What exactly does one need after hysterectomy, including help?

If you are going to be alone at home, it is worth asking for an overnight stay rather than a same day discharge. As I understand it, insurance will still consider it outpatient if it's less than 24 hours. That way you could be over the worst of the anesthesia when you get home. Who is driving you home from the hospital? Could they stay with you that first few hours after getting home?

I had LAVH, and I was in the hospital for a total of 6.5 hours. I am single with a young son (age 7), so I had a friend come to pick me up. My son was with his father that night. I didn't need anything special at the hospital, just had my phone, ID, credit card, and insurance card. I left in the same clothes I arrived in...comfy yoga pants and a fleece top, sports bra.

I took just one Percocet that first night to make sure I slept, but I didn't need any other pain meds after. I did have stool softener (which I never used) and Gas-X (which I did use). Peppermint tea was also really good to have.

I had no problem going up stairs or picking things up, so I didn't need anything special. I slept in my own bed from the first night. I had the fridge stocked with easy snack type foods--hummus, cut up veggies, Green Machine, smoothies--and I really didn't have much an appetite for anything for the first couple of weeks.

Honestly, recovery was much easier than I anticipated, so I didn't need anything special at all. I was driving my the third day after (a manual transmission, even) and did dropoff/pickups from school for my son. I was told no lifting over 25 pounds, and I probably did go heavier than that, but usually it was accidentally--and I had no ill effects.

I will also tell you that my anxiety going into the surgery was way worse than the recovery! I was terrified...and all went very smoothly. Now I am 7 months out and I feel wonderful. Good luck to you!

1) Convenient, HEALTHY heat-and-eat meals. Best if you pre-cooked and froze them yourself.

2) Lots of water and stool softeners. I used Miralax. Warm apple cider for this was great for me, but prune juice is also good.

3) A bottle of water with a pull spout and your pain pills right next to your bed.

4) A cellphone on you at all times.

5) Some way of getting in and out of bed easily. For me, I slept with pillows under me so I could be propped up. Another woman dragged her exercise machine over to her bed so she could haul herself up with the handlebars.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by BornACrone ...5) Some way of getting in and out of bed easily. For me, I slept with pillows under me so I could be propped up. Another woman dragged her exercise machine over to her bed so she could haul herself up with the handlebars.

That would be me! :-)

Rer: cooking: I'm not much of a cook at the best of times. I rely on basic items that can be prepared quickly and thrown together in a variety of ways. (So did my mother!) Frozen vegetables, rice and pasta for carbs, tofu and canned beans of various types for protein - that's about my speed. In preparation for surgery, I loaded up the freezer and cupboards with appropriate dried, canned and frozen goods.

I also loaded the refrigerator with buckets of yogurt and sacks of fresh fruit. As it turned out, what I wanted most the first week after surgery was yogurt, fresh fruit, peanutbutter toast (I had a couple loaves of whole-grain in the freezer) and canned lentil soup. Smaller but more frequent meals worked better than regular ones.

The second week saw me branching out a bit more in terms of variety. I ran out yogurt the third week, but by then I was able to negotiate the steep hill between me and the supermarket. Three 750g containers of yogurt only weighs 5 lbs, so I no problems carrying it home. :-)