not raise my arms when I'm inhaling.  And add the fever to that that I get in the evenings... I'm beginning to worry about the onset of pneumonia, wondering if my lungs ever did inflate and heal.  

[SarahB79]

I think you are right to worry about pneumonia or other infection.  I would either go back to the ER or schedule a post op visit with OB or primary doctor.  Or heck, even urgent care... sometimes those urgent care doctors can be really good and they have the ability to do xray right in their office of your lungs.  You may need to do some blood work.  I just recently got over pneumonia and with partially collapsed lungs and being in the hospital it is highly possible that you could get hospital acquired pneumonia (which is what I had) and very difficult to treat.  

Best of luck and I hope you feel better soon!

PS. Congrats on being cancer free! whoo-hoo!