Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Hi everyone,
I have had pudendal nerve entrapment surgery on both sides of my bottom just over two weeks ago, and since I have suffered tremendous pain in my mons pubis and my clitoris. I find that I cannot sit for very long at all before getting electric shock type pain on the surgery site.
This pain is very very extreme and even though I have had such a lot of pain beforehand this seems to be far worse than before. I'm hoping as they say in the song it can only get better. I think maybe I have been doing things too quickly and I started driving this week and I think I have done too much. There is one thing that I realise being in the UK we never seem to get any advice on what to do after an operation of this type.
Remember I was told to do marching on the spot and that was the sum total of my advice Given to me.
Can anyone help can anyone tell me if I have been doing things too soon any advice would be welcome.
Many thanks Shirley.

Shirley,

It is scary when you get pain in new places and worse pain. I'm sorry you are experiencing this and I hope it will calm down soon. I had some new and increased pain after surgery too and there was a point when I wondered if I did the right thing by having surgery but eventually the new problems calmed down. I don't know what surgery approach you had but typically there is some disturbance to the nerve during surgery.

Taking it easy is very important. Often when I did something I shouldn't have, the pain flared up the following day. I think it's important to avoid bending, stretching, sitting, and of course anything strenuous for awhile and slowly start adding activities until you see how you tolerate them. This isn't medical advice -- it's just based on my own experience/recovery.

Ice and pain medications are really important post-op. I took narcotics for 9 months after surgery.

This first few months can be very difficult and recovery is slow. It helps if you know to expect this.

Take care,

Violet

I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling worse. Like Violet, I too had increased pain after surgery. It took over 8 weeks before I could bend over to tie my shoes. Dr. Hibner has a lot of restrictions after surgery especially for the first 3 weeks, no bending, no squatting, minimal sitting, no long periods of standing and really taking it easy. After 3 weeks then you can very slowly start doing things and only if they don't cause any increase in pain. Dr. Conway also has a lot of restrictions after surgery. Each recovery pace is very different for each individual and it is very important to listen to your own body and not overdue. Do not be hard on yourself and really take it very easy.

Thank you for replying to my posts. I had bilateral surgery and my right nerve was really badly trapped my left nerve was badly engorged/choked by varicose veins but my doctor didn't have to destroy any nerves which I believe they normally do.
The pain is not in a new place it is just more intense and especially when I've been trying to stand most of the day. Do I take it from your posts that I'm not supposed to stand am I supposed just to lie down most of the day i'm really not sure.
I will try and reply to this post in more detail but I now have to just popped to the vets with my dog and a friend is driving is there which is very good. Thanks Shirley

So sorry to hear the recovery struggles. It may be good to limit the standing as well at least for a few weeks. I was told driving would be 4 weeks but five minutes at that point was too much for me so maybe 6-8 weeks before I was driving a bit more. It is a slow recovery but eventually you can do more just as the others said let ypur body guide you. Also be careful of lifting even 5 pounds.
Janet

One immediate caveat - I would just say be very careful indeed driving so soon after a general anaesthetic, usually your insurance won't cover you for four weeks afterwards unless you have been specifically cleared by your doctor as being ok to drive.

I do think it sounds as if you are perhaps trying to do too much too soon. Recovery from surgery is such an important time, the body needs time to heal properly. I would say if you are having increased pain, then perhaps you need to schedule more rests. You don't necessarily need to spend all your time lying down, that's never going to be a healthy thing. But you do need to take the time to give your body the rest it needs.

Standing for most of the day sounds like a very bad idea. Again, I really would suggest scheduling regular rests. Do you know how long you've been able to stand, before the pain starts to increase? Stand for only half that time, then go and have a rest. Put your feet up, have a cup of tea, relax properly ten or twenty minutes. And then carry on, until it is time for your next rest.... you'll get more done in the long run, if you aren't exhausted with pain.

I do hope your dog is ok.

calluna wrote:Standing for most of the day sounds like a very bad idea.

Oh, I can personally attest to that! It's just way too much load on the pelvis, especially after the surgery you've been through, Shirley. I do understand how lying down a lot is exhausting and some times depressing. It's also very difficult to find that ever-elusive balance between standing, walking, lying down, sitting ....
I'm still working on it, and haven't quite mastered it yet, but am listening to my body more.
I also had quite a bit of new pain and increased pain in the months following my surgery. It does get better with time.
Everyone is different, but for the present time, it may be too soon for you to be sitting at all or marching. Really? That's what your surgeon advised you to do? March in place?
Please make it a priority to make yourself as comfortable as possible and allow your body to heal on it's own time. This really isn't something you can push yourself through.
Kind regards,
Karyn