Dear Samantha:
I had the surgery, open, distal on Friday, 11/17/00. It went MUCH better than I expected. Dr. Stickler uses the epidural and I honestly felt NO PAIN from the incision, stomach at all.
If you start to itch, tell someoone and they will give you something to alleviate it. It is a normal reaction to the epidural placed in your back. I went through several hours itching that was unecessary.
WIll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Stickler will come to see you each day. He comes around 10"ish unless he is in surgery.
Terri