What kind of housework is okay 9 days post-hysterectomy?

I'm 9 days post-op. What kind of housework is okay? I've been doing laundry and dishes in short chunks of time the past couple of days and actually don't feel too bad after. Does that mean I can?

I know vacuuming is out for awhile.

I was allowed to return to normal activities slowly at 2 weeks post op for my other Lap surgeries. Is this any different than other Laproscopic surgeries post-op?

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Originally Posted by K33 I'm 9 days post-op. What kind of housework is okay? I've been doing laundry and dishes in short chunks of time the past couple of days and actually don't feel too bad after. Does that mean I can? I know vacuuming is out for awhile. I was allowed to return to normal activities slowly at 2 weeks post op for my other Lap surgeries. Is this any different than other Laproscopic surgeries post-op?

My surgery was a TAH and I was told to do nothing for 6 weeks. I've been doing dishes and pick the cat up but he's only 2.5 kg . I would take it easy , definitely no heavy lifting . You only have this time to heal and if you accidentally over do things it could be detrimental in the long run. Your insides are still healing and need the best conditions to do so. I know it's frustrating with limitations. I'm an on the go person, go to the gym 4-5 days a week and walk my dog , love staying active and keeping a clean house but I'm taking it easy for now. Hope you have a good recovery

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Originally Posted by K33 I'm 9 days post-op. What kind of housework is okay? I've been doing laundry and dishes in short chunks of time the past couple of days and actually don't feel too bad after. Does that mean I can?

Yes! If you do something in "short chunks" and don't feel too bad after, you're okay. Avoid lifting more than 10 lbs, bending over or twisting at the waist and activities such as sweeping or vacuuming that use your abdominal muscles too much.

The important thing is to listen to your body. If you start in on a task and your body says it wants to rest, stop what you're doing and rest. Don't try to push through in order to finish the task. If you rest and feel refreshed, you're okay. If you rest and feel as if you got hit by a truck, don't do that much of that activity again.

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I was allowed to return to normal activities slowly at 2 weeks post op for my other Lap surgeries. Is this any different than other Laproscopic surgeries post-op?

It's a mistake to lump all laparoscopic surgeries together. Laparoscopy is a technique that can be used for many types of surgery. For example, my sister had a cyst removed from one ovary laparoscopically. That's very different from having your entire uterus removed laparoscopically!

I found that what I could do increased gradually over the weeks following my hysterectomy. For example, my first week I was proud of myself for being able to shuffle around the block like an old lady. :-) At two weeks, I could walk a mile in 15 minutes. I started practicing walking up and down hills. This meant I could get to the supermarket - as long as I bought less than 10 lbs of stuff. At four weeks, I could walk 3-6 miles on hilly trails.

Some things need to be cleared with your doctor before attempting them. My doc cleared me at four weeks to lift up to 30 lbs, run, cycle, swim and return to work at a part-time desk jog. Lifting more than 30 lbs and abdominal exercise had to wait until six weeks, and even then I had to start off cautiously and work up gradually.

I have the same problem. I have very limited help as I am a single mom. Yesterday I know I overdid it. I'm also two weeks out. I had to take the trash out and there were two random dogs on my street that were causing trouble. I know I shouldn't have held onto one of the dogs, and I did let him go when he started to pull hard. I'm pretty sure the trash can wasn't too bad but there's that minute where you have to pull it back on its wheels that I knew was a no-no, but what am I supposed to do. I can't let yeah pile up for six weeks. My doctor basically said that we all screw up at some point and have to step back. As long as it isn't a regular occurrence of doing too much. Our bodies are pretty strong things. I'm paying someone to do my floors for a while, but if you're taking it easy most of the time, you should be able to do some small stuff

Thanks ladies this is all very helpful. We have too many decisions to make post-op that can either hurt or help us. It's overwhelming to know what to do (or not to do) in each circumstance. SO thankful for this forum!

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Originally Posted by Bkhenry ...My doctor basically said that we all screw up at some point and have to step back...

Oh, yeah. I was told at the hospital not to lift more than 10 lbs. Arrived home and what's the first thing I did? Picked up my 13-lb cat. My body yelled, "Put that down!"

The next day a delivery guy arrived with a huge fruit basket containing, among many other things, a honeydew melon and a pineapple. He started to hand it to me *and I started to take it*. Common sense kicked in as I felt the weight settle into my hands. I thrust it back at him and asked him to bring it inside for me.

Then there was the attempt to do a plank in my third week, about which no more shall be said. Just - don't.