WARNING--Don't do too much even months after

Hi sisters,

I'm just writing to prevent this from happening to anyone else. I am 5 mos. post op and had been doing well. I was power walking 1-3 mi. a day and doing Pilates. Last week I started doing more barn chores and carried my grandson (24 lbs.), now I'm back to very swelly belly and pain and discomfort sitting or walking. It feels just like it did 6-8 weeks ago. I feel like I've taken giant steps backwards. Please girls be careful, even when you are feeling strong. I really believe now that taking it easy for a year (as far as heavy work) is not too long. s

SmellTheRoses,

I hear ya! I'm afraid I've been feeling a little cocky about how smoothly my recovery has been. I've been spending my weekends snowshoeing in the mountains. But when I decided to get a new (hyper) little beast of a dog, Woooooooooow! am I sore! My incision area is swollen and tender to the touch. Because I'm so far along in my recovery I doubt that I've done any damage beyond overdoing things. It really DOES take a while to completely recover.

Happy Healing

I can relate to that.. We had the biggiest snow storm in 10 years (3 feet in a day and a half) I know I'm not suppposed to shovel, but I figured since I've been doing weights and lots of cardio, a little "pushing the snow" off of my truck with a broom wouldn't hurt. Boy, was I WRONG>>>>>>>> my belly is so swollen and I'm uncomfortable and haven't worked out since Saturday, which is a long time in my mind.. Ladies.. please, please be careful..

My first softball game is May 3rd - 12 weeks from my surgery -- My DR said I "might" be back by mid-season -- BUT I am trying to be hopeful on coming back sooner -- I hear ya on the being careful -- so I will go at my DR's pace and wait for his OK -- thanks for the advice

Thank you so much for the warning. I too have been feeling pretty good and trying to do 1-2 miles every day on the treadmill. I have noticed that I am definatly more swollen and sore afterwards. Still struggling with gaining weight. I must watch everything I put in my mouth. I also weigh myself several times a day to make sure I'm not gaining more.

I'm right there with you girls. It's been 3 months since my TAH and I tend to forget that I'm still recoverying. For the most part, I don't think about it too much anymore and am doing everything as I normally did prior to surgery. Last week my daughter had a flat tire and the tire had to be replaced so I tossed the tire in my trunk and took it to be replaced, came home, jacked up car and put the new tire on and didn't think a thing about it. Now mind you, I'm just 5' 3" and 105lbs, but I've always jumped in there and did things for myself. I never thought about ..."I really shouldn't be doing this!" But the next day I paid for it with the swelly belly, which unless I do way too much, is gone. So yes, even at 3 months, we can still do too much and get the swelly belly. Just natures way of telling us that we aren't quite healed yet.

Wow, I'm kind of scared now. I played racquetball 4 times a week, very competitively, before this surgery 3 weeks ago. Plus weight training, eliptical). Plan on being back on the courts at 8 weeks, now I'm starting to reconsider. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!

I have a friend that I work with and she had surgery in October, and she is having problems. Pain and bleeding. Her dr did an ultrasoun or MRI and found nothing wrong, but she is now on light duty again. I am worried when I go back that I wont be able to do anything also. I am a cashier and occassionally have to stock the shelves. My main concern is lifting the cases of beer. Guess I will have my customers set it up so I can scan it without lifing it. Guess I will see when I get back to work. I still have about 5 weeks, so I am not going to WORRY ABOUT WORK!!!!!!!

I'm 5 mos po, and I still get pain when I over do it. Laundry, to much walking, lifting. I work as Supernanny, any mom knows what I mean, so all of this stuff is an everyday event in my life. I came back to work 3 weeks after my Oop. with severe adhesions and everthing was stuck together. WAY to soon, thought I was ok, but now I know what kind of damage can be done by returning to you normal life to soon. I have had many adominal surgeries and feel like people think i should be up and about sooner then anyone else. And I'm stubborn in my own way. Can't wait for things to get done by others so i tend to do it myself. So all you 3-4 week sisters, be patient and take all the help you can get. Rest Rest Rest, is one of the best things you can do to prevent bad scarring in your abdomin & vagina. It does happen! very quickly if you push yourself.

Thank you for the reminder. At 8 weeks postop I thought I was healed! Wrong! Asa an at home mom with two preschoolers , my work is in front of me - housework and lifting kids into car seats, booster seats, etc. I am feeling symptoms of prolapse all over again and am very nervous. When the Dr. said I was fine, I believed him. I do see the thought of full recovery being a year. And am going to listen.
Thanks for the reminder.
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