Epidural with a hysterectomy

I am 44 years old and just had a hysterectomy on March 25, 2011 and since I have severe sleep apnea and cannot take pain medications my doctors decided that they were going to give me an epidural. It was put into my spine right before the surgery...and let me tell you I thought he dislocated my spine while inserting it. I woke up 2 hours after surgery was completed and was complaining that my side hurt from the surgery and that my back was quite sore...

Meanwhile I was supposed to be numb and pain free from the waist down. Then I found out that I have been in the recovery room for quite some time since the surgery because my blood pressure was 50/20...

Apparently the epidural made my pressure drop, I kept asking why do I still have pain but was never given a good answer.They left the epidural in me for 3 days and the whole time I had lots of pain and yet it was to treat the pain...

I gave birth 4 times years ago and had an epidural for my first three deliveries and never had a problem. Now a month post-op I have been using muscle relaxers to help me to get to sleep every night otherwise I am awake with severe back pain all night. Is this normal?

Am I going to have to use muscle relaxers forever or does this horrible back pain eventually disappear? Anyone with similar case know the answer I would love to know....