Almost 6 months and feeling great!

My 6 month anniversary is a week from tomorrow and I couldn't wait till then to post. I just wanted to again encourage any sisters early in their recovery that might be having setbacks that there does come a better day. I feel absolutely wonderful. This was the best gift I could have given myself. My husband commented over the weekend that he can tell I feel so much better just by the way I look and act now. I have so much more energy and life is just grand. It's so nice not to spend the three weeks off of my period worrying about the week that I will be bleeding. I wear any color pants I want now at any time of the month and go wherever, whenever I want to without consulting the calendar first to see if it will be "my time of the month". I still catch myself grinning when I happen to go by the aisle in the store that has the "feminine products", knowing that I'll never again have to purchase those for myself. I almost feel sorry for my 18 year old daughter when she has to buy them. Anyway, I just wanted to let all of you sisters know that life has definately gotten better for me and it will for you too. Take care of yourselves and God Bless. :-)

Hi Laura - I was actually on line this morning ready to post exactly the same message - I too am nearly 6 months post op and my life has truly changed for the better - I am a new person in every way - libido is still an issue sometimes but we are dealing with that - otherwise I feel great - my motto now is "no more pains - no more stains" - I regularly visited this site for about 3 months pre-op to do some research and found a truly wonderful place, a haven, where us women could express our true thoughts and feelings to each other - not even face to face - but it feels like you belong to a support club that is there for you 24 hrs a day - I think I read too many horror stories pre op and found my surgery and recovery to be a breeze - everyone I have seen since my surgery comments on how well I look and how I am always smiling - glad to hear another sister had a great result - take care - love Sharon

I am a LIW and posts like this really help. I am trying to think of the other side of things instead of being afraid of surgery, which I am .
I hope I can post and encourage people in the future.

I am happy for you !

Wow, you are the day before I was! Glad to know you are doing so well.

I'm still fighting the adhesion problem which is not good. However, many of the other problems are much less now, especially the severe breast pain. I'm still using the Emerita cream and it seems to be helping some.

I am also now going to an acupuncturist. The acupuncturist tells me that my intestinal tract is "in shock" from the surgery being I am still battling the rough bowel problems.

Still the same, I'd be dead right now if I had not had the surgery.

Still no sex around here either ... oh well.

SueF

Hi princessraye - just a quick note to wish you all the best with your surgery and recovery - I'm sure you will be fine - just think positive and know that a better life awaits you - that's the reason for the surgery right???? take care - and again good luck - keep us posted - love Sharon xx

According to your surgery date, I had my SAH a day after you....I have my six month marked at May 13. You are optimistic!

No matter! I feel great, too. Most of all, I feel free.

I just took a vacation with DH to the Caribbean in a week I had pre-marked with an 'X'.

Cheers to your newly found freedom, and to feeling well!

I am only 5 months post-op but feeling good again... finally got my energy back... just have a moderate problem with a very tender belly, (SueF, how did you know you have adhesions?)
Does anyone else have a very tender belly along the incision????

Thx so much for your post.
I am only 4 1/2 wks post op and doing ok. Just a few knocks here and there... but felt very ENCOURAGED by your post. I am hoping that this summer and by next fall I can get back to my hiking and do that 1/2 marathon I was wanting to do but couldn't.
I am looking forward to a very active summer.... Thx for your encouraging words!
Climbcolo

You are right tijunkie, I'm only almost 5 months. I am getting a little ahead of myself. I guess it just seems like all those problems are so far in the past, it seems like it's been longer. That's even better then! It's only been 5 months and I feel wonderful. I just thought some of the ladies might get a little discouraged with the negative posts (I know I did) and would enjoy some good feedback. Keep looking toward the future girls. Take good care of yourselves. :-)

Hi snowiebird,

I had no idea what an adhesion was! It popped up at about 2-1/2 post-op. It was a very sharp pain in my left side below the belly button and it was shooting down my left leg. The pain was severe in late January. I went to the doctor 3X in a month and they ran a bunch of tests on me and determined it must be an adhesion from the surgery which was not normal for most people having a TAH.

I do not mean to scare anyone as my case was very serious and being the surgery lasted for 4 hours, it probably has caused many adhesions I was told. I am only noticing the one. It has settled down a lot as I mentioned thank god.

From what I have learned, there is no real "cure" for adhesions except for more surgery. I have opted against this because more surgery can create more adhesions, thus a viscious cycle.

All in all, I do feel much better than I did, don't get me wrong.

Take care and I'm sure if you had an adhesion problem, you'd know by now.

Best of health to you,

SueF

P.S. On edit, my stomach is still tender too. It is better than it was but the incision is very large and I think it takes time to heal from such an invasive surgery as a TAH. Yikes! I had no clue what I was in for.