this is not what i expected when they said 'it will be life changing'

Excellent points, Linda & Weiser. By no means was I trying to replace the information given to Mrs. L by her doctor, I was merely trying to explain why the doctor gave the instructions he/she did rather than just expressing "don't lift heavy things."

However, as surgical technology has changed so drastically even in the past few years, there is far less risk for prolapse than there has been historically. Minimally invasive procedures, such as the DaVinci, provide far superior visualization of the surgical field, thus decreasing the amount of unnecessary tissue injured or severed during surgery. Doctors are also cognizant of the risk of vaginal prolapse and typically compensate surgically, meaning they reinforce the pelvic floor accordingly.

Listen to your doctor, I'm just trying to provide backstory is all. Personally, I hate when doctors give explanations without providing the scientific reasoning behind it. Drives me crazy!

Be well, sisters!

I think the prolapse issue is the problem. If you aren't having that issue, it's possible that you have a chauvenistic Dr. Mine told me to go back to normal routine after my 6 week appointment, so I was lifting deer meat weighing about 40 pounds & anything else that I was doing before surgery.

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I think the prolapse issue is the problem. If you aren't having that issue, it's possible that you have a chauvenistic Dr.

Let's not pass judgment on medical professionals who are doing their jobs when we have neither the training nor access to the information they have.

Mrs. L's second post on this thread mentions that she had a sling as part of her surgery. This is a pelvic repair which indicates she already had a prolapse issue prior to the hysterectomy, so yes, it would be completely understandable and expected for her doctor to advise her not to lift heavy weights ever again - unless she is willing to risk having to have further surgeries to repair the damage it can cause.

Just a reminder that regardless of our backgrounds or professions, we are all here as "women helping women" from the point of view of our own personal experience, and not as medical professionals diagnosing each other or giving each other's doctors performance reviews based on what we read here. Our website's TOS require this so that the site may comply with HONCode.

s,
-Linda

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Originally Posted by busybusybusy I went back to yoga in Sept, so about 8+ weeks, I previously walked everyday and did yoga, too. I began with slow & short walks. Once I was up to my "normal" walks without discomfort and once i could sit in my office chair and drive without discomfort, I added back yoga. She happened to lead some easier classes in Sept, but I still really felt it in my incisions. This time, feeling it in my incisions, does not feel like i did too much, too soon at all, it just feels like I really worked it hard. I think 2-3 months is good enough for a return to yoga

Oh, I see! Thanks for the clarification.

After reading the back and forth on this thread, I just want to remind us all that after hysterectomy there is a "new normal," and I think surgeons avoid discussing specific problems because they don't want to unnecessarily worry us for something that may or may not happen, and may even be out of our control.

So a doctor may say something like "avoid heavy lifting" to prevent prolapse, as generally good advice following a hyster, and especially if we have had additional surgery as the poster did with the sling.

Vaginal Vault prolapse seems to be the most common type of prolapse after a hysterectomy, as least from what I've read, probably because no matter if we kept our cervix or not, the vagina is no longer seemlessly connected to the uterus and surrounding ligaments. But Enteroceles and Cystoceles can also occur.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hysterectomy may result in weakening of the pelvic floor and contribute to some of these problems. Specifically for Enterocele, they advise that "enteroceles most commonly occur in women who have had surgery to remove the uterus (hysterectomy). "

If we add stress to this "new" body of ours, like heavy lifting, we do so knowing we may be increasing the chances of a prolapse. We may STILL choose to do so because as one poster explained, hauling hay, chopping wood, etc is her daily life. So I expect that choice from many of us, and if something happens later, it may be ok because it's minor, or surgery may in fact be necessary. There are women who will choose that, to deal with it when and if it happens.

In addition, in regards to our ovaries, some of us kept them and some didn't, but either way our hormones can be affected. And Estrogen, from what understand, is what has kept the wall between our vagina and surrounding organs strong.

I know it can be frustrating, and it's confusing for me too as to how much lifting is too much, or what exercise will help the pelvic floor and what will put us at risk, and I guess we just have to do the best we can. We had the operation to get our life back, not to sit in a chair and do needlepoint, and so it's understandable that we feel taken aback when we hear a doctor tell us we can't do something - "ever," especially if none of this was discussed beforehand.

Peace!

I was told that I was at higher risk for a hernia and to be careful lifting for about a year.

I had a TAH/BSO with a vertical incision from belly to groin.

Its the 5th month and I still get exhausted some days.

After the snow storm last week, in which I stupidly walked to work in 2 feet of snow with drifts, I went over like a domino into the snow while helping dig out a car that was stuck. I was taking small bits of snow and moving slowly but...

i hear ya- im 7 weeks out adn i had to shovel snow to get to work- i felt like i had just come home from the hospital it hurt so bad-- still sore