Glad to be home-what's next?

Dear Hyster Sisters,

I'm really glad to be on the other side, even though its only 5 days post op.
I was extremely nausous in the hospital and am glad to finally be feeling more human.
Did a pre-op clean-out so I ate very little for 4 days. When I weighed myself on returning to the house, I DID NOT loose a pound even though fibrods were quite large.

What foods are best to prevent constipation?
Wearing street clothing, instead of nightgown, makes a difference in mental attitude.

Got home in time to get ready for possible hurricane. We only caught the outer bands of wind and rain which is quite inconsequential after last years hurricane treatment.

I have some pain in incision but basically am walking around the house OK. I waled a lot outside today so I felt stronger.
Most important suggestions for GAS=X and tea and bringing own meds were followed but I still have quite an upset stomach. I'm on antibiotic now and regular tylenol when needed. Haven't tried the Ambien yet, but will do so tonight. Hard to sleep through the whole night because of heart burn and headaches.

Had a TAH and am wondering if I will need any hormone replacement. I went into menopause 6 years ago with no HRT and minimal hot sweats. I have been taking tamoxifin for 3 years but stopped a few weeks before surgery. It was causing the endrometrial build-up.

I would like to go on a short 2 1/2 hour airplane travel on day 24 post surgery. Has anyone been on an airplane that soon after surgery? Need some advice before I plan this trip.

Would love some advice
South Educator

Glad to see your home and feeling so well.... It is time for rest, lots of water and walking... be sure you get that pampering you so deserve right now....

The best thing for your bowels is lots of fruits and veges, and fiber and lots lots of water.... but remember the anestesia does slow the bowels and it can take some time for them to get back to normal... mine still arent quite normal...

The upset stomach can be caused by taking your antibiotic on an empty stomach... try eating some crackers right before you take it that should help settle the stomach some...

I am not sure about the airplane trip... maybe some other sister has knowledge on that one...

Ces.

I'm now 15 days post-OP. I had horrible nausea, too. I was in the hospital 5 days and I was nauseous the entire time. I couldn't even drink water or take a painkiller. There were some days in the hosp I refused pain meds for that reason. I think it was directly related to my bowels. As soon as I was able to have reg BMs again I felt MUCH better and nausea went away. Now I'm taking Fiber Choice just to make sure I stay reg for my recovery period.

Ambien? Sleeping pills? There's an idea, I haven't had a decent chunk of sleep since before surgery. Maybe I should talk to my doc about sleeping pills.

TAH + LSO 6/24/05
4 years of uncontrollable bleeding/clotting & one cyst-infested ovary.

Hi ladys, a little suggestion for your insomnia, I had it terrible too. My Mom brought me an herbal tea called Bedtime, it has Valerian, Chamamile,St, John's wort, passion flower and skullcap in it and it has been a blessing! I am not a big tea drinker, but was willing to try anything, and it works for me!
Good luck!

Hi I think the last Sister is correct I think my nausea revolved round the lack of BM'S things certainly started to settle down when I got home and could concentrate more on what i was eating.

My Tip. After every meal drink a cup of Hot Boiled Water works for me every day. (I dont like the taste of plain hot boiled water but I swear by it) Couple this with plenty of fresh fruit and glasses of cold water throughout the day and you will soon be back to your 'usual' self.

I am now 4 weeks post op and have started taking short walks round a field at the back of my house and this cetainly kicks starts me in the mornings, plus gives me some much needed fresh air and a change of scene......My dog is also delighted that she can now go out with me again....shame she has been so depressed since I cam home because she cant jump all over me like she usually does so this returrn to normallity has given her a boost as well.

Well Take care and Gods Speed

Love

Sue

About day 7 I lost 3+ pounds overnight - I think it was all the fluid they pumped into me - so maybe the same thing will happen to you. Best of Luck on your recovery.

For bowel function, I followed the advise from a book I got from the library. It advised that too much fiber can cause gas so even though fiber is essential for bowel health, be aware of too much of a good thing. So I had very small portions of food, gradually added fiber ( so I avoided dried fruits and skin and seeds in fruit and raw foods for a few days ). I started the first day of eating with hospital version of cream of wheat, but when I got home the next day I use Quinoa as a cooked breakfast grain (1/4 Cup) with a bite of wwheat toast. I kept small portions for four days before trying a small meal at a time. I had one serving of yogurt or kefir each day. I used charcoal tabs for absorbing gas. I drank peppermint tea for the gas pain and learned to breathe into the pain when it occurred. Since I fasted from Midnight Sunday, did a bowel prep on Monday, had surgery on Tuesday and was only allowed ice chips until Wed, I ate very small portions (tablespoon sizes of different food groups) so I had very little in me until Saturday. Using a rolled bathtowel to hold my abdomen, the process was less uncomfortable. I stopped pain meds early on Wednesday as they can constipate. Whatever the nurse gave me in the hospital for gas did not help so that is why I tried charcoal tabs. I am almost two weeks out, and have only started to eat "fuller meals" since day 7. Digestion process takes special care I think for most women after surgery, so be patient and don't rush into eating full meals. I used fibercon to help things keep going once I had my first bm just to be sure I didnt bind up as I started eating more. I can imagine how you could have troubles for several weeks if you aren't cautious with your eating habits after surgery. I lost five pounds that first week, but worked on eating more so I wouldnt lose too much too fast. I am hopeful that I can lose weight rather than gain it while recuperating, but I figured gall stones aren't a good thing to encourage by fast weight loss. This website has really helped me worry less as I recuperate hearing all the different stories women share about their experiences.

Welcome to life on the other side!

I'll tell you what the hospital gave me to 'get things going' and suggested that I have every couple days after getting home...syrup. The first solid meal they gave me was little pancakes and syrup. When I got home, I had my family pick up a box of the microwave mini pancakes and a box of the frozen toaster french toast sticks. I ate the pancakes or french toast every other day for the first couple weeks. I NEVER had a constipation problem. When I asked my Mom about it, she said that when I was a baby, the docs would tell new moms to put a bit of syrup on their finger and let the baby suck it off if they had a constipation problem. Who knew?!

As for the nighttime heartburn, put an extra pillow under your shoulders/neck or have someone put the head of the bed up on wooden blocks - just an inch and a half will make a huge difference. It helps gravity keep the stomach acids down in the stomach. I have reflux and my doc had me put the blocks under my bed. It made a world of difference. After surgery, I added the pillow for the first couple weeks...it helped by easing the stretch on my tummy and by keeping the acid caused by all the meds down too.

As for the weight, I actually gained weight after the surgery due to swelling, water retention, meds, etc. Now, at 6 weeks, that weight is gone. Just be patient. My doc asked me not to weigh until my 6 week post-op appt because she knew I'd stress over the temporary weight gain that she knew would come. (Never did tell her that I cheated and did weigh once.)

I don't think anyone's answered the plane question yet. Everyone is different but I can tell you I had an easier recovery than most but there is no way that I could have/would have gone on a trip - plane, train, or automobile - at 24 days. Even if I could have tolerated the travel, I know that I would have been very uncomfortable and not enjoyed the trip at the end of the travel. Is it a trip that you can postpone for a few weeks? Again, this is just my thought based on how I felt - you might feel like dancing your way onto the plane. Happy travels...whenever they are!

Another thought - there are several chains out on this board addressing '3-weekers', '4-weekers', '3 weeks out', '4 weeks out', etc. You might want to page down and read some of those to see what women were feeling like at those weekly milestones. I think there are a couple sisters who did travel around that timeframe and mentioned them in their posts.

I went to a business conference at 22 days post-op, following a TVH. Although it was doable, I was uncomfortable on the plane and the days at the conference were very long. I would think twice abut it with a TAH. If you do go, make sure to drink a lot of water and get up to walk mid-way through the flight. Do those ankle circles and move your legs about to help prevent blood clots. Happy healing.
Ashley