7 days post vaginal hysterectomy and lifted an ironing board felt twinge

One week post vaginal hysterectomy.tubes removed but kept ovaries with bladder prolapse repair(with ligaments/no mesh) . I was feeling great-walked 4 miles previous day -not at once-so decided ironing would be a way to pass the time. Instead of asking for help, tried to open ironing board myself. Awkward position and I felt a twinge in my upper abdomen . Immediately stopped - took prescription strength Ibuprofen, which I had only been taking at night for last few days and totally off Percoset (4 days post), and went to bed. I haven't felt great since - no bleeding and not extremely tender if I gently push on stomach,but not feeling as a great/strong as I did before opening ironing board. I have a call in to my doctor but just wondering what I might have done internally. It feels like I lightly strained or pulled something.

This is probably your body's way of telling you to rest and heal rather than try to get back to activities. Lifting an ironing board is not a good idea, and probably exceeds the weight restrictions your doctor gave you. Most of us are advised to not lift more than 10 pounds during our initial recovery - not only lifting, but pushing and pulling (which is why many of us are told no vacuuming or pushing a grocery cart). Even if we feel great, we had major surgery with organ removal and all the internal incisions which made that happen. Some of the most mundane things can strain the very areas which need healing. Things to look out for are bleeding, an area of swelling, redness and warmth, and increased pain.

A few resources for you:

• Hysterectomy Recovery Videos on the Recovery Splash page
• Hysterectomy Recovery No No's (What Not to Do)
• Returning to Real Life After Hysterectomy - not yet!

I wouldn't speculate on what, if anything, might have been done internally. Learn from it, though: your medical team did what they were supposed to do to restore your quality of life. Now it's your turn, you've got one chance to heal properly to avoid complications down the road. Rest, enjoy the downtime, and don't worry about housework.

Let us know what your doctor said.

Spoke to my doctor and she is not too concerned-agrees that I should take it easy. My limit is 15 pounds but still not a good idea to try and open an ironing board! Actually not trying to do housework as much as I am bored not doing anything and was tired of reading and watching movies. Ironing relaxes me, but I'm back on recovery mode and keeping activity simple. Thanks for feedback - I've been reading this site leading up to my surgery and found very helpful, but first post.

Oh, I should save my ironing for you then (when you're healed, that is)! I avoid it like one of those large icky bugs we have locally .

We've got a few ideas in Boredom Busters, and if you type the phrase "boredom busters" in the Google search box on our site, you'll find plenty of hits. I ended up going through 2-1/2 years of cooking and fitness magazines which had stacked up. Uninterrupted time to go through them. The other thing I did was hang out here on my Recovery Thread. Recovery Threads are dedicated threads for women who had surgery the same week as you. They are wonderful for getting support, comparing notes, and encouraging others. You can find yours here at Recovery Progress Reports Aug 7-13.