I am in the hospital on my 3rd bag of saline.....each one is 2000mL (for those of you not familar w/ the metric system thats about equal to 1.5 gallons...I have tried to pee 3x since I woke up from sugery at 10ish this morning....each time it feels like I'm going to....but nothing comes out after I sit for 5 min...they did an ultrasound of my bladder and said it is pretty darn full.....they are going to put a catheter in me and REALLY don't want that.....has this happened to anyone? surgery was at 7am its now 6:15pm

last minute thoughts?? why can't they just give me a diuretic?

I think I might know what you're going through. When I first got out of surgery and tried to pee, I had a trouble. I also had trouble taking a BM. It seems as those the muscles you use have lost their "muscle memory" or at least that is my theory. I can't really "bear down" to take a BM, I just have to kind of wait it out. I think it has to do with the way they cut into the abdomen. I know it's a real pain...

When I was in the hospital it took me about 5 hours before I peed. I wish you the best of luck. The first time I went was such a small amount and then it was like every half an hour. Good luck, hope they don't have to cath you.

I think I might know what you're going through. When I first got out of surgery and tried to pee, I had a trouble. I also had trouble taking a BM. It seems as those the muscles you use have lost their "muscle memory" or at least that is my theory. I can't really "bear down" to take a BM, I just have to kind of wait it out. I think it has to do with the way they cut into the abdomen. I know it's a real pain...

yeah thats exactly what it feels like....I lost my "pushing" muscles....I don't know how to explain it better than you did......so....now how to convince them I just need time, and not a catheter.......they said they cleaned my out bowels completely while they were in there so I'm not expecting a #2 for a while, but how long was it before u peed? my venodyne boots fit fine this morning and now they are popping off when they inflate...I am going to have to ask for a lg instead of a med if I dont start PEEING soon....uuggghhh sooooo annoying

yeah thats exactly what it feels like....I lost my "pushing" muscles....I don't know how to explain it better than you did......so....now how to convince them I just need time, and not a catheter.......they said they cleaned my out bowels completely while they were in there so I'm not expecting a #2 for a while, but how long was it before u peed? my venodyne boots fit fine this morning and now they are popping off when they inflate...I am going to have to ask for a lg instead of a med if I dont start PEEING soon....uuggghhh sooooo annoying

I started peeing a few hours after surgery, probably 3 or 4... but it wasn't like a full stream or anything, it was an embarrassing dribble. I probably made a mess, but I was so doped up I didn't really care...

It's kind of annoying since it affects the way I pee, BM, and uhhh, ejaculate

I started peeing a few hours after surgery, probably 3 or 4... but it wasn't like a full stream or anything, it was an embarrassing dribble. I probably made a mess, but I was so doped up I didn't really care...

It's kind of annoying since it affects the way I pee, BM, and uhhh, ejaculate

well can't say I can relate the last part of that lol :wink3: but it has now been 12 hours for me since I peed......I've had Water, chicken broth, and Jello......I've never experienced anything quite like it...it's like someone stuck a shield up there.....then again I have never had any kind of surgery to my abdomnial cavity

I had to pee the second I woke up from the surgery. I had an IV during the night and was up every ten minutes to go. Day two from surgery I weighed myself and I did not weigh more due to the IV's as others have mentioned.

The anesthesia can cause urinary retention. Here's an article about it http://surgery.about.com/od/questionsanswers/qt/UrinatePee.htm

Best wishes for a flowing river soon!

I woke up from surgery with a catheter in place. I had no urge to urinate. My band surgery also included repairing two abdominal hernias, so I was kept two nights in the hospital. On the second day they removed the catheter, and then the fun started - they wouldn't let me go home until I had urinated enough CC's two or three times to show them my bladder would empty normally. No amount of forcing myself produced any more - it was like I had lost those muscles you mentioned. The nurse said it was after effects of the anaesthetic.

They finally reluctantly let me go, and after the 90 minute car ride home, I had to go - bad! I've been going normally ever since. Go figure...

Oh yeah, and my hospital discharge weight was TEN POUNDS heavier than I was on admission 48 hours earlier!

Dave

I've been peeing a lot less since surgery too, I had a hard time going at all for the first few days, but I could. I've had several abdominal surgery's (5 to be exact now) and don't ever recall this happening. I didn't even think to ask my dr about it, I'm just glad I'm not going every 2 hours like I was before. But I was drinking nothing but soda all day now it is just water a little juice and protein shakes.

Hi,

Hope you've been able to pee, but if not, here are a few old labor and delivery nursing tricks.

1) run the Water while you're trying

2)blow bubbles in a cup of water with a straw while trying to relax on toilet

3)pour/spray water on your urethra area (pee hole) while trying to relax

Good Luck! I had to really concentrate to pee for about 5-7 days after surgery!

Joan

I am sorry you are going through that. I didnt have any problems pee"ng I coudlnt stop. Good luck to you! I know you want to get out of there soon.

I couldn't stop going as well, it was just hard for me. My abdominal muscles still haven't recovered I don't think, or they've lost their muscle memory or something. I might talk to my surgeon about it at my follow up in a few weeks.

I only gained 5 lbs of weight from the hospital stay, it was gone from peeing the following day...

thanks....ive lost track of my total but I've been on a 200cc drip every 1/2 hr for 10+ hrs + finally managed to get out a pathetic 150ccs......I could have probably been peeing hours ago if I had registered in my drugged out brain that the commode I had over the toilet was too small it was a standard sized commode like not for LB patients, (the bigger one was sitting off to the side in the shower lol...smart hospital....believe me if there was a faucet in the bathroom i would have turned it on a LONG time ago but there's just a shower - the faucet is outside the bathroom in my room) and therefore literally squeezing me "shut" (women, you might get what I'm saying a little better) I should start peeing my brains out soon now that I took the commode off and theres a space for it to exit

God, the obvious things we miss on pain meds lol + the "inconveniences" of being a fatty lol.....not for long I'm on the other side now!!!

I hope all is flowing now.... If not you really should think about allowing a catheter. The bladder can only hold so much before you damage it.

I also had problems after my surgery. I walked, and walked, and walked. (the only thing my nurse suggested.) I tried warm wash clothes on my abdomen and back. I tried warm and then cool clothes on my urethra. (Thinking the catheter removal may have been tramatic, causing swelling.) All without success beyond 10 cc here or there. Like you the urge was there, but no urine. I actually asked "where is that stress incontinence when I need it?" Finally, when I told the nurse what all I had tried and asked if she knew of anything else she suggested something that worked. Get your legs as far apart on the commode as you can and lean forward. I mean panties off, legs on each side, trying to have a baby position. It worked at least for about 50 cc. Then same position I leaned back, again a bit. I kept slowly moving back and forth until finally I didn't feel the urge. It relieved enough pressure (about 200cc) that we weren't worried about my bladder. I tried the same maneuver an hour later, some success. Then finally went to sleep for the night. Woke up 2 hours later needing to pee and had no problems. Guess anesthesia had worn off.

Ive put out an additonal 1300ccs or so since my last post...I lost count at like 5 bags but an educated guess is that I'm probably on the 8th or 9th bag of lactated ringers since I got here...I think each bag is 1000ccs not sure though.....so I still have quite a bit of fluid ine.....but at least its coming out....I also probably havent taken enough oral fluids becuase I haven't "gotten to kno" my new stomach yet and I am afraid of hurling ive only had about 32oz by mouth plus about 1/2c jello and 1/4 cup of chicken broth since I got here yesterday....I am just petrfied of puking...I dont know if there's such thing as "vomit-aphobia" but if there I have it...last time I puked was summer of 1999! ya I remeber i becuase lets just say it was one of those memorable pukes...if you catch my drift....I'm sure I probably will at least once cuz I wll probably push my limits, but I hope not at least for a while...and if I do it in the hospital they said they were going to keep me another night...and I'm set for discharge in a few hours...so I wuld not want to blow that.....cant sleep in these hospitals..