Pre-op questions-help please-nervous!

I've been wondering like crazy about how long I'll be really "laid Up", can anyone tell me?

Also, is two weeks no stairs the norm?

Do you ladies plan to spend so many days in actual bed when you got home or did you relax on the couch or a recliner? I may need to have furniture moved and I live in a tri-level and I don't know how many days I wont be able to do stairs.

How long is everyone thinking realistically they will be off work? My job wants me back after 2 weeks, but I'm not rushing back until I am 100%-I know everyone is different, but I hate not knowing these things-as I need to prepare and I am having anxiety over it all already. Probably doesn't help that I cant' count on any help/support from my husband or anyone for that matter.

Thanks for any replies.

Hi- everyone is different. But I was doing a lot of laying around the first week. I would go for walks around the house just to keep the gas moving in my body. I slept on the couch, my bed was not comfortable until week 3( I dnt knw why)... I started driving week 2 only short distances. I am almost 5 weeks and I venture out a lot more but get fatigued easily, good luck to you and I wish u a speedy recovery

I am 4 days post surgery and can do short sets of stairs just fine. I can also sit in a chair comfortable for about 4 hours, so I would say couch/recliner should be doable. I tend to hang out on my bed because my laptop is there and my room is my favorite place not because I can't do otherwise. 2 weeks back to fulltime work seems pushing it to me but people heal differently.

Hi Kathy,

It's probably not the answer you want to hear, but everyone is so different, it's hard to say how long you'll need. For the most part, we're only around 40% healed internally at 6 weeks, regardless of what kind of surgery we had - and that's when everything goes without a hitch. (Which is to say that if you're waiting for 100% to return to work, it might be awhile!)

For what it's worth, here's my experience: All I wanted to do was sleep and nap and sleep some more for the first two-three weeks, and I had what I see now was an 'easy' recovery.

The stairs question is one to ask your doctor; when I asked, mine said to not over-do them (as in, don't go up and down stairs 25 times a day), but that going up and down so long as it didn't hurt me was fine. I had to go up two flights of stairs when I first came home, though I avoided them when I could for the first four days. This was easy, because I was sleeping and napping.

As to work, I have a super high-energy full-time job which involves lots of moving and being on my feet all day. I went back at 4.5 weeks post-op, but was mentally ready at 3, felt ready at 4 (with my doctor's okay), and gave myself a few more days to keep resting up. My biggest hurdle? Fatigue!

Again, this was my experience, and I have been really fortunate. I think a sit-down job is actually harder with pressure on the abdomen area (regardless of surgery type), so keep that in mind too.

Remember to really pamper yourself - it is so important to err on the side of caution, even if it seems frustrating or awkward or inconvenient; your body will thank you!!

Hello, I came home from the hospital to my recliner. I only moved to my bed to sleep at night and the occasional nap (if I had time before sleep overtook me). It was easier to get up to go to the bathroom from the chair than a bed.

I went back to work part-time 12 days after surgery, but that was totally my own decision. I asked my doctor and he asked about my job duties and then told me to listen to my body.

I work a desk job, had the boss's permission to leave at any time, and work 5 minutes from my home. I worked mornings and then rested all afternoon and evening. My husband has totally taken over the cooking and cleaning, even the Christmas decorating, so I didn't have to worry about having energy for any of that.

Next week, I will try to work a few more hours and help around the house!

Like my doctor said, listen to your body and take into account both your duties at work and what if need to do once you get home. Don't wear yourself out!

Good luck and take care of yourself!

Thank you all SO MUCH! (I love this site-what a blessing).
I work full-time mostly sit down, but long walk from one office to another or even the bathroom. Then, I have three boys, but they are teenagers, and I go to night school-but I'll have 5 weeks off until the new semester begins. I guess my dr only told me he could let me return to work after two weeks as that is what I stressed to him I needed, how they cannot function without me, etc. but in light of how un-flexible my bosses are being by really telling me again and again they expect me back 2 weeks, I am def not doing that.

I am so thankful for you all being so honest about the fatigue. I just don't know what to expect and it's hard to imagine that when I've never had any major surgery before, just lots of same day proceedures.

I have decided also that I am def going to ask for a 2nd night in the hospital, as from exp, they can never control my pain-morphine doesn't help me much at all, and I will just say I am not ready the following day, I know I have that right, and my insurance will cover it when my dr. says I am not ready also.

I went home the day after surgery and I so wasn't ready. I just didn't speak up. I ended up in the ER the next day in terrible pain.
I am post op 16 days and I have tried to sleep in my bed 2 times and each time I wake up miserable. The recliner on the couch is much better for me. My husband has set up a little table next to it that I can keep a drink, medicine, chapstick, lotion, kleenex, snacks, netbook and phones. I only really have to get up to go to the bathroom.
I really wanted to go back to work on day 10 (I am a temp so no paid time off). The morning of day 10 I got ready through the pain and then realized I was having trouble breathing. I ended up in the ER. Pain had gotten the best of me again. Day 11 same issues, the ER had only medicated me while I was there. I went back to the ER and they admitted me for 2 more days. So long story short you have to take it one day at a time. I am going to to try to at least go to work for a little while tomorrow but only if I feel up to it.
Don't try to push yourself too much because it only makes it a lot worse. It will all be over in no time.

I live on a 3rd floor apartment and was worried about getting up the stairs the day after. My doc said it was fine but let me tell you, it hurt. I didn't go back down them again until my 1 week post-op appointment but by then, it was much easier.

I took daily naps each afternoon (about two hours) for weeks. Honestly, the fatigue was really overwhelming. I still get tired easy and I'm coming up on 9 weeks post-op. I have more stamina but not quite as much as pre-op.

I was on my pain meds for about 2 weeks. (I dropped down from percocet to vicodin after a week.) I wanted to stop sooner and kept trying to stop but it was too soon. I drove at three weeks.

There would have been no way to go back to work at 2 weeks for me. I had it pretty easy (no complications) but still...it takes A LOT of time. Even 4 weeks would have been pushing it but it might be slightly more doable.

Whatever you do, just listen to your body. Stop when you get tired, rest when you need to. I spent my days on my couch mainly watching tv. Sitting in my computer chair was uncomfortable and I found I couldn't focus on things well on the monitor so I just didn't really use the web much for awhile. (And I'm a net junkie!)

Take it at the pace you need and remember you have one chance to heal right, so do what's best for you and your recovery!

Everyone is different so it's hard to tell you, I am 6 weeks post op and I've never felt better..... This surgery has taken away all my pains that I thought was associated with something else....
Week 1, I was resting and relaxing....I wasn't in too much pain, I mostly felt pain in the evening when I'd go to sleep because I am normally a stomach sleeper, so I'd turn from side to side all night trying to get comfortable....
Week 2, I started going for shorts walks, doing light cleaning... on my
Post Appt. my doctor told me I could walk as much as I wanted, I could go up and down stairs, I could drive.....but still, no intercourse, no heavy lifting or tub baths (which I miss so much)
Weeks 3 & 4, I was going out for longer
walks......
Weeks 5 & 6, I know I'm not completely healed but it feels like it.....I'm still following Doctors orders until I see him next week......

Good Luck and I wish you a speedy recovery!!

Well, I had a TAH/BSO and I have a vertical incision, so it was fairly major.

The matter of going back to work does depend on the type of surgery, and I guess our individual circumstances.
I am frankly appalled at the hard line some employers have taken towards some poor ladies here!!
There is NO way on earth I could have gone back to work in 2 weeks - I couldn't even consider driving.
Only about the 6 week mark did I feel ready, and I was blessed with a team leader who made me stay home another week and then work my first week part time!
Even that was a hard week!
Luckily I had a ton of accumulated (paid) sick leave to see me through so that was not a worry.
If you can wangle another night in hospital, it would be helpful, I believe!
I was again lucky (IMO) to have 5 days in hospital, because I live on my own, and those days of enforced rest (I did walk the corridors!) really set me up to recover at home.
The more I read on this site, the more I feel I had it pretty easy compared to what others here have to go through!

(But, oh boy, it was rough for a start!)