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

[Oddsocksrus]

Over here for the hand holding.
One in five women in the uk will have to have a hysterectomy at some point in their lives.
Come and join us if you are waiting, pre op, bleery eyed on the ward or recovering afterwards.

Where I was, could have hot food for lunch too - same menu - and GF was marked clearly.

Maybe things have changed here since I had my DS2; it has been more than five years!

Thanks lackadaisical for pointing me to this (and the previous) thread. It's very helpful to read up everybody's experience.

Hi ladies! thank you for sharing your experience!

I'm desperately getting the feeling that going on an overseas trip with dc's 8 weeks after the vaginal hysterectomy is a tad ambitious? :(.

So now I have to mull over whether to shift the op to well after the trip and hope I'm not feeling too crappy in the meantime. Saying that, the main issue with most seems to be tiredness? That I could deal with, as I'm totally exhausted and feeling heavy & draggy (if that makes sense) for at least 2 out of 4 weeks, with total zombie state for 1-2 of those.

I'm worried a tad about the physical strain of getting to the airport with 2 kids & luggage (on wheels), on various planes and crammed conditions on long haul flights. Has anybody dealt with this post op?

Oh and btw I haven't emotionally accepted yet that it's happening [lalalalalalala emoticon]

TIA

Hello ledkr

Showering, I was on glue . ThAt is, I didn't have dressings, they sealed my wounds with dermabond. Much better, I had a bath the night I got home.

Overseas trip- 8 weeks post OP I was back at home and largely normal, but I had no complications. There's a high risk you might have to cancel, IMHO, and I think you would enjoy it so much more if you waited another 8 weeks. Also, depending on where you are going, you might want to think about medical care for any remaining healing. People vary, I was very fast, others here would not have been ready at 8 weeks.

Food, meh, you are not in there very long.

Ah, just seen its the OP you might postpone. Can't you postpone the trip?

hi Kevinsbowel, trip's been booked and organised for nearly a year with other peeps arranging from all over the world so we can all meet up centrally. :(

I have travel insurance in case of sickness, so if I had to cancel the trip altogether I should be covered, but if I have to move it I'm not sure. Also as the kids are coming I've coincided with school hols, in Oz, and wanting to be in Germany in summer... I realise I'd most likely have to scale down the schedule, which would be a good excuse to avoid one of my aunts, who can be a tad overbearing . All my friends and rest of family would be more than happy just to meet us in a park where I can put my feet up and have coffee/cake/ice cream whilst the kids run themselves ragged. And our first week would be at my dad's 'up north' in a small town on the beach, where I could just let the kids run themselves ragged whilst I play beach bum... and if I need medical assist, German health system is great, they just don't realise it as the moaners there have never had to deal with UK or Australian NHS/medicare ;)

Trying to persuade myself that I'll be fine... but TBH I'm torn. I want the op out of the way in the hope I feel human again. I've had 2 C-sections (1 emergency and one planned) and bounced back pretty quickly from those so here's hoping. I healed very well aided by arnica, aloe vera, vitamins etc.

and I'm rambling aren't I... argh. I seem to get to a semi-decision and then to a 180. Still focussing on practicalities instead of what my body will be going through. I think that's call avoidance tactics isn't it

I'm allergic to penicillin basketofchocolate. Maybe I should make a red wrist strap before I go in

Ledkr you are my inspiration. Thankyou for the showering tip. Didn't even think a bath towel could be heavy

Havent even thought about traveling this year. We were going to go to Lanzarote and have been saving towards it. I will keep saving and have a twice as fabby holiday next year

My consultants appt is a week today so fingers crossed I will have a date for my op

MrsbigD, with reference to your planned holiday I went to America 6 weeks postop, was quite active albeit no small children involved. No problem with activities, flying etc. Also has 2 sections previously, I had laproscopic Subtotal hysterectomy and have been surprised how well I have recovered. Mind you I didn't book this holiday until I had post op review 3 weeks after op.

Thanks fitflop I'm just all over the place ATM :(

Back again and reading. After being so excited that my LAVH was booked for May 7th, I'm now having a bit if a freak out! I have no idea why.

mrsbigd are you currently anaemic? See if you can have a blood transfusion in surgery, that will help you bounce back. As long as you are only going to Germany and not somewhere far-flung with re, exotic health care systems, you should be OK. But maybe scale back a bit on the activities.... Definitely avoid the aunt

Kevinsbowel... do you have an aunt like that as well?

I had bloods done again a little while ago because I was feeling like a Zombie warmed up, and for once my haem levels were actually perfect (15). Go figure. But I'll defo ask re the blood transfusion during surgery if possible.

So now to get my head around :
confirming the op date
telling my boss that I'll be away first for recovery and then the hols
tell everybody who's lined up for Germany that we'll be having a lot of cake
tell my aunt and the family I was going to travel to, to come to me
then face the fact that I will actually have a serious op
go a bit loopie
arrange for local friends to help with school pickup/drop off for ds
arrange for a househelp as otherwise I know I'll do it...
raid the library closer to date
panic
go into denial
accept the fact ...

poor hubbie is going to suffer too. He's not good when I'm incapacitated as he doesn't know how to deal with seeing me in pain. And if I need those injections some of you mentioned he's going to run a mile, or faint ;)

For Planning stuff after, have almost completed three weeks post op and telling people to slow down still driving me mad. can walk happily, although still not really far-can manage a bit of a stroll in town to a few shops but not for too long-but am still at half my normal speed, so it takes time and DH gets very frustrated.

however, not really had any real overall tiredness. brain feels a bit foggy sometimes, but that is clearing-feels like tiredness of the brain maybe but could also be cos not doing normal routine so keep muddling days of the week etc.

Something I found really hard in recovery at home is doors and drawers. may have posted this further up or just thought it when couldn't find the thread They tell you about not picking stuff up but not about being trapped in rooms, asking the postman to open your own front door or not being able to open the fridge (there is a knack to it not using abdominal muscles). Also car doors-need full chauffeur service of opening and closing.
Still can't open the freezer door

Underwear tip this evening-anyone having sling put in, get some shorts-style pants as cuts are on hair line vertically.

thanks Basket - I'll be going for ambles with my dad and then my mum and neither are particularly fast nowadays, so I should be able to keep up LOL. And dd & ds are notoriously lazy ;)

thanks for the tip re doors etc. The only think I should be struggling with is the freezer as that's hard work at the best of times. Note to self: tell hubby to get stuff out before he'll head to work :)

There won't be car service as hubby is on his learner's license and not sure whether I qualify as a 'supervisor' in a weakened state?... TAXI! LOL

Yes, quick to slow walking people to give you a boost

high cupboards also bit of a problem, especially when things are a bit heavy. getting food for the day all put at right height before you are left alone is a good idea for sure. If nothing else, feels good to do what you can on your own as there are so many things you will get frustrated by.

Morning ladies a grabber is a good idea for up high and down low bits. My friend who had a gall bladder op invested in one for things like picking up clothes off the floor and things like that. My Dad has lent me his from his hip op

I've got 2 grabbers ;) dd and ds... I'm already planning lay out of living room and where to have everything I might need and if it ends up on the floor, I'll have a nap and wait for dc's . They've got practice from when I needed a rhino something sinus op... And aren't I terrible op isn't till early may and I'm scheming already ...

For those with enough time... It is worth doing a few exercises to get good upper body strength. If you can do exercises with 6 to 8 kg say on one arm, that's really useful for picking stuff up, opening doors etc without needing to use your core muscles at all, just with your arm muscles. Same with heaving myself upright off the bed next morning after the operation- the physio said I was lucky to have good upper body strength. Apparently women tend to exercise their bums and thighs but not their arms.

Also I found my squats useful, because I had too trouble picking stuff up withut bending my back or my torso, I just go down by bending my knees, back straight, like a curtsey. Or a gym squat.

I do quite a physical job, using my upper arms a lot; so I'm hoping that will stand me in good stead Kevin. My core muscles are a bit rubbish though.

CT scan tomorrow...bricking it somewhat. I've got a stinker of a cold as well and worried about sneezing and not being able to stay still!

grabbers are a good idea though; there is a mobility shop just down the road from me; I need to pay them a visit.

And just realised the school holidays are just round the corner...ah well at least I'll have lots of helpers if my op is in the next two weeks as they said it would be...but bang goes my quiet days recovering while the kids are at school

As soon as I have my date for my op I shall make an appt with my chiropractor. She said she will show me some core muscle exercises. My upper body strength is rubbish !! Going on a cutting out crap diet starting April 1st too. For myself as well as to help my recovery .

LackaDaisycal - hope the CT went ok without sneezing fits :)

gingeme... that sounds like an excellent plan! My op date is 2/5 so I've got a month to get semi prepped with upper body strength and core work. Saying that when I do intense abs training it hurts as well... so gently does it I guess, but that's so not me

daisy hope the scan went well. CTs are normally pretty quick so you should have been OK!

Yup, managed to avoid sneezing for the duration! But they arsed up the canula for the contrast so I have a lovely bruise and swollen arm to show for it. On to the next appointment on Friday. Thankfully not too long to wait for the results, and I assume I will have a date for the op.

Daisy how did it go? Did you manage to Keep your snot to yourself?