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#835593 - 10/16/07 08:39 PM hysterectomy
Rainbow Girl Offline
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Midtown
I have to have an old fashioned, cut the stomach hysterectomy the end of this month. Any one had this done? Healing time? Good or bad experience? I am just trying to get and idea of what is to come. Thanks for any input or suggestions.
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#835609 - 10/16/07 08:46 PM Re: hysterectomy Rainbow Girl
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Had it done. If all goes as planned, you will be home in as little as two days, possibly three. Soreness, hurts to cough.... nothing extreme pain-wise, and they DO medicate you for the first several hours via IV pump after surgery. They will give you something to take by mouth to control the pain when you go home. As far as down time, that's individualized. The doc will make you stay home from work at least 4 weeks....up to 8 weeks if you have a physically demanding job. You will feel almost normal after about a week or so...still a bit tender, but ready to move around. If they take your ovaries, you will experience surgical menopause. I would suggest talking to your doctor about replacement hormones if this is the case. Does any of this help?
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#835611 - 10/16/07 08:46 PM Re: hysterectomy Rainbow Girl
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You can expect to be down a few weeks. And MAKE SURE you don't pick up anything heavy. This can be really hard if you have small kids, but you just cannot do it. Also, be sure to stay clear of anyone with a cold. You do not want to develop a cough.

I found that one of the hardest things was taking a shower and washing my hair. If you can buy or borrow a shower stool it will be a great help to you.
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#835627 - 10/16/07 08:54 PM Re: hysterectomy BrendaC
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The surgical menopause is the hardest part to deal with, I think. It takes a while for your body to adjust to the change. Make sure to take hormones if the doctor prescribes them. That is the only way to get yourself regulated and get over the hot flashes. I had my surgery twelve years ago and I have never once missed the monthly thing. At first you have a period of adjustment but after that, life is swell!

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#835769 - 10/17/07 01:28 AM Re: hysterectomy Ledeana
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I only had an oophorectomy (removal of one ovary) due to endometriosis but the cut was nearly the same as for your surgery.

My biggest problem was eating afterwards. Don't be surprised if you only want bland easy to digest things for awhile even tho they'll tell you you can have anything you want. I lived on eggs, toast, baked potatoes and tea for the first week+. I remember a friend bringing over spaghetti and just the smell made me nauseous.

Good luck, take care of yourself.

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#835839 - 10/17/07 01:04 PM Re: hysterectomy Truffle Royale
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FINALLY ABOVE the gnat line
A few months after my surgery, I hit the floor - my back went out. Your stomach muscles support your back. Once they are cut, they need to be strengthened. I felt great after my surgery - drugs are wonderful! I went back to work 1/2 days in the 5th week. It really helped to get back in the swing of things.

Once you are cleared by your doc, start the stomach crunches to strengthen those stomach muscles.
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#835887 - 10/17/07 01:46 PM Re: hysterectomy waldensouth
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waldensouth - I had almost the same issues when I had my c-section (vertical cut). The first time I tried to do sit ups all I could do was lay there. Very depressing.
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#835919 - 10/17/07 01:58 PM Re: hysterectomy Skittles
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Alos, try not to do many stairs for awhile. I did after my side-to-side C-section and am still having pulling and twinging pains 12 years later.

Good luck, RG.
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#835950 - 10/17/07 02:22 PM Re: hysterectomy Retired DQ
Nanwa Offline
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DO remember, healing takes time. DO remember not to lift anything heavy or gallop down stairs for several weeks. DO eat plenty of fiber or take stool softeners, so you do not strain. DO NOT get discouraged.

You will have some weight gain, due to the amount of time you are inactive. It will not show up until after several weeks. Then, when you are active again, it will take another several weeks to come off, but it will. Trust me on this!
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#835961 - 10/17/07 02:31 PM Re: hysterectomy Nanwa
hmdagal Online
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I've had other abdominal surgery, and they're right about your muscles - once they're cut they are never the same again.

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#835962 - 10/17/07 02:33 PM Re: hysterectomy Nanwa
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Rest,rest and more rest. No lifting,pulling, tugging, etc...
Have hubby and kids help. Also, NO SNEEZING, I thought I died when I sneezed two days after surgury. I still ahve one ovary, but thats it.. It was the best thing I ever did...
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#835967 - 10/17/07 02:36 PM Re: hysterectomy Nascar
Nanwa Offline
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No pulling wet laundry out of the washer. That's a bad move. Also, if you have small children or animals, no picking them up. (My cats had a hard time understanding that!)
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#836015 - 10/17/07 03:12 PM Re: hysterectomy Nanwa
Rainbow Girl Offline
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Thank you all for your input. No small chiildren, but the laundry still never ends....I never thought lifting wet laundry would be a problem but now it makes plenty of sense. Weight gain, OH NOOO I don't need that! I suppose it's inevitable since I won't be doing a lot of moving around. My best friend will take me to and from the hospital and basically take care of me. My co-workers offered to come over if I needed. I thought that was very nice. I told them they would have to bring me treats (no tricks) to the hospital. I work with a great group of people!
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#836058 - 10/17/07 03:34 PM Re: hysterectomy Rainbow Girl
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You might want to take them up on some light housekeeping and CLEANING THE BATHROOM, especially the tub. You can't stretch to reach the other side andn scrub for quite a while!

The suggestion about the stool softeners is a good one. Depending on how your system reacts to pain meds, they can be a must have!
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#836070 - 10/17/07 03:41 PM Re: hysterectomy BrendaC
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I am making a list of questions to ask my Dr. I like Smooth Move tea. It's an herbal tea and lives up to it's name.

I'm not going to know how to act being home for so long. I will replenish my book supply. Oh and I have coloring books. May sound silly, but I love to color...
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#836093 - 10/17/07 03:52 PM Re: hysterectomy Rainbow Girl
hmdagal Online
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Vacuuming is something else that is a no-no. Even though it doesn't involve lifting, it's really hard on your abdomen. Also, and this will sound bad, but I couldn't bend over far enough to shave my legs. It drove me nuts!

If you're on pain meds, books might be too much to absorb in the beginning - get some magazines or books with short stories.
Last edited by hmdagal; 10/17/07 03:53 PM.
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#836209 - 10/17/07 04:31 PM Re: hysterectomy hmdagal
Nanwa Offline
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Nair works for doing the legs. Sit down and think about what you would like to do with the time. I read alot of books and magazines, sudoku puzzles, and caught up on my letter writing. And you can always look in on BOL!

When is the operation scheduled?
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#836235 - 10/17/07 04:42 PM Re: hysterectomy hmdagal
Buddy the Elf Offline
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Originally Posted By: hmdagal
Vacuuming is something else that is a no-no. Even though it doesn't involve lifting, it's really hard on your abdomen...


I concur. Although I didn't have a hysterectomy, I did have a c-section delivery. It was about two weeks after my daughter's birth and I was feeling good and the house was in desperate need of vacuuming (we have a dog that sheds) and it was driving me NUTS!! So, I vacuumed... and as soon as I finished, I thought to myself, "OK. So now I understand why they say not to do that!" My abdominal area was *really* sore. I think this would be a great time for you to hire a cleaning service for a couple of weeks!!

Best of luck with your surgery!
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#836245 - 10/17/07 04:49 PM Re: hysterectomy Buddy the Elf
Nanwa Offline
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If your co-workers offered - take them up on it! So many times people want to help, but are afraid to overstep their boundaries. And helping feels good! To have a person run a vacumm over the traffic areas of the house, or throw in a load of wash, hey, that's not hard nor time consuming.

Just remember and pay the favor forward, for someone in the future who needs a hand.
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#836278 - 10/17/07 05:09 PM Re: hysterectomy Nanwa
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You'll need your friends to run errands for you - going to the grocery store and such. You won't be allowed to drive. Stock up on as much as you can for now and have a few things prepared and in the freezer to thaw and cook when you get home.
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#836386 - 10/17/07 06:21 PM Re: hysterectomy waldensouth
Nanwa Offline
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The driving may depend on your doctor - and whether you drive a stick shift. My doc said the only reason I could not drive was because of the pain meds, but a friend who had the operation you describe was told the pressure on the brake pedal could be too strenuous for her. And a clutch requires even more strain.
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#836403 - 10/17/07 06:25 PM Re: hysterectomy Nanwa
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My doc let me drive after the serious pain meds were gone. It sure made my life easier with two kids in school.
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#838060 - 10/18/07 10:40 PM Re: hysterectomy RR Jen
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A friend told me that her dad came over every day and took her for a walk. She said it did wonders - she got her strength back quickly, and she could tailor the speed, distance and exertion to how she felt, and her dad wouldn't let her overdo it at first.

She also got time to just visit with her dad!

The same friend told me to get a flat sheet, fold it into a 12 to 14 inch square, and tape it or put it in a pillow case - then take it with you wherever you go! It's great for holding to your abdomen when you sneeze, for putting between you and the seatbelt, etc. She was right! I loved that thing!!
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#838105 - 10/19/07 12:30 AM Re: hysterectomy Lestie G
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Mu aunt had this done. the mood swings were awful and so they put her on birth control pills. Also, because of the extra room in her abdomen, he bladder ended up falling out (not outside the boddy, but to the bottom of her abdomen and pushing against her [censored] area, makign it bulge). She had to get surgery to put her bladder back, which consisted of basically putting in a mesh net for her bladder to rest on, btu she still has discomfort with it.
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#838271 - 10/19/07 01:52 PM Re: hysterectomy Dip
Nanwa Offline
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That is one of the reasons you don't want to overexert yourself. You want everything to heal tight. I have heard of some who have bladder problems and needed it "tucked up". Fortunately, I was not one of them.

The doc will encourage walking, to reduce the chance of blood clots in the legs, which are always a concern if you are immobile or bedridden any length of time.
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