One week after emergency ovarian cyst removal - still in excruciating pain

Hello everyone,

This is my first time posting in any kind of forum. I'm doing so now because I was reading through other posts and got quite personally concerned.

I'm 25. Just came from emergency surgery 7 days ago. I'd gone into emerg in the morning after 7 days of non-menstrual bleeding (I was SUPPOSED to be ovulating...) and increasing weakness and pain in my abdomen. The night before going to Emerg - last Tuesday - I felt a large mass in my abdomen, about the size of a grapefruit, that had not been obvious the day before. My mother took me to Emerg on Wed morning, and, 4 hours later, I was lipping off to the doctor that removed the speculum covered in thick, dark blood, and had shoved on the mass, and told me "everything looks normal down there", and was awaiting further tests. 2 hours later, I was in for an ultrasound. I'd had an ultrasound done not even 5 days before this with nothing coming up odd. In this one, the doctor nearly jumped over my chair running to the door to call for emergency surgery after a solid hour of deep investigating of my abdomen. 2 hours later, I was told that I had had an 8cm ovarian cyst on my right side, that was filling with blood, and had already expanded. Paper work was done and precautions were discussed and, 30 mins later. I was put under and cut open.

The operation was about 3 hours long - I was told - and had a couple complications - as the cyst was still filling with blood at the time (went from 8.4cm to 10.2cm just through all the preamble), and they had concerns about appendicitis. They managed to save my ovary, and there was no torsion. All seemed fine. The anesthetic wore off about 3 hours later - I remember because, at 3am, I woke up screaming in the hospital. I have a very high pain tolerance - 6 years ago, a co-worker accidentally shattered the top half of my finger in a metal door, and I just lashed out at him and started cursing while my finger was all mangled. I've also had my organs start to dissolve with high blood sugars before a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was made. I'm no stranger to agonizing pain. But this was unimagineable. 

I was in hospital for 2 days after that - they were worried because my white cell count went up the 1st morning after and I wasn't rsponding to the pain meds. 48 hours later, I was home with pain meds and papers to keep me out of my very strenuous job for 2 weeks.

It's been a bit rough - the first 3 days were as I expected: awful and exhausting and painful and I've never felt so pitiful and incapable in my life.

But it's been 7 days now - almost to the hour - and I'm still in pain. I have 2 incisions on my right side, and the belly button. Both incisions are nicely closed and no infection, the belly button is finally not so bruised, the massive swelling has gone down, and I'm back to my normal weight. I'm on the top doses of Voltaren pills (Diclofenac) - same as they gave me in hospital - and top doses of Tylenol 1 with Codeine - as well as sneaking in Advil and Midol when the pain is unbearable. No fevers, no heightened blood sugars signalling a problem, no swelling or signs of infection. Outwardly, everything seems fine.

But the pain... Standing for more than 10 minutes, or sitting in a chair for more than 20 causes pain that feels like the first morning - scale of 0-10, we're talking a 6-7 - even with all the meds, no pushing my limits on movement, plenty of rest, etc. No matter how many naps I have, or how many times I lay flat on my bed during the day, by the time 5pm rolls around, the pain under my belly button is pushing an 8-9 out of 10. Yesterday was fine, strangely, and I can't figure out why, but today, I'm at my limit. I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to get looked at again,

But, mainly, what I want to know is: have any of you had/heard of anything like this? I've done everything I'm supposed to, I have a high pain tolerance, and heal fast. There's no outward sign of problems, and the usual method for telling if there is (high blood sugars) have been fine. Why aren't the pain meds working at all? Are they going to have to open me up again?? I don't think I can do that again...

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