Stomach swelling/ pain 3 months post hysterectomy

Hi, this is my first post and just trying to gather advice/experiences from others.

I'm 35 and suffered from endometriosis and ovarian cysts for much of my life. Post surgery I had complications and was readmitted to the hospital a few days after my surgery. After I was discharged the second time I was 13 pounds over my pre-surgery weight. Since then I've only gained more weight and struggled (and cried) during workouts. I still have weird pains around my incision at my belly button.

After I workout I have major swelling in my stomach and it looks like I'm several months pregnant. I'm not vain, but for much of my life I've had strong abs. Now not only do I Not have abs, I've gained about 10 inches in my waist size. I'm Super frustrated, borderline depressed, wondering if I ruined my body with surgery. My surgeon told me the swelling could take up to a year to go away. Is anyone else having drastic swelling off/on after surgery? I've been trying to hide my stomach after I got word people were asking if I was pregnant.

Please help! Is there a light at the end of all of this recovery?

Thanks!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Heatnl Hi, this is my first post and just trying to gather advice/experiences from others. I'm 35 and suffered from endometriosis and ovarian cysts for much of my life. Post surgery I had complications and was readmitted to the hospital a few days after my surgery. After I was discharged the second time I was 13 pounds over my pre-surgery weight. Since then I've only gained more weight and struggled (and cried) during workouts. I still have weird pains around my incision at my belly button. After I workout I have major swelling in my stomach and it looks like I'm several months pregnant. I'm not vain, but for much of my life I've had strong abs. Now not only do I Not have abs, I've gained about 10 inches in my waist size. I'm Super frustrated, borderline depressed, wondering if I ruined my body with surgery. My surgeon told me the swelling could take up to a year to go away. Is anyone else having drastic swelling off/on after surgery? I've been trying to hide my stomach after I got word people were asking if I was pregnant. Please help! Is there a light at the end of all of this recovery? Thanks!

Hi & welcome!

There is a light at the end of recovery.. It may take some investigating & detication. Id 1st have your Dr run labs to check your thyroid & hormones. You didnt mention if youve retained your ovaries?

Recovery to the point of function can take 6-8 weeks or so. Full recovery may take months, 6 months even a year. So what your Dr is telling you is correct. Especially if youve had a lot done during surgery. So feeling some discomfort as you work out at this point may happen..

Swelling is from surgery, weight gain especially at the waist/belly is due to hormones. The swelling youre describing, the belly swell w increased activity is what we refer to as a swelly belly. Theres inflammation from surgery, bloating. On top of that, hormones have a big effect. If ovaries have a reduced function or not functioning or in the case if menopause, then weight gain may occur. Hormones affect digestion & metabolism slows down.. Foods have an effect on hormones.

I had a big surgery & my Dr told me that it may take me 2 years to rid inflammation & have full abdominal strength. I lost weight right after surgery, then weight creeped up on me..my biggest complaint was the waist & belly. So I was feeling like you. What the heck is going on??

I thought I lost the swelly belly in 1 year but when Id workout, even a few months ago, it looked like Id get some swelling-only temp though & after rest it would decrease..

With the weight gain, I realized I can no longer eat anything I wanted & I had to be mindful of food. I realized my metabolism is slower & I need to workout more consistently for my health. Ive recently lost 25+ lbs, so tweaks did produce results...

Im eating 3 meals plus snacks. Limit salt to 1500 mg a day. Read every label. I eat greek yogurt, almonds, blueberries for breakfast, or an egg ir frittata. Lean protein for healing-fish, chicken, turkey. Turkey burgers, ground turkey are easy, even salmon burgers. For now Im not eating beef. Salads, veggies, fruit. I eat granny smith apples w almond butter. Soy milk, beans-veggie burgers like black bean burgers. Increasing vegetarian foods in my diet tends to decrease calories. The biggest thing is reduce sodium, as much processed foods as you can if not entirely eliminate & tone down the sugar. I will have 1/2 c ice cream now & then. Omit white flour & opt for whole grains like wheat bread w higher fiber, brown rice. Oatmeal, bran cereal. So no white pasta, only wheat or veggie pasta. I started off in mind to just eat healthy & the weight started coming off. (I measure portions so like 1/2 c brown basmati rice, 1/4 or 1/2 c yogurt).

I decided to commit to a steady exercise routine instead of sporatic. I started on the exercise bike worked up to 30 minutes. Then added various cardio workouts plus the 30 min bike. Some days I do bike 60 min, 30 min cardio or switch it 60 min cardio, 30 bike...Include Lite weights & later progress to increase weights. This month Im doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred which uses weights in the workouts.

Start off light impact exercises like walking, swimming, bike. I didnt start off heavy ab workouts bc I just felt like my abs were so weak. Do what you can thats comfortable then increase. I would recommend plank exercises for the abs vs crunches, which crunches can be added later.

If I can be of further help lmk..

LailaStar has given you some great guidance. I wanted to share that I suffered from swelly belly post op, and was thankful that I had "expando-waist" clothes to accommodate those fluctuations. Mine was a daily occurrence through 8 weeks especially in the evenings, and I've read from a few Sisters that their post-op swelling lasted longer. Beyond 8 weeks, I could count on swelling and dull aches whenever I'd intensely engage my abs. Notable occasions were power washing the porch (8-1/2 weeks), heaving a 24-pack of soda over my head on a high shelf (12 weeks), a beach day of body surfing and walking on the sand (also 12 weeks, felt like a washed-up jellyfish) and a short but intense abs workout - that one was at 5 months.

Also, even before surgery, I discovered I'm way more sensitive to sodium in these last few years. If I get too much at one sitting, I'll swell up even now, a year-plus after surgery. Last time that happened... was 2 weeks ago!

The first thing I always recommend to sisters watching their weight is to keep a food diary, and don't forget to include all those BLT's - bites, licks and tastes. For portion control, switch to a 9" plate, and fill at least half of it with non starchy vegetables; the remainder should include a serving of carbs about the size of your cupped hand, and a palm-sized serving of protein. Don't be afraid of fat; a moderate amount of healthy fat, from fatty fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, and olive oil can help with satiety, and to assure your body that it's okay to let go of its fat stores. Also, if you had your ovaries removed, that can really lower your metabolism; lifting weights, as the others have mentioned, can help to offset that. As for people asking if you're pregnant, you'd think that most people would realize that it's inappropriate to ask that question to a stranger, but unfortunately, some people don't. I've found that the best response to these people is a simple correction; just say something like "no, I'm not pregnant, I just had a hysterectomy." Best wishes for your continued recovery!

Yessss! I am becoming depressed about this bloated belly! It looks like I am several months pregnant!

Oh honey, I had surgery in February, and I am still walking around looking 5 months preggers in September. It is quite distressful to think I look nice and catch a glimpse of myself in a window or mirror and realize that my stomach is prominently displayed. I have not been able to wear any pants that button, I finally opted for pull-on pants. Still haven't had luck finding a pair that fit well... I have returned to exercise, but it is ssssllllllooooowwwww progress. I used to be able to run 6-8 miles, and I still can't run 10 mins straight. However, I accept that my body went through a major change, and it is going to take time to feel "normal" again. Instead of wearing pants I wear dresses, and I feel much prettier when I do. It's all about figuring out what works for you.