Any fit bods had a hysterectomy?

[Stealthfart]

I am 3 weeks post op and going crazy. I work out 3 or 4 times a week normally and now I am getting told off if I try to make my bed. I am worried I am going to lose tone and my back gets bad if I don't exercise. Can anyone recommend decent exercises I can do? If any of you are runners when did you get back to it? I am normally a big Shred addict and my weights are mocking me from the corner of my room...

Thanks in advance

[MyrnaLoy]

When I had mine (some years ago) I was really quite fit beforehand (although not, I think, to the level that you are describing). I don't want your thread to be unanswered though, so this will bump until someone better comes along.

I was given a booklet of exercises - have you got that? I did that (religiously) and the walking (increasing distance and speed determinedly).

My issue was that I had keyhole, so I had only tiny scars and healed really well, so it was quite hard to remember that the cuts on the inside were not quite as tiny and neat. Perilously easy to over-do it (and pay for it).

Who is stopping you making the bed? I think I was doing that kind of thing by about 3 weeks - there's a really good list of yes and no on the Hysterectomy Association website, but I was big on doing what was right for me, and listening to my body - rather than being a stubborn arse and pushing on through the pain (which is what I would normally have done).

Having said all that - I was amazed by how I was still feeling it for a long time after. I remember deciding I would hill walk about 10 weeks post op and then being utterly enraged by how little breath I could find. I think that's the effects of the GA as much as anything though.

Ironically even that post-op state is a level of fitness I can only dream of now - getting quite nostalgic thinking about it!

[Stealthfart]

Thanks for your reply. Yes they gave me a leaflet but that is for pelvic floor exercise and such like, which is the what mainly comes up when I google search. I have no pain whatsoever so my body is saying 'yeah go for it' but my brain is saying 'erm, no'. I am walking the dog but it isn't as good as working a proper sweat up!

[MyrnaLoy]

Ooh, I got a whole book, not a leaflet, and there was far more than just pelvic floor stuff. Mine was some years ago though. I'm pretty sure I don't have it any more, or I would have posted it to you.

Have you used the Hysterectomy Association forums - I found them brilliant, and there will definitely be lots of women talking about not losing their fitness levels. Have a look. You'll get much better answers than mine.

If you're not in any pain, and you're confident that you will listen to what your body says (and not ignore, like you probably normally would) you can probably do more than you are doing. Remember you have loads of internal stitches though - don't be throwing yourself in to a lunge!

[Stealthfart]

I will have a look at that forum, not heard of it so thanks for that. I looked on hystersisters before my op but people had such wildly differing experiences I scared myself so stopped looking, one said she starting running again at six months and her fanny fell out. The hospital is very good with advice like not carrying the hoover up the stairs but don't consider that some people are quite sporty (blank faces all round when I asked when I could ride my bike :-) ).
Thanks again.

[brainwashed]

I had a hysterectomy 18 months ago. I followed the post op instructions very closely even though it was so hard to not run for 12 weeks. I walked daily from when I got out of hospital, slowly but gradually building up distance. Did the pelvic floor exercises ++ Started swimming at 6 weeks. When i did start running again I did so gradually with a walk run program. I am fitter now than I have ever been with better abs, all my running pbs are post hysterectomy.
So be patient...you will get there

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

i got fit weeks before mine, and now, 8mths later am back at pre-op fitness, if not core strength

just missed a 10k pb by seconds yesterday

in the early days post-op though, i never thought i'd be able to do anything ever again. like PPs have said, the tiredness was unbelievable, and i mean bone-weary tiredness from something like a trip round a supermarket. but taking each day as it came, and gently easing myself back into it (and following the advice of my GP, who it turns out was spot on) i'm now marathon training

[meglet]

I had mine almost 6 years ago. no gym for 12 weeks but it was worth it, I didn't really lose any fitness.

[Stealthfart]

Everybody is so well behaved! Ok I will be patient and not do any secret 2kg bicep curls :-)