Lots of Questions - Just a stream flow of thoughts...

Hello hyster-sisters!
I have a few questions and have no one to really answer them due to lack of knowledge or embarrassment. I'm hoping you all can help and give some pointers! Here we go not in any order of importance...
I'm trying to determine if I need to purchase a binder set or will the hospital provide one as part of the post-op?
I don't really want to take narcotic for pain relief - due to constipation and weird dreams, will ibuprofen be enough to manage the pain.
Should I shave the "V" area or will that happen in surgery prep? I really don't like the itching and ingrown hairs that come with shaving but will do it if necessary.
How much movement can I expect to do the first two days after surgery. I will be staying with my mother who is 74 yrs old and I don't want to put her out too much.
I have stairs at home and was wondering when I'll be able to go up stairs.
I can't eat very much in one sitting now because my uterus has pushed my stomach, intestines and bladder all over the place, will I eat more once the space is there and what is the deal about weight gain after a hysterectomy?
I am a stomach sleeper - really a real tummy sleeper and I have the special pillows to prove it, will I need to sleep on my back for the next 6-8 weeks?
I plan to have a diet of smoothies, soup, water and tea, do you have any other food suggestions for recovery?
I'm super worried about gas, bms and pain, is there anything I should do before to help eliminate these areas of concerns?

Ok I've said a mouthful for now, any help you can provide would be great!

Thank you so much!

Not everyone uses a binder. I did not. It is an individual choice unless your doctor tells you to.

You will probably get narcotics in the hospital, but once you go home if ibuprofen is sufficient then use just it. Discuss it with your doctor because there are stronger ones that are not narcotic.

I did not shave and majority do not. The doctor will tell you to - if he does not, do not shave. Any nicks could leave an open wound for bacteria to enter.

As for moving, again, that depends on your. Some women hardly loose a beat but you will not be able to lift more than a gallon of milk for 6 weeks or how ever long your doctor says. This is foremost to cut down on any chance for the vaginal cuff to tear (where they sew up after the cervix is removed).

As for stairs, the first few days I would do as little as possible. Otherwise, try not to go up and down often. My doctor told me when I do, to use the handrail to pull myself up. Again, ask you doctor

Eating - things should drop down some. But, if you stomach is small due to not being able to eat much at once, then you still will not until you stretch it. That will be up to you if you want to change your eating pattern.

As for weight gain - a lot is our individual metabolism, exercise, and how much you eat. You will have to experiment to see how much/little you can eat to maintain your weight.

I was sleeping on my side the first night. I have a belly so I put a blanket under my belly to support it. When I turn or get up I would hold my stomach with one hand. I also did that when I walked - like pregnant women do. As for belly sleeping, that will be up to you. If it doesn't hurt and you can tolerate, do it when you can.

I ate mostly carrots, celery, pudding, fruit, and non-gas producing veggies at first. I drank a lot of fluids - water, soda, tea.

As for gas - I really did not have a problem from either intestinal or from the Co2. My doctor let as much escape as he could before pulling the tube out. (I had robotic). I did not have to do a bowel prep so my bowels were only as empty as my nerves that morning caused. I started taking stool softeners a couple days before. I still am because of my weird bowels. Other options to have handy could be prune, apple, or pineapple juice. One lady said if you heat prune and orange juice together it works to wake up the bowels. I never tried it - read about it a few weeks after. Also, might want to keep some Milk of magnesia handy in case the stool softeners do not work.

Fluids and walking help a whole lot. Doesn't have to be a lot of walking just moving helps the gas and your body to get back working right.

I would make a list of question and take to your pre-op appt with your doctor and write down the answers. That way you will know exactly how he wants you to proceed where your healing is concerned.

I love my binder because I like to sleep on my side and it holds the tummy in. For post-op BM, I eat prunes every day and take a fiber supplement 3 times a day and eat lots of fruit/veggies throughout the day. My Dr said she did not want me to shave myself because of the risk of infection; ask your Dr what he/she wants you to do. Everyone is different, but these are a few things that worked for me.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by tandaj Hello hyster-sisters! I have a few questions and have no one to really answer them due to lack of knowledge or embarrassment. I'm hoping you all can help and give some pointers! Here we go not in any order of importance... I'm trying to determine if I need to purchase a binder set or will the hospital provide one as part of the post-op? I don't really want to take narcotic for pain relief - due to constipation and weird dreams, will ibuprofen be enough to manage the pain. Should I shave the "V" area or will that happen in surgery prep? I really don't like the itching and ingrown hairs that come with shaving but will do it if necessary. How much movement can I expect to do the first two days after surgery. I will be staying with my mother who is 74 yrs old and I don't want to put her out too much. I have stairs at home and was wondering when I'll be able to go up stairs. I can't eat very much in one sitting now because my uterus has pushed my stomach, intestines and bladder all over the place, will I eat more once the space is there and what is the deal about weight gain after a hysterectomy? I am a stomach sleeper - really a real tummy sleeper and I have the special pillows to prove it, will I need to sleep on my back for the next 6-8 weeks? I plan to have a diet of smoothies, soup, water and tea, do you have any other food suggestions for recovery? I'm super worried about gas, bms and pain, is there anything I should do before to help eliminate these areas of concerns? Ok I've said a mouthful for now, any help you can provide would be great! Thank you so much!

I wouldn't bother with the binder, you can always order one later if you want it. I wasted my money buying one I never used

I did not ever have any narcotics. The hospital protocol was to use a combo of Tylenol and toradol (super Motrin). In my iv. The iv was removed later the night of my surgery and I never needed more pain meds. I would talk to your dr if you want to try narcotic free.

I didn't shave, your dr would tell you if you need to.

I walked around a lot and fended for myself, got food, drink, etc. was able to cook and light clean.

I was allowed to do stairs from the beginning, and went up/down several times daily. Was not allowedvto carry awkward things up and down and had to use handrails.

I had a similar eating problem and wanted to eat everything in sight, I felt so much better. Allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted for 2 weeks and then went back to normal.

I sleep every which way, and slept exclusively on my back for a few days, then on my side, one day woke up on my stomach and wasn't in pain, so added that back in too.

If you are worried about gas and be, eat plenty of fiber during your recovery. I just ate normally, no need to restrict yourself to tea and smoothies unless you are nauseated. I had no problem with that, I think the combo of having had to do a bowel prep and no narcotics probably helped.

Good luck, you will be fine!

I will answer what I can and this was me only (as u know we r all different). I asked for a binder while in the hospital (I felt my swollen belly was causing pressure and had to hold it up when I walked) but the nurse said it had to be ordered by my dr and never brought it up again so I am guessing it wasn't needed although I would still like one as I am still walking around holding my belly.
The narcotics for me personally were and are still absolutely necessary. I notice when they wear off I start to have more pain. But some women are perfectly fine never using them so you will need to decide yourself what us best for you. I say if they are helping, don't try to be a hero and not use them if you need them....keeping ahead of the pain is key IMO.
As for getting around I can tell you I went to my son's football game the night I was discharged (I did have hubby push me in a wheelchair but I still walked to my seat) and i went costume and grocery shopping with my family last night almost forgetting I had the major surgery. But again you will know what is too much for you.
My dr had no orders either way about shaving. Personally I like to keep the area well groomed so I did shave and Dr never said anything about it so it didn't affect my surgery either way.
I have been walking up and down stairs since I got home but again everyone is different....I just make sure to take it easy and listen to my body when I'm too tired.
I still don't have much of an appetite but it's only been 3 days for me. Basically I have only been eating light small meals when I'm hungry. I am afraid of overload when that first BM happens.

hope some of this helps you......good luck!!

As for the shaving, (with my dr's permission) I had a "surrounding" wax about a week before... I really hate to go without shaving my legs and was afraid I wouldn't be able to for a while after surgery. So I splurged for my first ever. The wax was about an inch below where the incision would be. Any regrowth they shaved just before surgery.

As for stairs, my dr did not want me on the stairs for the first two weeks and then wanted limited trips up and down until dismissal. She said if I had to - only once up and once down per day and no carrying anything. Could I have? Yes. Did I? Two times in week two, BUT, I was able to put a daybed in the living room and avoid the issue. My house if full of up and down levels so it's not like I wasn't moving. Talk to your doctor that is a decision you need to make together based on your needs.

As for diet, I started adding fiber, cutting back on my splurge of caffeine, (didn't drink sodas, but carbonation can cause gas) and increased my water intake. I didn't really eat much differently after surgery than before. With two men in the house, they really want protein and I just kept it balanced. I took some senna for a few days before and after, and drank plum and prune juice and apple cider just to assure "things."(with doctor's ok) I did have something for gas just in case but never had to use it.

Pre-think your nesting area. My rocking recliner would NOT have been a good thing. I had another chair and foot stool, but discovered quickly that even with it I needed pillows behind my back as it was a deep sitting chair. I did not want help getting up and down. The first two days were a little testy on that but easier by myself.

One thing not yet mentioned is a small pillow for you tummy. Take it to the hospital, for coughs, sneezes, getting up and down, seatbelt, etc. It will be your best friend. My dr didn't want me to use a binder for the first two weeks because of staples, but she did laugh and agree when we had pillow talk. LOL

Good luck!

I got a binder in the hospital and used it twice. I was able to sleep on my side from day 1, I used a pillow against my stomach for tha first week. I don't sleep on my stomach but I think if I did I could have by two weeks. I was able to do pretty much anything for myself when I got home from the hospital (day 2) except lift, my lifting restriction was 20 lbs (just over two milk gallons). I used narcotics for a few days all day then a non narcotic high strength a few days at night then Ibuprophen was enough. I was allowed to go up and down the stairs two times a day for the first two weeks then all stair restrictions were lifted.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by tandaj Hello hyster-sisters! I have a few questions and have no one to really answer them due to lack of knowledge or embarrassment. I'm hoping you all can help and give some pointers! Here we go not in any order of importance... I'm trying to determine if I need to purchase a binder set or will the hospital provide one as part of the post-op? I don't really want to take narcotic for pain relief - due to constipation and weird dreams, will ibuprofen be enough to manage the pain. Should I shave the "V" area or will that happen in surgery prep? I really don't like the itching and ingrown hairs that come with shaving but will do it if necessary. How much movement can I expect to do the first two days after surgery. I will be staying with my mother who is 74 yrs old and I don't want to put her out too much. I have stairs at home and was wondering when I'll be able to go up stairs. I can't eat very much in one sitting now because my uterus has pushed my stomach, intestines and bladder all over the place, will I eat more once the space is there and what is the deal about weight gain after a hysterectomy? I am a stomach sleeper - really a real tummy sleeper and I have the special pillows to prove it, will I need to sleep on my back for the next 6-8 weeks? I plan to have a diet of smoothies, soup, water and tea, do you have any other food suggestions for recovery? I'm super worried about gas, bms and pain, is there anything I should do before to help eliminate these areas of concerns? Ok I've said a mouthful for now, any help you can provide would be great! Thank you so much!

As you can see, there is so much variety in both the surgeries done and the recovery experience.

From your questions one thing you should consider is that there are lots of studies showing increased infection rates if the skin is shaved. So don't. They will trim, not shave in most circumstances, what needs done.

Appetites are often off, the things you mention are great. Stool softners are your very best friend, minimize gas creating foods- gas was worse then poop.

Dr will give you stair limits. I had no limits of that kind. You may.
Mobility you will see how you feel. Make sure you leave a big bottle of water by your resting spot. That will be critical. It's a bit slow walking at first, so the biggest thing is really getting to and from the toilet!

Tummy sleeper? Oh yeah, that'll likely be tough at the start, but hopefully will improve after the first week. Try a body pillow that you can lean onto sort of faking being on your belly. I know about that problem, and that's the best solution I found for myself.

I found that tightening my abs when walking after a few days seemed to keep things from wiggling as much. I had a spanx like garment that I bought pre op, like a binder, that did make walking a bit more comfortable when I started to wonder out a bit. After a week I didn't need it at all. You are having lap surgery, not open abdominal, so that's different than many who totally love the binder feel for longer.

Many women have decreased appetite. I lost a little weight. But at first you will be swollen from just the act of having surgery. It could take over a week for your body to rid itself of tall that added fluid.
Take this as an opportunity to recommit to a healthy diet and it will make managing your weight easier. I think that if you are not in menopause and then have your ovaries removed, there is so much change in your body's hormones, that ends up being the bigger weight issue rather than the uterus part.

Hope this helped

Thank you all so much! There is great advice and perspective. I will keep you posted. I'm glad that all of you are recovering nicely! I have m pre-op appt on 11/4 and will ask my Dr. questions then. You all have been so helpful. Thank you Thank you Thank you!