Recovery Progress Reports for Hysterectomy dates Mar 08-Mar 14,2021

all,

Sounds like you are all just bumping along.

Dorrie think maybe you should not be up long enough to make supper yet. Unless it is just sticking something in the microwave. At about 2 weeks I started doing dinner prep in several 10 min segments with lots of rest and feet up time between. Then I put it all together with help at dinner time. Just standing is very hard on the pelvic floor. It puts pressure in this area and can cause swelling. Swelling can hinder healing and cause pain. So it isn’t advisable.

Emily that ice pack is a good idea after you have been up and walking. That blurry vision can also be from the position during surgery. They usually have you in a head down position so depending on how long you were there it could effect how long it takes it to recover. I think I was annoyed by it for close to a couple of weeks. Just try to rest your eyes when it feels to annoying.

Noe, glad the shoulder pain is getting better. Your DH’s (DearHusband/DearHelper) suggestion was a good one, a heating pad is also helpful as I mentioned in my welcome to you.

Hope those with nausea get rid of it soon. If it lingers and you have a temp you might want to get an OTC test for UTIs. They are common with this surgery and can cause nausea, but this doesn’t usually show up until the second week.

Daily reminder: lots of water, frequently, eat healthy foods, when needed,

Gentle Sister Hugs,
Anndy

I am checking in! Had mine this morning and all went well. I am home and resting! Will update more if anything else to report. I'm too tired to type much right now <3

Beansie,

Glad you are home. Rest is what you need so maybe hear from you later. Glad things went well.

Gentle Hugs,
Anndy

Day 2...

Still feelin' the crampy gas of course, but it has left my shoulders and arms. It's all in my lower regions. I'm urinating fine, but now bowel movement yet, just lots of toots . About to take some miralax to try and get things moving.

My appetite is almost non-existent and my mouth/throat hurt (I had some cuts in my mouth/lip from the intubation).

I got a ton of sleep last night, I used a wedge to sleep upright a bit.

The one thing I keep forgetting is that I can't just jump up from sitting... oops.

I removed the bandaids on my stomach (I had 3 incisions total), and one started kinda oozin' so I put new bandaids back on.

So far I'm doing okay. Just sore and tired.

Dear Ladies,

Beansie, the appetite issue is very normal, many sisters report this. I suggest just snacking and frequent small portion meals. I lost 10 lbs in the first 2 weeks the gained it all back in the next 4 weeks. For me that was a “darn it”. Sure would have loved to keep it off. I think the reduced appetite is partially because your body is putting all its energies to healing and you actually aren’t digesting well. This could partially explain all the burping and gut gas. At least for me it was mostly burping and my DH just laughed. Oh, the joys of recovery!

Daily reminder:

Sister Hugs,
Anndy

Im still taking my hydrocodone... My husband gives me one before I even try to get out of bed lol. But man their making me sleepy. I took like a 4 hour nap yesterday! Whenever I pee, it feels like a hot poker. It's like whenever you hold it for so long it hurts, and you can't relax the muscles enough to have a steady stream. Just a trickle here and there. I have to result to walking in my house since its raining. All in all I think I'm feeling better. No hormone patches yet! Is there a possibility i won't need them? Or is it just delayed? Im eating pretty good, had Mexican last night for my son's birthday.. Needless to say I stayed in the bathroom! Then at about 10pm I got the munchies and fixed a bowl of cereal! Before my surgery i lost a total of 57 pounds... Probably gonna gain it all back... Ugh!

Hello Sisters!

I had my hysterectomy on Wednesday. It turned out to be a robotic assisted laparoscopic procedure. My uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes were removed, and my gyn/surgeon did a uterosacral ligament suspension for support.

Everyone at the hospital was amazingly kind and caring. I arrived at 0500 for surgery at 0700. I was told it took 2 hours and then I was in recovery. I woke up in fairly significant pain, but the nurse gave me dilaudid in the IV and that helped a lot. I also got some ice chips since my mouth was very dry. I also woke up with a binder on — and I love it. It really has helped me move around easier. I also have the binder I got from the hysterectomy store here, and I will be using that as well.

I think it was 1130-ish when my room was ready and I was brought up. My husband was there waiting. The hospital has very cozy private rooms and I was made very comfortable. The nurses were wonderful in every way.

At 1500 they took the catheter out and I wanted to drink more water on my own before trying to pee. A couple of hours later I peed — and it hurt as expected. Each time after that was easier, though. And I made sure to ask for and drink water often.

One unfortunate thing, and I’m not sure if it was supper that night being too heavy for my stomach, or the dilaudid I had 2 hours before, or a combination of that and the anesthesia still in my system — but about 2100 on Wednesday night, I barfed. Ugh. It was very sudden and I felt pretty awful and shaky afterwards, but it didn’t happen again.

Yesterday morning I had breakfast, lots of water, and went for a walk around the hospital floor with my nurse. Then I had a shower, which really helped me feel better. At 1600 I was discharged and by 1700 I was home and resting.

Amazingly, I had my first poop shortly after I got home last night — very soft, bordering on diarrhea (TMI, I know), but better than constipation! I think the stool softeners and miralax I got at the hospital, helped with that.

Had some bone broth for supper, with a bit of elbow macaroni in it. Then was tired so I went to bed around 2130.

Today I’m in some abdominal discomfort, as expected, but have not needed the Percocet that was prescribed. I’m currently taking Sprix and Robaxin. Still wearing the binder, and using cold packs in my pillow to help as well. Doing slow laps around the house hourly and drinking water. Keeping food to small portions, more often, and for the next week supplementing my protein for healing with high protein shakes once a day.

So far I’ve only felt the very slightest twinges of residual CO2 n my upper chest/collarbone. I was expecting more, but am hopeful that I won’t have that.

That’s all for now. Writing this from the comfort of my sofa, where I am reclining in a nest of pillows.

I hope you all are getting better every day!

again & ardza,

So good to have you join us on the Recovery thread. Ella, it does sound like you are doing a good job taking care of yourself. The gentle diet is smart. Also think you may be lucky and they were able to get most of the CO2 out before they closed. I had very little shoulder pain so I was lucky too. Those slow laps around the house are great.

Dorrie, hang on to that loss, Sis. Try to focus on healthy food and small portions, lean protein and fiber rich vegetables. I know how hard it is to lose. I have battled most of my life and finally stabilized it not long before my Hyst. I really didn’t gain back all my loss because I was able to get back to exercising and longer walks in my 3rd month. I only gained back what I lost in the first 2 weeks after surgery.

Gentle Hugs to all,
Anndy

I'm back at home. Everyone was so lovely. I burst into tears when I had to consent and got a hug from my surgeon and nurse.
Not enjoyed the shoulder gas pain, but it seems to be subsiding now.
I'm so happy to be off the gynae oncology ward. I met some lovely people but pleased to be back home recovering. Just need to wait for that histopathology report.
I'm trying to focus on recovery and taking it slow. Not so easy with a toddler. Does anyone else have small children at home with them?

Bumblebee87,

So glad to have you join the Recovery thread and to be doing well. That shoulder pain should keep getting better. A heating pad and walking will both help. Do be careful to remember not to pick up your toddler. If you have anyone who could help care for your little one even for this first week it might make things easier. A pillow on your lap while your sitting might help with the odd elbow or knee as I know little ones want to be close and are so unpredictable.

Sending gentle hugs your way,
Anndy