I was 2 weeks over due with my daughter, after being induced and going through an over 50 hour labor, the doctor and I finally agreed that it was best to do a c-sections. About 20 hours into my labor I finally gave in and got the epidural, Which was a HORRIBLE experiance.. It was more painfull than the contractions! Almost immediatly I felt a differance in my right leg, I asked the nurse about it and she said it was normal. After about 5 hours I was able to move my left leg and foot around but not my right. After the c-section and when I was in my regular room, we noticed my right leg and thigh had ballooned up and was EXTREMELY sensitive, so sensitive that it made me cry when they used a marker to draw on my leg where the swelling was (to make sure it wasnt spreading) and I have a pretty high tolerance to pain. I've had multipule ultra sounds done, been perscribed Vicodin (Both the 500's and 950's) to which I had to take multipule pills to barely help with the pain (And left me very reliant on them). Nerve pills, muscle relaxers, and Tylenol 8oo's, I finally had to stop taking everything after 2 months of taking all the meds because I felt like I couldnt do anything because I was so tired from everything they had given me. Well 1 year after all of that began, Its finally bareable, Meaning that it hurts, im finally able to shave without biting my lip in pain. My husband still forgets and hits it every once in a while which still causes alot of pain, But its something I can live with now (Even though now im having knee problems with the same leg :( ) Has any one else experianced this or know of someone who had the same problem? Will it eventually all go away? After 3 or so months my doctor finally told me she thought it was my psycotic (spelling?) nerve and that they might have hit it during the epidural but theres no way to tell for sure. (Another doctor just told me I needed to lose weight)
Also, about 6 months after I had my daughter I had to have my galbladder taken out after a galstone passed through my pancreas and nearly my liver, I was in the hospital for over a week which was the first time I was ever away from my daughter. I was told after it happend that it sometimes happens after you've had a baby, but was never warned about it or even heard about it before then. I had severe pain abdominal pain which felt like a really bad gas build up, after I took peptol bismol and tums it felt better so I really thought it was just gas until Sunday morning at 3 am when it finally hurt so bad I couldnt stand it anymore (I would honestly go through labor, the epidural and the leg pains again all at once if I was givin the choice) If its something that can happen after having a baby, why dont they tell you what the warning signs could be? I cant help but think that if they had told me, I wouldnt have had to go through the pain, the week long hospital visit, and the pricey bills if they had told me something.. ANYTHING.. The procedure its self is only an hour long, 4 small incisions (They tell you its 3 but they put one in your belly button they dont tell you about!) and after a couple hours of evaluation,walking, and a nice cup of chicken broth, you get to go home. Has anyone had that happen to them? I know they said its typically related to eating lots of oily, greasy or fatty foods, but Im honestly not a big take out eater, I primarily eat veggies (Not a vegitatian, I do eat meat, but not much), and I do watch my fat intake.. Im just at a loss for both of these conditions, No ones been able to really explain them to me other than "It happens".
WOW...I personally have never heard of that happening at all! I have had 2 c-sections (most recent one just 4 months ago) an I have had other issues with them but never those kinds. I am sorry you had to go through that type of pain, you know sometimes even the doctors don't know! If you wanna talk more just send me a message!
Oh hunny let me tell you. My first daughter i had an emergency c-section.and three,yes three weeks later i had my gallblader removed.it was awful because i was still really sore. But yes its a fairly commen thing,and no they don't tell you but why should they? If they told you about all the different bad things tha could happen we would all be a miserable reck.plus the littlest pain we would all freak out and think "oh what if it's this and what if its that". But i now work in a hospital and see it all the time but its more like i think 1 out of 20 women will have that problem so i hear. Don't worry about it focus more on your healthy beautiful baby than being worried or angry.
Sometimes i think your body is on overlaod during pregnancy and some of our bodies freak out when its all over.
Maybe it was all the vitamins during pregnancy and all of a sudden it stops who knows. Like me i got pupps when i was pregnant with my third child. Why me?????? You get an uncontrolable itchy rash all over your body which itches sooooo bad it was even on the bottom of my feet.i slept with a hairbrush to scratch myself all night. I would be in tears because i would wake up with my sheets all bloody from scratching. Supposedly some womans pancreas spits out these chemicals because our body can't filter whats going on during pregancy so this is what causes the rash. No one ever told me that could happen either. But hey done and over with.god got me threw it and now i just focus on the wonderful gift from all that pain hehe
I've never had an epidural, so I am sorry I don't know about the leg issue. :(
I have however had gall bladder issues. It is very common. I had to have mine removed a year ago.
After I had my daughter anytime I would eat anything fatty, I would end up in the hospital on Morphine. The stomach pains (which I first thought was gas or indigestion or heartburn too) were horrible.
So I stayed away from those food. So no pizza, no big juicy hamburgers, nothing. Horrible way to live in my opinion! :P.
Once the attacks started coming sooner and more frequently, I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to have it removed. So far its been out. I'm in no pain AT ALL. I eat pizza, and fatty foods (your really not supposed to, but oh well), and I don't have any nasty side affects, becuase I dont have a gall bladder.
If it was me, I would be checking in with someone about what my rights are about the leg. If the hospital left me in that type of pain. I'd sue.
Hi J. -
So sorry you have had so many difficulties. I had a very traumatic birth experience and a hard time recovering too (won't get into details). I finally came across a holisitic doctor that is FABULOUS and I feel energetic, healthy and well again. Here's his info: Dr. Randall Robirds at Applied Health Dynamics, 1201 S. Decatur, Phone: ###-###-####. It takes one month to get in the first time and after that it is fairly easy to get in. Expect a different approach from the typical doctor - Robirds is the most effective healer I've ever come across. Everyone I've know who's seen him has had great results!
If you want more info, let me know.
Much luck and happiness to you!!! - L.
Hi J.,
I had an epidural during my labor as well, and I also ended up with a c-section after a couple of hours of pushing. Although not as severe as yours, while in recovery I found that I had pain and nerve damage in my left leg, all along my thigh. When I talked to the doctors about it, they said that it was most likely a result of pushing against the epidural. Because you can't feel that you are injuring yourself. She said it should get better over time, although it may take as long as six months. My son is turning two next month, and unfortunately I still have the nerve damage to some extent, although it has lessened, and the pain part is almost gone. I no longer cringe with that creepy pain if my husband hits my leg.
And no one did mention that as a possibility before I had the epidural, unfortunately!
Hope that helps a little...
J.. i'm so sorry to hear of all the troubles you've had. but because not everyone is built the same, and we've all heard that. they can't guarantee where certain things are. and yes, they probably hit your syatic nerve. as for the gallbladder issue. its common. not just in people that have recently given birth. its just common period. they claim the F's in this. female, fertile, fair, fat. don't understand them all as far as fair and fat. but its becoming more and more common because of the diet we keep.
but i do hope you get to feeling better and getting a chance to better enjoy your baby.
best regards,
P.
I had my gallbladder taken out about a month ago. 4 small incisions and done. Well, I had the stones for about 7 years before they began bothering me. I had them start when I was pregnant with my first child. I had my first "pain attack when I was 5 months pregnant with him. That was a horrible pain! At the time, they told me I couldn't have surgery, because of the pregnancy. I had my baby and they never bothered me until now. Iv'e heard so many reasons as to why they come about. Pregnancy is said to be one of the reasons in women, estrogen levels, eating fatty foods, depends also on the type of stone, there are some stones that are due to too much calcium, and at times it's hereditary, but in any case, I feel so much better now that that's taken care of. It was very painful after the surgery for about a day or two. And like you I had a c-section before that. I have had a total of 3 c-sections. Well thats all.
Dear J.,
You really had two hard whammies, didn't you? I hope that is going to be over soon, so you can get on with warning mommies. I know that the medical profession is rather cruel at times. They have a lot of patients and get rummy sometimes I think about who truly needs some time spent on the explanations. Go on line to the Gall Bladder experts. Look around and try to figure out which ones really know what they are talking about. Try the big medical school sites to see if they have anything. Go to the Federal Health site , I can't remember the name, but you can find it. That is really the main one, along with the American Medical Association.
I hope that good health is just ahead for you. C. N.
I can't offer any help other than to let you know when I had my epidural 2 weeks ago with my son it only seemed to work on one side of my body and I felt everything during my birth (when I had my daughter 8 years ago I was totally numb to the pain), so your not the only one with a "bad" epidural sadly.
I also had my galbladder removed. My daughter was 2 at the time. I woke up during the operation, and was so doped up on meds I didn't even wake up for 8 hours after the sugery. The first 2 years were hell, if I ate anything greasy I got really upset stomach. But it does get better! I was also told you get the diesase from greesy foods and pregnancy, so what you have heard is true.
Hang in there :hug:
Many wishes to you for good health, you've really been through a lot!
I didn't have a c-section with my first son (he's 14 mos. now) but I did have my gallbladder removed six weeks into my current pregnancy (I'm 25 weeks along now.) It was horrible, but I too was told pregnancy increases your chances of having that surgery. My gallbladder was so bad off that I could not even drink water, in the two months prior to conception I lost 25 lbs., I was so malnourished I had to be sustained intravenously for three days before they could do the surgery. My doctors were in a hurry to get the GB out before my pregnancy progessed any further, I guess it "malfunctioned" since there were no signs of stones or blockages. But it was a very painful from beginning to end, I didn't expect that. It sounded like a fairly routine thing from what I heard and read about, the reality was I honestly thought I would die from the pain after the surgery.
I think the best thing you can do is continue to take it easy on yourself, be patient with your body as it heals. It eventually will! Tune out anyone who thinks you're being a big baby or too sensitive... a c-section is a surgery as well as the GB removal and that's an awful lot of trauma to an already taxed pregnant/post-pregnant body!
This will be my 2nd son and last child! I am happy to report he's very healthy, all looks promising for a routine birth... but I am stopping at two because pregnancy is just too much for me! I really think some women have it much easier than others!
Hi, in response to your leg problem, it does sound like they hit a nerve, possibly the sciatic nerve which runs from your lower spine, through your pelvis and all the way down your leg(front and back in the lower extremities). It also sounds like you were not in one of the better hospitals for either of your stays. My suggestion for the nerve pain is acupuncture. I'm sure your not excited about needles at this point, but acupuncture needles only enter the top layer of skin. I suggest spending time finding a therapist that you are comfortable with, spend time asking questions about your problem. If you don't get a good feeling from their responses, find someone else. There are a lot of acupuncturists out there. The epidural should not have been as painful as it sounds like it was, and IF you told the doctor/nurses that your leg was numb and they told you that was normal or OK then they were wrong. The whole purpose of an epidural is to numb the pain enough that you can concentrate on pushing, but you still have feeling in your lower torso/extremities so you know when you are pushing and when you are not.
As for the gall bladder, I had mine removed when I was 6 months pregnant. I was told by my doctor that there are a number of things that can cause gall stones and gall bladder disfunction. During pregnancy the more common cause is increased hormone production. In combination with a higher fat diet, which your body may process better without the increased hormone production, gall stones can form. I am vegetarian and have been for 15 years. I don't focus on eating a low fat diet, but I do not get all the fats that the average meat eater eats. I ate very well during my pregnancy, I'm an athletic person, and remained pretty active during my pregnancy. I think the doctor should have explained things to you better than "it just happens", but apparently gall stones and gall bladder disfunction is more common than not during pregnancy (post pregnancy you are still producing excess hormones, especially if you are breastfeeding), and you could have been forming the stones well before you had the pain. My gall bladder was completely filled with stones and was already deteriorating when they got to it. I think the reason they don't tell every woman that they could potentially have gall bladder issues is that it doesn't happen to a lot of women. My pain felt like back pain, if every woman experiencing back pain thought something was wrong with their gall bladder there would be a lot of unnecessary doctor visits. Well I hope that I have helped you, at least a little! Good luck with your leg, and if any doctor tells you that you need surgery for your nerve pain PLEASE seek alternative therapy first!
J.
I don't know about the epidural part (mine was fine) but I too had to have my gallbladder removed about 1 month after. I was only in the hospital for 2 days so not as bad I guess. Mine felt more like the worst ashma attack combined with someone trying to pull my ribs apart for the inside, not fun!! At 2am it got so bad that I drove myself to the ER while my husband stayed at home with our son. They said that it is a common side effect of pregnancy as is kidney stones. So now I am worried that my next pregnancy will result in kidney stones as it is the only place left ( I hope) that stones develop. But I agree I would go though labor 10 times over before ever doing that again!! I hope that everything is going well now for you.
Best wishes,
K.
Hi J.,
Wow, sorry about all of the pain you have been in. I did have a c-section last July also so I understand that lots of healing is needed. The problem I had was my sciatic nerve but it went away. I know my mom and aunt (both who had c-sections) say that their's still acts up at times. And mine has on occasion.
With the gallstones; I recently (couple weeks ago) had a girl friend who had to have her gallbladder removed. Nobody told her what caused it or to be aware that this could happen. When she went in to have the surgery, a nurse asked if she had just had a baby. She said yeah - couple months ago. The nurse said it was common for women to have this problem after childbirth because of hormones.
Anyways, hopefully I was able to give you a little peace of mind. Sorry that I don't have a lot to suggest. Although, maybe do some research and find out more or go see another doctors regarding your pain to get a second opinion.
Good luck,
B.
that sounds a lot like when i had my first son. it sounds to me like they did hit your nerve. i have problems with the sciactic nerve too. my dr suggested seeing a chiropractor to make sure that the nerve is not being pinched. so that might offer you some relief. good luck, i know how tough it is!
J.-
First of all, I love your name, it happens to be my little ones middle name. :)
I also had complications from my epidural with my girls c-section. After 7 or so failed atttmepts at an epidural (sending shooting electrical pains thru my body), they finally got it and the c-section went forward with no more problems. After i was back in the recovery room i noticed that my left leg was still pretty numb and tingling. They all told me this was normal and that after i drank more and walked around, it would wake up just like the right leg. Well, my kiddo is now 2 1/2 yrs old and it is still numb. I have had to just deal with it and try to not think about it. It does hurt when someone brushes up against it and i have to think about what pants i am going to wear so they dont rub me the wrong way. it isnt as sensitive as it was so i know it has gotten some better but i havent gotten all the feeling back YET. still holding out hope that i will in the future.
The gallbladder issue..... i had gastric bypass surgery a week before my kiddos 1st birthday since i was over 100 lbs. overweight. At they time they decided to removed my gallbladder while they were in there since there were already a few stones and they knew that sudden weight loss can increase the number of stones. I thought, great, a two for one special on the surgery. Three months after my gastric bypass i started having what i called 'episodes', violent attacks in my stomach that no one could explain. I had every test known to man done on me, scoped down each end, x-rays, MRI, CT Scans, elective surgery to go in and check for scar tissue, and more. Just this past monday I finally found someone who would perform an ERCP on me... scope down the throat to remove a stone that had been left behind in my bile duct and couldnt get out. It was a tricky surgery since i have different anatomy inside of me from the gastric bypass, but he was able to do it and now i am just praying that the days of severe pain are all behind me. I have been waiting to have another baby till we figured out what was wrong because i could not imagine having these pains and being pregnant at the same time.
Hang in there!! I know it is not fun at all. Dont let the doctors brush you off, you have to fight for your health rights, they wont do it for you. If you need to talk more you can email me. Best of luck.
J. :)
J.,
Hi. My name is K.. I am new to MamaSource. I wanted to respond to your about your gallbladder issue. Unfortunately, yes, it is quite normal to have gallbladder issues after pregnancy. The chances increase with each child. Sorry that it happened to you after your first.
After the birth of my 4th child, I ended up hospitalized for Pancreatitis. A gallstone had blocked the duct leading to my pancreas and almost killed me. Once they got in there to remove my gallbladder, they found over 40 stones packed in each duct from my gallbladder all the way to my liver. I spent the better part of 3 months hospitalized and went through 4 surgeries and procedures. I've known many other women that had gallbladder issues following pregnancy.
As for the epidural, I've only had 1 with 5 labors. Mine was fine with the exception of an extremely bad headache for a week after he was born. Then again, that was with the same child, so the headache could have been due to the gallbladder issues also. Sorry I am no help.
As for doctors telling you the risks of gallbladder disease, I doubt it will ever be commonplace. Gallbladder disease is not a side effect of pregnancy and a sheet of paper listing the increased risk of gallstones wouldn't be something the WHO would ever put out for women debating on having a child. It's just one of those things that happens. It's happening more now than in the past due to worse eating habits. Society isn't taking care of the gallbladder and it is showing everyday. Men have trouble with gallbladders also. My father had his taken out due to the exact same situation (gallstone blocking the duct to the pancreas) this past Christmas.
Good luck with the leg hun. And stay away from high fat foods now that your gallbladder is gone!
Wow J. - it sounds like you've been through a lot. I'm so sorry. My only suggestion would be to look into alternative healing methods to help you deal with the pain. I know someone recommended a chiropractor, which can be very helpful - try to get recommendations for good ones. I don't know where you live but I see an excellent one in Studio City. You can contact me for his info. Also, I've had good luck with acupuncture for different physical problems, so you might want to give that a try too. It's amazing how helpful it can be. Another suggestion, particularly because you don't have a gallbladder, is to find an herbalist (you could try Chinese or Ayurvedic) or naturopath to help you too. Good luck!
I have a similiar issue with my left leg. I did not have a c-section though. When I was about 6 months pregnant with my first baby my left thigh starting having pains and aching and tingling, then it started going numb. I talked to my OB/GYN and she just said "welcome to pregnancy" and that probably my pregnancy weight gain was putting pressure on my sciatic nerve. Well, after I delivered (non-eventful vaginal deliver, with epidural)and after I lost most of the baby weight my thigh was still really sensitive and numb most of the time. I talked to my regular doc and he and I drew a circle around the affected area and then he showed me in a medical book a picture of the exact same location and the same symptoms, he said that it is a specific nerve (not the sciatic) and when I was pregnant the extra weight caused it to be pinched and since I am heavy anyway, once the baby weight was gone, it just stayed that way. He said that the only way to make it feel better was to lose weight. Well after my second baby (almost exactly same birth story)I lost more than just my baby weight and it did feel better. But in recent months, I have gained about 20 lbs. back and now it hurts again and is tingly. Like you, it is very uncomfortable to even shave or have someone bump it. Also it is numb and/or tingly, it's still really sensitive. I know that's not an exact answer to the problem but just letting you know that there's others with similiar issues. Maybe you can talk with your doc about the possiblity of a nerve being pinched.
I had kindney stones during the end of my pregnancy and my doctors told me I was depressed and exagerating the pain. My suggestion is to find a doctor that you feel is really listening to you. It ios not okay to just be okay living with the pain.
