LAVH 9 Days Post Op....

Good Afternoon Ladies!!

I am 9 days post-op. I am feeling BETTER. The first few days were hell. The gas in my belly was the worst. Now thats about 95% gone. The stiches are out of my belly( just 3 small incisions) I have been going on as normal now most part of the day. Cooking and cleaning (no TOO heavy lifting still though) I do have constant cramps in my lower belly and back. Is that bc i'm doing TOO much? With Thanksgiving being here I wanted to help with that and shopped on Friday, and kids are home from school. Its HARD to REST. I want to feel normal. I have stopped taking the pain pills last monday, and now only take Ibuprofen for the cramps. It helps some.
My other question is when is it too early to have an orgasm? I want to be intimate with my husband as best as I can, since I know I can't have anything inside my vagina. Is it too early to "play"?

Thanks so much!

Constant cramps in your belly may mean that you're doing too much and need to rest more.

I'm 15 days out on LAVH and I find that when I stand or sit for too long I get pulling, cramping pain in lower abdominal. To me it feels like things pulling from gravity. My dr said that the top of my vagina is stitched to some ligaments in there ... Seems like being vertical (standing or sitting) pulls somehow. When I lie down for a while it relieves it.

Listen to your body ... If it hurts, then it is telling you something .... Probably to take it a little easier!

As far as having an orgasm or being intimate with your husband, you have to get released by your doctor before doing so. Just give him or her a call and ask. I'm sure they've heard it plenty of times before. Some doctors want complete pelvic rest. Arousal can flood tissues with blood, and an orgasm can cause muscle contractions that could cause problems with stitches and healing tissues. Here are a couple articles that address the topic:

outercourse

libido surge

the wait

At your stage of recovery cooking and cleaning is a dangerous proposition. You could slow your recovery or even cause adhesions or cause problems that require surgical repair. Your job is to rest and heal. You have all the time in the world to cook and clean, but you only get one chance to heal right the first time. I know it seems like recovery takes forever, but try not to rush it. Many sisters have rushed it and regretted it. When you aren't feeling a lot of pain is when it is the easiest to really hurt yourself because you feel like doing too much. Remember, you still have internal stitches that are trying to hold you together and tissues that are trying to heal. Now that Thanksgiving is over, rest, rest and more rest.