Went back to work today.....

Well so far so good I think, had my TAH/BSO on Nov. 6 and went back to work today, just one day before 3 weeks post op. I was going crazy in my house and felt like I needed to get out in the real world. I'm a little sore but not nearly as exhausted as I expected I would be. I don't like waking up that early though, funny how used to sleeping in we can get.....LOL

Anyone else have a good experience going back so soon? I'm worried that I haven't hit my proverbial "brick wall" yet. My recovery has been remarkably easy, almost scary. I feel amazing compared to what I felt like before my visit to the castle.

Hi

I'm so happy that you are feeling so well. The fact that you have been so painfree is probably a testimony to the way you have been good and pampered yourself, and just let yourself heal.

I remember the boredom that made me want to start getting back to the "real world" again. I do want to caution you though, because even though you are feeling wonderful, you are still in that 6 week recovery phase where everything inside needs all the energy you can give it for healing. You may find yourself getting easily exhausted.

I had the worst pain of my whole recovery in week 5. I had overdone it big time. So, please be careful. Did your Dr release you for work?

If you start to feel like you have taken too much on, will you be able to go back home and finish your recovery?

I wish you the best for a continued easy recovery. You may be one of the small percentage of women who seem to heal quickly and just "bounce back". Most of us need a lot longer.

s and Best Wishes,
Kay

Hi endevalcourt

I'm glad you're feeling so good. I didn't have an LSH, so I can't share my personal experience here. I've seen quite a few LSH women and many do very well, but I just want to caution you that you are still healing and you need to be careful. This is very early for you to be going back to work and even if you feel good and look good it doesn't change the fact that you had an internal organ removed. I hope you'll listen closely to your body and not push past any signals that you're doing too much.

If you find yourself hitting that brick wall I hope you'll back up and tell your work you need a little more time. Some women are able to do a half day so they can still get the extra rest their bodies need to heal well. Be careful of lifting, stretching and bending for a while still. I hope you continue to do well and don't have any problems. Hopefully there will be some other LSH'ers who will share their experiences.
's, Rita
PS~ I'm going to tweak your title a bit to help you find others with the same experience.

Sounds like you are making a great recovery! I had intended to go back at 2 1/2 weeks but felt terrible. I had to go back at 3 weeks and I felt a lot better but still could only cope with shorter days (6 hours versus my usual 10-11 hours). My doctor gave me 4 1/2 weeks but I was back full time by 4 weeks. I actually found I felt really good at 4 weeks and I lost the exhaustion feeling at that time, and I am now on a business trip overseas at 5 weeks. From my experience we have to listen to our bodies and we all respond differently. If you continue to feel good then that is right for you, but if you suddenly feel in pain or exstremly tired don't forget you are only 3 weeks out and may need to give yourself a rest.
Take care!

You had a TAH???

I felt fine Week 1 and 2 and crashed in Week 3. I got out of the house for short car trips and (very) short sopping trips but there was no way I could have gone back to work.

Please listen to your body if it rebels. Take it easy even if you think you're feeling fine. There are hundreds of stitches and internal connections still healing.

Please be careful.

And good luck to you!

I am feeling really good too. I stopped taking the Percocet about a week after my surgery and stopped taking the Naproxen a few days ago, although I did have to take one after decorating the Christmas tree. I did have a fall last week and had to take some extra pain pills, but otherwise have been okay. I am scheduled to go back to work on December 12, which will be 5 weeks out. I almost feel like I could have gone back this week, albeit on a limited basis. I am my own boss, so the time isn't a huge issue and I am very bored. I think I was in so much pain from the huge fibroid before surgery ( on pain pills for 1 1/2 months before surgery date) that the pain I had from recovery wasn't as severe as I was expecting. Of course, I know I need to be careful otherwise I could end up with complications, but it's hard when I am so bored and can't even do that much around the house. I'm very grateful for feeling so good when I know a lot of the gals have so much pain. I did take homeopathic arnica 2 days before surgery and then again after surgery and I think maybe that helped?

tracyellen1619
TAH w/Bladder Sling 11/7/07

Yes I had a TAH! Still feel great! I work for a physician doing medical billing so he is pretty understanding and has already told me that if I need to go home early/come in late he is FINE with it. He's been an amazing boss, even paid me for my time off. I'm super impressed and again feeling well. I rested when I got home and I'm not lifting, stretching or bending too much at work. I mainly sit at the computer, answer the phones and get up to walk a bit every so often, so nothing strenuous. The girls in the office are being extremely helpful and supportive so they are doing all of the stuff that I can't right now. It's been a wonderful experience for me and I feel 100% better than I did before the surgery (of course I have other pains elsewhere from surgery itself) I feel like one the the lucky ones so far but I am trying not to take that for granted and still remind myself that I'm ONLY 3 weeks post op. My doctor told me I could go back as long as I don't over exert myself and felt comfortable so that is exactly what I'm doing. I won't clean my floors at home or do any heavy cleaning till he tells me I'm clear to do whatever. I just feel better being at work and doing even a little bit to help rather than sitting on the couch watching the soaps all day. LOL

Thank you so much for your warnings/advice and support. This site has been such a blessing.

TAH-BSO on 11/6/07, age 29

I had a TVH in December 2000, at a time when I had just returned to my former job and were very short-staffed, as the need for our services had increased... but we had not staffed additional workers. Mine was a sitting job, manning an IT-Help Desk.

In the first 3 weeks of my recovery I felt great!!! So much so that I wanted to return to work. Thankfully, my boss and was on an extended X-Mas vacation and I couldn't let her know that I intended to change my plans. As I needed her OK for the early return, I stayed home.

Boy was I happy I did so: a short while later (between the 3rd and 4th week) I started to really feel my surgery: aches, pains, swelly belly and, to top it off, my ovaries went on strike

In the end, I went back to work at 5 1/2 week and wish I had waited until the eighth week: Until then, I was looking for my tylenols around noon and would be simply exhausted by the time I came home!!! It wasn't until the 11th week that I could get through a day's work without being in pain and without being simply washed out by the time I got home!!!!

I really am happy that your recovery is going so well. Having a supportive work environment really must help

I started back full time exactly 4wks after my TVH. Doing OK but tired at the end of the day. Also been feeling slight twinges every now & then (nothing too intense) but just read the Checkpoints online & it all sounds like what I'm experiencing is normal.

I too had a very easy surgery & remarkably easy recovery (thus far.) I was getting antsy at home & since I have a desk job I was ready. I'm still taking it easy though as I do have to remind myself that it takes longer than a month to fully recoup!! (easy to forget without any external incisions!)

Continue healing well!