11 days post-op and FEELING FANTASTIC!

This is intended to give hope to those of you feeling blue, gross and hopeless.

Yep, it's me -- the Jeckyll & Hyde who posted just days ago about feeling angry and hideous and full of regrets over my TAH (ovaries left in) a few short days ago. This culminated in an all-day crying jag that left me with such an excrutiating headache that I wanted to drill a hole in my head. Nothing helped. Poor boyfriend finally, helplessly, went out to beg a sick friend of his for the mother of all painkillers, and I immediately felt so much better. The next day, I awoke feeling fabulous! So I went out for a LONG walk. 2 hours! Shuffling like an old lady, but hey! And yesterday I was out a lot, doing light errands, not even an Advil in 2 days.

My discovery -- your mileage may vary -- is that spending TOO much time in bed, even with little walks around the house, can make you feel bad too -- sickly, kind of isolated, useless. My swelly belly has even subsided considerably! I feel great. So there's hope, all of you who're less than thrilled with the status quo.

So.... get out of bed if you're going stir crazy. Being vertical (and careful -- no lifting heavy stuff, etc) and getting outside gets everything draining properly and could very easily make you feel 100% better.

NOTE: I am not a doctor, and I have had a relatively cookie-cutter perfect recovery so far, give or take a few completely manic and frightening moody episodes. (Thank god I have those ovaries.... imagine hormonal chaos on TOP of that?)

Hang in there, you all!

And I'm not posting this to show off. I just remember how reassured I was, back in those "early" days, to read that this bloated, painful, helpless phase does, indeed, pass on.

I'm 14 days post op and feeling much better also. I agree that getting outside and seeing the "real world" does help with isolation. I found short drives/ walks outside in the beautiful fall weather was refreshing. But beware of overdoing things.... last Friday I started with burning pain around one edge of incision but spending most of Saturday and Sunday laying around seemed to help a lot. Plus, I started a little vaginal bleeding on Saturday night. Called Dr. and she said not uncommon but to take it easy. Overall, I would say my recoverery time is going quite well. How is everyone else around 2 weeks doing?

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Originally Posted by janedoe212 My discovery -- your mileage may vary -- is that spending TOO much time in bed, even with little walks around the house, can make you feel bad too -- sickly, kind of isolated, useless. My swelly belly has even subsided considerably! I feel great. So there's hope, all of you who're less than thrilled with the status quo. So.... get out of bed if you're going stir crazy. Being vertical (and careful -- no lifting heavy stuff, etc) and getting outside gets everything draining properly and could very easily make you feel 100% better.

I agree 100%. This fall weather has been great for getting outside and walking. I feel so much better after being outside in the crisp fall air.

s

I'll be two weeks tomorrow. I'm like Jandoe, I, too, have had a relatively cookie cutter easy recovery. It IS getting better everyday. I have to be really careful not to do too much though, or I am back to just sitting in the chair with my feet on the ottoman for the next day.

I did a Walmart trip last night -- I was toast at the end, but it hasn't slowed me down today.

I am going to venture out again today (I still haven't driven yet) and play it by ear.

Even swelly belly seems a little more under control.

I'm glad we are feeling better.

Oooh, I wish I felt that good! I'm happy for you all, though.

I'm glad to hear your recovery is going smoothly. Yes, things do get better! I had my SAH (kept ovaries and cervix) on 9/28/05 and so far, thanks to God and prayers, I am also having a great (cookie-cutter) recovery. I have had absolutely no bleeding since surgery and minimum pain the first few days. I also got out of the bed and walked when I could. I have always been pretty active so sitting in bed was driving me crazy.

I really don't have the swelly belly anymore. I just have the same size pouch there that I had before the surgery. I will be going back to work next Monday. Besides all the prayers that were said for me by friends and family, I also think my speedy recovery was due to me listening to my body and taking care of myself, walking around/getting out of the house when I could, and relaxing when I couldn't. I needed that balance.

I started driving around 2 weeks after the surgery. The doctor didn't give me any driving restrictions. He just said if I felt fine driving, then I could. Basically, my post-op care instructions from the hospital were pretty vague with the main point being that I couldn't lift anything more than 10lbs.

I can get on my elliptical now for 30 min. and I do other (non-abdominal strenuous) excercises. (Dr. says it is fine, as long as I am not paining). I don't even feel the need to nap throughout the day like I did the first 2 weeks. My sister-in-law and I have spent the past couple of days shopping and in the malls and I feel just fine afterwards. My dh said he will be glad when I go back to work.

I hope you continue to have a great recovery!

I'm 12 days post-op and feeling pretty good, occasional pain around my stitches, some gas and bowel pain, but my main problem is insomnia. I either can't fall alseep until 3:00 or go to sleep at 11:00 and wake up at 3:00. I took an antidepressant last night and that helped considerably (I had been off antidepressants for several months). So I might talk to the doctor about staying on those. I probably have anxiety because I meet with the oncologist in a few days (only after the surgery did I find out I had uterine cancer).

I've been making myself take walks outside every day and I think that helps - but no 2-hour walks! Mine are more like 15 minutes. My stitches hurt somewhat when I walk, so I walk slowly and kind of hunched-over. But I feel rejuvenated after walking outside.

I've still got swelly belly - I was pregnant-looking before the surgery and now I'm still pregnant-looking! Hopes this goes away before I have to return to work or I don't know what I'm going to wear.

Louise

Three weeks post op here and doing better every day. I had some severe emotional issues in the hospital and the first couple of days at home. Found out it was the Vivelle patch and have been fine since I took it off. I plan to talk about starting a smaller dose when I go for my checkup in three weeks. I drove for the first time last week, short trip to and from. Came home and slept 12 hours.

Over did it running errands today and came home and took three hour nap. Still very tired, a little swelly belly and had a little more discomfort than usual so I'm taking it very easy tonight and possibly tomorrow.

I need to do more regular walking, so that's my goal in the next day or two. Onward and upward....

Three weeks post-op here and had a minor setback. I was out for 3 hours yesterday for a CT scan and afterward did a couple brief stops (post office, card store - can't forget my mother's birthday)! Afterwards, I was exhausted and took a 2-hour nap. Then I was up all night with gas pains (probably from the barium solution they make you drink for the CT scan).

So here I am back to complete bedrest today! Oh well, two steps forward and one step back.

Then I found out my doctor told my employer's insurance company that I could return to work in 12 days (4-1/2 weeks post-op). AARGHH! I think I need to negotiate with him.

Louise