Follow up hysterectomy advice please

Hey Lamb, 

I didn't have a hysterectomy as I'm on hormone suppression, however I did have my thyroid removed in three ops. So this is coming from a different op, but same result. 

Now, I did have drains in to remove the fluid that gathers to heal and protect you. After those were removed, I was left with a small hole where it had been. At one point, I reached up to put an ornament on the Christmas Tree and felt it pop, then liquid running down my chest. Like you, it was mostly clear with a pink tinge to it. If that's how yours looks, it's more than likely just a plasma type substance. 

That's what your body produces to protect, surround, and heal whatever is hurt. Bit like an airbag in a car. Once things are healed, the body usually just reabsorbs it again, so it's not something that needs to be removed. And as your op was in your abdomen, there's enough space for a bit of extra fluid, unlike in your neck. Which could explain my drain and your no drain. 

My drain holes have all healed up with no scars, and no ill effects from my leak. I called 111 and they told me to clean it up, redress it, and it should be OK - but to see the doc if it changed colour, look, or temperature.

Hope that helps! 

Lass

Xx

Hi , I have to admit I didn't have that experience with my incision site although I did manage to throw a few internal stitches. Well I forgot myself, I felt so good after my op I was forgetting that I shouldn't stretch or bend or lift. Ironically it was stretching for the kettle that blew my stitches. Lucky I didn't get an infection, it does sound like it's an infection with you if they have you on antibiotics. I think if I remember Arla had a problem with her incision and from what she's said she's healed up well after the infection was treated, I be tagged her just to be sure. I am sure the nurse will sort you out and sorry to hear your suffering, sounds like your op and hospital recovery was interesting. 

Aww thanks lass and gbear. That's reassuring. Yes my fluid is pinky clear . I spoke to a nurse this morning and she reckoned the staff took the drains out too early until I told her i never had any drains in the first place upon which there was silence. Anyway she's told me to keep taking my antibiotics and that it would all heal up eventually and to rest flat today. They are coming to assess tomorrow and redress so if I needed an excuse to do nothing today I've got it i suppose. You are both right though. Other than this mobile fountain i feel so good I just forget that I've just had major surgery and just bent down as I would normally. It's such a nice day here too i may venture outside to rest in the garden later but I'd better do as I'm told and lay that first.. Hope it's nice where you are and you enjoy the weather. Thanks again girls. Lambxx

I had a similar surgery to you except mine wasn't robotic for the first parts,  the keyhole bit was done manually lol, and then an incision across my Caesarian scar to remove the difficult womb.  I was kept in for 5 days and I did have a drain in for 2 or 3 of those days, can't quite remember.  There was quite a lot of stuff in the bag which I didn't like to look at!  I was also put on antibiotics as my temperature was a bit raised, although I'm not sure if that was the incision causing it or a painful throat that I had told them before surgery and they dismissed.  It sounds like you should have had a drain which would then have avoided what is happening now.  When I had my Caesarian 32 years ago I didn't have a drain and I did have problems with the wound leaking and abcesses etc. and ended up with antibiotics.  I hope yours all settles down soon and heals.

Hugs, Lesley xx

Not quite the same, but when my husband had his larynx removed after radiotherapy he took a year and a half to heal up!! Initially he had 2 fissures (openings between the outside and inside), and food leaked through onto his shirts. I thought it would never stop, but very gradually the mess got less until it healed up. I think the radiotherapy made the healing slower, and providing you have no infection there, take it easy. Give it a good chance to heal.  It will get better!!  And , by the way, he had drains in initially!!!

I found that rather than bending, I knelt down, and so avoided bending very far, because that hurt!!  xxxxxx

Hey little lamb,

I had my first gushing wound incident whilst I was in hospital, I thought I'd wet myself too lol then saw it was pink and panicked, it was during visiting time - argh! The nurses got me cleaned up quickly though. It happened again when I was at home alone and I had a big panic but I managed just fine to redress my wound and clear myself up when I stopped flapping about.

I had an incision from my belly button right down and open surgery, my scar was closed with glue and dissolving stitches, the hospItal arranged for the district nurses to visit a couple of times to check my wound, they then asked me to visit my gp and when I went there I ended up getting antibiotics and the nurse dressed my wound for me three times a week until it healed, it got better every day but it took six weeks to heal properly, I had a point at the top, middle and bottom that were stubborn to close over, the top one closed last. The nurse swabbed it to check if it was infected, and matched an antibiotic to the infection, I think I needed three different courses over the six weeks. 

My advice is to keep in touch with the nurses, they will keep you right, they gave me some dressing packs so I could redress it if it came off between visits.

Lots of love 

xxx

Hi nannyanny,arla and poppysmum, thanks for replying and I feel greatly reassured now that I've not deliberately done damage on purpose. As lass said probably more exude is made because it is in the abdomen and it's a bigger cavity and believe me mine's big..I feel like a beached whale at the moment with all the swelling but it's gradually going down or is that my hopeful wishes? No I think it is.  Anyway nurse came to dress it all today and all my robot holes are healed except got enough a tiny patch on the left. The big horizontal scar across the caesarean is still l exuding a lot but if you say it takes about six weeks arla then it's quite young still. Lass,if you don't mind me saying, you are really good at putting things into a descriptive language so that everyone can clearly understand and almost picture what is going on inside them. I was reading some of your other posts and I just thought wow. That's a real talent to have.are you a teacher by any chance? I wish I was that good with words. It's like picking up a picture book and saying ah yes..now I understand. Everybody on this forum is so knowledgeable, supportive and helpful. I know it's given me confidence to face this challenge . God bless everyone.x

I don't mind you saying at all, thank you very much as it's a wonderful comment. 

I'm not a teacher, but my Mum is a Maths lecturer who helped me and my brothers with our Maths through school and beyond. She's also written curriculums and done a lot of adult education as well. She's the one that always said that different people learn and understand in different ways. So if one way doesn't work, then you find another - because there isn't only one way to learn.

I've always found it easy to take something technical that could be hard to understand, and simplify it into something everyday and ordinary that people can visualise. I think my favourite one was at college when we were learning about the fats and milk solids in ganache, and how they're held in suspension. But if your balance is off then it won't work etc. The other mature student didn't get it so we hung back after class so she could ask the tutor for more information and clarification. But even with him drawing diagrams she wasn't getting it, so I asked if he minded if I tried to explain it, and to please correct me if I was wrong.

I broke it down and had her imagine she was making a jelly with bits of fruit floating in it. I said the jelly was jher suspension and the fruit her fat particles. Too much fruit and her jelly wouldn't set, so to fix it she'd need to add in more jelly. She blinked and said "Is that all it is and what he was trying to say? Because that makes perfect sense and I totally get it!" Tutor laughed and told me I should become a teacher, and he'd be watching out for his job. Lol

But it doesn't matter what the topic is, if you can help make something clearer for someone or help them understand anything in more detail, it was time we'll spent. And I think most everyone here would agree with that one. 

Glad to hear that the robotic incisions are all healed up, and I'm sure the cesarean one will get there too in time. Just remember not to push yourself too hard! I can totally relate to the beached whale feeling. I usually am, but today moreso than normal as I'm so very bloated and full of gas. It's a nightmare. Are you still taking Ibuprofen to help with the swelling?

Lass

Xx

I am along with paracetamol but I'm down to two doses a day as I was on blood thinning injections and I wasn't sure with the ibuprofen added whether it was thinning things too much and causing all the leaking. Thankfully the blood thinning injections have finished today and I have to admit I took great delight in throwing the last syringe into the sharps box and slamming the lid closed..a bit childish yes but damn things stung so much i was pleased the box was finally empty. So I can go back to my full dose of ibuprofen now if I need to. I've just about managed to get rid of my gas and have had a couple of days not being too uncomfortable but then I've been eating smaller amounts more often so I don't know if that's helped it or not. I dare say it will be back soon..doesn't seem to need a lot of encouragement! Anyway thanks for all your help and I hope you feel a little better over the coming days. Keep the wonderful advice coming. God bless. Love lamb.xx