Nausea and weak post op

[Adent]

Hello

my Dad had his bladder removed on Friday (has a stoma) and his recovery is very slow. Weak and gets quite nauseous just from sitting up in bed. Still on clear fluids. Any tips for him or us on this are welcome!  Thank you. Ashley

[marysue]

Hello Adent:

I’m sorry to learn that your father had to have his bladder removed.  This is a worrisome time for sure. Please keep in mind that it is a very big surgery and it takes time to recover from.

Recovery time can be affected by:

1) At this point I’m assuming he is Day 2-3 post op, he may be still shaking off the effects of the anesthetic. This surgery as I’m sure you were told takes several hours.  The longer a person is under can affect how fast  they shake off the side effects.

2)  A general anesthetic can put a person’a body into a type of shock.  It takes time for the drug to wear off and for the body processes to reestablish i.e. passing gas, bowel function etc.  Our bodies don’t like being messed with especially on terms like this where an organ or organs are removed and body parts are rearranged. His body is literally having a “What the heck happened here?” moment.

3) He may also be affected by post op pain killers that he is taking.  Drugs like morphine can make a person feel dizzy and nauseous. (Been there, done that)

4) A lot can depend on a person’s age, physical condition and health at time of surgery which includes any other health conditions that they may be dealing with on top of bladder cancer.

5) People sometimes deal with blood loss from the surgery.  I don’t know how much blood your dad lost during the surgery but if he had some this will contribute to his weakness as well.  It takes time for the body to make replacement blood, sometimes several weeks.

His recovery most likely will not be a straight trajectory.  He will have good days and not so good days but with time, patience, love and support the good days will start to outnumber the not so good. The best thing anyone can do for him right now is encourage every little positive thing he succeeds with and not have their own expectations of what the recovery journey should be like. Being part of his team and having regular communication with his doctors, nurses etc. will help you both understand what is happening and why.

And of course you have us at Bladder Cancer Canada.  Please feel free to post questions on this forum.  You can also call the toll free number and ask to speak to a patient support volunteer that has had the surgery.  This might be helpful for both you and your Dad so that you get the low down on what to expect from someone that has been through it.  Wishing your father a speedy recovery and all the best to you both.  ((((HUGS))))

 

[Adent]

Thank you for responding so quickly.  He has a very low threshold for pain and is also now managing nerve pain from the epidural he had. On top of the pain, he has bad bloating and nausea.  Fortunately his surgery wasn’t long-only about 2 hrs and a bit and no big blood loss.  He is in his early 80s so not surprised the recovery is challenging, just didn’t realize it was going to be this hard for him.  I think I will call the patient support volunteer line and ask to speak to someone who has had the surgery. Thanks again.

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