2 days post op...feeling pretty good..what's normal

Hi
I had a full hyst (laposcopic) with preservation of ovaries on 9/21. My doctor has historically been poor communicator and my post op instructions are cryptic and poor (e.g. activity "normal") that's it.
I feel pretty good, taking Rx motrin. I have a headache and I still feel like the gas is in my body (shoulder pain/bloating/swelling). How long does it take for the abdomen to heal and not be swollen? Anyone else have headaches? What is the recovery process supposed to be like?

Thanks!!!

Definately take a look at the post op check points of do's and dont's.

then,,,make sure you are always ahead of any pain, taking meds on time....your body can not heal if its trying to fight pain.

the gas will last a couple of days, so many women have raved about gas-ex ...wish I had known that ahead of time.

recovery should be slow and steady,,,rest rest rest. When you feel like you can accomplish something...attempt only a portion of it and see how you feel. You may not realize you overdid it until the next day.

Swelly belly I have seen on here can last upto 5-6 months. Although some are lucky and have noticed it gone in a couple months, but might be back if you have over done it.

good luck in your recovery.

I would say, rest, and then rest some more.
It is wonderful that you are feeling alright, but I have seen a few times that days 4 and 5 can be a bit more difficult. maybe some of the hospital drugs leaving your body, or the swelling going down so you can feel the area a bit more, I do not know what it is exactly, but if you know it in advance you can prepare and not be disappointed when things for a few days are a little bit more difficult. For the rest, just relax and let others do all the work. sleep, drink, read, short walk, sleep,etc!

I had my LAVH a week ago today and the first couple days I felt pretty good so I did way morre than I should have. I have been paying for it since. Let your body heal and relax. For me it is really hard to do but so vital.

I found the gas lasted about four days. Some of it stayed in a pocket right under my ribs, so taking a breath wasn't fun. But, it was better every day, and is now gone (sixth day post-op). I did have a headache a couple of days but it may have been allergy related. Hadn't thought about that since my mind was on other things :-)

Staying on your pain meds is important for sure! I LOVE Advil!

I find the "What 100,000 women know about Hysterectomy" booklet is great for telling you what to expect, what you should/shouldn't do, and questions to ask. Igot it from my Dr.

Thanks so much. Gas is killer today all along my right side and my shoulder. Just very disappointed in the post op treatment from my doc. What does "normal" activity mean seriously? I feel like the whole thing was a joke for him.

DH is being great. Have 3 kids and am not looking forward to the weekend. When did everyone go back to work (I work with little kids who do need some redirecting and can get physical

I plan on going back at three weeks, four if I can. I had three people tell me to not rush it, to take my time and heal. All three had done too much and/or come back to work early and had ended up back in the hospital and having to take more time anyway. We push ourselves too hard, feeling bad if we don't do what we normally do. This is the time to be good to ourselves and get better! We deserve it!

Look on here for the check points. They are very helpful. You basically do not want to twist, bend or lift. You do not want to hurt any of the things inside that are healing. Rest & take short walks & then rest some more. Make sure to drink plenty of water. The gas pains were one of the worst parts for me. I drank a lot of warm tea & just waited it out. It does go away. I had the swell belly for 5 months. It was worse on days where I did more. I didn't gain any weight but sure looked big. In time that gets better too. Best wishes to you.