2 steps forward, 1 step back..will the aches and pains ever stop?

[blwms]

Okay, so I had my surgery 11/21 and yesterday made five weeks.  I thought I was doing well.  Of course at first I had the same pain everyone else experienced after surgery. For the past two weeks I've been feeling fine. But for the past week I've been having these weird aches and pains.  Today I'm on the couch because my sciatic nerve is bothering me.  Yesterday I had sharp pains around my incision site.  I also went to the store yesterday and couldn't stay very long because of these wierd pains I was experincing on the left side (same place my cyst was removed from) and down my front left thigh.  For the most everything is concentrated on the left side.  But occassionally on the right.  Is this what is  commonly known as "referred pain"?  Or should I just consider all of this a part of the healing process?  I know we heal from the outside in  but why all the aches now?  I'm scheduled to go back to work on Tuesday, so I don't have time for this!!  

Thanks for reading.  Most of this was venting, any feed back would be nice.

Happy New Year!

B.

[blwms]

Doesn't it help knowing your not alone?? Today was my first day back to work.  And of course those nagging sharp pains came back periodically through out the day. I did notice they came in the afternoon after I had been up doing things.  But, thankfully the sciatic nerve was calm today!

Good luck next week.  I'm going to read your post.

[BY]

Hi Brandi,
I'm new to this site, but so glad I have found you guys!  I have posted a comment about what happened to me.  Had both ovaries removed and now my body is in a state of shock.

I have experienced some funny aches and pains, and my sciatic nerve has been playing up making my left leg ached.  Once it kept me awake at night.  Now I am experiencing aches and pains in different joints.  Today I have woken up and everything seems ok, but those niggly pains are not far away.  Don't really need pain killers, but it does worry me abit!  As Simplystar explained, it is probably the body healing itself.

I'm back to work next week, so hope I will be able to cope.

Happy New Year, keep in touch!

BY

[blwms]

Thanks for all of your responses.  Simply Star thanks for breaking things down to me.  I understand what you are saying.  

I don't think my complaints warrant a call to the doctor they are just nagging and uncomfortable.  I guess more than anything it helps knowing what I am experiencing is normal and it's part of my recovery.  My incision site is healing, it's not red or swollen anymore than normal, but occassional sharp pains. My sciatic nerve hurts! It's probably comparable to the tailbone pain others have been experiencing. Until it gets unbearable I'll grin and bear.

Oh well, I could vent all night, but I won't.

All the best,

Brandi

[cirella]

Thank you for that explanation of our surgeries.  I don't think about the trauma my body went through and your words really helped put it into perspective.  

Lori

[SimplyStar]

Don't know if this will help you understand the healing process  but here goes   whenever any cutting is done internally, the nerve endings are severed. Since the brain does the signals of pain from the nerve ends, the brain is trying to send messages to those severed parts but with no response. It sets up what we call "Jangling"  the nerve endings are trying to connect. My brother lost a leg in WW2 and he "felt" the leg for years after. You know how a very small cut on the external skin hurts, well multiply that by a lot bigger wound internally. If there is no reddness, swelling, fever or signs of breaking down the incision, then you are just in the healing process.  Also remember that adhesions may start to form within weeks of any surgery. This is just the bodies way of trying to heal its self. If adhesions form and attach to tissue, that can cause pain. 6 weeks is the normal time for recovery, but that does not mean that in 6 weeks every thing is back to "normal". The human body is made up of integral parts, when we lose one, the rest of the body tries to compensate, muscles, nerves, blood system, lymph glands and all the organs. Don't be afraid you will heal up fine and be back to yourself in good time, when yout body feels it is all ready.

[cirella]

Hi B,
I'd say if the pain persists more than 3-4 days then I'd call the GYN.  Is it sore around your incision?  Any redness?  I totally understand about feeling good and then getting hit out of left field with something else.  People told me it would be months before I was back to normal.  Now I believe them.

Feel better!
Lori

If you didn't read the post from below, concerning my spotting: I am using ProGest and it seems to be helping.  Still have that horrid tail bone ache, though.

[urbangal]

Thanks for the info..ditto the above comment ..you're always so helpful.
Mary

[blwms]

Yes, I had a laparoctomy (?#! s/p)!  I just really thought I was on the recovery track and everything would only get better.  Not that I'm saying my aches and pains are horrific and I need to go to the ER but they are definitely there.  And I'm glad I didn't use all of pain meds because I've needed them on and off for the last week.  

Best of luck to you with your recovery.  

B.

[blwms]

Yes, I had a laparoctomy (?#! s/p)!  I just really thought I was on the recovery track and everything would only get better.  Not that I'm saying my aches and pains are horrific and I need to go to the ER but they are definitely there.  And I'm glad I didn't use all of pain meds because I've needed them on and off for the last week.  

Best of luck to you with your recovery.  

B.

[urbangal]

Did you have the bigger op(laparotomy)? I only had the laproscopy 4 wks ago with ovary,tube and cyst removed and also thought I would be in much better shape and have been feeling better in the last week but on Saturday had the strangest sharp pains (knife like) in my side where the work was done. Went away on Saturday afternoon and gone since..so I don't know i think maybe our systems are a little whaky for a while.I put it down to constipation because I was on anti-biotics for a month(other issues)...NO help but just to let you know I know how you feel..recovery has been slow.
Mary