How many days should I need a lot of help?

My doctor's office told me I couldn't have my surgery until at least late May.

Today they called back and told me I'd be in Feb 22 since my doctor wanted me to have surgery the earliest possible.

DH says he will take Feb 22, 23 and 24 off. He'll work on the 25th (10 hours), be home on Sunday the 26th and then start a 13 hour night shift the following Monday night for an entire 7 days.

Other than DH I will have no one here.

I'm having laproscopic surgery. That's all I know. The nurse said I'd be able to ask the doctor the week before surgery.

I'm assuming I'll have surgery on the 22nd and sent home on 23rd. I have no idea if that's correct or not. DH will only be home with me on the 24th and Sunday the 26th.
No one else can stay with me. DH won't ask for more time off because he thinks I'll be fine.

I also wanted to ask this. My siblings are telling me that hysterectomy is no longer considered surgery. It's considered a procedure. Surgery is a big deal, but a procedure is quite easy like having tonsils out and is less serious than having an appendix out. Tonsils and hysterectomy are on the same page? That doesn't sound right.

Hi Princess Kiki!
Everyone is different so I don't want to tell you X amt of days and you need more. But I had a TVH on Dec. 20th and I felt pretty good coming home from hosp. I didn't need as much as I thought I would, but having said that I understand that the lap is totally different then what I went thru with a tender tummy etc....


Good Luck and I hope one of the ladies here has an answer closer to what you need then I do!

Not sure about the recovery time help needed as my hysterectomy is scheduled for Jan 31st, but I can assure you this is no "small procedure".

I am quoting my doctors note to my job:

To whom it may concern,

Gail (Last name) is scheduled for major abdominal surgery (I too am also having a TVH) on January 31st and should remain off from work for 6 weeks pending recovery..

To me that is no small procedure.. I am however keeping 1 ovary..

Good luck to you

oh honey....look, I don't know much more than you do about what to expect.. (mine is on 2/7, so I'll let you know!)..I've had lap before but it was my gallbladder that was removed, and I know a hyst is much more involved. I WILL tell you that THAT surgery was pretty easy for me in terms of recovery...I'm sure the other women will chime in with their knowledge. Do you have a friend who can stop by and look in on you when husband goes to work?

What I CAN tell you is that you ARE having surgery - you are having a SURGICAL PROCEDURE. the suffix "-ectomy" means the removal of a body part. The fact that you are having a lap vs. abdominal or vaginal makes it no less serious. Anything that requires anesthesia, cutting and removing of organs or tissue, and sutures carries risk, regardless of the method, and your hysterectomy should be regarded and treated with respect - respect for the surgeon performing it, respect for you as the patient, respect for the loss of organ(s) you will be incurring. If your siblings want to write this off so easily, that's on them. This is actually a pretty big deal on a lot of levels. Treat yourself well, and try to educate hubby as much as possible.

Big hugs -
-Fish

Hi PrincessKiki!

What???? Just a procedure? Well, yes, it's a surgical procedure that happens to be major abdominal surgery. Maybe you won't have a large incision on your exterior skin, but inside, like others have pointed out, is the cutting and removal of tissue and organs. My, my, I wish they could all see the videos of what really happens during hysterectomy.

If you're all by yourself with no one after a few days, then I think if you plan really well in advance for all that you'll need within easy reach and distances for you, you could do this. You might even welcome the peace of having time to yourself to just rest. There was a nurse who called me prior to surgery to run down the lists of "do this" and "don't do that" -- if someone like that will be calling you, I think you should ask.

I don't like it when people pass this off as minor and no big deal. It's major and it is a big deal. I don't know of any "tooth extraction procedure support websites" or "mole removal support sites" around here, to you? If it was no big deal then what are thousands of women doing right HERE supporting one another through this major life event?

Sorry, just had to blow off some steam there for a sec.

Keep in touch, princess -- there most certainly is excellent support right here for you.

I think it depends on if you have little ones or not. My husband stayed home with me for the first four days and by then I was comfortable getting up and getting to the bathroom and such without him. If you have little ones, it would probably help to have someone around for at least the first two weeks. Hope this helps!

Surgery is anytime they cut your skin. So, this is not just a procedure, and neither is a tonsilectomy. There, now that's out of the way!

I had an abdominal hysterectomy and expected to be down-and-out for much longer than what actually happened. I told all of my friends that I wouldn't want any visitors until I could get dressed and make my own cup of tea without help. I was able to do that when I was in the hospital, so I had lots of company when I wanted it. However, plan for a restful period of time when you get home. Get some meals prepared in advance, and freeze them so that you don't have to cook (just remember not to heat the meals in plastic). Make sure you've got lots of comfy clothes, books to read, and a phone near your bed! I found that I got very sleepy, and the sleepiness would hit all of a sudden. Once I got tired, I had to sleep right away.

I paid attention to my doctor regarding the lifting restrictions and sex, and paid attention to my body regarding rest, and I had a great recovery. I was driving at 9 days, went shopping and had visits with friends, and even took care of my granddaughter (2 months old, less than 10 pounds) at 16 days.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.
I still have 4 weeks to go, so quite a while.
Not knowing what to expect is stressful for me.

For now I'm going to try planning out some meals that I can make into freezer meals before I go in.
I may even invest in some pretty new aloe socks to keep my feet soft while I recover.

I hope this 4 weeks will go fast because I don't think I'll miss this old cramping, blood gushing uterus anymore.

I strongly recommend DH educates himself a little more about the Major surgery you are about to have. Your external incisions will be minor. Internally you will end up with 100's of stitched. There will be extensive healing that takes up to a year to heal completely. I suggest you introduce him to misterhystersister. There are great articles that all of our better halfs should read before hand. I used to print one out a day and sit with him while he read it....he even watched a video. On to recovery time. If dh has to go back to work (as mine did too) he made sure I had a cooler next to me with bottled water and juice. Snacks within reach and my meds. Since u should get up and walk at least once an hour while awake...so around lunch time pop something in the microwave. As long as you have everything you need close by you should be ok. If you have stairs I recommend you dont try them for the first time when you are alone. Walk them once or twice before he goes back to work so you know you will be ok with them. I didnt do that and.was scared to death the first time I did it because I was home alone.
Good luck
Tracy

Good luck. Waiting for the big day was very hard. I am 7 days post op and am able to gently move around the house now. My surgery was LAVH. I did lots to prep the house (so glad I did) and get meals in the freezer. This helped me feel less impatient. I bought lots of comfy pj clothes, big granny underwear, and other pampering things that I knew I'd want. Honestly - this has been very difficult. I have leaned heavily on my hubby, sisters, mom, and a new friend I met here that had surgery on the same day (yes it is major surgery). It's time to gather a support group. Everyone's experience is a little different, so plan ahead. This is a very big deal, and your healing process needs to be supported by people who understand just how big it is.