Recovery Progress Reports for Hysterectomy dates Mar 01-Mar 07,2021

Hi, a bit late to the party here. I'm 34 and my surgery (ovaries, tubes, uterus, cervix, omentum, spleen) was Friday for about 4 hours and I went home Saturday afternoon. It was part of my treatment for stage 3 ovarian cancer that was discovered in November. My surgery was robotic/vaginal (gyn) and laparoscopic (spleen) with 5 incisions. I'm surprised at how good I have felt. Slept in a recliner the first 2 nights. Only OTC pain meds yesterday and today. Been taking some very slow walks. Showered today and changed a couple dressings. Trying to stay hydrated. Did wake up to a bit of a hot flash last night and had some teary moments today thinking about how difficult it could be to keep my weight down going straight from postpartum to menopause. I enjoy food!

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Originally Posted by Wheeliegal Good afternoon I’m 2 days post op, emotionally feeling pretty good. Only once I felt an uncomfortable urge to cry for no reason. Feeling super bloated and gassy. Hopefully that will pass soon. How do you get enough fluid in you when you have such a small appetite? Wheeliegal

Keep your fluids right next to you and take a few sips every hour while you’re awake. You’ll soon get your desire to drink back. And drink what you want. Yes I have water but for me warm ginger ale helped the most. And prune juice. But I keep it right next to me and sip. I’m on day 8.

Welcome to our Sisters who have just joined the conversation: Staced & azhang!

The important things to keep in mind with hysterectomy recovery:

• Do not compare your recovery with others'. We are all unique and we all recover in our own time.
• Listen to your body and don't push yourself. With some surgeries, we can push ourselves a bit, but with hysterectomy this often backfires... and can leave us with more pain, swelling, spotting or even complications.
• Follow your doctor's orders. Never mind what your family or friends may be telling you about what you "should" be doing. Your doctor knows your health history and his advice/restrictions are the bottom line.
• Increase your activity very slowly. This helps avoid setbacks and being demoted back to the couch for a couple days.
• Think of your progress in weeks rather than days. Hysterectomy is not a quick fix to our health issues. It's major surgery and it really does take 6-12 weeks to heal.

Here is an article to help: Expectations vs. Reality of Hysterectomy Recovery

Keep up the great healing Ladies!

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Originally Posted by azhang Hi, a bit late to the party here. I'm 34 and my surgery (ovaries, tubes, uterus, cervix, omentum, spleen) was Friday for about 4 hours and I went home Saturday afternoon. It was part of my treatment for stage 3 ovarian cancer that was discovered in November. My surgery was robotic/vaginal (gyn) and laparoscopic (spleen) with 5 incisions. I'm surprised at how good I have felt. Slept in a recliner the first 2 nights. Only OTC pain meds yesterday and today. Been taking some very slow walks. Showered today and changed a couple dressings. Trying to stay hydrated. Did wake up to a bit of a hot flash last night and had some teary moments today thinking about how difficult it could be to keep my weight down going straight from postpartum to menopause. I enjoy food!

Hi azhang,
I am sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis. If you need more information about your diagnosis/surgery, or if you would like to ask specific questions to Sisters who have walked this path, please consider checking out the following:

• GYN Cancer Articles List
• Cancer Concerns Forum

You have had a lot done inside you, feet up & lots of TLC for you.

Stay in Your Jammies!
It's a clear signal to everyone who sees us (as well as to ourselves!) that we aren't 100% yet. As soon as we start wearing normal clothes, our families think we’re all better and may not need their help. Since we don’t look sick, and we are encouraged to be up and moving around, it’s easy for others to forget we still have lots of healing to do. Women tend to be caregivers and perfectionists... now's the time to take care of yourself and do it right!

Feeling Nauseous?

Feeling nauseous after major surgery is common, unfortunately. Your body has been through a significant trauma! This, along with anesthesia, strong IV antibiotics, and narcotic pain meds can leave you feeling queasy for a few days. Feeling sick to your tummy isn't good for recovery... it makes it difficult to eat, difficult to walk and move around, and difficult to take your medications. This can lead to constipation, increased pain, and weakness. There is also the concern of vomiting post op and straining your stitches. Here are some suggestions to help you feel better:

• Ginger ale or ginger tea
• Peppermint (in the form of tea or lozenges)
• Aromatherapy (peppermint, ginger or lemon oil)
• Foot massage
• BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast)
• Cool compress on your forehead or back of your neck
• Put your feet up
• Suck on frozen lime or lemon slices
• Fresh air - open a window
• Drink cold water
• dimenhydrinate (brand names: Dramamine or Gravol)

If you're not getting any relief, call your doctor or speak with your pharmacist.

Hi Everyone!

I had a total hysterectomy on the 4th. I was able to keep both ovaries, but said goodbye to uterus, cervix and tubes. I was in surgery for 3 hours in the morning and was able to come home Saturday morning after two nights in the hospital - an extra night because my nausea was awful and I couldn’t walk around at all. Standing made me want to/almost pass out. They had to change my meds and shocked me with Zofran and Maxaran which seemed to do the trick.

At home I’ve basically slept up until yesterday morning when I felt an energy burst and finally felt more alert. Unfortunately I ended up unable to sleep at all last night, so I’m hoping that doesn’t continue. My 4 incisions are healing well. I have a lot of internal discomfort. Had a poor excuse for a BM yesterday, fingers crossed the softener will kick in today and help. Im taking 1 Tramadol-ACET at night and 1 in the morning with Advil every 4-6 hours. Im not sure when to go off the Tramadol, I’m assuming I’ll just know, but I’ve already reduced it quite a bit from day 1 - the script is for 1-2 every 4-6hrs.

Anyway, my husband is home and helping with a busy house so I’m trying to rest and change up my normal ‘busy’. My shirt and slow outside walk felt amazing yesterday, I’ll be out there again today. Thanks for the sharing and heaps of love and healing to you all!

Hello to forestspirit! We look forward to hearing how you're doing.

A reminder that the initial stages of recovery can take 4-8 weeks depending on your type of surgery and what exactly you had done inside. If you retained your cervix, your healing time may be on the earlier end of this time frame. For slow healers (myself included!) and those with pelvic repairs recovery may take closer to 12 weeks. It may take 6-12 months to feel completely recovered. Yes, a year!

If you happen to be dealing with swelly belly, my suggestion is to just 'go with it'. It can stick around for a while. There doesn’t seem to be any way to make it go away faster and the severity and length of duration vary greatly from one woman to the next. Do your best to stay comfortable; using pillows, ice/heat, and ibuprofen. Stretchy pants are your friend!

Now is the time to move around a little; nothing strenuous, just start with a little walking around the house. As you feel better, walk down the driveway, then to the end of the street, and then around the block. Avoid hills, uneven footing and bad weather for now.

Keep drinking lots of water and eat healthy to help keep your digestion regulated. A lack of appetite is common after major surgery. It helps to eat 6 small meals rather than 3 big ones. Snacking on nutritious foods throughout the day works too. A piece of fruit, some veggies, bran muffin, soup, yogurt all work well and can help keep your BMs regular.

Don't give up on pain meds too early (although they can cause constipation). If you are in pain your body is wasting precious energy trying to deal with that instead of healing.

Recovery Tips
8 Tips for Managing Insomnia
Can I Rush Recovery?

It's wonderful so many of you are posting and finding support here! Please keep sharing your progress, questions, and concerns. We to hear from you!

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This Body is Your’s for Life, So Let’s Heal Right!
Recovery is a crucial time for your body. The decisions you make now can benefit or hinder you for many years to come. While your body is working hard to heal, help it along with:

• Walking
• Water
• Rest
• Good nutrition
• Following your doctor’s orders

You’re doing great Ladies!

Thank you!! I did have my cervix, uterus and tubes removed. I’m not sure how to add that to my post like I’ve seen in others. I have written down my schedule for pain meds and am taking your advice. Appreciated!