Hysterectomies - it's gotta be done but over here for hand holding

[Oddsocksrus]

LetsFaceTheMusicAndDance
I guess I start..
My cervix is on the outside, it can't all hang where it should and no manner of pelvic floor exercises or devises will get it back there.
I'm 41, one fab dd and wanted more but there you are, can't now can I?

This thread, hopefully, will be for those waiting, recovering or supporting

Coco - never or just for recovery??? I too lift fairly heavy people stuff so need to be back and fit next year.

Nerves really kicking in. 2 wks and 2 days to go

Fled I had my fibroid for 20 years because I was too scared for surgery. Literally. Even looking at the support threads on hysterectomy sites or reading up on it on the internet made the adrenaline start up, the tummy flip over and I'd come out in a cold sweat and panic.

I thnk nerves are normal tbh. I'm happy to say how I coped if you would find it helpful, but I won't bang on otherwise.

Just giving you today's big news - I could stand on 1 foot in the shower and wash my feet in the usual way today. Yippee!. Also, the walking I've been building up gradually is going so well I'm going to stop walking up and down the street tomorrow and walk to the shops.

I think things took a turn for the better on Sunday, but I didn't want to jinx it.

Ideally never, believe it or not, but its not practical, even the physio said that. I think its just because there will always be a weakness there. I'm in a heavy lifting job too, unfortunately.

But really don't over do it, feeling ok sitting on the sofa is totally different to going for a walk.

Hope everyone is feeling good today

I'm feeling extra good about the discovery that I have a waist after all. It's been hiding for the last 20 years!

Wish I could say the same letsface. I look 5 months pregnant.
Swelly Belly.com

Slow day today. Dh is making pizza dough and dd is unloading the dishwasher . It's some kind of miracle. 4 weeks hard training at the coal face cracks whip!
I am sofa surfing and waiting for GBBO.

Hi all
So glad there's a thread on this I'm 10 days post total hysterectomy and am bored bored bored! I've been doing a bit of walking each day but have a very heavy dragging feeling and Christ my stomach is swollen! My bladder is sensitive too....
Sorry for the moans (already feeling better for it though)

Welcome to the thread Waiting

Are you still on the painkillers? They might help with the dragging feeling for the walk? I'm 14 days tomorrow and it's only today I've eased off - just 2 paracetamol early this morning.

Cremola my fibroid was first diagnosed as a 5 month pregnancy and my belly is softer but not smaller yet - but down my sides, there is definitely a sign of waist emerging.

I thought I'd be bored but the days just fly by. I'm doing lots of reading which I don't have time for usually and MN is a lifesaver. I have to admit that I've needed something else to do so I got a cheap calligraphy set from amazon and my Christmas cards will be gorgeous this year instead of looking like one of the kids did them last minute - while running for a bus!

I was feeling brilliant today until I tried to sit on the floor. BIG mistake. Ow ow ow OW

No not had any pain killers for a while now, probably would help though. I'm spending an incredible amount of time on the internet too.. Oh and the xbox

If you have a dragging feeling you are doing too much. Knock the walking on the head for a few days. Take ibruprofen to help with swollen muscles.

I can't remember if I've already said this, but don't wait until you are sore to take painkillers for the first few weeks. Take them every four hours, alternate with different ones so you can take them every two hours ie 2 ibruprofen then two hours later two paracetamol two hours ibruprofen again.

Sorry for being so bossy .

Thanks coccoleboo I'll do that.
Sometimes I need bossy!

You're right Coco it's good to take painkillers an hour before doing the walk. Then LOADS of resting afterwards after grumbling your way back into the surgical stockings.

Hate the bloody surgical stockings

Hi waiting , I am 25 days post TAH and quite creaky! The bladder thing does improve and I am improving daily thanks be. It is very disconcerting to have that zizzy feeling all the time. HTH

Suffering today after that sitting on the floor nonsense yesterday so I'm taking it easy and back on the regular painkillers.
Sigh.

Err what the hell were you doing on the floor

You're getting me worried ladies! Was thinking id be up & about (all be it slowly) within the first week or so. After a c-section the get you up that afternoon and discharged the next day!

Fled the hospital time is the same but it's not the same op. There's a lot of internal fixing and stitchery to do and that's what makes recovery time longer. I'll try to find an article I read.

I think it was the twisting movement that did for me. I felt so much better that I wasn't careful how I moved.

Sadly, Waiting it was nothing interesting - I was helping DS3 get his schoolbooks sorted in the new cupboard. Daft. But I thought I was better

I'm way too scared of coco's whip to do anything morree than lie down today and have a gentle walk later if I can.

www.hystersisters.com/vb2/showthread.php?t=437877

There you go Fled
Some women comparing their recoveries after c sections and hysterectomies. Don't want to scare you but you might want to be prepared.

Ok letsface. I think having read that I need to listen to my consultant and gp . Just keep hearing from people that they were back to normal within a couple of weeks and back at work at 6. I'm not in a particularly physical area but work alone regularly at night so my line manager doesn't want me to be in a potential situation where I'm taken unwell and no-one around (without outing myself I work alone in a hospital wing for 1-2wks a month). Line manager was thinking about 3-4 months before she thought it was safe for me to be back at work and even then a months phased return.

Think it just seems so long.

I think she's probably right if you have to do anything majorly physical especially if you might need to move patients as it would possibly be 2 people in trouble if somethinng went wrong.

Our absence policy is so strict that it's best to recover properly because if you return to work and have to go off again, that counts as 2 periods of absence and makes things worse for everyone. Also, she might prefer to organise cover up front for the full 4 months than have to find someone very quickly if you return to work and then need to be off again. I don't know how it works in your job though.

Our absence policy is the same and she was saying once I'm back that's it so I need to make sure I'm well. Am on full pay so the recovery time is unaffected by money thankfully. Maybe I'm just in denial about how major the operation is

Hi I just thought I give you an update on my situation, I'm 8 weeks post op and have had a pretty easy recovery compared to many. I was discharged on antibiotics and strong painkillers plus a week of injections and haven't needed anything else. I followed all instructions to rest for 6 weeks.

I was walking for 10 minutes a week after my op, only on flat surfaces no slopes or hills as they hurt, I increased this by 10 minutes a week until I was walking for 1 hour at 6 weeks. At the beginning it was more of a shuffle than a walk but now I'm back to my normal slow speed.

I took a sabbatical from work so haven't had to think about that, but if I was doing my normal mainly desk based job, I would just be thinking about going back now.

I didn't try to drive until 6 weeks and it was painful, it is now better but I'm still only doing short 10 minute journeys and if I do too many in a day it hurts. It's pressing the pedals that does it as it uses muscles that have been affected apparently.

I still can't operate a Hoover, sweeping is OK, I can't push a shopping trolley or lift anything more than a 4pt milk carton, if I do I really feel my 'tummy' pulling. Luckily for me I have a DH who will help around the house (when he's here) and 2 teenage DD who can help and also look after themselves so no one is dependant on me. Plus my parents and sister are local and will help when asked which has been great.

Even the Tesco delivery man was happy to help carrying all the shopping through to my kitchen and lifting the bags up onto the work tops so I could unpack them. In fact anyone I have spoken too and explained has been happy to help me.

My top tip would be to pace yourself and only do what you feel comfortable with, if you are having a bad day and want to rest go back to bed, don't buckle under pressure to perform as 'you must be better now'.

On reflection now if someone asked me now how long I recommend you take off work for this op I would say 12 weeks.

Thanks for that Feetup. It's really useful to have such a detailed breakdown from someone further down the line. I admit I'm dreading driving again until I'm confident about stomping on the brake in an emergency stop. I couldn't bear it if someone was injured because I was to scared/couldn't stop the car in time. I drive a lot in my job.

LetsFaceTheMusic it's not just about being able to stomp the brake pedal, I'd do that to prevent an accident, it's that I've been trying to drive really carefully, pressing gently on the pedals trying to anticipate and using the handbrake when stationary and still I get a nagging pain if I drive for too long. This is in our automatic car, I haven't tried the manual as I decided using both legs would be just too much strain especially in traffic.

It had really shown me how different muscles are used because I can walk for an hour with no pain yet can't drive fir 15 minutes.

This is one of the reasons I suggested 12 weeks as a guide to take off work, it gives time between 8-12 weeks to build up the driving at a comfortable pace.