too much vs not enough?

Hi ladies,

I am one week post-op and had a dvH/BSO. I am wondering if anyone can give me tips concerning doing enough but not too much. My dr just said "you'll know if you're overdoing it." I felt frustrated with that answer and can feel a mood swing coming on over this. Haha.
Thanks,
Jane

Hi Jane
This is a very good question that I think many of us have/had. It can be hard to know where to draw this line. One of the things that helped me the most was learning how to 'listen to my body'. We're all individuals and had different things done and heal at different rates, have different family history and all that, so one answer really doesn't fit all.

The secret I found was to listen to my body and catch myself when I began to tire or hurt. If you can stop yourself at that point and not allow yourself to push through anything you'll be ahead and probably prevent setbacks. This point will change as you progress through your recovery and even though you'll be able to do more and more the principle still applies.

Right now you're very early in your recovery and need to be pretty careful. Walking is almost always recommended for a lot of reasons and everyone is different in how much they can walk without getting too tired or causing pain to set in. It's best to start out conservatively and work your way up slowly- test your body and see how you feel, but don't over do. It's best not to stretch and bend and do things that use the abdominals too much. You have internal incisions and can cause scar tissue and some end up with complications as a result of doing too much too soon. (This is a good article in the post op articles)

There's another article that you might like with a list of things that are allowed and not allowed after your hysterectomy. I think this will give you some good ideas to help you decide what to do and not to do. I know it can be hard to be patient with this process, but it pays in the end to be careful now. I hope everying goes smoothly for you.
:hugs5: Rita

Rita,

Thank you so much! This is perfect! Mood swing averted

--Jane