I honestly don't remember a good deal of actual pain, but plenty of discomfort in terms of the stitches, drainage, drips etc which was, to be honest, soon over. I walked to the loo 36 hours after surgery and was showering once the services were disconected and I was already pretty disabled (for other reasons) to start with..
I was told to avoid lifting anything heavier than a cup of tea for a month, and not to drive or have any sexual activity for three.

I took everything to hospital including my Kindle, Android phone (loaded with music)and 3g netbook with 120 gigs of movies and telly on board! Yes, these things could get nicked but they do help to pass the time so I took the risk.

Hi sunny
I'm sure it won't be as bad as you're imagining right now. I had my surgery over 9 years ago and still remember it like yesterday! When I got to the night before I just wanted to get on with it, once I was in hospital I just felt reassured, as if I was on a conveyor belt of treatment and getting better -- I always thought I would get better. Pre-op I took arnica homeopathic tablets for about a week before, I healed quickly, so I wasn't sure if it was them but it didn't harm me. I had read an article about visualisation techniques too, to calm my mind before, and imagining a healing light beaming down on me (I know this sounds weird and new-agey, but again, it can't hurt!) You can get good visualisation, meditation and relaxation CDs from the Penny Brohn website.
The op wasn't aware of and afterwards I was high on morphine, very talkative and tired in sudden bursts. No pain at all. When I decided to get rid of the morphine-on-demand button, after the second day after surgery, I did feel a bit sick and had a headache, so I wouldn't recommend overdoing that. I had very little pain from my wound and the pain relief in the hospital was good. I can honestly say I wasn't in much pain at all, apart from wind and bloating in my stomach. Going to the loo for a poo was the worst pain, I was constipated and very "windy". I asked my husband to bring me mint tea bags after a couple of days and they eased the wind problem a bit, and were easy to ask for a cup of hot water when the tea and coffee trolley came round and use a tea bag. Better than hospital tea, too, I found! Sorry if this is too much info! Take mint tea bags! I also I found wet-wipes helped me to feel freshened up when I was in bed and found it difficult to get up and shower just after the op. I was only in hospital for 6 days, one before the op, the day of the op and 4 afterwards. I was up and about after two days, I think. Anyway, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I'd imagined. I think it was worse for my husband, cos he had all the worry of visiting, finding parking places ---AND getting fined for non-payment on the day of my op :-(, keeping everyone informed etc etc. I'd recommend using facebook to let friends and family know how you are, or setting up a phone-chain system My husband found it pretty exhausting, coping with his worry about me, keeping the home going and his job, and then visiting and coming home to make loads of phone calls. He was wonderful!
Hope this is useful. If you want to ask anything else, message me or ask on here, whatever suits you.
Keep positive and Good Luck!
Love, Wendy xx

By the way, I was told driving and sex were on the menu after 6 weeks. I'll leave you to imagine what I went for first
Wendy xx

Hi Sunny

I was a wreck before my surgery but once the day came I thought there was no getting out of it so just had to get on with it. I don't remember any pain after surgery either. They give you lots of 'good drugs' to keep any pain at bay. Mostly just discomfort. Make sure you have something loose to wear when you're ready to leave hospital. I was still quite bloated from the op. Leggings were good for me. Good luck, hope all goes well.

Chris x

Hello Sunny,
I acatually went into hospital for a laporoscopy - when I came round from the anythestic I remember being in such pain in my womb as I thought at the time. It was like severe period cramps - certainly no worse, my legs were restless and I was thinking OMG if its this bad having a laporoscopy then god help me with the big op.
The thetre nurse asked me what was wrong and I remember moaning I had severe period pain in my womb. She said "no you haven`t pett" in her irish accent, "cos you haven`t got a womb".
"What" I said, she repeated "you have no womb its gone, they took it all away, its all over mi pett, you had a hysterectomy mi darling " she said.
The relieve was awesome, I could have hugged her for joy - she instantly gave me a pump to press to release morphine as and when I needed it.
I had indeed had the laporoscopy, then the surgeon called my husband on his cell phone to ask for consent to do the full op. I also had full omentrum removed, appendix and part of my bowel and of course FULL hysterectomy.
Considerring all that it wasn`t too bad at all.
I think I panicked when I woke up because I wasn`t expected what I was feeling - I went into a bit of shock but once I was told what they had done to me I remember feeling ok about it.

I was aware that the big op was coming but I never thought in a million years it would take place THAT DAY!!!!!. I can honestly say I would have been a nervous wreck and very worried about everything, but trust me hun, it wasn`t so bad after all. Once I had the morphine pump in my hand I wasn`t really in pain.
Like Deb, I showered as soon as the drips, pumps and cafiter was out of me.
I had two bed baths for the first couple of days and the nurses were great, never had a bed bath before in my life but it was fine and I felt lovley and clean and fresh after that.
I had my op on the Friday and came home on the Monday.
I came out of hospital on paracetamol but if you need something stronger then tell them. They do not want you to be in pain.
I found it a struggle to straighten up to walk but I did have a bit of a misshap while in hospital - I somehow had my bed too high and tried to get out of it and felt something pull in my belly, I thought I had ripped my insides apart. the pain was excruciating and that took a while to heel. I think that set me back quite a lot.
Thankfully I did take an over night bag with me - but only the bare essentials as I was not expecting to stay in.
I had a telly, but didn`t want to be bothered with it, I had magazines but couldn`t focus on anything other than sleep. I didn`t even feel up to chatting much to the other patients which is so not like me but then I do have CFS so maybe it took it out on me a little more than most, fatigue wise.

All I can add to my story is please don`t worry too much, they will not allow you to be in pain, I had to beg and pleed to have the morphine drip out just so I could walk about and go to the bathroom. Once I could do that it was much better.
When you get home you will need plenty of rest and loving care, take each step slowly, don`t try to do too much too soon, give yourself permission to be pampered and allow everyone to run around after you. I wasn`t able to drive for 6 weeks and I didn`t hoover for about 3 months or more. If there is someone to do it for you, let them for as long as they are willing but certainly not before the 12 week period.

I am now waiting to have double mastectomy - and now I have had one big operation I am not at all worried about further surgery and trust me I am the biggest wimp out when it comes to things like this. I have even fainted at other peoples stories - not any more, you will be ok chic.

Take care bless you, rest as much as you can do while waiting for the op, I had no time to prepare, I went into hospital exhausted beyond belive - I had had no sleep for several days as I was actually only diagnosed 38 hours before surgery. And had only had first consultation with scans one week before the op. I was mentally and pysically shatterted so I do recommend pre-rest. While waiting do things that are calming and restful. mediatation is great or anything that takes your mind away from your worry`s and fears.
I`d also like to add, that my cancer had not spread as much as it showed on the CT scan, so sometimes it isn`t as bad as they expect.

sending you one big hug from Tina xxxxxxx

Mine was just in April of last year , so events are still quite fresh in my mind.I won't lie about the pain ,it does knack,!! but I was given plenty pain relief ,also plenty help regarding bathing etc. Take some big nix in with you , the bigger the better . I took my normal size 14's and they dug in like billyo! Big jarmie bottoms too and have plenty loose clothing i.e trakky bottoms for when you get home . Keep your bowels regular before you go in and continue to keep them loose as it does help if motions need little effort to be expelled !! Try to get mobile asas poss, start keeping a diary , take plenty reading material , I took my kindle too , drink plenty fluids etc. You'll be fine I'm sure , have faith in the dox, they are a highly skilled team of experts looking after you.It will fly over . Keep us posted
Best wishes.
Suzie Que
xxxxxx

P.S.. I was told driving and sex was on the menu after 6 weeks too, but I found this extremely difficult as I knocked the sat-nav off its holder and the handbrake got in my way .Coupled with an over- generous dollop of lubricant there was foam everywhere, we should've worn a wetsuit (teehee)...!!!! Just jesting to help you forget your worries ...
Suzie Que
xxxx

These links might give some insight...
You'll be relieved when you get there - the waiting's the worst part. Anaesthetics are very good, and you are in good shape, so fear not!

aftercc.blogspot.com/p/my-s...
aftercc.blogspot.com/p/my-s...
I xx

Thanks everyone for all your repolies, I guess the uncertainty of what Im going to wake up to discover they have taken is whats bothering the most-to wake up and find I have had bowel surgery and a bag in place is not quite what I had in mind at the age of 35 and that will really get me down, but then if its part of the process of getting rid of this then I guess its what has to happen.

K x

Hi Sunny,
My cancer had spread to my bowel and that part was removed in surgery however, I had no bag and no more discomfort going to the loo than anyone else. The only thing is over one year on I still suffer from constipation where as before surgery you could time me to the clock every day as regular as anything, now its every so many days and like bullets in spite of sena and sweet vile medicine. But lots of people world wide suffer from this. To be honest had they not told me about the bowel debulk, I would have no idea so please try not to worry.

My brother went through colon cancer at the same time as my oc, he had a huge part of his colon removed but he stated clearly pre-op that he did not want a bag and he didin`t., they joined it so it was just shorter. His results were sloppy poos but nothing too troublesome.
To be honest it would have to have spread really badly for you to have a bag and if this was the case I`m sure the scan would be telling them this. Please don`t worry in silence talk all your fears through with the medical team looking after you before you have the surgery. You will be introduced to them pre-op on the day and they will explain it all to you in detail - this is your chance to ask questions and be open about your fears.

And of course you can always ask your friends on here too.

Take good care of yourself - use the waiting time to prepare, pamper yourself as much as possible do things that make you happy.
I agree with Suzie - loose clothing is good, I wore PJ`s from peacocks, they had a large wide waist band with no elastic just soft stretchy material.
I can`t remember wearing panties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but yay the bigger the better, maybe 2 sizes larger than usual. Bridget Jones!!!

T x

Hi Sunny
I had my op just last october, full hysterectomy + omentum +small part of bowel. fortunately I did not need to have a bag....phew!! It had been my biggest fear when going for the op. When I came round the first thing I did was feel under the covers and lo and behold there was no bag. Otherwise the op went great and i was only in hospital for 5 days.
biggest problem for me was constipatiion for quite a few days until I asked my gp for suppositories, yes they worked!!!
All in all though I felt so much better, getting rid of the horrendous ascites fluid that I had been walking around with, my surgeon said they drained almost 6 litres of the stuff.
So Sunny fear not it won't be as bad as you may think, as others have said, they give you great drugs for the pain!!! take care.

Iris x

Hello,

Just to add to all the great advice you have been given;
-get yourself a small pillow to use as an abdominal support......especially useful when needing to cough.
-if you have a urinary catheter keep it in till you can walk to the loo yourself.
-About the pain,take all the drugs they offer you.
-as soon as you are eating again,start taking a mild laxative,like lactalose,to prevent getting constipated.

Best of luck,
Helen

Hi Helen,
I must be whimp, I find lactulose explosive. LOL!
Love Lizzie
X

Hi there Sunny ,
Had my op on Dec 23rd 2011 ..the worst part was the WIND ! just terrible ..take some mint tea with you ....
It was much more comfortable when the clips came out too .
I am using bio oil for my scar ..bought from Amazon ..cheaper there ....
They took it all away plus my appendix and some of the omentum ..the nasty mass was wrapped round the large and small bowel but they managed to get it off with out cutting the bowel ..
I had an epidural but had to have it taken out early as it caused very low blood pressure ..
When you can start to walk it will ease the wind , and drink hot water too that will help .
Fennel seeds are good too infused into hot water and then drink .
Just had my 2nd lot of Chemo today .
Take good care and be very kind to your self after your op .
Janet xx

Hi Sunny,

My top tip is a sleep mask e.g.

www.amazon.co.uk/The-Nights...

You can pick them up from places like Sainsbugs near the pharmacy where they have travel items on a stand.

In hozzie, it is never completely dark - and if I fancied a sleep in the day it really helped me.

Love Lizzie
X

Thanks all, Im getting really scared now, Ive got my preop tomorrow and the op next monday.