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4 weeks post op - still terribly constipated....any advice?

Posted , 5 users are following.

lyn67397
lyn67397

Hi ladies,

I had a total hysterectomy and anterior/posterior repair for prolapse four weeks ago.  I think I am healing well, although I have pressure on my perineum and always seem to be concerned that part of my repair has failed due to the straining I have had to do with BM, sorry this is crazy to ask for help for!   I am currently taking Colace three a day, miralax every other day and need to use a suppository to go a few times a week on top of all that.  Although I had an occasional problem with constipation, never ever like this.  It's like I'm asleep down there and have such pressure but can't go on my own.  I'm fearful that something is really wrong.  Should I have to struggle this much four weeks out?  I do feel a bit of a bulge beneath the perineum (which is still sore with stitches) and am still feeling the need to splint when I go.  I am so discouraged with this and will speak to my dr on the 11th of January for my 6 week post op.  At two weeks he said things looked fine, but since then I have had to strain a lot and not sure what is happening.  I have not had any bleeding or pain, really.  This surgery was so painful, the thought of having to have anything else done, it terrifying.  Haven't resumed sex yet with hubby and wonder what that will be like with as sore as I am down there.  Any advice is appreciated.  Thanks! 

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • Dlee2001
    Dlee2001 lyn67397

    Posted

     The difficulty of having BM‘s at four weeks is real.  Milk of magnesia works good for me. I can take half a dose before bed with 1 cup water and half a dose in the morning when I need it.  I found the generic to be watered down so I use the name brand milk of magnesia instead. However, I also eat a high-fiber diet except I found that all grains nearly cause me to be impacted so I can’t use psyllium fiber or eat grains. I avoid rice and bananas, and drink a mixture of 1/4 cup prune juice mixed with 1/4 cup pure pineapple juice each morning. That seems to work well and I don’t need to take milk of magnesia on the days I drink that.  Google how to properly sit on a toilet so you can go naturally without straining. Squatty potty explains that.  You probably still have some swelling at four weeks and if you are getting up and working full time or getting on your feet and doing too much, you may be overdoing it.  Good luck, and know that there are a lot of people that have gone through what you are going through and understand. Each person heals at a different rate.  Each doctor has different instructions to follow after surgery. Lay down to get the pressure off your surgery.  It’s better to call the doctors office and tell them the issues instead of waiting in case there’s some advice they can give you. Good luck. My surgeries were in Sept and I’m still have immense trouble sitting and have high pain levels. I say this not to scare you but start being proactive and asking your Dr these questions. I’m seeking 2nd opinions on what happened. Like you, the thought of going through this surgery again is terrifying.
    • lyn67397
      lyn67397 Dlee2001

      Posted

      Thank you so much for this encouragement and advice.  I am going to the store today to get milk of magnesia, prune and pineapple juice and a squatty potty!  I'm sure the checkout person is going to know that I am constipated!!  Please keep in touch through this forum and let me know what the Doctor says regarding your second opinion.  I am going to see my Dr again on the 11th of January and will ask if there is something that has failed or is different.  I do trust him but it doesn't feel quite right where I had the posterior repair.  The recovery has been so painful, I just want to almost handle moving forward by myself.  I am not interested in another surgery.  I try not to do too much, but I was hoping a month out, I would feel better than I do..  I will keep you posted.  Thanks again. It has been really helpful.

    • lyn67397
      lyn67397 Dlee2001

      Posted

      Thanks, for the help.  I just wondered how often you took the prune/pineapple juice?  I think it's doing the trick but wonder if I should drink it in the evening and morning or just morning?  Wondered what you thought?  Thanks again!!!! Also do you feel you have prolapse still, after the surgery?  Or did that feeling calm down?  I feel it is still bulgy in the perineum area and I still feel the need to splint while having a BM, which I thought the surgery would take care of!  Just curious. 

    • phyl_40063
      phyl_40063 lyn67397

      Posted

      Hi lyn,

      Pineapple is so good for connective tissue repair, so should help aid healing; I blend up pineapples with various other ingredients. Another good one is crushed almonds blended in milk drinks.

      Phyl x

    • Dlee2001
      Dlee2001 lyn67397

      Posted

       I generally drink the prune/pineapple juice in the morning with breakfast. I looked at the measurements again and it may be more like 1/3 of each instead of 1/4 each. Anyway it helps the prune juice go down in the pineapple juice is supposed to help also. I don’t think it would hurt to do it twice a day. Don’t forget about using suppositories when you get constipated if you are allowed to do that medically. Taking milk of magnesia before you go to bed  could help also.   I felt bulgy for months. I can still feel nodules, stitches and a bulge but they insist the surgery was a success. If u need to splint, google how to sit properly during a BM and keep stool soft. I used stool softeners as needed also. I still need to lay down after each BM to allow the surgery area to go back in place and calm down. That pressure takes a while to go away.  I also make smoothies with kefir, chia seeds, flaxseed, raspberries or fruit,  cinnamon, honey, turmeric and milk or pineapple juice. It’s a great way to get some fiber in but drink water with it. 
    • lyn67397
      lyn67397 Dlee2001

      Posted

      Hi again!  I just can't thank you enough for the tips.  They actually have made a real difference.  I now am drinking the prune juice with pineapple juice first thing in the morning and I take the stool softeners at night as well, but within an hour of drinking the juice I am able to have a BM and for the first time since the surgery, it is complete and tolerable.  I know this sounds so silly, but if only I had known this 4 weeks ago!! I worry that I have undone some part of the repair due to the straining early on.   I am thankful to finally have some relief and if anyone else is struggling with this, it is quite effective in getting things going again.  So again, thank you.  I don't see my dr for almost two weeks, and am anxious to ask him a few questions about why things feel so different "down there"  Bulgy, almost like I still have a rectocele, tight, as if the perineum is stitched too tightly, and it barely seems there would be room for intercourse with my husband, which of course we haven't done yet, but the thought of it is scary.  That hurts my heart a little because even with the prolapse it was a healthy part of our marriage.  He is patient and we are doing well, but I can't imagine being able to do it in just a week or two.  It feels unfamiliar down there and something doesn't seem right.  But I am not in any pain or bleeding at all.  I spent so much time researching and worrying about the hysterectomy that I gave little thought to this prolapse surgery and recovery.  Truth is, the hysterectomy was a breeze in comparison.  I will keep you posted and am hoping you are doing well.  Please do keep me updated as to what you find out with your recovery as well.  Thanks again for all your help, this forum has been a blessing!

    • Dlee2001
      Dlee2001 lyn67397

      Posted

       Things are going to feel different down there. You are still in the swollen stage. It takes a while for the swelling to go down. I’m not sure why doctors say six weeks and all is well. It takes weeks to heal and everybody heals differently.  The prune juice mixed with pineapple juice came from a good friend of mine. I’m glad it is working for you. I was looking for more natural way to help with the BM’s and this one is great.  It’s amazing how nobody talks about pelvic organ prolapse but everybody has somebody that is going through issues like this or wishes they had known about all this info. I seriously don’t see why dr’s in th US think 6 weeks is a standard recovery period. It should be 12-15 weeks minimum. Especially to return to work without causing damage to surgery. Keep me posted on how you are doing and don’t strain for a BM. It’s your new way of life. Walk, drink plenty of water, no bending over or heavy lifting. I still can’t lift a half gallon of milk. It puts strain on the surgery, still. 
    • phyl_40063
      phyl_40063 Dlee2001

      Posted

      Your so right it does take much longer than they admit to. I have ongoing problems with scar tissue simply because I got to support from occupational health and my work had me doing full shift on my feet far to early even though I was protesting and warning them that maybe it would be too high impact to go back on my feet.

      Occupational health insisted at 4-6 weeks I would be fine and as I only worked part-time I wouldn't need to go back with reduced hours or days.

      She claimed I was overreacting and just unneccesseraly scared. She claimed that the Royal college of gynecology and obstricians advice 4-6 weeks unless complications arise.

      Don't know how they are getting away with this; after my first repair I went on job hunt for something lower impact around 7 months post op and returned to work at 8 months post op. I managed long shifts, overtime and able to also cope with 2 hours travel each way. This time after wanting to hold on to my job I felt forced back to quickly and forced into covering my full shift on my feet far too soon resulting in unable to travel the 4 hours every shift, reliant on my husband to take me in car. Unable to do overtime and can no longer do longer shifts. I am unable now to do enough work to make enough money to live on. So reliant on my hubby financially to. I hate being in this predicament, had I had a choice I would have opted to take longer than the 3 months, or at least would have avoided full shifts on my feet until 6 months post op, even then I think my 1st repair failed due to being put on my feet in the first place so probably should not have allowed it at all. Not easy when your fighting the system on your own.

      I feel like I have been robbed of my long term health and not worth it.

      Don't be bullied into going back to early or doing high impact work, employer owes you due care and should be doing a proper risk assessment which I never got she was so cheeky and didn't give me a chance to protest or even explain what was involved in my surgery.

      I often wonder if this situation is deliberate tactics by gov... to get people of the sick as quickly as possiable and back to work; but all they have done is made it impossible for me to do much and made me more dependant.

      My hubby now has a brain tumour and may soon lose his licence and is already limited in how much he can do too so don't know what will become of us.

      Please be very careful., it is major surgery and regardless of stitching used or whatever else. Our bodies/tissue still take the same length of time to heal as always did so don't be fulled into thinking they can push you back to soon.

      Phyl x

    • phyl_40063
      phyl_40063

      Posted

      Meant 'no support' from occupational health

    • Dlee2001
      Dlee2001 phyl_40063

      Posted

      FMLA only allows 12 weeks off for a condition in a 12 mo period. My supervisors are trying to work with me but Human Resources are trying to push me back to work too soon. I’m sure they hope I quit because I’m retirement eligible but had no intent to retire this early in life. It’s  scary path to walk. We want our bodies to heal yet the surgeons, FMLA and even civil rights don’t back us like they should. We all need to fight for our rights and speak up so we don’t ruin our bodies for life just because “they” think we should go back to work against our own best judgement. I’m sure dr’s would seriously not be doing as many surgeries if they honestly told us it would be a 13-15 week minimum recovery. It’s all about the money for them. It destroys us though. Sorry but this demeaning behavior towards pelvic organ prolapse patients deserve more info going in and after surgery. It’s my goal to let others know what happens with POP. 

      I am so sorry about your hubbies brain tumor. I’m not sure what country you are in but I know several people who have survived brain tumors, but they got good treatment in the US. 

    • phyl_40063
      phyl_40063 Dlee2001

      Posted

      We are in the UK, it's a pituitary tumor, so non cancerous but on the larger side so tend not to go for surgery, lies very close to main artery that feeds the brain and close to the optic nerve. They are giving him some kind of inhibitor medication but will always have to be monitored.

      The pituitary is the master gland that controls all others within the endocrine system so tumor can upset how all the other glands/hormones work.

      Wish I had initially took the extra 3 months without pay, unfortunately at the time hubby was unwell although didn't know why so I felt under pressure from all sides to go back to work.

      They did get a fright in work when I went in to complain that I had been left on my feet for full shifts and was now having problems and was re-referred back to consultant. Thing is the damage is done now. It's so annoying as I was so careful for that 1st 3 months to ensure best possiable chance that repair would last this time, and up till then I I had fairly good progress even though I sometimes thought it felt like 2 steps forward one step back, overall progress at 12 weeks was really good.

      But you know their not doing any good by pushing us back too soon as every time a repair fails it results in more expensive surgery, more time of work work and more time time on the sick, so in the long run they are costing the system money as our NHS covers the cost of surgery and employers cover some of the cost of sick pay.

  • nuala16574
    nuala16574 lyn67397

    Posted

    Oh it's a tough operation. Had mine 4 years ago. I remember having the constipation abd almost afraid to go to the loo. However, it's important to keep the bowels moving . Drink plenty of water helps soften impacted stool. Eat high fibre food m whole meal bread fruit and vegetables. Wishing you good recovrr which takes time so be patient. As regards sex don't even go there till stitches have all healed and your doc gives you the go ahead. Regards. 😊

    • lyn67397
      lyn67397 nuala16574

      Posted

      Thank you so much, I'm working on getting more fiber and holding up a stop sign for my husband in the bedroom!!

  • phyl_40063
    phyl_40063 lyn67397

    Posted

    Hi lyn,

    I think many of the ladies have this problem. Like you say it seems to take while for bowel to recover from anesthetic.

    I found that once I started building up regular walks it helped greatly. I think that all the resting in the early weeks of recovery doesn't help.

    It will sort itself in time; posterior recovery takes a little longer than anterior. Have you tried prune juice.

    I also found that once I started my pelvic floor exercises ensuring I pulled up at back end first it helped strengthen and wake up the muscles.

    Try not to worry too much if will sort itself in time.

    X

    • lyn67397
      lyn67397 phyl_40063

      Posted

      Thank you for your encouragement, I hope in time things will become more regular!!  Any other tips are helpful and I appreciate your insight!
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