LAVH: I'm over 60 and apprehensive

My hysterectomy with rectocele repair and possible bladder sling is coming up and I don't see many posts from women in my age group. I know we have slower healing response, but I'm curious as to what other members are told as to what to expect or what they experienced. I have stairs to climb to my apartment which I wonder about and also getting in and out of bed to go to the bathroom uses stomach musles so how do you deal with it all?

I'm 29 and have been having a tough recovery, I have read numerous posts on here in the recovery section on women in your age group who are running circles around me in healing!! Lol I think if you go into the surgery healthy and as fit as possible then everyone has a great chance at a good recovery!!! Good luck with everything! Do you have any support at home? As for getting up out of bed and stuff, it was probably only 2 days really (most of that was spent in hospital) before I could quite easily get up and down to bed, walking is key in recovery, so walking to the toilet and around your house is great for you in hyster recovery. Try to limit the stairs for a few days, they are manageable but if you can stay in for a few days (which you will probably feel like doing anyway) you should be ok!! Just have some yummy easy meals cooked prior to surgery and some great books and a heat pack and I think you will be ok, call on friends and family for help if you need it, you would be surprised @ the number of women in your age group that do great after this surgery..... They make me feel bad that I'm not recovering as quick as them!! Haha all the best, we will be here for you x

We've got a fair number of sisters who are 60+ and I'm sure you'll hear from some of them. In the meantime, I was 55 1/2 at the time I had my surgery 6+ months ago. I live alone with two cats in a small apartment, 20' x 40'. Before surgery, I was wondering if I'd be able to get out of bed on my own and walk even as far as the bathroom, the kitchen, etc.

Because I had abdominal surgery (and possibly because Canadians still to have slightly longer hospital stays), I was released from the hospital three days after surgery. The nurses had me out of bed to go for a walk around the ward twice the very first day after surgery, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. By the second day, I was taking myself out to do laps around the ward. I spent the rest of the time sitting upright in an armchair reading, which was also encouraged by the nurses. I was offered a choice between being released on the third day and staying one more day. I opted to be released because I felt confident to take care of myself at home, and I was right. :-)

If you're going to be recovering on your own, make this very, very clear to your doctor and the hospital staff. Don't be afraid to argue with them if they try to release you before you're ready to go!

I don't have to do stairs to get to my apartment, but other sisters who do have reported that they were able to manage them. You *do* need to limit the number of trips at first to one, maybe two a day. Also, the nice thing about apartments is that there are other people in the building. Don't be shy of explaining to other tenants that you just had major surgery and would they mind taking down your garbage or getting your mail or whatever. Most people have no problem doing things that re going to take them maybe a minute or two and will help someone else.

My own first encounter with stairs came on my fifth day after surgery. I was taking one of the cats for a walk (yes, on a harness and leash) and he wanted to go up the building's fire escape. We both took it slow, and I kept a good grip on the railing, both for balance and to use my arm to help pull myself up. We went up, we went down, no problems.

Oh, railings! Major point! If your stairs don't have a railing, get in your landlord's face about having one installed. Or if your landlord's like mine, do it yourself and ask forgiveness rather than permission. ;-)

I'm 55 and a half and just had a lap total hyst + ovaries 5 days ago.
So far the recovery is much better than I was afraid it would be.
On the one hand I'm in pretty good shape and walk a lot before surgery , on the other was just diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis , a rheumatologic disease and it causes probs with mike spine and hips. I try and get out for a walk once a day - short walk, and I have lots of support from my family.
Are you generally healthy? Are there family members to support you after surgery.
Passing on hope and prayers for as easy a surgery and recovery as possible.
Laura

Oh, thank you for your support. I am not an athletic person, and I have about 17 stairs to climb before I get to my door. I do have support from my husband and friends are willing to help too. My husband is still working, so I hope I can do things by day 3 when I will probably be home alone. My concern is ripping stitches as they told me I will have lots of them due to the repair work being done on me. I will take the stairs slowly. Once I get upstairs, that will be it for 2 weeks. I do have railings. Can you use stomach muscles much? A lot of getting up, etc has to do with that. I was laughing the other day, because the doctor says not to lift anything over 8 lbs. I asked how much does my leg weigh? I have to lift that to walk or go up the stairs. I appreciate all your comments, it is a wonderful site.

Certainly you can and should use your stomach muscles for *appropriate* exercise. Appropriate exercise after a hysterectomy means sitting upright, getting out of bed and going for short, frequent walks inside or outside on *flat* ground. All of these things use your stomach muscles. The nurses at the hospital had me doing them the first day after surgery!

When you're going from a lying to a sitting position or vice versa, you may find it useful to hold a pillow against your belly. That certainly helped me! Also if you're sitting down or getting up from a chair with arms, place your hands flat on the arms of the chair and let your arm and shoulder muscles do some of the work.

I had a 10-lb weight limit for the first four weeks, but by the end of those four weeks, I was going outside and walking several miles every day. Your ability to get up and walk around is the first thing to recover. :-)

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Originally Posted by djquilts My hysterectomy with rectocele repair and possible bladder sling is coming up and I don't see many posts from women in my age group. I know we have slower healing response, but I'm curious as to what other members are told as to what to expect or what they experienced. I have stairs to climb to my apartment which I wonder about and also getting in and out of bed to go to the bathroom uses stomach musles so how do you deal with it all?

Hi dj!! I wish I was in your age group!!! I had a cystocele, rectocele, bladder sling, hysterectomy, and vaginal vault suspension....I am 71!! I actually did pretty well, but, I have no other serious health issues. I did not have steps, but, knowing how I was getting around early in my recovery, I would MAKE SURE your physician knows your situation and see if he/she has any comments or suggestions regarding the stairs. A couple of things that I think are very important for our age group though....1. Make sure you get up and walk in the house for a few of minutes every couple of hours during the day (if you aren't sleeping!!), This will reduce the chance of blood clots. When you are laying in bed, tighten your calves and thighs 3 or four times every hour or so. 2. Make sure you take some really deep breaths 5-6 times everytime a commercial comes on TV....keep your lungs clear and this will help prevent pneumonia. 3. I found when I went from lying down to getting out of bed, I turned to my side, propped myself up on an elbow and pushed with the opposite hand to push myself up. Use your arm muscles, not your stomach. 4. Use your arms when getting up from a chair, also try to use your thighs to help and put as little stress on abdominals as possible. ...I think all age groups can use some of these tips, but, for us, they are even more important. Our vascular systems aren't as efficient as when we were 20, so, we need to do as much as we can to help it along. Good luck to you, I will be watching for you post. Blessings.

I am 67 and just had a lapryscopic hysterectomy...they removed my uterus, fallopian tubes and cervix...kept my ovaries. I'm 3-1/2 weeks post surgery and starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Have had cramps and been constipated and very tired when I try to do too much. My biggest fear was that I lifted something 9 days after my surgery that I shouldn't have... I was feeling so good that I totally forgot about the lifting restrictions. Hopefully, I didn't do any damage. That is the biggest warning I would give to anyone who has this procedure...don't lift anything heavy, or vacuum, or even push a grocery cart until much later in your recovery or when your doctor says you can. I did not know that lifting something heavy could case adhesions inside. After reading many, many posts on this website I'm not sure that age has much to do with recovery. I think a lot depends on your health and physical fitness before the surgery and your attitude and heeding the doctor's orders...and I do think a lot depends on the skill of the surgeon...make sure you get many recommendations for the surgeon you pick. I was lucky and had a good one. Good luck and keep coming to this website...it has made all the difference for me.

Thanks"oldoll" I really appreciate your thoughts and will try your suggestions. It relieves some of miy fears. I'll keep up to date as I progress.

Thanks too, Maryalamm for your thoughts. I do have a good surgeon, very experienced and kind and he takes his time to make sure it's right. I've had him years ago before I moved away and he did a cryrosurgery on me so I trust him. I have to travel an hour to see him, but it's worth it for me. I will obey the doctor's orders!