Scared of Over Exertion - Am I doing too much?

[GeminiSky 80]

Maybe I took it literal, or maybe too literally when they said walking is super important. So of course my ass calls my doctor post op day 2 and Im like "can I get on the treadmill if I have it at the lowest setting"?

They were a little taken back but I dont understand why I guess. Maybe they just meant get up and walk around sometimes. Im afraid of popping something on the inside now that I think of it and they told me to "relax and take it easy". I just feel like everyone has made such a big to do about walking and omg you have to walk and omg this and that. So now when I mention a treadmill its like im insane. The max I did was 15 minutes broken up into 5 min increments. I do suppose I was pushing myself though.

Im trying to be careful but ive always been a very independent, self sufficent type. Cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, drives me up the wall now that I need help with it. No bending over, no lifting, pulling. I felt ive struggled a little bit getting out of bed and I feel if I strain im going to mess something up. Any time I get in and out of a chair I use all upper body strength and lower legs. Still feels like im going to tear or pop something. Wearing my stomach binder now, left hide hurts as usual, but im post op day 3. Coughed a few times trying to keep that to a minimum, lots of phlem and im using my spirometer every hour. BM's arent solid, but at least thats happening, lots of gas, lots of burping, tons of noises.

Called my drs office again and im like "listen why am I still not getting better" I think they probably think im crazy LOL! Im on day 3 and I cant fathom why im still in pain, why im still bloaty, why this and that, seeing that others seem to recover quickly. Maybe im being a big baby, and upset that I cant do anything. Bruises are now starting to form from all the happenings the day of my surgery. Incisions look great though. Im able to keep down 2 OZ at a time which im excited about. Cottage cheese has never tasted so yummy! I have marks all over me though and an annoying drain still in. Marks from the electro pads, where they stuck me several times for blood thinners, swelling in the upper area where most of the major surgery was done (main incision, incision is fine its just swollen area around it further in where everything was done).

Ive read that if you did tear something on the inside you would KNOW. But how can I tell the difference between over exertion and just post op pain? I need to slow down.

Edited August 2, 2018 by GeminiSky

[Matt Z 4,139]

2 minutes ago, GeminiSky said:

Maybe I took it literal, or maybe too literally when they said walking is super important. So of course my ass calls my doctor post op day 2 and Im like "can I get on the treadmill if I have it at the lowest setting"?

They were a little taken back but I dont understand why I guess. Maybe they just meant get up and walk around sometimes. Im afraid of popping something on the inside now that I think of it and they told me to "relax and take it easy". I just feel like everyone has made such a big to do about walking and omg you have to walk and omg this and that. So now when I mention a treadmill its like im insane. The max I did was 15 minutes broken up into 5 min increments. I do suppose I was pushing myself though.

Im trying to be careful but ive always been a very independent, self sufficent type. Cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, drives me up the wall now that I need help with it. No bending over, no lifting, pulling. I felt ive struggled a little bit getting out of bed and I feel if I strain im going to mess something up. Any time I get in and out of a chair I use all upper body strength and lower legs. Still feels like im going to tear or pop something. Wearing my stomach binder now, left hide hurts as usual, but im post op day 3.

Called my drs office again and im like "listen why am I still not getting better" I think they probably think im crazy LOL! Im on day 3 and I cant fathom why im still in pain, why im still bloaty, why this and that, seeing that others seem to recover quickly. Maybe im being a big baby, and upset that I cant do anything.

Ive read that if you did tear something on the inside you would KNOW. But how can I tell the difference between over exertion and just post op pain? I need to slow down.

The initial walking is really to prevent blood clots and to help get the gasses trapped in your abdomen out. It's not about actual "exercise" exactly. I was on the elliptical for 10-20 mins a time, 2 or 3 times a day after like 2 weeks or so. But the first few weeks you REALLY want to focus on healing, getting up to walk to the bathroom or to the kitchen, or just around the house for a minute or 2 every hour is more than enough to keep things from clotting up. But all in all, if you can do time on the treadmill and nothing hurts, you aren't passing out, "nothing bad is happening" then keep doing it. You'll be fine! Your incisions are not going to be fully healed in 3 days... they won't be fully healed in 13 days, and they won't be fully healed in 23 days. Average healing time for an abdominal incision is 1 to 2 months. You'll be able to do a lot more as time goes on, but you won't be fully healed up for upwards of 2 months.

[GeminiSky 80]

@Matt Z Hi Matt! Thanks for chiming in! I think im just being a baby whiner and expect to be some type of super human with crazy awesome healing powers. Possibly just my mind giving me a hard time thinking im some type of useless blob at the moment. I do get up and walk around, will hop on my treadmill later today for about 5 mins here and there. I walked to the parking garage today! Moved my car to empty the trash (which wasnt heavy it was very light) so I was super proud of myself. I figured the incisions will be there a while. I guess the main thing im concerned about is pain and swelling. Im kinda embarrassed because I think my surgeons office is like "is she serious right now"? With some of the things I said LOL!

Edited August 2, 2018 by GeminiSky

[Matt Z 4,139]

1 minute ago, GeminiSky said:

@Matt Z Hi Matt! Thanks for chiming in! I think im just being a baby whiner and expect to be some type of super human with crazy awesome healing powers. Possibly just my mind giving me a hard time thinking im some type of useless blob at the moment. I do get up and walk around, will hop on my treadmill later today for about 5 mins here and there. I walked to the parking garage today! Moved my car to empty the trash (which wasnt heavy it was very light) so I was super proud of myself. I figued the incisions will be there a while. I guess the main thing im concerned about is pain and swelling. Im kinda embarrassed because I think my surgeons office is like "is she serious right now"? With some of the things I said LOL!

Don't worry about it! That's what they are there for... I'm actually really glad to see someone saying they are calling their doctors office with questions, rather than post here when they REALLY should be talking to their doctors.

The biggest thing with surgery is to make sure you just take your time, don't worry about the things you CAN do, worry about what hurts. Swelling takes a while to go down too... but you'll be alright. Focus on healing first, then all the crazy exercising... but again, if you can do something, and it doesn't cause any issues or pain... then it's just fine to keep doing. And I'm confident that your doctors will tell you the same thing. Just as long as you are resting because, if you don't rest, it can take longer to heal!

[GeminiSky 80]

@Matt Z Yeah thats another issue. Trying to get in a few hours here and there but im just so uncomfortable any which way I lay down on my couch, bed, chair. UH! Super frusterated at the moment. I know I need time Im just wanting the initial pain and bullcrap to be over so I can get to the great part

[Matt Z 4,139]

Just now, GeminiSky said:

@Matt Z Yeah thats another issue. Trying to get in a few hours here and there but im just so uncomfortable any which way I lay down on my couch, bed, chair. UH! Super frusterated at the moment. I know I need time Im just wanting the initial pain and bullcrap to be over so I can get to the great part

I used my pain meds as sleep aids. They sent me home with 10 of the high strength narcotic pain management pills. I didn't need them throughout the day normally, so I would take them prior to going to bed to help keep any potential pain issues at bay and allow me more sleep.

[GeminiSky 80]

4 minutes ago, Matt Z said:

I used my pain meds as sleep aids. They sent me home with 10 of the high strength narcotic pain management pills. I didn't need them throughout the day normally, so I would take them prior to going to bed to help keep any potential pain issues at bay and allow me more sleep.

May I ask what they sent you home with? I have the Tylenol 3 (with codeine) they also called me in some relaxants but I feel like they are too big to take so im going to bring them up there with me and ask. The T3 definitely works. I take it every four hours at the moment. I might move it right before bed so I can sleep with it. Did you have to wear plasmaflow boots while sleeping? I have those too. Kinda crazy that you didnt have to take them much at the beginning. I figured most people would have the same amount of irritation, swelling and pain as what Im feeling atm.

Edited August 2, 2018 by GeminiSky

[Matt Z 4,139]

2 minutes ago, GeminiSky said:

May I ask what they sent you home with? I have the Tylenol 3 (with codeine) they also called me in some relaxants but I feel like they are too big to take so im going to bring them up there with me and ask. The T3 definitely works. I take it every four hours at the moment. I might move it right before bed so I can sleep with it. Did you have to wear plasmaflow boots while sleeping? I have those too. Kinda crazy that you didnt have to take them much at the beginning. I figured most people would have the same amount of irritation, swelling and pain as what Im feeling atm.

I think it was just morphine or codeine, it wasn't a mix. I wasn't taking them throughout the day though. As far as the boots, I wore them for the time I was in the hospital (3 days total, Surgery was Wed at like 6am left on Friday at noonish), but that was it.

I didn't need any extra medication, no nausea meds, no extra pain meds. When I was in recovery, I had the tylenol drip and an on demand morphine pump as well. Same deal there, I'd hit the morphine button before I had to move or if I was trying to go to sleep. If the act of laying down is hurting, check out the "log roll" method of getting in and out of bed. I used that A LOT. Might help reduce the irritation and speed up the healing for you.

[GeminiSky 80]

OH YEAH! I saw that post you did earlier about the log roll I totally tried it and its fantastic. I wish my bed was lower set, I have a pretty high up bed due to the pillow top and memory foam. Either way it works. Plus im getting upper body strength going here with utilizing that only and no core at the moment. I had a morphine pain pump and used that a lot while I was there. Come to find out im allergic to it, I started itching later the next morning. They had to give me some benadryl. My sister is also allergic which I find kinda weird, maybe its just my family and genetics. TY3 is what im taking now and it definitely works. Im pretty happy about it. No nausea medications for me either. I can keep food down, Water down, im pretty lucky with that. Ive seen all the issues people have run into with anesthesia and I didn't get nauseated. I will say before I went in I was having sinus issues, and when I came out I had lots of phlem and I started using my spirometer like crazy. I called my drs office and asked them how much I have to use it. Hes like for you 4x each hour. Im like ok, and I do it 10x LOL!

[Frustr8 7,886]

Be k8nd to yourself, after all you are still a healing work in progress. But do change your positions often enough,people don't think you are a table,and try to dust you,off. ❤ and prayers for your continued healing! Frustr8