Is a hysterectomy recovery so different from a c section??

I know that is a real dumb question to ask ! I've been reading the boards on here for a while now about how tired ladies are after a hysterectomy etc ... I know you obviously can't lift anything and do much in the first weeks after one but isn't that just the same as a c section? I had a section 8 years ago ad have had 4 laps what u have recovered ok from .. Had ectopic pregnancy and tube removal ( that knocked me off my feet for about a week but was then ok to go back to work etc) ! Writing this down I know it is sounding like I'm being naive ... I guess I'm just trying to tell myself if I picked myself up after a section and looked after a baby then surely this can't be so bad right?

This is a good question, and hope we get some good comments. I had a csection 15 months ago and having TVH in 6 days.

I had a C-section as well and since I was having a TAH I figured the same thing.... Seems close to the same surgery, recovery should be close right? Wrong!! I am now 13 weeks post op and can honestly say the only thing the same is the scar!!
My recovery from this has been long, frustrating and emotional. And is still on going. I think we all like to believe that we are superwoman and nothing can hold us down but this surgery requires us to take off the cape and take care of ourselves. Be prepared for longer down time then a couple of weeks and tiring very quickly! The best thing to do after is take it easy and listen to your body! If your to sore to do things, don't push yourself. If your tired, sleep.. Embrace naps
Good luck and remember this is a very different surgery and don't feel guilty if you are not up and at 'em as fast as with others!

Think an reading on here alot and am really expecting myself to be bad after this op and in alot of pain ... Although I am havin a LAVH and maybe bladder repair so I guess there is going to be alot of pain in that region aswell. The waiting is doing my head in , am more anxious about the recovery than the operation. :-). Hope you have a good surgery and quick recovery

It just all around different. 1. You shouldn't be gushing lots of blood like you do post baby. You most likely will have no bikini like insicion only a few ports if they are removing the uterus vanginally for you. (I have a small 3 inch bikini insision. Half the size than my c-section one. ) the insides are going to have a different kind of sore. I think its very different. But a little the same. Lol

Hi ladies! I kind of wondered the same thing before mine. I had a c-section 8 years ago and three weeks ago I had a robotic hysterectomy with both ovaries removed. I will say this... it's a lot like a c-section where you have that sort of hunched over tightness where you feel you can't really stand up straight. I wasn't open abdominal and I still had that. It is just now really going away. I had very little pain after my c-section and I can say the same about this.

I have been much more tired with this surgery though. I think the difference is that a c-section is more "natural" if that makes any sense. Your uterus is shrinking back and you are healing, but aside from the wound, stitches etc, your body is recovering from something it was designed to do and women have done for years and years. With the hysterectomy, I think it is more of an un-natural response and your body kind of goes into shock. You are in a very unatural position during surgery, at least I was with the robot. In my case, I had lots of adhesions including a cyst on my ovary that had moved it back and attached it to my pelvis. After the surgery, all of those healing organs that had adhesions are healing. Things are moving around and your entire body is re-learning to function without organs that were there your whole life and your body wasn't made to live without. So I guess that's where that extra exhaustion comes from. All those organs getting un-attached are rebelling. :-) And there is some residual funkiness from the anesthesia. But like I said, the pain level seemed to be similar for me. Except for the CO2 gas pain which was not there for a c-section. That is hard, but it will pass.
I guess the last thing is that when I had my c-section, I was so wrapped up in my son and in love. With the hysterectomy, you're dealing with very different emotions but those too are manageable. It sounds silly until you go through it, but there is a certain level of mourning you go through. It's not unlike postpartum in some ways. Like you've been changed somehow. But those too are manageable.

I think you will do great and like you said, you recovered from a c-section and you will be just fine, don't worry! Plus, you will be knocked out where with the c-section you were awake. I remember feeling like my body was being thrown all over the table with the c-section!

I hope that helps. I had very similar experiences and feelings prior to my surgery so I tried to share what I wanted to know. Good luck!

Neet25 thankyou very much for your reply ... All that made perfect sense the way you wrote it . Guess I best prepare for some serious naps everyday lol , just hoping I don't get insomnia coz that wil l tip me over the edge , I can sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow so definatly won't be used to not sleeping

I had horrible insomnia BEFORE the surgery due to pain and none after! I did have crazy dreams though, probably partly due to the pain killers, lol! I only took them day one and day two and was good with advil after that. I was like you where I was dreading the recovery. It is very frustrating because it is a lot of up and down. Lots of weird things. But I wouldn't say it's been painful. I highly recommend finding your recovery group in the threads. It will be a recovery report strand for everyone who had their surgery within a certain time frame. It has been a lifesaver because you'll have some random pain or ache and sure enough, someone is having the same thing or called their doctor and they said it was fine. Good luck!