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.

[Kevinsbowel]

My surgeon told me there is a huge stitch internally designed to stop us getting hernias, and it doesn't heal till 6 weeks or so. Maybe it's pulling as it heals?

Put those scissors down and stop stabbing at your stomach, that is seriously scary, you sound like Edward scissorhands.

Yes, green I got my walk in this morning and was glad as it is all dark and wet outside

I thought for a minute you had locked your five youngest Dc in the cupboard .

[Waitingaround]

Hello all thought I'd check in and see how everyone is doing?

[thekingfisher]

Hi waiting shew kevin green SPF

Hope you are all well - nice to see a bit of chat going on.

Also nice to have house back to myself (and DS) but we have kept busy today and not sat in front of telly too much although I did succumb to 1 mince pie ( homemade by dm) and a mini curly wurly and mini crunchy bar …..I was just feeling really nibbly late afternoon whilst having a rest. However have been busy and had a 50 min walk with ds and dog and as a test - as my 3 weeks post op is on wednesday - had a little drive out in the car and it was FINE !

I'm not going to go mental driving but really do feel fine to drive - frankly its comfier than standing up to cook…. I am relieved as I am fairly rural so DS is trapped here unless others come and get him which generally as he is at school 10 miles away isn't easy of them to do.

So I'm not really following guidelines as I seem to be feeling very good relatively. My tummy still does a lot of aching - although constipation never feels too far away which i think is part of the problem - and I have a lot of nerve pain over my lower tummy i.e. the surface is really unformfirtable like it is raw skin or something..this gets worse towards the end of the day other than that and some general tiredness I feel OK so I'm [retty much doing most stuff. I don't iron so none of that and not lugging anything really heavy about but otherwise making beds ( slowly) cooking, washing etc etc

What i haven't had is a bath which i would LOVE to have as i usually have a bath a night… but haven't got any guidance. My consultant said I was fine to swim after 2 weeks so I'm guessing a bath is fine but don't want to do myself an injury. I don't have any discharge ( other than after a poo / small amt of straining/sitting on loo) so I reckon it would be fine - but don't want to push it…

Any thoughts?

[Santaspelvicfloor]

I'm keen to start swimming as well. With Christmas I'm going to be 4 weeks before I get the opportunity. I thought it was as soon as discharge ceased. Tbh I'd give it a miss until it's completely over

I'm eating loads

I walked to the shop for some essentials and home again (less than a mile). Planned a little nap so that I'd be fresh to go to the pub tonight and a visitor arrived. After she left I headed to bed reckoning on90 mins nap and DD was given instructions on cooking dinner. Second visitor arrived..... I'm knackered and DD did curry so I'll probably sit squirming in the pub as my guts revolt!

[thekingfisher]

poor you - but at least good to be out and the curry will keep things moving

[Santaspelvicfloor]

I've agreed to go to a Christmas lunch tomorrow!!! What I need is a day in bed

[Kevinsbowel]

Hi king

How weird your advice is v different.

The physio told me, we normally say 4 weeks for swimming but actually 6 is better because there's a lot of twisting of the torso, and soft tissue internally takes six weeks.

But I had a bath the night I got home. I had glue and not dressings so it was all watertight from the start.

The raw skin thing sounds bad, I haven't had any of that and I think I am just doing much less than you so not as tired.

[Kevinsbowel]

santa have most of tomorrow in bed, you do seriously need a good rest :)

I was grateful when friends turned up but also really glad when they left...

[thekingfisher]

Hi Kevin yes it is my consultant who likes his patients to be swimming at 2 weeks although gently so not racing front crawl ....

I think non bathing thing is not letting wound go mushy although obv it's healed and not getting water up yr chuff as it's still healing too ....

Honestly think they say what they fancy !

[Santaspelvicfloor]

I don't think I could have physically got in and out of a bath until now

It is funny the mixed advice. I swear the nurse told me to take dressings off and shower the day after the op. I whipped them off and decided it wasn't a good idea...asked a nurse who said whatever you do, don't disturb the dressing for 5 days. Too late. The dressing was also a light material and wouldn't last 5 days easily

[Kevinsbowel]

He he.

The swimming was about pulling at tissue and it was the physio, I expect she wasn't thinking about wounds.

All mine were hermetically sealed with glue and I don't think they were worried about water reaching the operation site, cos it would have to get right through the cervix to manage that. So unless I stood on my head being pelted with scented flumes (how did they know so much about kingfishers habits? It's uncanny) should be OK.

I am lucky that my bath has grips on the sides for hauling your fat arse in and out. When I first moved here as a Young Person I sniggered a tiny bit. Now I am thinking they are a splendid idea and I will always have a bath with grips in future.

[Razzlefrazzle]

Hello all, can I join you? Wish I'd found this thread earlier - I'm 5 weeks post op after full abdominal hysterectomy and rectocele and vagina repair. Ovaries were removed because of family history but also had huge fibroid. From all I have read I think I have been very lucky with my recovery so far but there are two things worrying me and I would really appreciate advice. First is my tummy - where did this huge swollen, droopy thing come from?! Second, sorry if tmi, but I have a constant yellow discharge, not smelly but starting to worry me. Doc said it was normal but does everyone get it and how long did it last? Hope all you lovely ladies are looking after yourselves (eating too much chocolate and watching rubbish telly) Thanks all

[Kevinsbowel]

Welcome Razzle. Five weeks next Saturday, huge fibroid cluster led to hysterectomy and ovaries and tubes out. All by keyhole.

The discharge thing hasn't happened to me. I don't enough about nursing to know if that's a worry.

Floppy tummy I guess is that like me, you looked pregnant before and now there is a big volume of tissue. I am relying on swimming to get rid of it.

Watching judge judy right now.

[Razzlefrazzle]

Thanks Kevin. Wonder if it's the repair to vagina that's doing it then. Consultant very proudly told me I now have the fanjo of an 18 year old but I think that must have involved a fair amount of needlework!! An emergency forceps delivery had caused plenty of damage down there. Despite fibroid I had a fairly flat tum pre op but now it's like an apron - looks like he's done a tummy tuck on the muscles etc inside which has left loads of 'spare' on the outside. Lovely. Not allowed to swim yet, just doing some stretches but need something more I think. After all, what use are my teenage lady-bits if they are hiding under my tummy-pinny?

[Kevinsbowel]

Am jealous of the tummy tuck and repair! I am going to have to improve my muscle tone the old fashioned way..

[CremolaFirCone]

Hi razzle and welcome to the coven sofa. It will take a while before you feel your body is yours again. I have been all sorts of shapes this last few months. Now I can actually wear my skinny jeans comfortably .
Re swimming I was advised not to use pool for a while because of infections. Drs implication was that public pools are filthy . Nonetheless I am desperate to get in the water but am waiting until after Xmas .

I have my return to work interview today. Hoping to start the week after Xmas when it's quiet. Feeling I am malingering a bit now .

[Santaspelvicfloor]

Welcome Razzle. I've always had a flat tummy but now look 5 months pregnant. I think my injured muscles have just said fuck it and taken a leave of absence. I hope they will get over themselves and get back on duty late Jan perhaps. Discharge...mine is bloody. Again I think normal.

I'm waiting for my return to work discussion. Because of Christmas I think it might be soon. I've made it clear I'm happy to return early but on the basis that I do very few hours. The alternative is I take longer but frankly will have chaos to go back to. Their choice.

[thekingfisher]

hello dazzle welcome

I too have tummy apron hanging down thing - had a bit of one following emcs 10years ago but this is Ginormous…very depressing and gives me a stomach camels foot look when my stretchy skinny jeans go on…more walking me thinks - and swimming once we are all in agreement when is a good time

[shewhowines]

Welcome Razzle It's a pity you didn't find us before. Its great being among people suffering experiencing the same as you! I've never had a discharge of any sort - radical abdo. The swelly belly does go down, but it takes a fair few weeks.

santa was it you who was deluding yourself hoping that you would be back at work 2 days post op? Ok, a slight exaggeration there, but you were hoping to not need much time off?

kevin I'm slightly worried about your addiction to Judge Judy. How will you manage when you return to work?

crem time to enjoy your last couple of weeks, you malingerer you.

king wow thats early driving. I couldn't even contemplate it until 8 weeks but then my groin was sore until then. At 5/6 weeks I got a dragging sensation in my belly for a couple of weeks, that was different to before. Not really painful, just different. Could that be what you are feeling?

Good news at the lymphoedema clinic. My legs are the same size as last month. I don't need to go back for 3 months and I am safe from the dreaded stockings for the time being. Yay

[Waitingaround]

Yay she excellent news .
Welcome razzel the tummy does go- however I'm now replacing the swelling with fat due to eating too much.
crem I think you know when it's right to go back to work..I did and am still enjoying it ( although looking forward to christmas break!). In fact I managed to stand for 6 hours at work yesterday and felt fine (ish )

[Kevinsbowel]

Yay to she's legs.

Agree I am addicted to judge judy. Actually I am addicted to staying home. I don't think I have had seven weeks off (not responsible for children during the day) since I was 16. I keep telling myself Very Sternly that I need a pension and my kids need house deposits. But what is far, far more troubling than my judge judy addiction is my response to the rest of day time TV.

I am unmoved by the adverts for solicitors to help you sue after an accident. Bingo ads leave me cold. Hair removal via the No No looks dodgy to me. The Aldi ads look good but Aldi is miles away and we don't have a car.

But there is a firm advertising ghastly over-upholstered chairs for the crumbling. The adverts are shot using some over-acting women and her screen hubby, and purport to show their home at different heartwarming times of year. Despite the changing stories of snow, autumn leaves, family BBQs etc, they have forgotten to do something about the vase of flowers in the middle of the room, which never, ever changes.

The room is clean, warm, quiet and (apart from the vile chairs) devoid of clutter. Ten years ago I would have thought it was too small, too clean, too dull.

Now I think it looks rather nice

[CremolaFirCone]

Kevin have you not adopted a snow leopard with a Wonga payday loan yet?
Agree the ads would put you in a decline....

[Santaspelvicfloor]

Shew yes it was me . Good news about the lymphodema


Ha ha Kevin. I watched a dire film the other day. Really dire but had to find out if the brave Dr cured the little boy and ran off into the sunset with little boys daddy. Cue much sickly music to set the scene. I had visions of records (yes ...records for the youngsters these are like large plastic cd roms but much more technical to use) labelled 'dramatic' 'romantic' 'sad' 'frightening' etc

[Kevinsbowel]

Oh god, do I have to confess, I do actually really want a snow leopard now. They have such cute furry tails and big feet.

Payday loans are not good for my blood pressure. 3,500% interest rate, one of them was. I am ashamed I live somewhere where that is even legal.

[greenfolder]

I have not yet bought a jml pedi egg despite adverts for it every 6 mins. Every time they show how easy it is to dispose of the shavings I think of parmesan cheese. I am addicted to being on my own in my house. In the quiet with my tablet and remote control.