LAVH 3 weeks post hysterectomy - not going as planned

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since LAVH and umbilical hernia repair. At day 8, I came down with fever and was diagnosed with an abcess in the vaginal cuff, it's been draining since and I'm on second round of antibiotics. Worst smell ever!! I went to grocery yesterday and pushing the cart made me sore. I have no energy, no nothing. I'm supposed to go back to work on January 9th but I think the infection may cause me not to be able to.

My friends that have had this same surgery breezed right through it, this is not what I expected.

Sorry to read of your setback. Continue to take it easy - pushing a grocery cart might not be the best thing at this point (falls in line with vacuuming, mopping).

As for your friends breezing through this same surgery, I have to wonder . There are so many variants of what a hysterectomy is, what additional procedures might be done, plus healing time is dependent upon so many personal factors. Also, the further out you get, the less complex recovery seems to be when you're looking at it in the rearview mirror. I think the Sisters who've recovered and hang out here haven't forgotten what it was like since we recount our own experiences.

A couple of links for you:

• The Recovery Videos on the Recovery Splash page - take a look at Weeks 1-2 as well as 3-4.
• Hysterectomy Restrictions.

I'd also like to invite you to check out the Recovery Progress Thread for Nov 28-Dec 4. The ladies there all had surgery the same week as you.