Wondering whats next after I am discharged tomorrow

Im just recovering from my hospital bed as I write this. I get discharged tomorrow/
The last thing I rembered was the anasthesiologist asking me to breath three times in a mask I was out by the third breath. The next thing I remember was being in a recovery room and a recovery nurse asking how I was feeling. all i felt was the discomfort from the catheters. It seems to have been a successful surgery and am in the process of healing. I am really feeling very sore and is having a lot of gas pains
My hysterectomy was not done through choice. It was an impediment to my overall health long time and I had to make a choice. Unfortunately I have had to go through this experience alone wondering if I had really made a good decsion or not. It has been hard for me to share with close ones that I needed to have this done, a sense of shame or loss that I dont even understand so an online friend referred me to this site and am reading every word and seeking support, I hope I will be able to accept my self, accept my friends who will have babies this year without any kind of distress as I had desired to have children one day. Although this is not how I imagined my life will be in my mid 30s, I just hope I will be normal and have a positive outlook in life after this just as my bright sunny surgery day as I move on with the next chapter of my life.

How

I am so sorry you did not have the choice. I honestly don't know what that must feel like. However, (my thoughts) if your doctors said you must do this for your health/life, then you did the right thing.

As far as being discharged tomorrow - rest, take meds, sleep, go to bathroom, rest, eat, sleep, sleep, walk a little and sleep some more. DO NOT over do it - you will pay for it! I promise. Also take your pain meds as prescribed. Don't try to be strong at first. You don't want to let yourself start hurting. Again I promise. Both things I did and wish I hadn't. LOL

Hugs to you! Prayers for a speedy recovery.

Follow stuffedpuppet to the letter

also know that the normal recovery period until you feel half normal is 6 to 10 weeks - and that is with family and friends taking care of you

Take it easy and let us know how you are

Elaine

Pain meds - make sure you are taking them on schedule, even if it means waking up to take them. You don't want the pain to get ahead of you. Be advised that the heavy-duty pain meds can cause constipation. Try to drink a lot of water and include fiber to help you go. It took me a few days to be able to have a BM. You will be happy once you do, though! I also used Gas-X and Maalox to help the gas pass. I was extremely noisy for a couple of weeks!

Mostly...rest, rest, rest! Remember that when you're using pain meds, you won't necessarily feel if you overdo it until after the damage is done. Like they keep telling us - you only have one chance to heal correctly. Relax and let others wait on you!

Best of luck!

All the advice above is very sound. I would just like to add that though you will definitely get through this, it might be a while before you can be happy for the friends who are getting these babies. do not expect too much of yourself, that would not be fair. Allow yourself to grieve for a bit, and find a way do handle the inevitable emotions, before going to baby showers etc. Friends will understand if you explain. your body has to heal from surgery, but so does your mind. And it will, in time.
Read all the threads in this forum, write about what you feel, there is an incredible amount of support here for you.
Reading what others are going through has also helped me a lot, helped me understand my own emotions. I hope it will do the same for you.
Let us know how you are doing
annelies

i to basically had no choice it was either a hysterectomy or get cervical cancer i was cin 3 dysplasia, my dr was a lil surprised that i didnt already have it for as long as i was first told i had abnormal paps with pre cancerous cells in my teens. this was the last thing i ever thought would have had to happen at 35, i fortunately had 1 child in my late 20s, and pretty much didnt want anymore but now that its FOREVER gets to me sometimes.

i just had my TAH last friday...its only been a week...i was in the hospital for 2 days after the surgery i got discharged on sunday. while i was in there i had VERY BAD pain from the gas they used, i was all on my right side from my shoulder down to my hip, all in my ribs and it would hurt so bad i couldnt take a deep breath,couldnt lay on side. nurses kept telling me to walk it off it will help move that gas around and get rid of it sooner, but when i walked the halls it would hurt even more. i remember going back to my room and just crying from the pain. but by tuesday it was pretty much gone.

u will just want to rest when u get home. and do just that, i unfortunately have a 2 story home and my bedroom and bathroom r up stairs, and i am staying down stairs in my recliner. have no tv in bedroom or i would have stayed up there but then again i dont think i could get in and out of my bad anyway, its very low to the floor, and i cant even get up off my couch yet (tried the other nite to sleep on couch and woke up and as i was trying to get up i felt alot of pain so i just sleep in my recliner for now. but i dont actually sleep all that much right now either, i will doze off for only a couple hours at a time then im up for a couple hours.

it also took me a few day to have a BM but it hurts when i do now, just cant push to much coz it hurts. still some discomfort to pee also, i believe from the catheter. and the past couple days i started bleeding a lil heavy that had me a lil worried today but now it has slowed some.

u just dont want to over do it and i have been told by friends that i am, i dont really think i am, the only thing i think is over doing it some is having to go up and down my steps to use the bathroom.

i hope u feel better, i know coming home from hospital made me feel a lot better. there is nothing better then the comfort of ur own home when ur sick. so just take it easy and let ppl do things for u.

Hi lynangira,

First I want to say I'm so sorry you are feeling alone in this, but trust this site for support! I've received nothing but fantastic support from all the ladies here.

Also, I understand how you feel about the babies. I am 40 years old, married for 13 years and was never able to have children due to my health problems. Meanwhile, many people around me are having babies, including the little girl (I say 'little girl' but she's now a grown woman) i used to babysit when I was a teenager. It has also been very difficult to go to my doctor's office for follow-ups because every wall in every hallway/exam room/waiting room is filled with baby pictures. Of nearly every baby they have ever delivered. I see all of those thousands of pictures and realize 'that will never be me.'

Hang in there, hun. It has gotten easier for me over the years to be happy for my friends and family who are lucky enough to have children.

During recovery, be good to yourself! Do as the other's suggest. REST! That is a huge one. Realize that this is YOUR time for YOU!

I wish you all the luck in your recovery.

I too have no children and there I was on the baby floor in the hospital?!?!? I've accepted this fact and I deal with this as to deep praying. It's all in God's hand so having children was not in my plan. You may get depressed but please seek guidance and I pray that the fact that you can't bear children doesn't get you down.
I'll be 6 weeks this coming week and I truly suggest the abdominal binder to help with the belly and gas x and miralax are your friends.

The hardest part is not doing nothing but DO NOTHING! You will pay for it if you do too much trust me-------heal right first and foremost.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Take care and God Bless You!

Thank you everyone for your encouraging words.
Im taking my pain meds, walking and resting as much as I can. The gas is gradually easing. but I still don't have an appetite for food. Getting out of bed has been the challenging Im still learning how not to use my ab muscles when getting up. has been very painful. Otherwise im looking foward to gradually recover. Thank you all.