Feeling post surgical anxiety

[mela414]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Hi Sue
I’m glad that you are doing more. Walking 2 miles is impressive. Just don’t over do it. Even when you are doing some chores around the house make sure not to lift anything heavy. It sounds like you bare not experiencing much pain which is great.

I was able to get out a little more today and did a lot of walking at an outdoor outlet mall. I had to stop and sit a few times because of pain but am glad I pushed and did it anyway.

The seroma I have by my belly button is painful so I’m still
Wearing stretchy leggings that sit beneath it. I have tenderness in the groin area where they placed the mesh. I can’t press or touch there and it is still swollen. I was pretty bruised on my inner thigh right after the surgery and it is finally going away. I guess everything just takes time.

I’m still having moments of anxiety when the pain hits and I’m not healing as fast as I thought I would. I just try to remind myself that I had a lot done during my surgery. It was 3 parts and the femoral hernia was a substantial size and incarcerated. I’m sure pulling that fat out of the canal was a job in itself which is why my inner thigh was so bruised. I even had pain on my Pubic bone which is finally subsiding.

My brother just stopped by to visit and reminded me that it took him 2 weeks to feel better from his umbilical hernia surgery this past summer. It took him a few more weeks to feel good. His hernia was small and not incarcerated.

I’m hoping for better days for all of us here and patience in dealing with the not so good ones.

Mel

[seeker]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Hi again Mel,

Just checking in with you again – is all going any better?

Wish we could private message each other…..

Sue

[seeker]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Mel,

Is the sciatica pain in your leg? You said you had a reprieve – so does that mean it’s back? You didn’t have this before surgery? Sometimes I feel sensations down my leg – but they are fleeting and short lived and not anything that have concerned me.

The seroma is driving me insane. I honestly never felt my femoral hernia 99% of the time. It got bad 4 x’s over 2 months – and that made me concerned about having to get it fixed at the local ER. So this constant uncomfortable and dull pain feeling of the seroma – half making me feel it’s the hernia returned – is annoying. My seroma near my belly button doesn’t seem as bad as the one near my hernia. Maybe if I only had that one – it would. Not seeing that there is a sure fire way of reducing these is frustrating. I must trust what the surgeons are telling me – that time will resolve them. Do you massage yours Mel?

I am walking around fine now. In fact, I have to remind my family that I had surgery 9 days ago and that I need to rest more then they think I do. I definitely don’t have my energy back and tire easily. My daughter is very sick with a strange autoimmune disease and walking is her therapy. So she gets me out walking 2 or more miles a day.

I don’t seem to have any pain other then from these possible seromas. I sleep fine through out the night. My stomach feels more tense and harder then it use to all over.
Not sure what that’s about. My stomach just seems to be operating more strangely then it used to. So hopefully time will help. I drive and grocery shop and and cook and do dishes and even did some light garden work today. I do a lot of meditation to keep the anxiety at bay and to stay in the moment.

It is good to get your postings of confidence in our recovery journey Mel. Thank you for keeping in touch.

Sue

[mela414]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Hi Sue

I responded in another post. My seroma is tender and painful. I’m sure with time it will subside.

I am still having surgical pain and it often wakes me during the night. I also have sciatica pain that I had a short lived reprieve from a few days after surgery. I suspect it was from the IV steroid they gave me during surgery. I feel that once all this pelvic and abdominal inflammation subsides so will the leg pain.

I am no where near I thought I would be in terms of healing but then again I never had hernia surgery. Anxiety still kicks in but am trying to manage it the best that I can.

I have started driving short distances and am making sure I get out even if it’s for an hour a day. Shopping is always a good distraction! I just get frustrated that I tire easily and am not at 100% with my walking. I just take it slower and rest if I can when I need to.

I know it’s only about 9 days for you. Are you able drive? How is your pain? I read your other post about your seroma. Unfortunately, there’s nothing much you can do. It takes time to heal.

I hope you have a better weekend. Please update on how you are feeling.

All the best,
Mel

[seeker]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Mel,

I think you have a more optimistic outlook then I do. And I love that about all your postings. It is good to hear that positive changes are happening in your recovery. It’s amazing what you had to suffer through before surgery.

I am not sure what is developing near where my femoral hernia was and near my belly button incision. My surgeon said that he was confidant (without seeing it) that is was a seroma. They are hard large size marbles in both area – maybe larger size near my belly button. It feels uncomfortable – my hernia didn’t even bother me as much. It is why I delayed getting surgery done for 1.5 years. My surgeon said they should dissolve in 2-3 weeks and to focus on other things. This is hard to do. It does not cause severe pain tho – just thus annoying dull feeling. If in on my feet too long – it aches a bit. Of course – if I gently touch them – they seem to hurt more slightly then, too. It’s frustrating to have a lump where you had surgery to remove a hernia – and not know if it will ever dissolve.

Without him seeing them I really don’t know what I am dealing with. I am applying light heat to them several times a day as I read that can be good for them. I only iced when I was recovering and maybe that wasn’t the best thing to do. I read that massaging them gently is good to do too. But not knowing what they are – I am not sure if that is best. My surgeon is away until Monday do I will have to be patient.

Is your seroma healing any better?

Thanks for your continued support,
Sue

[mela414]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Hi Sue,

Thank you for the thoughtful response. It really helped to read it. I did take a break yesterday from the internet and was actually able to get out a little. I just did things at my own pace and when I got back home I rested.

Dr Towfigh had suggested Dr. Jacobs as well but it was after the scheduling of my surgery. I will definitely keep him in mind should I need a consult down the road. I pray it does not come to that.

Today is 2 weeks post-op for me and one week for you. How are you feeling? Are you getting around? Is your chest feeling better? How is that marble sized lump that you felt? Do you think it’s a seroma?

I still have abdominal and pelvic surgical pain. I am having more regular bowel movements with some tenderness afterwards but nothing like before surgery. The pain I used to have after a bowel movement was debilitating landing me on the couch for hours waiting for it to subside. There are days I would not eat because I feared a painful bowel movement that would interfere with plans that I had already made. I was in pain all the time. Perhaps the reason why I am feeling such a lengthy recovery period is that fact that I was in such pain before surgery.

I am staying positive and taking anxiety medication when needed. I finally started warm baths in the evening and find that relaxes me. I appreciate all your kinds words and support and pray that your recovery is swift as well.

I do take comfort in the fact, that like you, I investigated and educated myself prior to surgery. I am sure that I was in the hands of a competent surgeon. The rest is just taking time to heal. It doesn’t happen overnight. Slowly we will get better.

All the best,
Mel

[seeker]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Mel,

I have some understanding of the anxiety you are suffering through. Before my surgery, I had to put my faith in the experience of my surgeon and have decided to rely on his skills to get me through this journey. As we both well learned, femoral hernias just get bigger and are the most likely of hernias to strangulate. One of yours was already incarcerated. The femoral hernia location in the body requires a mesh implantation due to their high reoccurence rate otherwise with other surgeries. I don’t think either one of us had much of a choice. We were forced to make a hard decision.

I think what Momof4 said regarding your pain before surgery having an effect on your recovery could be valid – in that you were not able to exercise or prepare physically before surgery as well as you would have had you not been in pain. It may take more time to recover from your surgery after the pain your body has undergone this whole past summer.

Even though I did exercise, I had severe nausea, a junky chest, and soreness throughout my incisions and hernia repair area lasting days. Today, I still have soreness in all those areas and have developed a dull aching marble-size lump near an incision. People who have recovered in 3 days ? – maybe a little over-boastful – but I don’t think it’s the norm.

I, like you, do not know if I will develop an allergic reaction to the mesh. It could happen weeks or months from now. What I do know is that I have made intelligent decisions along the way with the knowledge and expertise of the best hernia surgeons. I believe these hernia specialist have a sincere interest in helping us make the best decision in repairing these defects.

I do not know if your surgeon was a hernia specialist, but I understood from your postings that you fully trusted his skill. There is a doctor right in NYC who has written a book with Dr Ramshaw, Dr Shirwin, and Dr Chen on groin pain. His name is Dr Brian Jacob and he is a very skilled and compassionate doctor – and a hernia specialist. He does not accept most insurances as I understand it, but he would be great to consult with should you have any deeply concerning issues in the future. He’s highly regarded amongst all the top hernia surgeons – and right in your neighborhood. Hopefully it will not come to that.

I have read that anxiety can slow the healing phase after surgery – so I think taking a break from the internet would be a good thing. I have been meditating and listening to relax tapes in my spare time and have found them immensely helpful. In no way am I suggesting that your symptoms are psychological- these are just tools to help reduce the stress as you are dealing with these symptoms.

I am saddened to know you are going through this anxiety and physical pain and discomfort. I’m sending you out repeated prayers for a swifter and pain free recovery and for a stress free state of mind.

Sue

[mela414]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Dear momof4 thank you for taking the time to respond especially with such words of encouragement. It really helped to read that tonight before bed.
Yes it does take time to heal and I must allow myself sufficient time. Positive thinking. No more reading hernia horror stories online. Now is not the time. Emotionally I can’t handle it. I appreciate your kindness and hope you are doing well.
Mel

[Momof4]

Feeling post surgical anxiety

Sorry to hear that you are feeling so anxious. You are right, it is not a good idea to read post
surgical stories online. The people who have problems tend to be the ones who post the most. It sounds like you just need to give your body time to heal since you did have a pretty big procedure. Also, people with pre-op pain take longer to get relief from hernia surgery. What your doctor said about three weeks to feel a little better and 8 weeks to feel right sounds similar to what my doctor told me. I also think that if something doesn’t seem right it is ok to ask questions, even if you call and speak to a nurse or PA and they can ask the doctor. We tend to expect too much of ourselves and want to rush back into our regular activities, but it takes a while to heal and we have to listen to the cues our bodies give us! Walking short distances frequently really helped me. Also, when I had abdominal wall reconstruction, wearing an abdominal binder really helped. I hope you continue to improve and am glad you found good support from patients, with similar situations, on this forum. Hang in there!!