spring gardening: 2-wks post op

Something occurred to me that ladies in waiting are most likely reading this as to what to expect for recovery. As I did too...i expected my recovery to be real slow & painful. just reading other people's situations. But I also realize most post op postings here are for networking and for solutions to specific issues. That is the beauty of this forum.
However, I do not have any issues, I feel almost back to my pre op spunk. Yes, I am a little sore, but my energy is good and I am cooking, cleaning, lite vacuuming, picking up my 14 lb cat, and today I was outside doing some lite spring cleanup in my yard. I will start driving in a few days. My 10" horizontal incision has healed with no problems and I have not experience mood swings or depression. I just wanted "ladies in waiting" to know, all is NOT doom & gloom. I am 53 and live alone, and yes have an active job, (to which I will not return until the full 8 weeks), but I rarely exercise, so there is no magic to my recovery. Maybe I am just lucky, but I surely do feel compassion for my hystersisters experiencing the various problems i have read. My best wishes to all!

Hi Linda,

I'm very happy for you that your recovery is going well. And I'm very glad that you posted here to share your experience...I know that when I was pre-op, I often checked out the Post-Op messages also to try and learn of what my experience would be like, and it was great to read about positive experiences from others.

However, I still feel the need to caution you about all of your activities; especially the ones involving lifting and vacuuming. Even though you are feeling well, you still need time to heal internally, and pushing yourself to do these activities (even though you 'feel up to it') really increases your chances of developing complications. Please slow down a little. A needs her recovery time and I want your recovery to continue to go as well as it has thus far.

Best wishes and lots of s

Thank you for your posting. My castle stay starts Wednesday (the 14th). I love this site because it has been very informative but it has also scared the beejesus out of me! I had a C-section 6 years ago and had absolutely no problem recovering and could not understand why I would be having problems now. I'm hoping to have a normal recovery. Be careful though . . . don't overdo it!

Linda,

My recovery has gone as well as yours has, although I have not vacuumed yet. You are right....all is not gloom and doom.

My hyst recovery has been much like my c-sections. Feeling great so far with no HRT.

Am wishing everyone a speedy recovery.

Its nice to have some good stories too. I too have been mostly goo and im 4 weeks post op and yesterday went out with friends, watched the footie, had a meal and was well enough to have a few drinks tto! I think as Im only 33, (few days before my op) Id lost so much time and energy with probs before the op I wanted to heal and be up n at em asap! I still have a lie down late afternoon, just to be safe, but all in all I think Im def getting there
Janey ps the No Vacuming thing is great!!

Tina,
Thanks for the caution.. due to the many posts here that emphasize taking it easy even if we feel good,. I am definitely exercising caution in everything I do., as I certainly don't want to experience the complications that so many of our hystersisters have shared with us.
I believe the caution more, reading it repeatedly from our systers...than hearing it once from the doc.
I just made copies of the hystersisters flyer, and took some back to the castle to leave in the gyn library. ( and to give my favorite nurses a little thank you gift). I will also share them with all 3 doctors that are monitoring my case.
Linda

Linda,

It's great that you're feeling so good. I'm doing well, too, but I sure don't feel up to doing what you are. I'm also still taking pain meds, although not as often. Doc said to take them whether or not I felt I needed them for the first 3 weeks, so by tomorrow I should be down to just Motrin and maybe a Vicodin at night.

What Chicago suburb do you live in? I live in Mt Greenwood, a southwest side Chicago suburb, and my DH isn't even a police officer or a fireman - HaHa.

Hi Sheilia,
I tried responding to your post via a private email, but it says you are not receiving private messages.
I live up in the North suburbs, near Great America. If you love gardening as much as I do, I bet you are real ansy to get out there and start digging!
I basically am just doing some cutting and pruning and letting my honey do the bending over and picking up. I guess my compost pile won't get turned over this year.
I got off those Vicodin after one day, as they made me sick. The Tylenol or Alleve seem to do the trick for me. Wishing u well..
Linda

Linda,

Linda,

I thought I had everything set so I could receive private messages, so I have to change that.

I do love gardening and that's going to be my biggest challenge - not doing the real work. I'm on 12 wks restriction b/c of bladder repair in addition to the TAH-BSO - 9 wks to go. DH and DDs said they would help, but this is the year I need to divide and transplant almost everything. I'm afraid I'll lose some great plants, otherwise. Also, I've never used mulch before and this year I was going to.

Things are popping up all over the yard and, yes, I'm totally antsy to get out there. A gardening website I found last year - and of course HysterSisters - are my favorite sites.

It's great you stopped the Vicodin so soon. The day before yesterday, I didn't take any. But yesterday I drove for the 1st time and by bedtime I really needed it. It hasn't made me sick at all, but I worry about constipation, so hopefully the Motrin will be enough from now on.

Best of luck to you and Happy Gardening!

It's great that you are feeling that good. I'm a little over 2 weeks post-op and am doing better than my doc had expected, as I had a rather large vertical abdominal incision due to some prior surgeries. PLEASE take it easy with the gardening. When your energy level comes back, it's hard to sit still. Unfortunately, I didn't slow down as much as I needed to after surgery for removal of adhesions. I had no pain after two weeks, and three weeks later I was putting in some bedding plants and developed an incisional hernia. Granted, this was to a vertical incision, but I would still be very careful. It was really strange, as I had no pain at all, and just noticed the hernia when I developed new and different strange bumps on my tummy. I needed more surgery to repair the hernia.

And you guys are right, it's good to hear some happy news from someone who has been there.

Nan from the northwoods who is jealous of anyone who can plant before Memorial Day ;-)