Here's a picture of what splinting looks like. Make sure you get up and move as much as you can so you don't get a blood clot! Also if the pain meds aren't strong enough ask the doctor for stronger pain meds. Don't just suffer.

Get effective pain relief and lots of dulcoeze / lactulose. It took me about five or six days before my bowels moved again. I think it's because everything that inside is pushed upwards out of the way for surgery and it takes time for them to settle into place again. That is my theory. Unfortunately I did not get the debunking done as planned due to the fear of me becoming a little brain dead. I was diagnosed with a massive Pulmonary embolism, more or less, at the same time as the cancer. So it was very risky having the anesthesia. I did get sliced from my navel downwards so the surgeon could remove Jemima (a massive tumour). So it took the same length of time to heal anyway I'm told. Sorry for the waffle. Get good pain relief and laxatives (I couldn't remember the name for them a few minutes ago 😜 do not bear pain unnecessarily. Good luck 😲

Sending you all my support as you heal. My recommendations are heat packs for your abdomen (double check with your Oncologist to make sure they are okay with that for you if it wasn’t listed in your discharge info). And Gabapentin to help with nerve pain especially along the surgical scar. It helped cut the extra pain and helped me sleep. I would take one 300mg at night before bed.

I’ve used ice applications for incisional pain.

Take a blanket and fold it into a rectangle. Then wrap a piece of duct tape around the ends so it stays the shape of a rectangle. Now when your going to get up take the blanket and lay it long ways across your stomach and hold it there with a little pressure as your getting up and while your walking or sitting on the toilet. This is called splitting. Providing that wrapped up rectangle blanket up against your abdomen it takes some of the pain away and keep taking your pain pills till you don't need them anymore. Hang in there. It's rough but you can get thru it.