Confused about what we can and can't do - can anyone help?

Hi sisters i had my TVH on 2\6 kept ovaries nearly 3wks post wow.Thanx goes out to all you precious ones who care ive learnt so much and its truely a blessing to have this support.Ive had great moments in recovery and many moments of very ordinary im not sure when ill be 100% .Time is on my side that i have plenty of.I have been confused about what we can do and what we cant can anyone help?I have read DO NOT BEND OVER but we can load and unload dishwasher unless you have one on the bench its only achievable if you do sckwots .Is it advisable to do sckwots and use your legs with a straight back rather then bend sorry if its a stupid question .When i found out 3mths ago i was having a hysta i took the advice and got physical at the gym i went 3 times a wk and had a program catered esp for my recovery Abs, Pelvic floors,Arms,Legs,Back so i feel that i have the physical strength to do skwots but i dont want to jeopardize my recovery .I appreciate any advice take care recover well CHERRYBELLE XOxo

Do check out the checkpoints on the site, of course, which I understand to suggest we can start bending over after two weeks. That's what I did, anyway. My discharge papers from the hospital read, "No bending/stooping for 1-3 weeks" and the hystersisters checkpoints for weeks 3-4 allowed some bending and more light movement than weeks 1 & 2, so again those are the guidelines I used.

However, I will say that bending that first day (right on the dot of Day 14, also when I started driving) seemed to trigger some new mild pain below my navel, which I posted about here. It might have happened anyway, but in retrospect I wish maybe I had waited until the 3 week mark to begin bending. But that's just me -- keep in mind both the hystersisters checkpoints AND what your own doctor recommended, which is of course your "ultimate authority," if you will.

Keep in mind that you still should be following some rigid guidelines about how much weight you can lift, though. But unless you are using cast iron pots I think generally if you're in week 3 you could move normally to load/unload the dishwasher. No need to squat anymore I don't think. But again please use your own doctor's guidelines!

Hope this helps.

I followed the Hyst book they sent me to a tee. I am so grateful I had that book to read. It told me what I could and couldn't do and what to expect each week. I still have it for friends to read when they need it.

I had a lavh but my doctor only said no lifting over 10 pounds for 6 weeks. I started bending week 2 post op. It didn't seem to bother me so I wandered was there some medical reason for the no bending that I was unaware of.

If you don't already subscribe to checkpoints from this site, go to your profile and sign up for them or do a search for them in this site.

Take care,

Hi Cherrybelle,

The best person to be asking this question of is your doctor, as their directions seem to vary as much as their patients. I had no restrictions following my surgery other than the lifting limits. I was told - "activity as tolerated." I was driving the next day, did a load of laundry, washed dishes, went grocery shopping (someone loaded and unloaded the car for me), and took my German Shepherd dog for a walk by the end of the 1st week before I ever read the "Checkpoints" and learned that some women aren't allowed to do those things. In a panic I called my GYN to double check my discharge instructions and he reassured me that I was OK. He didn't give me those restrictions because he didn't think I needed them.

Like you, I was active and fit before surgery, so I seemed able to resume my regular activity rather quickly with my doctor's blessing, however, a friend of mine had the same surgery with the same doctor in February and she was given a huge list of no-no's, but she's a self-proclaimed couch potato! That's why I think you should check with your doctor. It's an individual matter. Only he/she can tell you what is right for you.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by gomsstate I had a lavh but my doctor only said no lifting over 10 pounds for 6 weeks. I started bending week 2 post op. It didn't seem to bother me so I wandered was there some medical reason for the no bending that I was unaware of.

If you do a search for the article on this site on adhesions, it may make more sense. You don't usually know you're forming adhesions when you are forming them. The pain and problems from them usually show up 6 months to 5 years plus post op. When they cause pain and problems, most docs. want you to basically suffer through, because when they go in to clear up adhesions, they usually create more future adhesions and so on.

Warrior

The more I read the more I learn every"body" is different in recovery.
I am very confused about driving. Any help out there for when to drive?

BAHC, my doc said approx 2 weeks but her main conditions were that I wait until I was sure I could slam on the brakes if I had to, and of course to be sure my system was clear of any of the narcotic pain meds.

I had to take someone to an appt when I was 11 days post op and I felt I was safe to brake suddenly if I had to (and I wasn't taking the narcotics either), but still it made me a bit sore. At the two week mark I gave myself permission to drive as much as I desired but I simply didn't want to -- bumps in the road plus wearing the seatbelt were not horribly painful but definitely uncomfortable, even with a pillow tucked between my abdomen and the seatbelt. But I did have to do quite a bit of driving that day to appts and such, but avoided driving whenever I could for another week or so.

Again, your doctor should be your ultimate guide about everything, including driving, but that was my experience.

Thanks for you tip- I am 3 1/2 weeks post but still feel timid about it. I see the dr. next week and until will continue to try to take one day at a time. Best of luck to you.