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Posted 6/4/2012 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
I had surgery on May 8th for rectum removal. I'm still having a bad time with the
anaesthesia, its really kicking my butt. Its horrible. When can I expect to feel normal again?. This is just crazy. I don't remember it being this bad when I had surgery for my ileostomy and I was just about dead when I had that surgery. I was pretty healthy going into this one. Dr put down for me to be returning to work July 2, but the way I feel, I'm not so sure.
Posted 6/5/2012 1:06 PM (GMT 0)
What do you mean you are still having a hard time w/the anesthesia? What are your symptoms from that?

Sorry you're having such a hard time.
Posted 6/5/2012 1:42 PM (GMT 0)

This does not sound like anesthesia.  It sounds more like the fatigue that comes from malnutrition or severe dehydration.  I know because I had both after I had a gastric bypass.  I was unable to take in enough food to stay nourished.  I failed to drink enough because I hated living in the bathroom and since I was still very heavy immediately after I had leaking bladder issues anyway.

Make sure you get in electrolytes...drink Pedialyte for children, Gatorade (personally I could not tolerate that), eat popsicles, drink protein shakes if you can.  Force yourself to get up and walk a little bit as much as possible to keep muscles from atrophy.  The more you sit, the more fatigued you will be. 

It is hard to get past this...there were times I didn't leave the bed except to go to the bathroom for 24-48 hours at a time.  I finally had to force myself to do all that I have suggested because I was sure I was going to die if I didn't.

Also get to the doctor and ask for bloodwork to check all mineral, protein, calcium levels, liver function, etc.

Praying for you!

Posted 6/6/2012 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
blueglass. symptoms are feeling like you're living in a fog (no man's land). Sometimes I feel like I weigh a ton, moving my legs as well feel like they weigh a ton as well.
trafficdonna, I'm eating good and I do walk quite a bit. I did have a friend pick me up some electrolytes. Not sure if thats the problem either. Going into the ER this afternoon.
Posted 6/6/2012 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
Brannah, sounds awful. Have you had any blood work done recently? Surely they'll do some at the ER, and maybe that can help them figure out what's going on. It could be the anesthesia, but it's pretty unusual to have a reaction last that long (unless you are elderly, which it doesn't sound like you are....)

I felt like surgery kind of made me stupider for a while.... short term memory issues etc.... but I think in my case it was more stress than anesthesia, and I figured I still must have some brain left since I was learning so much ostomy stuff. But yours sounds different.

Hope you get some relief soon, keep us posted.
Posted 6/7/2012 7:03 AM (GMT 0)
Are you anemic or vitamin deficient?
Posted 7/3/2012 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
Its been awhile since I posted . I had blood work done and everything was normal. I'm still having this problem, nothing has changed. I'm not able to work or drive and have to stay with a friend in town as I live alone way out on a farm. My Dr is trying to schedule an appointment with a neurologist to see if anything happen during my surgery. Hopefully I can get in soon. This is just crazy!
Blueglass, you were asking how old I was.. I'm 48.
Posted 7/4/2012 7:35 AM (GMT 0)
That's not right. I had surgery on the 30th and I'm doing ok. Are you still on pain meds?
Posted 7/4/2012 11:37 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds a lot like dehydration. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Posted 7/4/2012 12:31 PM (GMT 0)
Brannah, so sorry you're going through all this.

If it was just dehydration, your electrolytes would have been off in your blood work (although it's good to make sure you are drinking a lot of fluid w/electrolyte, as some dehydration will make whatever you have worse). Hope you can see a specialist soon and start figuring out what's going on and find a way to help. That's no way to live.

Wish I had more to offer. Thinking of you. Keep us posted.
Posted 7/4/2012 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Lovetoski, I'm not on any pain meds or any other meds.
Shaz, blood work said there was no dehydration.
I'm quite scared about this. If I knew this was going to happen, I never would have had the surgery done.
Posted 7/4/2012 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
That's messed up, I'm scared of anesthesia also. Most of my coloscopy and andoscopy, I did them without any form of sedation.

It's better to go see a doctor about this. Nobody here can answer what is wrong with you at the moment. We are in July now. It's been 2 months....
Posted 7/4/2012 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
Are you feeling any better?
Posted 7/5/2012 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
My surgeon's secretary said I should go back and see him. Not sure if thats just going to be a waste of my time or not. It's a 5 hour drive to go there.

Subzeromambo,Things weren't to bad last night, but this morning is horrible again. Such pressure in my head and it feels like my throat is swollen.
Posted 7/6/2012 8:42 AM (GMT 0)
I would definitely go see your surgeon or a physician you trust. Five hours is a long way to drive but your symptoms are very perplexing. I would hate for this to get any worse.
Posted 7/9/2012 3:02 PM (GMT 0)
Had a CT scan done last Friday, waiting for the results this week.
Now I'm not quite as "foggy", but now its turned into some very nasty pressure headaches with neck stiffness and still feel wonky when walking.
Posted 7/9/2012 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
Glad you're doing a little better. Hope you get some answers (and solutions) soon.
Posted 7/10/2012 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
when they did your recent bloodwork did they do full panels of vitamines, etc? What about iron stores, B12,magnesium, zinc, stuff like that.

Also the rectum removal surgery can be a pretty lengthy and complicated surgery. Possibly your body is just taking its good old time recovering. Maybe it is just telling you to rest.

But if you are concerned then its definitely time to go see your surgeon for sure. Get someone to drive you.

Posted 7/10/2012 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
ddd45, They checked everything in the blood work and everything was fine.
It's been just over 2 months now. I feel that things should have straightened out by now and it hasn't. I should have been back to work by now. I made an appointment to see my surgeon again for July 19th. (755 km drive round trip)
Panicking now as I have no income being off work and I'm the only one that brings in the income (widowed and live alone).
I had planned that I would have been back to work 6 weeks after surgery.

I'm wondering if I have a csf leak from the epidural?
Has anyone had that happen?

Post Edited (Brannah) : 7/10/2012 9:24:02 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/10/2012 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
Brannah,

It took me a very long time to recover from my ileo and rectum removal surgery. I felt like I had been hit by a bus for about 6-8 weeks after. I turned the corner eventually, but it took a while. What surprised me was the expectation that I would bounce back so quickly, but that was not the case for me. I had been under anesthesia for 8 hours.

I also had some short term memory issues and also feeling like I was in a fog. I just attributed all of that to recovery and being under anesthesia for such a long time. In my case though, my bloodwork numbers were not normal for a few months.
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