Intense Fatigue Post Op

Hi - I'm new here, but was a lurker all these past couple of months - finally decided to sign up! On Oct 12 I had Davinci total hysterectomy with ovaries removed also, and i felt great while recovering. Got the doctor ok to return to work (light work). No problem..

But, when i get home, if I do any kind of physical exertion, like a bit of housework, moving stuff around (being careful not to exert my stomach muscles though).. still i have this awful fatigue! I can't believe it. I feel like an athlete who has the desire to move but cant coz they are paralyzed. I dont think its depression. Is this normal? Is there any anesthesia in me (I had a breathing tube in me - operation lasted 5 hours). I have had to pace myself by not doing any housework type activities after work during the week.

last week i worked all day - not too hard - then went to laundromat, sat there a couple hours doing a little bit of laundry and by the time i was done at 7:00 i was tired, when i got home i was exhausted for that night and next day.

so it seems i have to save all physical exertion for the weekend or not do things two evenings in a row.. i need to be a couch potato a day or two in between. Wow! does that sound about right? (yesterday was 6 weeks post op)

Also its strange but I get up for work at 7:45 a.m., come home at 4:45 pm, and then my energy runs out about an hour later unless Im sitting in my chair watching tv.

is this normal or what? What can i do to increase my energy and not be so fatigued? Thank you kindly.

oh ps. the worst part of my surgery was swallowing the lidocaine ointment for the breathing tube YECH! and being cooped up in the ICU recovery where i could not move coz of all the tubing in me, I got a real cast of claustraphobia and wanted to tear everything outta me and flee !! LOL and I had the dry mouth from hades from the anesthesia and could not get relief till next day, just a few ice chips for a bit, and sponges with water so that i wouldn't swallow and maybe vomit from drinking water right on the night of recovery.

But i highly recommend the Davinci robot for any surgery you might need coz you heal up with little or no complications after.

I just wanted to let you know you are not alone. I am sitting here trying to summon the strength to go peel potatoes. I did not even work today, I just went out to lunch with a friend and visited for a while.---Lisa

DH took me out and about for a couple of hours the last 3 days. I'm spotting and don't even feel like knitting, let alone anything else.....

You're still only 6 weeks along. It takes time to recover. Are you eating enough, taking vitamin supplements, drinking a lot of water? You may also want to consider a liver flush of some kind.

I was October 18, TAH and I am taking supplements for my liver. Based on all I have read here, I fully expect to be tired at this point so it doesn't surprise me. I'm not even released for full duty for another two weeks at least, and I was only under about two and a half hours.

So you are not alone in feeling tired, our bodies underwent some major trauma having an organ cut out, and it takes time to heal.

Hi - wow! it is surprising coz on the outside we appear to be ok, but this dang fatigue is amazing.. I do cross stitch and when I am too exhausted to do that, i know something is the matter. I cannot believe how i used to be able to do more, but now my body says no. When do you think we will be able to feel pretty normal again? also I wish you all well, as we all recover.

Hmmm. I am taking nice long naps during the day (couple of hours), while I tire easily. I was tiring easily before with the lupus and the uterus thing. I truly think my uterus made me so ill that having it out has made me much better and given me more energy if that makes sense.

Hello mct233,

Hang in there - it sounds like you have been through a lot with the surgery (ICU time is not easy!). I hope you will chat with your physician about your energy level.

I had a LAVH with my rt ovary removed on 11-03-10 and returned to work this week. I am finding I tire easily and have been feeling blue. If I'm not feeling better in a few weeks I am going to talk to my physician about whether an antidepressant medication would be useful for me - I hear the SSRI's (type of antidepressant) can really help out post op.

Take Care,

Welllness48

Mine was done the same day and I am experiencing something similar. I can get totally exhausted going up the steps in my house! I can say that is getting easier the more I do. I do not work outside the house so I just do ordinary house work and the past few days have been getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner here. At least I will have a lot of help today.

wow thank you all Your posts are encouraging to me because, well, on the outside we might appear to be healed, in fact, some of our scars have healed up pretty well past the scabs, but for some reason, having a hysterectomy seems to come attached with this severe fatigue.

Do you know why this is so? Is it because our homes have been totally whacked out and changed due to our female parts being removed?

And Happy Thanksgiving to all.. We are going out to a restaurant, I dont' want to cook nor have to do anything to create dirty dishes that will have to be washed and the house having to be cleaned up for dinner even if others cook. So this is how I am enjoyin the day. Hope you are too and get the help you need to make this a good holiday for you.