Pre Op Questions

Hey there sisters!
I have just joined HysterSisters, and have found the advice and suggestions so helpful already. I will be having an abdominal hysterectomy, leaving my ovaries in if they look good, due to three plumb size fibroids on my uterus, on October 29th.
I have a couple of questions...
Will I be catheterized?
If so will they take it out right after surgery?

I would like to get up and moving as soon as possible, will I most likely be able to do this the day of surgery? (my surgery is scheduled early in the morning)

Is there a pre-surgery diet that is condusive to healing post-op?

How soon can you shower and drink, and eat?

I would love to go spend time with my family that all live at least 12 hours away. Am I going to feel up to airplane travel about 2 weeks after surgery?
How long before I can bend and lift?

I know this seems like a lot of questions, but if any of you who have been there done that could help me out I would really appreciate it. I haven't ever had any surgery, or had to stay in a hospital...
I'm 37, so I've been so blessed!
Thank you in advance for your advice.
~Cloudlifter

Hi cloudlifter: A lot of these depend on your own dr's practices/views. There are probably a wide variety of experiences on many of these.

Some drs require bowel prep. Others insist on a liquid diet. I personally found that drinking a lot of water in the 2 or 3 days before surgery helped me.

I was catheterized during my TAH. That seems like the usual. They took it out the next day (keeping it in too long can increase risk of infection). Of course, that means that you need to start running to the bathroom often. It was a relief not to have to do that for a day or so.

As for walking, I kept pestering them and, about 6 or 7 hours after I went to my room from the recovery room, I stood up and gingerly took a few steps (assisted by a nurse). I spent the next day in a chair in my hospital room and walked almost hourly (assisted but mainly to carry my "accessories" like IV pole, telemetry package etc). By the 3rd day, I was freed of my IV and was walking unassisted every 15 or 20 minutes or whenever I felt like it.

No to lifting. In the hospital, "nothing heavier than a water bottle." The first few weeks, advised to lift nothing heavier than 15 lbs (a gallon of milk is almost 9 lbs, I've heard). Even now, almost 11 weeks later, still not supposed to lift anything more than 30 lbs.

As for eating, only ice chips the day of surgery and those were rationed til I could show that I was not getting nausea. The next day, I was back to a liquid diet (broth, coffee/tea, popsicles, juice) and the third day, back to eating solids. (That's when the sharp gas pains started--be forewarned.)

I couldn't imagine flying but I don't see why not. Riding in a car for more than an hour was tough for quite awhile--bumpy roads really hurt.

Thank you Cubfan, I appreciate the time you took to answer my questions. It is a relief to not have to wonder so much!

Hi there and welcome. I can give you my experiences. Remember, your mileage may vary.

I believe you will be catheterized. I was thankful for it. I certainly didn't want to get up that first day. Mine came out about 6am the next day. It caused no pain nor any problems.

I sat on the edge of the bed the first evening. I was up and walking as soon as the catheter was out the next day.

I was able to shower the day following surgery. It depends on the type of surgery and how any incisions are closed. I had stitches covered with steristrips. The only caveat was to not let the shower stream hit the incision.

I didn't have solid food until the following lunch. Nothing at all the first day except for ice chips. I was hooked to an IV that was feeding me some sort of dextrose. The next morning I had a clear breakfast - popsicle, broth, tea (no milk), juice. After that I was ordering my meals normally.

I wouldn't want to fly at 2 weeks. I have to fly at the beginning of December and I'm not sure I'll be up to it then.

I was told no lifting (more than 10 pounds) for 6 weeks.

But, as I said, you may find things are different for you. It depends on the type of surgery and your doctor's orders. Make sure you discuss all this at your pre-op appointment.

Good luck!

Luv2Knit, thanks for your quick reply!
It is helpful to know that I may not be up to travel, as it is cheaper to order tickets in advance. I will just play that by ear post op.

I am glad you are finding the site helpful!

We each have a different experience so it is a good idea to call your doctor's office and ask your specific questions to find out exactly what is okay for you and how things will be for you!

Having a catheter is pretty standard with a hyst but when they are removed is different. Mine did not come out until the day after surgery. I dreaded a catheter but it ended up being very helpful for that first 24 hours. I was not up and about, nor did I feel like being up and about, until the second day after my hyst, but other ladies are up and around the day of surgery.

Since I did pass completely out when I stood upright the first time on the day after my hyst, I was given a sponge bath in lieu of a shower. Had I not passed out I would have been allowed to shower the day after surgery as well as walk around. You will want to ask about your incision and how you should take care of it -- should it be kept dry, covered, etc.

Some doctors order a bowel prep and some do not. I was on a completely normal diet right until midnight before my surgery and had no bowel issues following surgery. I was started on liquids the day after my surgery and then moved to soft foods before I was given "real" food.

Bending and lifting can be a for several weeks depending on you and your doctor. Ask what is okay for you.

I would strongly advise asking your doctor about flying two weeks post hyst and being away from your doctor at two weeks post op. If you do have a complications, who will you see while you are away from home? Flying can increase your risk of a blood clot as does surgery in general so you will want to ask how to avoid them. Sitting on a plane may be very uncomfortable for you and it is a bit difficult to be able to get up and move around much on a plane. You will need assistance with your luggage and when you land, you may not feel up to doing much.

Ask your doctor if the travel plans are okay and if they are, what steps can you take to be sure your trip goes as well as possible. Take a pillow on the plane if you do fly.

I wish you all the best for a successful surgery and super recovery! s

cloudlifter, the flying part might not be the problem. Getting to the airport, dealing with the hassles, carrying the luggage etc might all pose problems.

Because half of my incision opened up 10 days post-op, I was really paranoid about being jostled and being bumped in my belly. I'm still a bit nervous about that even though it's been all closed up for about a month now.

Your dr will have views on all of these topics, such as how soon to drive. Even those guidelines might vary depending on how you respond to things.

The key points are: they want you to be up and walking as soon as possible, urinating on your own again, they want to try to get you back to eating solid food again (though gradually), and, they want you have a BM (though, this may not happen while you're still in the hospital).

When you're in the hospital, it's amazing how little things take on huge significance. Like how they won't let you eat solids til you demonstrate that you have stomach noises. Or having to report to your nurse that you had gas for the first time (a big step) or your first post-op BM (they want to look at it, if possible).

Oh and don't be surprised when you have to pee into a little collar thingy in the bathroom. They like to measure your input and output.

Thank you both for your continued support. This relieves a bit of my pre op anxiety and makes me feel more confident about what to expect. There is so much the medical staff does not tell you. My pre-op exam isn't until Friday, then I go in after midnight on Sunday for surgery first thing Monday, so that doesn't leave me a whole lot of time to do the extras that I have read about on this site. Like cleaning, laundry, laying out clothes and making things more accessable. I have a wonderful supportive husband, but I don't want him stressing out either. Thank you both for your kind words, suggestions, and advice!

I don't know about flying, but here is My experience. No food or drink after Midnight the night before, not even gum. No bowel prep or anything special to eat. They put the catheter in during surgery and take it out the next day. Coming out wasn't bad, but It was hard to pee for a few days after. I didn't get out of bed for the first 24 hours after surgery. I had a morphine pump, some other pain drug that went into my IV, oxygen, things that massaged my legs and I slept almost that whole time. I had a liquid breakfast after that first 24 hours. That's also when all the equipment came off, and I took My first walk,and that wasn't so bad. Then, it was soft food for the rest of my stay. I was there for 2 days.

When I got home, I was glad that I had cleaned like crazy before the surgery. I had everything at My fingertips and I am very comfortable now. That was 5 days ago. I don't even have nearly the amount of pain that I thought I would when I went home. Make sure that you have something for gas at home, and a stool softener.