Frustrated - 1 month post hysterectomy

I am trying so hard to be patient and not complain. I am beyond blessed. I had my robotic davinci with vaginally assisted surgery on 4-27. I did great and praise the Lord at my two week post op I got the official pathology report. No cancer in anything that was removed and I had a complete radical hysterectomy. I had fibroids in my uterus, a baseball size fibroid on my left ovary, and a polyp on my endometrium. I have had a few night sweats but was having them before surgery. My emotions have been better than years before my surgery so I am truly blessed. My problem is that I feel worse now than I did the first two weeks. My husband says I am getting to impatient. He reminds me it was major surgery. I have absolutely no appetite and never know if what I eat is going to make me nauseous. I go back to work next week and have major concerns. Luckily it is a desk job. At my two week post op they checked my incision sites and released me. I don't have to go back but I truthfully expected to go back in six weeks for a pelvic exam to make sure all was healing properly. I might add that my surgeon was one of the top oncologists in the country so I feel confident in his ability and care. I totally over did it on Tuesday. We had company so I cooked a big lunch and was on my feet all day. By night time I was hurting and exhausted. I was sore in my abdomen that I had not been sore at. It is just so hard when you look normal on the outside. When can I start doing normal things like vacuuming, packing groceries in, etc.? Hugs to all my hysterectomy sisters and we will get through this journey together. God Bless!

Did you get any guidance from your surgeon as to when you can resume activities like vacuuming and lifting heavier weights? My only post-op visit was at four weeks. At the time my gyn onc raised my lift limit from 10 lbs to 30 lbs. He said to wait until six weeks before trying to lift more than 30 lbs or do abdominal exercise, then start off cautiously and work up gradually.

I returned to work at a part-time desk job at four weeks with restrictions on lifting and had no trouble at all with that. However, I was still turning in relatively early in the evening at that point.

My body felt normal to me by about eight weeks, except for some minor abdominal swelling that lasted another month.

Re: pelvic exam, I didn't have one until four months after surgery at my first follow-up exam to check for signs of recurrence. Where your surgeon was an oncologist, are you having follow-up exams every 3-4 months?

Everyone is different and everyone heals differently.

I know someone who was back to her pre-op activity level in 4 weeks.

I've had many abdominal surgeries in the past and never felt back to normal before 8 weeks. So I took 8 weeks off of work for this one, knowing that I can always go back early if I'm feeling better sooner.

Please be sure your following your Drs guidance.

The good thing is there is no right or wrong timing, everyone heals differently. Your body will let you know what you can and can't do and that's ok. Just listen to your body and keep track of how you feel when you do certain things so your aware of the triggers.

It will get better.

Hi there! I just wanted to pipe in and say I feel worse than that first week too. I am going a lot slower than a lot of people too. It doesn't mean anything is wrong necessarily, it's just the way your body is. I went today for what I thought was a reasonable walk given my pain levels, and noooope. Way too much. So, i get the frustration, believe me!