Concerned About Stairs

Hello Everyone,

I've known that I needed a TAH for close to a month now and have been non-stressed about the whole thing. Today, however, I found myself starting to get a little scared. That's why I started doing a little research. I wish I had started a sooner!!

This forum has been great - and a good number of my questions have been answered in other's posts. Thank you!!

I do have a concern that I haven't seen fully addressed, yet... I have a good number of stairs to get into my house - about 6 down from where we park the car, and 8 to get up to the house.

I've read on this site that I'm supposed to avoid stairs. How am I supposed to get into my house when I return from hospital? This is a somewhat rhetorical question... I have no choice but to descend and climb these stairs... but how am I going to manage this? Does anyone have any advise or strategies?

Any help would be apprecaited!

A friend of my Mom's talked to me about this, and other things, when I found out I'd need a hysterectomy. She told me to go up the stairs backwards. Hold on to a rail or someone for support and go up very slowly...backwards.
Maybe if you have a nice, strong husband he'd be willing to carry you up and down.

Good luck.

I think that the advice about stairs differs from to

The reality is that if you have steps at home (and I do too), you have to traverse them to get inside. The quesiton for your is how much can I go up and down them and how soon.
My knew that I have a split foyer house (I had 4 steps to get inside the house and another 9 to get to the main living space and 4 more to get to the basement.) Because I only needed to go to the basement to do and that was off limits, I said that I would not be doing the steps. She said that I should do them once a day anyway.

She said to go downstairs, and then come back up.

So, I think you should explain your layout to your and then get his/her advice.

Hi, don't panic My doctor gave me no restrictions at all on using the stairs (I have a two story house). He said as long as it didn't hurt that it was fine. I used the stairs just three days post-op without a problem. I took one step at a time taking my time at each step. I could probably run up and down those stairs (15 days post op), but I still take it slow.

Let your doctor know how often you'll be using the stairs, but I really do think you'll be just fine

Good luck with your surgery !

I got no instructions about not doing stairs either. I basically camped out on the couch during the day and went upstairs to bed at night - later on in your recovery doing stairs a few times a day is good exercise. Take care, Veronica

I've got a two story house and have no restrictions on stairs. My doctor said to take it slow and not overdo it. I'm 8 days post op and the first two days I limited myself to twice a day because it was painful. But, once I hit the third day, I was feeling better and have used the stairs a bit more. I just go very slow and hold on to the railing. I'm more paranoid about falling than anything else.

I have a two story house also with 13 stairs on the inside. I just took it slow and steady and was always prepared to have to quickly sit down if necessary. Started using the stars on the day I got home. I am 4 weeks post-op and probably go up and down about 12 times a day. Tiring, yes but it does help to build enduance. So my advice is to go slow and only do what you can even if you have to rest in the middle

Thank you everyone... I feel better about the prospect!!

I have a tri-level house - as soon as you walk in the front door there are 2 sets of stairs so you either have to go up or down immediately. I used the stairs the day I got home from the hospital and every day since then and never had a problem with them. My Dr. also said it was fine to use them. Like one of the other sisters, I was more afraid of falling than anything else. I tried not to use the stairs if I was home alone in the very beginning.

My doc said no restricitons on stairs and actually went up them four days post-op with no problem. ( well - very slowly and held on for dear life!) I have a vertical incision and I really think that made a huge difference. I really didn't have any pain going up the stairs within the first week post-op. No that I am two weeks out I don't even think about it anymore - just walk right up. The key is not to do them too often as well.

For those of you with "bikini cuts" I too heard something about scooting up them backwards for several weeks!

Good luck!