 |
Feeling Better? Feeling Blah?
|
 |
If you are in week three or four, you may find that one day you feel great with a lot of energy and the next day you feel lousy and want to stay in bed.
HysterSisters has found that many women, post-op hysterectomy begin to feel better during this time and may over do things, trying to rush the recovery process. Try to ease back into your life as you feel better. Listen to your body if you are tired.
Find encouragement in comparing yourself to your first week instead of your best day. During weeks 3-4 it might seem as though you are taking two steps forward and one step backward but this is still progress!
And, of course if you find you are experiencing more and more lousy days, call your doctor's office.
The main thing to know is that while your tummy incision (if you have one or more) may appear to be healed, your internal stitches are still healing. Your newly healed tissues are beginning to take over for the dissolving stitches. This is why it's very important not to lift or strain your body even when your incision seems to look great.
You only have one chance to heal right. Take it easy and continue to pamper the princess!
|
What Can Happen If I Do Too Much?
|
|
Whether or not you have an abdominal incision with visible staples or stitches, with any type of hysterectomy you will have many (possibly hundreds of) internal stitches. It is this internal healing that can take anywhere from six months to a year to be complete.
If you strain yourself too soon, one of the most catastrophic things that can happen is that you can tear some of your stitches. This can result in bleeding, possibly even hemmoraging.
The trouble is, some of the damage you might do can cause long term results, which are not possible to detect while you are doing it. When your tissues are healing they are very sensitive to being pulled and squeezed.
Scar tissue wants to form wherever there are internal incisions, and if there is even a tiny amount of bleeding inside it can cause areas to 'stick' together, with the result that bridges of scar tissue can form between organs or tissues that should not normally be connected.
These areas of scar tissue are called
adhesions.
They can grow over time until they occupy large areas of the pelvis and connect some or all of the organs there. Occasionally they can even grow nerves and their own blood supply. So be careful!
However, this does not mean lying in bed for six weeks! Some activity is necessary.
You should be easing back into your regular activity - keeping in mind your lifting restrictions and remembering to not push yourself too fast, too soon. Soon your energy level will return to match your physical ability.
Until then, be smart! Take care of yourself!
|
Do's and Don'ts?
|
|
Bored? This isn't the time to re-tile your bathroom or paint the dining room. Even pulling weeds is too much strain on your tummy --so let the dandelions grow for now.
Here is a list of our favorite things to do during your recovery:
organize your photos into albums
watch your favorite movies
organize your favorite recipes to share with your family at Christmas
learn to knit or crochet and make an afghan in fun colors for your couch
listen to books on tapes
enjoy a jigsaw puzzle or online game sites
sit on your front/back porch and listen to the birds
Do ease into an exercise routine *with your doctor's guidance*
But be careful and don't:
lift anything over 10 pounds
vacuum
mow your yard
shovel snow - not even a little bit!
visit your place of employment. (They will think you are well enough to come back to work!)
|
Incision and Belly Care?
|
|
During weeks 3-4 your incision may be itchy and perhaps give you strange sensations ranging from numbness to tingles. Your swelly belly may be bothersome as well, looking fine in the morning but feeling achy and swollen by the evening.
Many HysterSisters rub Vitamin E oil into closed incisions (of course only after approval from the doctor!) to help with the healing and minimize scarring.
Ice packs or HysterSisters' Swelly Belly Band are useful at this time to help provide additional support while keeping the incision area cold. Some HysterSisters don't want anything across their incision but others like the feeling of support. Panty girdles can also help provide support.
|
What Can You Do With Your Old Pads?
|
|
Here are our favorite ideas:
package them up and give them to your friends as a gift
use them as polishing pads to wax your car (after week 6!)
use them as knee pads while pulling weeds (after week 6!)
donate them to your local high school (c/o the nurse's office)
You have a lot? Send them to a women's shelter in your area
|
Post-Op Mini Periods?
|
|
If you kept your cervix and ovaries, you might discover that as your body heals you begin to have mini-periods. This is because your cervix is part of your uterus and has the endometrial lining that still will be shed on a monthly basis just as before. However, many surgeons cauterize the cervix so that you will not have any mini-periods.
Check with your surgeon if you retained your cervix and wonder about the possibility of continued periods post-hysterectomy.
|
What is Light Housework?
|
|
watering plants a cup at a time (no lifting, remember)
dusting
rinsing dishes, loading and unloading dishwasher
making simple dinners, packing lunches
having someone carry laundry to washer and dryer while you sort and start machine
folding clothes (but let others carry them upstairs and put them away!)
answering phones, taking messages
getting mail, writing checks for bills
crossing out days on calendar
and RESTING in between these little jobs.
If you feel anything pull or are too tired, stop and rest. Finish later if and when you can. But listen to your body ~ you don't want complications. Take it easy and do it gradually ~ getting back into your routines and building yourself up is nice to do.
Remember; NO Vacuuming, sweeping, or cleaning floors...NO carrying laundry across house to washer or clothes-line!
|
Achy Back?
|
|
A common HysterSister complaint in weeks 3-4 is an achy back.
Realize that you have had major surgery and are spending a great deal of time being inactive. Your abdominal muscles may be out of order and your back muscles may be working to compensate.
Here are some suggestions that may be of help:
change positions regularly on the couch or bed.
take frequent short walks around your house and outside to get exercise.
use a heating pad when needed
take an over the counter pain reliever such as Tylenol
concentrate on strengthening your tummy muscles by tightening your tummy while you are laying down.
use a pillow in the small of your back when you sit upright.
|
What is This Smell and Spotting?
|
|
Around week 3 or 4, after you have stopped spotting, the dissolving stitches in your vaginal cuff start .... dissolving!
This means you might notice new spotting and perhaps something icky-looking thread-like bits in your panties. These are the stitches ~ they are very small and might be gray or purple-ish.
The dissolving fibers of these stitches seem to add to the discharge with an odor that isn't always pleasant and you may wonder about it. You should find that once the stitches are all dissolved and the healing has taken place, the odor plaguing you will be gone!
If the smell persists for more than a couple of days and if you have any fever, call the doctor.
And remember! ~ No douching allowed.
|
Surgery Report?
|
|
It's a good idea to get a copy of your surgery report including your pathology report for your files. This is a simple idea but one worth doing in case you need the information later.
Either ask your doctor's office for a copy or get one from your hospital. Some hospitals charge a small fee while others provide it for free.
Once you get your copy, put it in a folder, labeled with the date of your surgery, the name of your surgeon, your hospital and keep it in a safe place.
|
Preparing For Your Post-Op Appointment?
|
|
Keep a pad of paper handy and begin to write down your questions and concerns for your 6 week post-op checkup with your surgeon.
Consider asking questions with your concerns about:
your incision
any aches or tenderness you continue to experience
ongoing pain requiring medication
any menopausal symptoms (insomnia, hot flashes, etc) you are experiencing
your emotional well-being
concerns about returning to work
your return to your exercise program
your return to sexual activity
hormone therapy
You may want to ask about the odds of ending up with prolapse. Asking for a referral to a therapist specializing in Pelvic Biofeedback Therapy is a good way to avoid this and other problems that may result from a hysterectomy and surgical menopause.
Store »
Hysterectomy Checkpoints
Hysterectomy News [Read More]
What 100,000 Women Know About Hysterectomy
