Hysterectomy dates Feb 04-Feb 11,2008

Michelle, I am so sorry something like this struck so close to home for you.
My husband was actually just in Palm Beach last week for the Honda Classic, hes a huge golfer. Senseless violence seems so prevalent these days , its so sad. We live 30 minutes from Northern Illinois University, where the latest campus shootings were. My daughter has several friends doing master and PHD work on campus, one of them was walking outside Cole hall when the gunman started shooting. Scary.
All the victims of such sensless violence will be in my prayers.

Billjack, My heart to you and your friend wife and kids.

Hi all,

Michele: We too saw this on the news and are very sorry for the loss. Hug those close to you, family and friends. Good luck

The last few days have been very good and perhaps a corner has been turned. I actually walked 2 miles yesterday. Was a little sore and tired but not too bad. I tummy however is still sore around all the incisions, even the one that is 9 months old. It feels like soreness from the outside clear to the inside at those spots, weird.

Loves to Run: We also saw the house burning on the news. Guess these people just don't respect anything nor themselves.

I am happy to see the progress that everyone is making even if it seems small at times. Remember that it is forward one step at a time

Bye for now

I was bound on determined to get out yesterday. I had some $ that was given to me on my birthday (02/22 I was 34), so I went to have a pedi/mani. It felt nice to be out of the house. However, I was exhausted! It was the 1st time I had driven and the first time I walked that far since before Halloween (due to bed rest and 81 days in hospital). My nails look great and my calves feel fabulous. They had atrophied during my stay and are sore like I have run a marathon. I am going out again tomorrow. I did realize that buying an Easter dress would be futile as my belly is swollen due to my previous condition(pg) and swelly belly. I am going to look horrible in black on Easter at church. Oh well, the price you pay to never have another period! Ha Ha!

Sanrita: Everyone, no matter the size or occasion looks great in black. Shoulders back, smile and you go girl.

Hi everyone,

Thank you for all your kind words they really do help alot. Its also helps to remind myself what is really important in this life.

LTR, I also saw the story of the house burnings in your area on my local news, WHAT A SMALL WORLD WE LIVE IN!

But anyway I am feeling physically better today, did get a couple hours of sleep this morning and the swelly belly is almost gone when I first get up anyway but then it does creep back out a little as the day wears on. I plan on trying to do some work next week and was really worried about being up to it. Today I have a stronger outlook and I am really looking forward to jumping back in. I was raised with 4 brothers and rely on the theory never let them see you sweat. I'll probably be home crying everynight LOL!!! but we will see.

Everyone have a great day,

Michelle
41
TAH, Oophectomy left Ovary

Hi all,, Just back from my 4 week post op appt. I actually went to the office this morning for 2 1/2 hours to clean up my desk then went to my appt. Dr says all is healing well. She said the incision looks great, that i heal well. Whatever that means. I told her i thought i should be farther along in terms of less exhaustion and achiness. She told me she has seen women come back at 4 weeks practically still walking hunched over, not having driven, still on pain meds every 6 hours, and she has seen women come in at this juncture walking 3-4 miles a day, back at work, feeling great. She made it very clear that healing is a very individual task, and really it is a task your body is performing, and everyone does it differently. She thought i was doing great . I was dressed for work, and she mentioned that often women are still wearing sweats all the time at this point because of the swelling belly, that im in work clothes already is great too. So , all in al, i feel good i guess about my progress. She did of course mention that "at my age", lololol, but now we both laugh about it because she is so young. I did ask and was given without any question more pain meds which i was happy about. And we are continueing with the Premarin at this dosage and see how it goes.. if once i am back at work the hot flashes kick in enough that i find them bothersome, we can up the dosage, but i would rather not do that and so would she. She also suggested i take the premarin at night, and it might help with the sleeplessness.
So, all in all, its good news, I do not have to go back at all unless i feel the need, which suprised me but she said i was fine, take it easy 2more weeks then resume normal activivity. Right now i cant imagine lifting that 40lbs of dog food out of the suv, but im sure i will eventually!
Anyway, thats the update,,, all in all Im pleased. I am tired from being at the office, did take a vicodin when i got home and am going to rest the remainder of the afternoon.
I really think it helps me to get out a little each day.. my outlook and disposition is so much brighter when i am around other people.
Everyone have a great afternoon, im going to crawl under the covers, with my book "The Senators Wife" buy Sue Miller, and probably fall asleep.

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm doing well today. I went back to teaching my ESL class this morning and it went well. I'm glad I took an extra week to get back into it. The people in my class brought a beautiful bouquet of flowers and they had all signed a card to give to me.... it was so sweet. I was really happy to be back.

About 1/2 through the class, I started to get a little achy, but mostly i just felt my energy level dropping almost by the minute toward the end. I was ready to come home when it was over. I came home and immediatly put on my baggy sweats and now and vegging out on the couch. So, that is all I'm doing today. I'm slowly gettting back into my normal life, in terms of my committments I am involved in.

I didn't decide this until yesterday, but tomorrow, I'm going to get back into volunteering at my kid's school. It's very easy and simple. All I do is go on Wednesday for 1 hour and read to some 1st graders. It's that simple... so I figured I could do that. So, that'll be my big outing tomorrow. (OOOOHHHH). haha. And, then on Thursday, I'm meeting my personal trainer!! I'm so excited. Pre-surgery, I worked out with him twice a week, but then I took all of Feb. off with working out with him. But, we set up a plan that at week 4 I'd come back just once a week and I won't be working out. But, he wants to hear about my recovery, and all that is going on now.... and sort of start figuring out a new plan for once I can start working out again. On top of that, he is going to help me do some stretching that does not involved the abs at all. I just really want to stretch my legs and my upper back, and my arms.... and he is going to help me with that. I'll be careful!!! He is very educated with all the muscles with exercise science and anatomy and physiology, so he knows what NOT do to when someone has had abdomina surgery. So, I'll just meet him once a week until i get the OK to get back into working out and then we'll go back to the twice a week and start my fitness routine back up again....

So, I have some small things planned each day this week just to get out... it is fun to be able to get out some more now!!

But, I'm wiped out... I'm taking a nap before the kids get home from school!!

Paula: that is great you're doing so well and your doctor is pleased with your recovery. I'm glad she gave you more pain meds without even batting an eyelash. That is great. I hope you can get some better sleep now with the new Premarin dosage. I guess in the next couple weeks, we'll all be reporting about our post-op appts!!

BillyJack: How funny that what happened in my area was on the news in Florida. It was a big deal, though, since it was arson. I feel so bad.... it's scary, too.... literally, I live about 7 miles from where that fire happened! There are just crazy people in this world... I'm fine when people want to make a statment or stand up for what they believe, but to cause such destruction and loss just to make a statement is just going too far in my mind.

It is a small world!!

Hope all is well with everyone.

Take care,
Kathy

Ooooh, LTR, the stretching sounds just glorious!

I walked down the street to get the mail today and yesterday and it was at a slow pace, but un-eventful. I am still a tiny bit hunched over.

At times I almost forget that my insides are still healing because I move too quickly to do something and am reminded of this just as fast. lol It no longer hurts to urinate and I'm trimming my steri-strips as they lift away from my skin.

Things are going well...now if time would only stop flying!!!

Take care everyone!

Hi everyone,.

wow... I just took a 2 1/2 hour nap and I slept very sound!! Oh my goodness... my ESL class obviously took a lot out of me. haha. but, pain-wise I'm fine. So, i don't think I over-did it... it just takes a lot of energy to teach and also it takes a lot of energy to communicate with non-native English speakers because you have to listen extra hard to understand what they are saying, and I have to really work at choosing simple words, and speaking clearly and slowly... which I do speak clear normally, but I also tend to speak on the faster side when i'm speaking to native English speakers.

Anyway... that nap felt good!!!


SFK - I've been out to my mailbox twice since my surgery only because it's down the hill from our house, and it is not as comfortable to walk up and down a hill yet. One of these days I'll be normal again... I HOPE!

only about 1/4 of my steri strips are off, but the rest are still stuck on strong... no signs of them even peeling off.... My doctor said it's no big deal if they are on for my 6 week check...he'll just take them off.

I'm the same as you.... if I move too quickly, my insides will remind me that I'm going to fast or twisting the wrong way.... ouch!!

Hope you all are having a good day!!