Hysterectomy advice

[Whatadayyyy]

My mum has just heard that she will be needing a total hysterectomy and I will be helping to care for her after her operation. Does anyone have any experience of this? What is the recovery like, how long etc? I know it’s major surgery and I’m so worried, I have no idea what to expect

How old is she ? That will impact her recovery generally and how is her general fitness ? Is she active ?

She won't be able to drive for 6 weeks and you will need to keep an eye on blood clots

Whether or not it's transvaginal or transabdominal will make some difference to her recovery in terms of mobility and pain.
Either way she shouldn't lift anything heavier than a kettle for the first two weeks at least and then build up slowly. Even things like moving washing around or hanging it up are a no, so it's good you will help her. (Towels are very heavy when wet.)
I got in a cleaner to help for a couple of weeks after both gynae operations (one hysterectomy and cystocele repair and the other was a pelvic floor and rectocele repair). I also put a note on my shopping delivery to ask the delivery person to empty the crates on to my kitchen worktop as I couldn't lift them.
If she drives she needs to ask her insurance company what the rules are around driving - it varies by company.
Once I knew my insurance deadline had passed I tried an emergency stop in my car on the driveway (engine not on, just trying to work out if I could press the brake and the clutch hard enough). That's the thing insurance companies are interested in.
It is a big surgery, in that she's having an organ removed, but unless she has other health issues she should recover well.
She needs to make sure she is taking laxatives from straight after the op, and it's similar to a post-birth poo, only the stitches aren't in the same place.
She also needs to keep an eye on being able to pass urine, and look out for any signs of infection - I had an infection after my first surgery, which turned out to be a form of streptococcus which is usually found in cows and deer.

I posted my experience on a thread about this the other day. I had a total keyhole hysterectomy in August. Home the next day, back at work after 2 weeks. I was obviously sore and v tired and as pps have said couldn't lift anything much. The first week was pretty uncomfortable, not least because of the trapped wind but after that I was just tired and had to take everything slowly.
I was surprised I recovered as quickly, I didn't have a C-section and assumed i would be the same after the hysterectomy.

I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy in 2020. If she's pretty fit and well usually then she should be up to gentle walking within a week if she has it laparoscopically. Absolutely no lifting though. She'll need to wear surgical stockings for a couple of weeks - I had to have them for a month in the summer which was awful. She'll probably also have to give herself blood thinning injections, which sound horrible but weren't that bad. I did end up having nine weeks off work, but that was mainly from a mental health perspective rather than anything physical.

I had hysterectomy in 2014, through my navel (don't know correct term) absolutely NO pain or discomfort. Did lift a kettle with small amount of water. Was very careful. Back to my manual job in 3 and half weeks with doctors permission. Didn't do any heavyish lifting til around 8 weeks.
Everyone's different. Just see how your mam goes and act accordingly.

One thing is though, I wasn't worried beforehand. I think the right mindset helps, though I know everyone isn't like this.

Good luck.

Thank you for all the replies. She is actually having it due to an ovarian cyst. So I don’t think it will be able to be done via keyhole. I have spoken to my employer and they have agreed to let me take 3 weeks annual leave beginning the day of the op so I am hoping after the 3 weeks she will be recovered enough to be on her own while I am back at work. She is 60 and in good health otherwise