dVH/RALH: Help Post-Op

OK, I am getting closer to my date and beginning to have the anxiety start to build. Exactly how much help will I need after a daVinci LSH? I am single and live alone so I need to bring in help so to speak and really do not want to impose on people. I know my sisters will be there for the surgery day and I just TOLD my father that I needed him to take the 2 days after surgery off from work. I assume I will be in the hospital over nignt and gee Dad I will need a ride home. Will I be able to take care of myself after a day or two? I guess I am just concerned about being alone and in pain or getting stuck in a chair or something. Thanks for listening to my babbling and for any words of advice.---Lisa

I also live alone. My mom stayed with me overnight at the hospital and then stayed at my house for 3 days. I didn't really need her there after the first one, but it was nice to have somebody else cooking for me!

I have 4 incisions, 2 are about half an inch long the other 2 are about an inch, and I have had no trouble with them at all. The pain for me post op was nothing compared to the pain I was in pre op. Best of luck to you!

If possible you really should see if you can get assistance for the first wk after surgery. Everyone recovers differently, and need different levels of assistance. You may need to take pain meds that entire first week or you may be able to move over to Tynelol, etc. Some docs let you drive right away, some make you wait. Some limit the times that you should go up and down stairs the first week. I think you will feel better knowing someone is around, just in case. Please ask for help!! You need to concentrate on the best recovery. TLC goes a long way in making the best recovery possible. I was blessed with having both my DH and daughter around. I am a very independent person. But it felt good knowing that they were around in case I needed anything. I had a DaVinci total hyst. I was pretty mobile. But, you really want add'l support available if you are not that mobile the first week. Best wishes!!

I'm 5 days post op from LSH/BSO. It wasn't daVinci though, so I don't know if that makes a difference. I had help, and I needed it, getting up/down and in/out of bed was very difficult for me. But everyone is different. First couple days home, I was still very groggy from surgery and pain meds. Our bed has nothing to grab on to to help pull myself up. I think if you have help for at least the first couple days, after that will be more manageable. Do you have one of those picker-up/grabby things? If not, make sure you get one, I still can't bend down to pick something up I dropped. Even if you have someone that can just pop in for a couple hours a day would be helpful. Good luck!

Thanks everyone, I guess I really just need to give a few more people a call. I hate this because I am the one that helps everyone else and now I hate asking others for help.

Now I am up, not sleeping and it is still 3 weeks away...
Tthanks-Lisa

You will get through this, just take it day by day. The hardest parts for me were getting up and down the first couple days and picking things up, but my mom got me one of those grabber things, it's been used A LOT! If you won't have help with you all the time, look around your house and see what you can have around you to assist you in the up and down. The toilet was hard for me first couple days, I didn't realize how low ours was until I had to lower myself down on it.

At the least I would have people checking in on you for at least the first 5 days or so. If you have everything set up ahead of time, frozen meals you can just heat, little bags of crackers, a chart for when you take your medications you should be ok for a few hours at a time alone. I wanted someone in the house when I took my showers though. People really do like to be able to help you. It makes them feel good that they can do something for you. You will not be putting them out. Ask for that help. You want to heal correctly since you only get one chance. Best wishes to you.

Hey Lisa-
Will you have the chance to talk to your surgeon again (or maybe their nurse) before your surgery? My doctor was so accurate about how I'd be feeling and how long I'd be feeling it for my surgery. Your doc might be a really good resource since he/she knows what they're doing to you and how their pts typically react to whatever level of surgery you're having. For my dvh, I only had my cervix/fibroid removed..I was fine to be alone after a couple of days, and my recovery was extremely speedy, as my doctor predicted.
I'm hoping your recovery is as speedy (or speedier!) and uneventful as mine was!!
Di

I put a kitchen chair next to my bed so I could get in & out a bit easier. I also used a walker (I didn't "need" it to walk) but it had a bucket on it & I kept cracker, medications, & water in it so that when I changed rooms it went with me & I had everything. There are a lot of tips here too.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by lbot Thanks everyone, I guess I really just need to give a few more people a call. I hate this because I am the one that helps everyone else and now I hate asking others for help. Now I am up, not sleeping and it is still 3 weeks away... Tthanks-Lisa

You know how good it feels to be able to help other people out right? Now it is time for you to allow someone else to experience that pleasure! DON'T FEEL GUILTY BECAUSE YOU NEED HELP! You are human.