4 months equals 16 weeks &still recovering

I slept until 11:00 today. Went to a wedding reception at 2:00 came home a little after 3:00 and collapsed from exhaustion and took a 2 hour nap. Thank goodness for this website or I would really be giving myself a hard time!!
I keep thinking I should be "well" by now. TAH/BSO for ovarian cancer on 8/29. Lorrie's list for surgical menopause and recovery on the pull down menu helps me keep things in perspective! Also the reminders about what foods are high in iron. I used to be a high energy nearly hyperactive fast talking intellectual. Now it takes all my energy to leave the house looking good. There's a lot to be said for beuaty sleep! Keep up the good work ladies. I love the hyster sister thank you cards I bought. I think I'll order some more.
Love and Happy New Year!
MaryBeth

I am a slowish healer too.It can be very dicouraging but its just the facts.Take extra good care of yourself nutritionally and do not feel guilty about needing extra rest.Someday the old energetic you will resurface!!!!Take care,Love lass

Hi Mary Beth,

I'm so glad you've been helped by this site. It's been a Godsend to me! Your experience at the wedding was perfectly normal.

I know that you think you should be "well" by now, but total healing takes at least 6 months to a year, especially for a TAH. I am nearly 6 months post-TAH right now, and can testify that I still get swelly-belly when I do a lot, and still get occasional twinges and pangs at the surgery site. So please don't put pressure on yourself to be "well", yet...give your body every chance to heal properly, and YES, get plenty of that beauty sleep!

My very best to you...

Linda

Hi MaryBeth,
I am at about the same recovery time table as you. TAH 8/22/00. I am doing well but, I can't believe how easily I tire out. I have a very active job and family with three teenagers in the house with everyone in different schools and sports. No wonder I'm so tired, but I use to keep up better without getting so tired (just miserable with never ending periods and abdominal pain), but I am aware it is going to take awhile to be myself again. The hard part is reminding my family that I am still recovering and I will tire more easily. They see me as "all better now". I am grateful for having had a good recovery, but I too have twinges occasionally, and my incision site is still tender to the touch or leaning against the counter. I also get sore if I do to much, like I did the days just before Christmas. It takes time, but from my experience from C-sections, it gets better as the months go by, which it is. Rest as often as you can. I have rediscovered the wonderful enjoyment of reading fiction again. I go to my room, get cozy in some blankets and read as near to every evening as I can find time for.
Best wishes, Donna

igather me too i thoought i was being a wimp i'm at 16 weeks and i get so tired sometimes i think is this all i get i've had a few bumps along the way uti and med reactions and hormone problems hang in there i'm with you

Hi, gee I am glad to know that there are lingering results of the surgery that far along. I would think I am crazy or something. I am only 16 days. This site is sure great. Prepares one for possible things/feelings/effects that may or may not happen and others have faced. Thanks for sharing that.

I TO LOVE THIS SITE. IT HELPS ME SO MUCH TO SEE WHAT MY OTHER SISTERS ARE GOING THRU. USUALLY I AM ALSO FEELING THE SAME THING. YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT RECOVERY. I AM SUPPOSE TO GO BACK TO WORK AT THE END OF 6 WEEKS. HAVE ANY OF YOU EXPERIENCED THIS? I WANDER IF I WILL HAVE MY ENERGY BACK. ALSO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FOODS YOU RECCOMEND TO BUILD
YOUR BODY UP, YOUR FAVORITES.

RITA C

Hi Rita,
6 weeks of recovery is not really enough, even though many of us do go back at this time. I went back at 5 weeks part-time for no more than 4 hours at a time, then each week I built up my hours. It was rough. I was still very sore and tired. I work in a fast paced ophthalmology surgical practice. I had a hard time pushing the big chart walls in our office. I felt very vulnerable because my incision was still so sore so I was very aware of it all the time and I felt like if I did the wrong thing it would just rip open, but it didn't. Unfortunately, my first day back I had to deal with a very big, mean, nasty aggressive patient who was being seen for the first time. I had to make him leave. (He had the nerve to return one week later and repeat the same scene again. Fortunately my office manager sent him a letter referring him to someone else.) The first few weeks back to work I cried easily at home or had raging fits if anyone at home didn't help out or left big messes for me to pick up after when I walked in the door (they learned quickly). The problem is you are still recovering but your family thinks because you are back to work, super woman has returned. Not quite! Now you have added recovery to family and home duties and now work on top of that. The combination can be more than bearable at times in the first three to four weeks after you return to work. All I wanted to do was come home, go to bed, put my feet up and rest or sleep. I did survive and so do most of us, but don't think it will be easy and I still (at 18 weeks post-op) tire more easily than I use to. I can't hang out with my night owl of a husband like I use to. 9:00 to 10:00 are my limits any more. Sometimes I beat the kids to bed. Now that's a switch.
As far as foods go.......I personally like pasta type meals but my best advice is......when you cook, cook several meals because you are already up on your feet working hard so why not make it easy on yourself and cook extra and freeze some meals or make them into individual portions so on the nights you come home from work too tired to do anything else, you can just microwave or pop into the oven to warm up ready made meals. Prepare for going back to work like you did just before you went into the hospital. Get things in order and planned ahead before you return because once you return to work there is no turning back and it's full steam ahead.
Good luck and best wishes. Donna