3 week plateau....thoughts anyone??

This is probably normal, but for the first two weeks I felt noticeably better each day. I could almost see how someone could go back to work in 2 weeks… Thursday will be 4 weeks post op, however, and I still find it uncomfortable to sit in a straight chair or restaurant booth, or in my car, for very long…and having done so at all seems to set in motion those random twinges and aches that send you for the heating pad and Advil or even a mild pain pill. I am up and about the house most of the day now…I do walk and it doesn’t hurt, but standing around (as in shopping) is not so good…and I am doing things like a bit of laundry, washing dishes, paperwork, but always bearing in mind the 10 pound limit, moving carefully and not doing too much at one time or in one day. I did have a horrible day last Wednesday, when my husband had outpatient surgery…and we ended up spending the entire 12 plus hours in waiting room chairs (picture the waiting room at your auto dealership). I expected to pay for that with a couple days of being sore and tired…but should be past that already methinks.

I know DH is a bit concerned….I keep telling him it’s probably normal to have ups and downs…but I am wondering how this is going to go in another week when I am supposed to return to work. I do appear to have a bladder infection. I called Dr. office because my urine was cloudy. I had to self-cath my first day home so I had already finished one prescription. They renewed my antibiotic and said to come in if it didn’t clear up when I finished the meds and they would culture. I have been on them about 4 days and it looks much the same to me though I don’t have, and never did have, any other symptoms. Could that be responsible for the deep abdominal ache I seem to have part of the time? (I had associated this with the vaginal cuff area) I never really thought of the bladder aching (I’m not having spasms…I’d recognize that). Not really sure whether to call them today and just go in, or finish out the 7 day prescription and see where things stand. Maybe I just need to find another good book and chill a bit longer.

I had LAVH for complex ovarian cyst…no other repairs. Incisions are largely healed…everything else working fine. I’m just less energetic and having more discomfort in some places than I had at two weeks…. Thoughts anyone?

Today is 4 weeks post op (LAVH) for me and I was also feeling great at two weeks. Thinking hey, this is a piece of cake. However, I didn't have much improvement in the 3rd week, and actually felt worse. I still can't sit for very long in a chair and I get tired very easily. I am still taking one or two naps a day. I'm feeling very frustrated with myself at this point. I think that maybe we expect to much to fast and we need to be patient with the whole healing process. I think I'll start another book and wait it out. Is there any way you could put off going back to work another week?

Exactly how I feel! Except for a 2 day meeting that is coming up next week, I can probably extend my leave...maybe do a couple hours here and there, or from home, to keep things going. Not sure how I will get through that meeting at this point...I may just have to be there as much as I can and bow out when I reach my limit. The deadlines that are looming are beginning to really weigh on me...I had a melt-down two days ago about that and Easter expectations (mine...of what I should do). DH was not sure what to do with me. (He figured it out...lots of hugs and sent me to bed for a nap.) My oldest stepdaughter stepped up to the plate and helped orchestrate a family dinner for Easter evening so it all turned out well and I didn't have to do more than I felt I could. Bless em' both!!

it is such a gradual process. i still do not feel great, but i feel much better than 2 months ago. hugs and patience to all!

I am about a week behind you and have certainly experieneced ups and downs... I had a real nasty internal infection and did the 10 days of antibiotics. There are days I feel great, i.e. yesterday and did some cooking for Easter dinner... my daughters were a tremendous help for lifting and getting a bar-stool for me to sit on while pulling together casseroles, etc. I'm okay today... just stiff. I still get occassional bleeding, but it seems like it is only at night and right after I pee. Your thoughts?

My TVHBSO was also on March 23. Some days I feel great, other I'm tired and washed out. I've still had 9 days of migraines out of 23. I decided to take off the Estrogen patch on my own last Friday. I've got to try it without to see if that helps my migraines. (That was the main reason I had the BSO.) I still get a crampy feeling like I have my period, mostly on my right side. I also get a burning type pain on my right side, so I'm not sure if that is an adhesion or not. I haven't done any lifting or heavy housework. Have been driving and shopping and out to eat several times. I still have some discomfort when I pee. It's hard to explain. It doesn't burn or hurt, it just doesn't feel "normal." I can still "feel" my rectum. At first it felt like I was trying to "pass a watermelon." I was never constipated, and the stool wasn't hard, it just felt that way. But today, I saw my Gastrointestinal doc for my acid reflux and he said that is a "normal" feeling due to what they put your organs through during surgery. There is a lot of pressure on the bowel and recturm during surgery and a lot of edema during the healing process. I see my OB/GYN tomorrow for my follow up, so I'll ask her about the bladder feeling. I still have 3 weeks off of work, but I may return the last week or two on a part time basis.
I'm an Nurse, but I'm lucky that I can have a "sit-down' job if I need to.

Thanks all for sharing....in retrospect, I bet a little lull in recovery is a message to slow down a bit. I know I feel like I have more edema now than I did in my second week. I'm thinking maybe a little too much bending and lifting was probably the culprit, even though I was careful and didn't lift anything heavy. It's apparently very easy to overdo when you start feeling better...

Hi yall
We had a long discussion thread on this last week or the week before. I am also almost to week 4. Week 3 doesn't feel like as much progress is being made. Maybe we feel so much better after week 2 and we think we can do more. At any rate, it was a very common thing for several of us to be more tired and have less energy. Someone posted and said that we should think of our recovery in terms of feeling better overall now than we did at week one. I think I need to remember that is really was a major surgery and will take a bit of time to get back to 100%.
elaine

Hysterchic, I noticed that you mentioned being stiff. It is hard to sit for any length of time at all and then when I do get up I feel like none of my joints want to cooperate, especially in my hip and legs. I was in good shape and exercised alot before my surgery so this is a weird situation to be in for me. Are you experiencing this? Belly feels alittle swollen too. I really thought I would bounce back quicker but I guess if we sit and realize all that was done to our bodies, recovery will probably take the 6-8 weeks that they say.

I am heading to my 3rd week (Wednesday). I went back to work full time last week and so far have done good. I sit at a computer all day. I was actually out walking and shopping the first day home from the hospital. The let me out on Sunday April 2nd and I shopped that week. Took a couple of naps, but have been fine so far. I keep wondering if the worst is still going to hit. The doctor told me that all the walking I did in the hospital is what helped me. I hope you guys start feeling better soon.