Just received the news...

Hi,

I just received the news that I will have the surgery on December 11th. Although I am nervous, I am also relieved, the problem has gone on for 15+ years and I am ready to be done.

Can anyone tell me what kind of recovery time I will be looking at? I am having an abdominal, uterus only. BTW, I am 39.

Thanks for any information!

GoBot,

Welcome to Hyster Sisters. I'm sorry you need surgery, but very glad you've found us. This is a great place to come for information, support and a few giggles along the way.

With an abdominal hyster, you're looking at 6 to 8 weeks as your initial healing time. It can take up to a year for everything to be totally healed inside.

This really isn't as as it sounds. My 6 weeks were tough because I don't tend to sit still for very long at a time, but I feel like a new woman now. I did have what I consider a minor complication...a seroma....but in the whole scheme of things, it was an inconvenience more than anything.

Now that you have your date, you need to read read read everything you can and feel free to ask questions. NO question is too silly or too gross. We will answer you honestly.

s
Cat

Thanks for the quick reply, I am new to message boards in general, so it still amazes me. Should I be able to return to work after my initial 3 week driving restriction? I am hoping so.

Return to work at 3 weeks after an abdominal hyster? Probably not.

I was released to drive at 3 weeks, but was still not comfortable driving for a couple more weeks. I went back to work half time and on light duty at 5 1/2 weeks. Second night back, I left early because I was hurting and exhausted. By 6 1/2 weeks I was back on full time, but still on light duty. Doctor has me on light duty for another couple weeks because my job has the potential to get pretty physical with no warnings and I guess he doesn't want his quilting job messed up

It's going to take you a while to get back to where you aren't going to be tired more easily than usual. Bending, stretching, lifting and twisting all are less than comfortable for a while. Don't rush going back to work and put your healing at risk. That 6 to 8 weeks is the initial healing time with no complications. If there are complications, it can take longer. As one wise sister said: You only have one chance to heal right. If you do too much too soon, you may do internal damage and not even know about it til months or even years from now.

s
Cat

Most of the princesses seem to be home from work for 6 weeks or more. However, a number of us who are very healthy and have uncomplicated recoveries are able to return to work sooner. My DR initially wrote on my disability form that he thought I would be out of work for 4 weeks. My disability insurer said no questions asked up to 3 weeks, with a note required from the DR for anything more. I was well enough to return to my desk job for 4-5 hours/day after 2 weeks. I went back to full hours the following week. It was my choice to return to work. I have a very good job which I value. In addition, there is no one to cover many of my work duties in my absence. And, I felt well enough to do it. (I am a very athletic 42 year old. My surgery was also TAH. On another postive note, I have just noticed in the last month how much my scar has faded in the 8.5 months since my surgery - yahoo!)

BTW, I didn't have a time restriction for driving. My DR told me that it would be safe and appropriate to drive when I could stamp my right foot without real pain. For me, that was at about 2 weeks.

Make sure you allow for adequate rest and sleep when you do return to work. Your body needs it. Try to work on getting stronger and fitter between now and December. It really helps.

Hi there,

Since we all heal at different rates, 6-weeks seems to be just about the right amount for most of us. Doing too much too soon can cause problems that can make recuperation last even longer.

Go by what your doctor says, and also what you feel up to doing.

I had an LAVH and work from home (most of the time) on my computer. Even so, I didn't start back until 3 weeks for half days. And I was totally tired after just 4 hours.

By 4.5 weeks I was back full-time but did not have to get up and get into an office. Also, could switch from bed, to recliner to desk when one position got uncomfortable - which it did!!

You'll really feel so much better after the surgery -- so hang in there and keep us posted on what's going on.