What to expect?

I am scheduled for TVH on Friday, August 10th. I am not sure what to expect after surgery. I am in the dark. My doctor has not given me any details for post op. I guess she will on Friday but I would like to know ahead of time....HELP!!

Hi Linda, welcome to hystersisters. You should have some idea from the doctor on what to expect. Can you give her a call before the op , to put your mind at rest? I suppose the main thing is that you must rest. For at least 6 to 8 weeks . This means no housework , no lifting. I didnt drive a car for 4 weeks, my doctors advice. No sex for at least 8 weeks , my doctors advice. You must remember that there are many, many stitches inside that must be given the chance to heal. You have only one chance to heal properly and this is it. Have you read the pull down menus? There is alot of advice there. Pain .. well my pain was fairly minimal , controlled by the pump in the first day or so and then straight on to paracetamol. Every one has a different pain threshold, just remember that if you are in pain, ask for something to relieve it. Drink lots of water and cranberry juice is good also. Keep reading and asking questions and we will do our best to help prepare you for the hyster. Take care and much love x x

I think most of us that had TVH felt fairly good the first few days afterwards. I only had intravenous Demerol plus an anti-nausea med for the first few hours after my surgery. The next morning the catheter was out and I didn't need anything for discomfort beyond the occasional Tylenol. They let me go home the day after my surgery.

Amen to drinking lots of fluids! There will likely be some memorable gas pains. Water and small walks will help with this. Also don't eat gas-causing foods for awhile. To avoid constipation, a lot of doctors prescribe stool softeners. Also be sure to eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

Some ladies feel well enough the first few days after a TVH that they think that they can do anything! Not true! Heed all of the posts about resting with your feet up, no lifting, no housework, no yard work. It is very true. If you overdo it, you will eventually hurt, and there's always good old Swelly Belly to remind you when you've been bad!

If you're like many of us, weeks 2-3 will be when you "feel" the surgery a little more. This is when the internal stitches are dissolving. Things tend to get twingy and achy for awhile, but this quickly passes.

My doctor told me it was safe to drive as long as I wasn't taking narcotics!!! Other posts have suggested that driving is not a good idea until you are able to brake the car to a sudden stop if you need to. I had to drive at one week post op because I came down with possible strep throat and had no other way to get to the doctor. I was scared to death the whole way there and back, and probably drove like a little old lady. I was definitely not comfortable with it, and my car stayed in the driveway after that for another week. At week two I was up to short trips, but I really didn't feel like sitting in one spot long enough to go for long drives.

I agree with the previous post - talk to your doctor again and get his/her recommendations about all of these questions. Everyone is different, and it seems that everyone's doctor has their own opinion. Don't be afraid to call yours! That's what you pay them those big bucks for!

Good luck!

-Kim

Hey Linda!

I just had my TVH a week ago, and for me, it's been wonderful. Here's what's happened to me since I went to the castle on the 30th of July:

1. A long wait to get into surgery. I checked in, they asked a million questions. I changed clothes, they asked a million questions. They gave me these TED socks to put on before surgery, but didn't show me how. If you get them, just look for the heel part and make sure it's over your heel, and then if you've done it right, the toe lines will be over your toes, and your toes won't be sticking out like mine did for a long time!!!! They dragged me all over the place, made me wait, and took blood, set up an IV, and I went to sleep.

2. Waking up from the anesthesia. I hated this part! Chaos seems to be the rule in the recovery room, but I was out of it enough that it didn't scare me. It just bugged me.

3. Not much pain. My biggest problem was the nausea from the morphine. If you feel nauseous, tell them to switch you to dillotid. Don't let them make you wait--odds are it is NOT from the anesthesia!!! My pain was more like a little pressure and some mild cramping. After the dillotid, they gave me percocet and motrin. I probably only had two motrin at the hospital and I didn't use any percocet there. I still don't need the meds much at all. I have just taken one motrin a day for a while to keep the swelling down. At the hospital, I walked up and down the hall about once every two hours. I was in the hospital from Monday morning to Wednesday morning. Had it not been for the morphine trouble, I'd have gone home Tuesday night.

4. Liquid food. I don't know if everyone gets just liquid food for the first day and a half, but that's all I got because of the morphine nausea. That was okay, though, because when I finally got solid food (breakfast on Wednesday), it was way too greasy for me. Guess I'm not a fan of hospital food!

5. A tiny bit of discharge. They gave me some mesh panties and an ugly maternity pad in case I bled. I used the mesh panties, but I had brought my own pads, so I used them. I have had the tiniest bit of discharge. No heavy bleeding!!!! It's been wonderful. I still have just a bit of discharge--not even enough for a pad.

6. Constipation and gas. You can bet that you'll feel very odd, nasty gas as soon as you start putting stuff into your mouth--be it water or food! Of course, it doesn't make it all the way through you so that you pass it. It kind of rumbles around in there and hurts for a while. You will need to pass gas through your bottom before your doctor is completely happy with you. Don't force it. It will happen, but it might take some time and cause a little pain for a while. I didn't take my gas-x to the castle, because that's against the rules, but I started using it the minute I got home. My doctor prescribed colace as a stool softener, but I am still somewhat constipated (compared to my old self). I recommend bran muffins (I'll post the recipe), prune juice, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables when you get home. Effecting soft output (as we call it instead of bowel movement) is somewhat challenging and can be a little painful.

7. Tiredness. You will be tired the first few days. I have bursts of energy, but I'm still prety tired.

8. Overdoing. Those of us who have TVH's have a tendency to overdo very quickly because we don't have those nasty outter stitches to remind us of what happened. Regardless of how wonderful you feel, STAY IN BED this first week. Don't lift anything heavier than your toothbrush, a bran muffin, or a bottle of water! Of course, you have to get up from time to time to prevent blood clots, but don't be thinking that just because you feel good you can go to the store!!!!! STAY HOME, STAY IN BED (or your recliner), EAT HEALTHY, DRINK LOTS OF WATER (and cranberry juice, too).

I could probably ramble on forever, but at least this gives you an idea of what I went through. So far, it's been pretty great! I credit that to AWESOME pillow police who restricted me to my room any time I ran a fever....I get a tiny fever every afternoon. Never high enough to call the doctor about. I just rest, and drink lots of fluids.

BEST OF LUCK!!!!

Hi well I can not tell you what to excpet because I will be finding out the same time you do. But I have read and learned so much from this site it is great. If you want to talk email me at jamme25@aol.com. Good luck. and God bless

A good place to get yourself prepared is on our home page, at the Pull Down Menus! There are all sorts of lists...what to bring, what you'll need at home...and stories from many other sisters who have had the same procedures, so you can get an idea of what to expect!

If you have specific questions, PLEASE call your doctor's office and ask everything that's on your list. And we'll all be here to help you, both before and after.

Wishing you the best of luck!!

Karen

And, of course, there's always the HysterSisters Guide to Recovery. It's great reading...lots of fun, too! To get to order form, just click beneath my signature...

Tracie - your post was great! Very informative and encouraging. I am having a TVH on August 13, and am now getting a little anxious. I keep asking if I really need it, etc. My husband says to just think back to my last period when I lost a massive clot and bled for ten minutes in the public library bathroom and ask myself again. Anyway, what did you do about stairs? I have to go up to my bedroom. Kitchen is on the main level, and rec room is two flights down from the bedroom. If I go up to my room, I do have a tv., and computer, and a bathroom down the hall. Thanks for the help.

Hi Sandy:

My doctor wasn't too concerned about my stairs, however my mother wouldn't allow me to go up and down them more than twice a day....and that's only if my temperature met her criteria! (You'd think I was 10 years old instead of 41!!!) I, too, have my bedroom on the top floor with the kitchen on the main floor. My mom thought I should rest on the couch on the main floor the first day, but my doctor said it was okay for me to go upstairs.

I am glad my mom didn't let me go up and down the stairs too much as I'm sure that's contributed to what, so far, has been a smooth recovery. My DH bought a lovely intercom ($50.00) so that we wouldn't have to yell through the three stories of our townhouse, and my mother and I LOVED that. If you can get away without doing the stairs, do it, but if you have to go up and/or down every now and then, and your body says it's okay to do, you should be okay.

Of course, your doctor is the expert. This is just what I experienced!

Best of luck!!! If your doctor is as good as mine, you'll be glad you've done this. So far, I'm THRILLED with the results!!!