Post surgery issues

[Jpembs]

Hi thereLooking for advice/experiences post surgery.

I had Interval Debulking/Radical Hysterectomy on 26 October. The surgery went well and I came home after 5 nights. I have suffered with horrible bloating and pain since and was told when still in the hospital it was from post-surgery gas which I know is an issue.

It's now 9 days and no real improvement in bloating/pain. I can't really find anything on how long it could go on and as it's a weekend won't be able to speak to anyone until Monday unless I drive the 1.5 hrs to the cancer center which I don't want to do if it's perfectly normal. My wound also started weeping again today which I'm sure may be partly to do with the pressure on my abdomen from the bloating.

Just wondering about other's experience of this? I'm doing the standard stuff of eating bland food and moving as much as possible.

Any information/advice gratefully received!

Thanks

Julie

[Lyndy]

Hi Julie

I am sorry you are having these issues and it’s always over a weekend isn’t it?!

Gas is not really something I experienced but I know it can be an issue. I suggest you do contact the hospital….could you ring the ward you were on for support and reassurance? Although it may be a recognised side effect, it’s new to you and you need a bit of help. You are not being unreasonable in wanting some input.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the wound opening up…I did have that and it took a while for the whole length of the scar to close. Keep it clean and get someone to check it next week.

I do hope you feel a bit better soon xx

[Jpembs in reply to Lyndy]

I will phone the ward in the morning but thanks for the reassurance about the wound x

[Pastagranny]

Hey,

I’m sorry to hear your bloating and gas is so bad, I was in a similar position of uncomfort on day 6 post surgery. I can only speak from personal experience but my bowel hadn’t properly started moving at that point, after three nights of laxatives, and I ended up using a glycerine suppository which did get things moving for me and was a great relief!

Otherwise I would recommend calling the ward you were discharged from as they may be able to give you advice over the phone.

Hope it clears up soon for you. X

[Jpembs in reply to Pastagranny]

Bowels are moving too well 🙄. Think I need to make a call x

[Pastagranny in reply to Jpembs]

Oh man sorry to hear that! Yeah worth giving them a call, hope they get it sorted for you x

[Gonewith]

Hi, hope you are feeling better today. You could call Macmillan and talk to their nurses too. My stomach was huge and took i say 5 weeks or so to start getting smaller but I didnt have pain. My Onc told me to watch youtube video for simple exercises after the surgery and that help me a lot. Xx

[Jpembs in reply to Gonewith]

Thanks x

[carrotmunch5]

I never had gas problems after my surgeies, and agree with others. Hope you contacted the ward you were in or your consultant by now. Any issues with your recovery, better to contact them straight away. That was what I did when I had a few issues after my surgery three months ago. They'll look after you. It's pain and uncomfortable, really hope you are getting sorted. 🙏

[Marieck]

I had very bad bloating and pain a few weeks after and it was acuities fluid build up in my stomach I would definitely call them. Some bloating is normal but it should be improving not getting worse I was told the fluid build up is rare and in my case it started draining out on its own in week four

[Jholly4]

Hi Julie I had surgery in May and had the gas issue you are experiencing. Mine was awful for 2 weeks but still very uncomfortable until 3-4 weeks post op. Like you I stuck to easy foods and did find peppermint water helped a little ( peppermint tea if you can stomach it is good). Gentle walks and the light exercises the physio post op leaflet recommended bit be careful not to overdo it too early on. If you are passing wind it should be ok, of you are not then you need to let your team know ( if not passing wind and any vomiting seek advice out of hours via 111 or A/E , don't wait for GP to open). Like many I thought it would never end but after week 3 I started to feel a little better so hang in there as the worst is over.

Jholly

[Motiva]

Hello Julie,

My bowel was similar post surgery. It has to re position itself after the support of the uterus has gone and maybe been handled a lot too. It eventually managed to readjust.

I found movement helpful too and very slight twists to each side if it doesn’t aggravate your wound. Vicky Fox ‘Yoga for cancer’ recommended massaging up from you lower right abdomen across under your ribs right to left and then down the left hand side which helped me.

I also take slippery elm on recommendation of the Penny Brohn Cancer Centre in Bristol. They do a lot online too. Their website is very well resourced.

Re your wound another contributor to this site was using an abdominal binder to support the wound. My wound broke down and after much discussion sourced a PICO dressing which worked wonderfully as of last week my wound has completely healed (surgery 26/7/23).

Wishing you well,

F x

[Jpembs]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I spoke to the ward who confirmed, as some of you experienced, that I can expect the bloating/pain to continue for 2-3 weeks post-op so still early days - would have been helpful to know! Also recommended seeing the GP tomorrow to check the wound in case there is any infection (although I don't think there is atm). I'll keep drinking the peppermint tea and eating beige for a while longer 🙂 x

[K95m in reply to Jpembs]

Ginger really helped me,

[Leniko]

Heating pad or heating patches really helped my gas