Climbed stairs 1st time...Ouch!!!

Helloooooo Sisters , I am 2 weeks post-op "Abdominal-vertical cut"...my doctor told me I could go upstairs (one at a time) to take a shower (also 1st time-I've been taking sponge baths & sleeping on the couch)...anyway, going up wasnt so bad, getting in the shower was horrible since I couldnt lift my leg up. I needed to brace on towel rack and hubby just to get in tub.
Then I cried the whole time cuz my incision and abdomen hurt. Then going down the stairs I nearly fainted...too much, too soon I guess...so today I had to take a pain pill. It hurts !!..Thanx for listening to me 'whine'.

hon!!! I understand why you wanted to get upstairs, but please take things VERY SLOWLY!! It took me a month to get to my second floor. (fortunately my bathroom is on the 1st floor though) For your next venture to the shower...ask DH to put a lawn chair in the shower for you. That gives you a bit of a break from the standing/walking. They also sell shower stools at most medical supply stores, no arms so you can have someone help you sit (rather than lifting each leg) and have them swing both your legs into the tub while you're sitting.

Allow yourself time to get your strength back before going back downstairs. Yes, showering at 2 weeks is quite an ordeal...I usually did it in "steps", then napped afterwards!

I can't leave the house without going up or down a steep flight of steps so I tackled them at 4 days. Also took a shower and washed my hair before leaving the hospital.

Consider that you may not be keeping on top of your pain. It's the pain and fear that stops you. The more aware you are of your pain level and the more you deal with it aggressively the sooner you will recover.

I think someone posted a while ago that they found it easier to go up stairs sideways?
Hope you're feeling better soon.

I had to do stairs the day I came home ( day 5 ) as bathroom is on 2nd floor. It was so hard. I ended up making myself bleed and had to stay in my daughter's room on 2nd floor for 3 days then went OHHHH so slow each time I went up and down with the help of one of my kids. I showerd day 3 in hosp. and have every day since but it isn't easy at first. The faintness will continue to come and go too. One day I think Im feeling a bit better...the next I feel terrible again. 2 steps forward....1 step back. Good luck.