Cystocele,rectocele repair+hysterectomy what to expect?

I am asking anyone who is on the "other side " of this surgery to help me with info on what to expect. I have been unemployed since November 2008 and have been looking for work ever since.
I had the "prolapse" happen in the fall (2009) and since I have been unemployed and it is getting worse I am going through the repair this week.
I JUST GOT THE MOST INCREDIBLE job this week. They know I am facing surgery and are willing to wait for me for a few weeks. My doctor told me I can tell them I can begin work, as long as it is a desk job, two weeks after surgery.
Can you help me with what I can expect ? I know I can "suck it up" to have this wonderful opportunity to go back to work for a fabulous employer, but I am anxious about what to expect, how tired I might be, if I won't be able to sit for long periods of time etc...
Can any of you give me your input ? I know everyone is different but I have nothing to gage this on and I am so scared I might not be able to "handle" the job once I start 2 weeks after sugery.
Thank you so much.

I recommend doing a Google Search (blue rectangle at the top right of the page here) for all 3 terms. There have been several women who have had the same procedures and you can best find them this way.

For me, I had a TVH + cystocele repair + anterior mesh bladder sling and was in the hospital for 1 day originally. I was told I had lifting restrictions for 12 weeks afterwards. I had complications and was back in the hospital for 4 days after I'd been discharged the first time. It took me a little while to feel close to normal.

How you will feel will depend on how you recover. You may want to do that search and see how other women did who had similar surgeries as you.

I would tell your employer 2-4 weeks. I took 7 weeks off. I could not push, pull, bend, squat or lift for 12 weeks. My recovery went great. I had some rectal surgery also, so it was hard for me to sit. So I don't know if sitting will hurt. I'm sure others will know. I hade a LAVH plus the repairs. I wasn't even driving at 2 weeks, though the Dr released me to drive at 1-2 weeks. Good luck you will probably feel good, because you will be anxious to start your new job.

As well as the physical effects of surgery, I found it very difficult to concentrate for the first few weeks - absent minded and generally foggy. I don't know if this was the anaesthetic or just psychological side effects of having major surgery. Everyone is different and I don't want to be negative but forewarned is forearmed. Good luck!
C

I had the rectocele and hysterectomy done vaginally. Sitting was and still is a bit of a problem, I am now 6 weeks post op. The first problem was the rectocele made sitting very uncomfortable and then as that has healed I am still having trouble sitting for any great lengths of time where my incision was. I would tell work at least 4 weeks as you do get very tired during the first couple of weeks. Good luck.

Good luck tomorrow. I hope everything goes well and that you have a speedy recovery.

Everyone heals differently, but I can tell you that there was no way I would have been able to go back to work at 2 weeks. My doctors told me 6 weeks and I am going back next Wednesday, but also have a restriction that I may need to work 1/2 days. I had a TVH, BSO, AP repair and TOT sling on 01/12/10. I can tell you are extremely excited about the job and congrats! Did they tell you how long they are willing to wait for you to be able to work? I'm sure they'd rather you heal properly than to start working too early and need more time off (at least that's the way I'd look at it). I will tell you I felt great the first 2 weeks and then hit a plateau weeks 3-5 (my doctor told me that virtually every woman hits a plateau and she forgot to tell me that -- gee thanks). However, I had my post op on Tuesday at 5 weeks and today I feel better than I've felt in the last 2 weeks. It's amazing how things can change from a couple of days ago, and I hope I am on the upside of this now. Best of luck with your surgery.

I had the same, done vaginally. I was okay'd to go back to work at 5 weeks, but at almost 10 weeks post op now, I still have some trouble sitting for long periods of time. If I'm sitting on a hard surface (like the stools at my breakfast bar), I feel pressure like I need to use the restroom.

I'm still incredibly tired in the evening and on a work nite, more often than not, I'm in bed by 8:30 after I put the kids to bed. I have good days and bad days!

For me personally, two weeks would have been too early. At that point I was still needing the narcotics at night.

Congrats on getting a job!!!
I would try and let them know it could be longer than 2 weeks for you start. I hope they can be understanding. I had same surgery TVH and I honestly could not return to work at two weeks. I did go back at 4 weeks for a couple of half days and gradually increased from there. I had a hard time sitting and needed to rest. (I do have an office job). I don't want to be a "Debbie Downer" but if they know ahead of time it could be easier.
Not all of us heal the same and I hope you have an easy surgery and speedy recovery!!!!!
Staying positive helps!!

How exciting to have a great new job!

I had the the LAVH with A & P repair almost 4 weeks ago, and can honestly say it hasn't been a problem for me. I usually have to remind myself I'm not 100%, altho the stitches or a hard surface to sit on will remind me. I have not had to use anything other than iboprofin for pain after they took me off the horrific morphine in the hospital that made me ill and loopy.

I did try to get in fairly good shape before the surgery and had a nutritionist help me, so I was eating a healthy, organic diet with no sugars, processed grains etc. that cause inflamation, and lots of fruits and vegetables to get fiber.

We live in a tri-level, so stairs are a fact of life, but I have been moving fine since about day 3. The biggest challenge, as I said, is reminding myself of the restrictions because I feel so good.

Good luck!