Article: Pain - How Long Will I Hurt After My Hysterectomy?

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Article: Pain - How Long Will I Hurt After My Hysterectomy?
I'm almost four weeks post-op hysterectomy and I am still in pain. How long will I hurt?

Particularly if you had an abdominal procedure, or any additional repairs along with your hysterectomy, you can expect to experience some degree of pain for several months post-op, although many women report that their significant pain diminished by around the fourth week. A hysterectomy is a major operation. Internal organs that were not removed were pushed, pulled and rearranged. Even if you are fortunate to have had a “textbook” surgery and were given a “clean bill of health” at your post-op exams, you need to accept the fact that post-op soreness may linger for quite a long time. We are all eager to resume our lives at full capacity. Realistically, however, healing occurs very gradually for most women. Feeling terrific rarely happens all of a sudden. It is more likely that, as the weeks go by, your constant awareness of your sore and achy body becomes less constant and more off-and-on.

It has been said that, for the majority of women, it takes six months in order to experience even one day during which you don’t think about your hysterectomy. If you are experiencing pain and discomfort, it’s no wonder that you can’t stop thinking about it! For many women, their physical recovery seems to consist of weeks of “three steps forward, followed by two steps back.” You may get excited that a few days pass during which you feel quite good…only to have those days followed by a spell of feeling like you just got home from the hospital. This may signal that you are physically exerting yourself too much, so even if you think you are taking things easy, slow down even more. Recovery requires patience.

It is important that, as the weeks pass, you at least notice a gradual improvement in how you feel. If you don’t improve, or experience a significant backslide in your recovery, you should see your doctor and describe what you are feeling.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.