TAH questions?

My surgery was rescheduled for Nov. 6th. Im having a TAH with a possible RSO. I was wondering if I would feel up to cooking for Thanksgiving or if I should accept an invitation to my brother-in-laws house. I dont want to over do it but Id rather eat at my own home. In three weeks time will I be up to the task? Could some one tell me how they felt at that three week point? Am I being to hopefully in thinking Ill be able to stand for hours cooking?

Also in an another post I said my surgery was cancled due to an abnormal EKG. My family dr said it was heart disease. Saw an cardiologist and he said I was fine. Dr read it wrong. My surgery was cancled for nothing. That dr is so gone! She had me so worried over nothing. Im just happy it really wasnt anything at all.

Thanks in advance for any info that might help. Hope everyone is doing good!

Im scheduled for Nov. 8th. I cook Thanksgiving dinner every year for extended family... this year I let my sister take it on. I also graciously refused her invitation. She is just about an hour and a half away and frankly I don't do well on long car rides now (due to back troubles). I told hubby this year, we get a small turkey and have a nice quiet dinner at home.

I don't know how much you do for the big dinner, but it usually takes me 2 days minimum to put it all together. Realistically, I'd say there is no way you are going to be able to do ALL of that without hurting yourself, unless you have some good dependable help. I've obviously never had a hysterectomy, but I did have some extensive abdominal female surgery in 1987 and remember it took about a month before I was really able to do any kind of strenuous work.

My advice would be take advantage of the invitation, be the guest this year. Remember this site is all about the pampering and we ALL deserve it! The last thing you want to do is overdo it, or put yourself in a situation where you are pressured to.

I'll be right behind you! Here's to us having an easy time of it and a speedy recovery!

I had a TAH on July 7. Although you should feel much better by week 3, you will be amazed at how tired you get. Just a quick trip to town will make you want to take a nap. And don't even think about lifting roasting pans out of the oven!

I would offer to bring the chinet plates, cups, etc. and then be "Queen for the Day". Most likely, if you tried to help out, others will run you out of the kitchen.

Wear something loose (vaguely resembling pj's or a caftan) to help people remember you recently had surgery! If you jump in and work hard, people will forget and expect more out of you - not to mention that you will pay for it the next day!!!

Take care...

I would not have been able pull that off at 3 weeks post-op (TAH/BSO). I live alone and I was very happy that I only had myself to tend to in those first weeks of recovery. I suppose it may also depend on your motivation, your kitchen setup, whether you'll have some help? It's very hard to know ahead of time how much rest you will need post-op. For me, it would be a lot to take on so soon... but it would be tempting to give it a try! Check out the post-op checkpoints for some good tips!!

Good Luck with everything!!

I am just about 3 weeks, and I don't even have the motivation/energy to cook dinner on a daily basis! The fatigue is something I really hadn't anticipated.
Plus I still have lifting restrictions until 6 weeks post of of 5 lbs. I'm thinking your turkey might be more than that!

If it were me, I'd gratefully let someone else take care of dinner this year (maybe just make one of your own special dishes!) But I know I just wouldn't be up to it.
ooooh, and not to mention preparing your house for company.

I am having TAH the day after you and I have let my mom take over the Thanksgiving preparation. I don't know about you, but there is no way I'm lifting that turkey into the oven (I know it will weigh more than a gallon of milk!!)

I know what you mean about those doctors who freak you out for nothing. A few years ago I took my son in for a cold. While they were listening to his chest, he kept popping his shoulder out of the socket. I told him to knock it off and the doctor asked what he was doing. My son showed her and she asked what else could he do? He could bend his toes all the way back, bend his fingers all the way back, bend his thumb so it touched his wrist, and of course he could dislocate both shoulders.

She brought in another doctor to see all of this and they said they wanted to send him for an EKG. She said he may have Marfon Syndrome which can affect the heart. I looked that up online and was really freaking myself out because they said most people don't make it to their 30's with this disease. To make matters worse, ER was on that night and it was the episode where they actually killed a person who had this disease by giving him some kind of blood thinner. I freaked.

He finally had is EKG and everything was normal. He's just double jointed. DUH!! I told the doctor I was double jointed and so was my brother!! All that worry for nothing.

Needless to say, I never went back there again.

Good luck on the 6th, I'll be right behind you.

I'm at my 3 weeks now, I am feeling better but still sore, by the end of the day I have swelly belly, I would go to BIL house, and let yourself be pampered.

I will be thinking of you.

I'm lucky. I live with a trained cook. He graciously allowed me to choose the menu, and I will be permitted to help from my throne in the dining room, grinding fresh herbs and such. I'll be four weeks post op, and from my reading that will be the danger zone when I will feel good enough to do things but my body will not be ready.

While it makes me pout not to have my usual cooking frenzy and family mayhem, I'll behave this year.

Welcome!

At 3 weeks there is no way I could have cooked a big dinner. Really I think you should plan on dinner at BIL's and don't plan on helping. I'm serious. At 3 weeks I think I was ok 'out and about' for about 4 hours if I was rested. But I didn't do much when I went out. Big trips were out to moms and if we went anywhere she drove, dropped me at door, etc.

Even now at 6 weeks, I can't imagine planning a big day dinner.

Enjoy your holiday as a guest. If your worried others might be expecting you to 'help' have those you can count on start dropping hints now that you won't be able to. Maybe tell BIL you will be glad to attend and will look forward to it as your first non-doctor outing (whether it is or not).

Best wishes,

Julie

You ladies are right. What am I thinking. There is no way Im going to even try. I Know me and I will over do it. Ill try to lift the massive turkey and end up back in the hostipal. Ill go to my bil's house and be a Queen. Beside, I can eat and run and no one will think the worst of me. The only real reason I was even considering it is because my bil cant cook. (he's a cheif lol) Ill make due, the food has got to be better than what they give you in the castle. Thanks again ladies. And Big HUGS to all.