Tenderness, swelling at 4.5 months post hysterectomy

Hi Sisters!

First of all, I'm so grateful for this site and for all who take the time to share their experiences.

I'm hoping to receive responses that let me know that where I am is normal recovery. Would love to hear from women who have also had abdominal hysterectomies that are farther down the road than I am. When did your swelling go down? How long did you continue to have tenderness? When did you feel "normal" again?

My belly sticks out further than it did pre-surgery when I had a large protruding fibroid. I'm feeling disappointed and second guessing my decision to have the hysterectomy.

Please share your stories. Thank you !

Hi, Well, Im father along, but not by much.. I had a TAH, horizontal incision on 1/4/16.. I had uterine fibroid & enlarged uterus. I had very sore weak abs post op, swelly belly has been my ongoing issue. Its gone down a couple times, but as I get more active, it swells all over again. Little sensations on my belly, a little tender if I press..I think the belly is a combination of things, if its not due to slow GI/ or gas, its bc its still healing plus hormones. I have my ovaries, but Ive had symptoms come & go..Eat lighter meals spaced thru the day, hydrate, walking is good, yoga is great.. Eat apples, nuts, seeds, pumpkin seeds, magnesium, B12, B complex & C. I think a full recovery is much longer than we're told. Prob more like 6 mos to a year .

There are forums for those that have had surgery same as you or you can look ahead too... Feel better!

Everything you are experiencing is normal and each recovery is unique to that sister. I had belly swelling and tenderness for 6 months and couldn't stand wearing pants with zippers or buttons until at least then. I had a 6" vertical incision which lined up perfectly with jean zippers - ugh! Keep in mind that this was a BIG surgery and muscles and nerves were cut and continue to heal. Some say that it can take a full year for total recovery and I am at that mark right now (my hysterversary is Friday). I still don't love any pressure on my scar but I can wear jeans now. I still get swelly belly occasionally but it is MUCH better now. Don't be discouraged by your recovery, it is all normal. Just listen to your body and it won't be long before you are feeling like your old self again.

I'm also just about six months with a 9" vertical incision that passes up past my belly button so it is in the "crease" when I bend. My pelvic area and lower abdomen get tender and swollen still depending on my activity level. I had a very large fibroid and lysis of adhesions from a previous bowel resection in 1993. My belly is flatter but I lost a lot of weight too. I am frustrated by the continued tenderness and swelling and wish I had been told the "real deal" on recovery. Thanks to this forum, I now have a more "realistic" idea of recovery and figure mine will be closer to a year rather than the 6-8 weeks my surgeon told me. As a matter of fact, I have my last follow up visit today and can't wait to chat with him!!

Hi there sisters,
I have to say I am feeling the same way I had my surgery 1/14/16, I am still swelling I'm as big as I was 5 mths ago, when I first come out of the hospital! It's insane I have spent more time crying that I am bigger then I was when I went in, I am having a very hard time with this swelling, I am also SUPER tender! I haven't been feeling well the last little bit and then I started developing a red rash half way up from where my incision is and it was so itchy and hot and thought shot I better get this looked at, so I went to the doctors yesterday and found out I have an infection! Great, so on the meds I go! I have an ultra sound next week as I have had nothing but problems with my bowels since my surgery, anyone else? So my family doctor thinks this is why my swelling is so bad and I'm super tender.. I am eating okay when I feel like eating and I am not working out to much, just enough for how I am feeling. I guess I am just wondering if anyone is dealing with this kind of thing?

Thanks so much ladies!

Sad pbeartam

I'm about 6.5 months post TAH with a horizontal cut. I still have some swelling and still a little bit of tenderness around my stomach but not too much. It's the swelling that bothers me most, because I still can't get into my pre-surgery clothes and sometimes the comfy sweat pants are still my go-to item of clothing. I was never super style conscious but I'd like to be able to wear my 'usual' stuff! I've just started back fitness training properly and this also makes me a bit bloated. I also still have a little bit of a pouch under the incision too, which I really don't like but I'm hoping it will go with time.

While I don't like the bloating and the pouch I don't second guess my decision because no bleeding and no pain definitely trump the waist size!

Ello Sis. And sisters I'm one year and three months post Tah with a horizontal cut. My belly went down from the swelling at the eight month mark. It is still tender in some areas and very numb along the cut. It's weird to touch it because I can't feel anything there. Up until like eleven months the pulling feeling went away. My breast was extremely sore to the touch until month twelve. Now there isn't even the slightest bit of soreness. I never have swelly belly anymore no matter what part of the day it is. It's as though I never had the surgery. There are days where I don't even think about having a hysterectomy... I started feeling all the way human again around twelve months. I'm back at my normal weight of 130- lbs. For the longest time I couldn't shake 140- lbs no matter what I did or how healthy I ate... Once I started ignoring it and remained on the healthy thing... It went down on its own... It seemed like it happened when I wasn't looking anymore... Lol. In the beginning I was always wondering when this was gonna stop or when that was gonna start... Worrying about nothing really... But I got better... And y'all will too... Time really do heal all wounds... Just let it... Y'all WILL get there... As long as you have breath in your body... It will heal. Just stop looking... Unless of course if you really need your doctors for something... Again... Y'all will get there... And when you do... You will... Happy healing all sisters... Remember... You and your healing go together like a wink and a smile... God bless... And never forget to pray.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, especially to foxxapple! Your sharing about just not focusing on it too much and trusting that it takes time. I just wanted to hear from some women who were beyond the swelling, tenderness part! Thanks for giving me hope!! Hang in there everyone else!!

You're welcome Sis... Go str8 ahead... Unafraid... Walk by faith not by sight... Keep smiling😊😄