I am new here & have questions about surgery

Hi everyone, I am scheduled for a TAH 11/11/03 for cervical cancer, they are also taking my pelvic lymphnodes. I am praying that I do not need radiation and chemo. My doctor has told me this is different than a regular hysterectomy when it is for cancer because they take more of the surrounding tissues and ligaments. I am very nervous about post op recovery, and am an avid weight lifter not looking forward to taking the time off from the gym! And praying my body will return to my pre hyst. state! Also have hormonal concerns, even though I am keeping my ovaries I am nervous that they will shut down like they do in some instances, and being just 32yr and feeling the best I have ever felt in my life it really upsets me!

I would like to know when people could get around and take a day trip or something post operatively, also I had no idea about the belly swelling! Is this like just a size bigger than you would normally wear? That does go away right? How long until I can do situps afterward? Weight lift?

Sorry to bombard ya'll, just can't stand the thought of NOT having control over my life!

So sorry to hear about your surgery..prayers are with you that this will comeout ok...I havent had my hyst yet not until 11/19..but I just talked to my doc yesterday with all my pre op questions similar to yours..of course everybody recovers diffrently and at a diffrent pace..however,my doc told me that I should be able to get back to driving in 2 weeks...and the swellon might be diffrent as well to but It might be one size bigger,but it will go down..

As far as the weight lifting and the situps I wouldnt know that would be something that I would ask your doc about..Cause as of right now I will be having a LAH so I wont have the inscion on the belly..So I would think for you it would be around 6 weeks or so,but check with the doctor..

again good luck and hope you keep us posted

Hi and welcome,
At 36, I was slightly worried about my ovaries shutting down after. My DR said at my age, there was no way. She was right. I did have a couple of warm flashes the first 2 weeks post, but nothing major.
I had a TAH, and was back at work cleaning houses and exercising with sit-ups at 6 weeks to the day post. It depends on what your DR says, because everyone heals differently.
I have suffered with swelly . It was at it's worst weeks 4-8 post when I became more active. I have found that traveling, lifting, and doing anything out of the ordinary will aggrevate the swelling, even now, almost 10 months post. The swelling isn't near as bad as it was in the earlier months ( actually got new stretch marks from it). Not everyone experiences this recovery issue.
I had no problems moving around after my second day post. Sore, yes, but not incapacitated by it. The last pain pill I needed was the night I returned from the castle because the 1/2hour drive made things start aching quite a bit and I wanted to sleep. I took care of myself all day long and had no trouble getting in and out of my waterbed, which I expected to have problems with. For me, it was a kind of soreness that one could experience by doing way, way too many sit-ups. I've definately been that sore after exercising before too many times to count.
Everyone is different, and has a different procedure done. I had my uterous removed, cervix also. I had no endo scraped off my insides or such, so I would imagine that helped with the pain. I also had no external stitches or staples to remove, which probably helped in the comfort area as well.
Hope I answered some of your questions. Good luck. Remember, to rest and take it easy during those early weeks, no matter how good you may feel.
Oh, yeah. The worst pain I experienced with this whole recovery was the gas pain that hit me in my second week. That was nasty business and thankfully only lasted a week for me. Funny, it was right after I introduced harder to digest foods in my diet; like pizza. Hmmm?

To VXCrazy:
Hi,I'm patybear.Oh hon,I'm so sorry to hear that you are having such awful problems.There is a forum at this site titled
Cancer Concerns.Hopefully you will be able to find the answers
to your questions/concerns there;but we are always willing to try
and help a fellow'sister'.My thoughts are with you.Please let us know how you are doing from time to time.
patybear

Dear VX- I am Mari, future princess and proud to say a cancer survivor. I understand your fears first hand, my cancer was thyroid. I belong to a wonderful site, CancerSurvivorsOnLine and also CancerSurvivorsOnLineNow, many have been where you are now walking and they offer great support as the ladies here do and also can direct you to many other sites for research. I learned all I could about the thyroid, tricky little gland! I faced my fears with tears and laughter and more than 2 years later, here I sit. Be strong and fight, be your own cheerleader! If I can help in any way, please let me know. I just scheduled my hyster yesterday for December 15, due to fibroids, terrible cramps and bleeding, dysplasia. I am also a walking timebomb I feel at times because cancer is sooooooo prevelant in my family. God bless you dear, fight hard and be strong, you will conquer!!

Hi I am sorry to hear VX of your difficult diagnosis. You sound like a very modivated and positive person so I am sure that will help in the healing process following your surgery. I can understand your anxiety about losing control of your body but maybe you can try to think of it in pieces instead of the big picture. If all goes well-and I am sure it will-you should be back in the gym within 2-3 months. Maybe it sounds like a long time but the time will go fast. Once you have your 6 week check up more than likely the DR will let you start to slowly resume some situps and light weights. Of course I can't say for sure but am going by other hystersisters experiences--but each of us are individual cases.

Once you have had the surgery it is so, so important to listen to your training and to just take short walks, drink lots of water and rest, rest, rest. You are in wonderful physical condition I am sure , so the short walks will soon increase to longer ones. Try to be patient.

As for swelly belly, I wish I could tell you you won't have it or that it only will be one size up from what you are now. But from listening and reading about other plus my own experience the ole swelly belly will visit. Try to remember though that it isn't the whole body that will get bigger. And yes, it will go away; although may be a few months. Again we each are different. It is not permanent or fat. It is swelling on the inside as the ligaments and muscles and organs heal.

Take a deep breath--play mental games with yourself--you still will have control of your body. In fact, how you aid in its healing by being a good princess will show just how much control you do have.

The best of luck to you---keep us posted

Thank you all for the info! I go for my preop today and can ask more questions. This is all very scary,especially being a divorced younger woman! But if I can get through this, I can get through anything!

Hi: Let us know how your pre-op went and if your DR was able to answer your questions. Are you feeling abit better since going for the pre-op?

Keep us posted--

Dear VX

Good luck. I'm so sorry to hear of your diagnosis. You will be in my prayers. I just got home from my pre op and I too am an avid (although a bit older...50) weight lifter. My Dr. said absolutely no lifting for at least 6 weeks. Sounds like an eternity, but from all the posts I've read, sounds like it's much better to behave now, if not we'll pay later!!! Best of luck, Lauri

's VX! Welcome to Hystersisters!

You have lots of great questions, and the ladies are doing a super job answering them for you. I would like to invite you to come over and visit us on Cancer Concerns (click here). Lots of us over there have had various stages of cancer or precancer, and you're certainly welcome to join us!

Are you being seen by a gynecologic oncologist? If not, I highly recommend that you request a referral to one. They are the experts when it comes to female cancers and they have EXTENSIVE training in the most current surgical and treatment techniques. Long-term outcomes for women with gyn cancers are significantly better when the surgery is performed by a gyn/onc.

As far as exercise, well, it does seem to vary from one person to the next. You should anticipate at least a 6-8 week recovery period since your surgery will be so extensive. You will be able to get out and walk, and certainly you can do pelvic floor exercises and pelvic tilts (tightening the tummy muscles while sitting or lying down) in those early weeks, but there is a whole lot of internal healing that needs to be done, so you will need to go back to weight lifting carefully and gradually. Give yourself the time to heal well, though, and then you will have the opportunity to get back in the shape you want without compromising your healing.

I had my surgery at age 37 and kept my ovaries. I am pleased that they are still going strong! Hopefully, that will be the case for you as well.

Good luck! Let us know how you are getting along!