Abdominal hysterectomy in a few days, any words of wisdom?
Posted , 4 users are following.
hospital tips? recovery tips?
0 likes, 17 replies
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Notes on Abdominal hysterectomy in a few days, any words of wisdom?
sarah97156 Guest
Posted
REST REST REST, for at least 6 weeks. Good luck, so glad I had it done. For me (18 months ago), wish I taken more to do in hospital as I was really bored and not able to sleep at night, so books, ipad with sky go or something for tv etc. Best wishes.
Guest sarah97156
Posted
I know I will be so bored. Ipad is a good idea. Thank you
Redlandsneen Guest
Posted
Sarah is correct, lots of rest. Expect a lot of discomfort like bloating. I even had significant fluid leakage for a good week following surgery where I needed heavy duty pads, almost like small diapers. I experienced a lot of spasms in my belly for many weeks. Do not do any exercise and especially vacuuming for at least 6 weeks. I resumed some low impact exercise at 6 weeks and avoided anything that would strain the core for 3 months. It can be a pretty long recovery but allow your body to heal at its own pace as the surgery is so invasive and traumatic. I hope this doesn't frighten you too much but I didn't know what to expect so was quite shocked after the surgery. Being forced to get out of bed the morning following surgery was really scary but necessary. The worst part about my hospital stay (other than the hourly temperature checks) was the fact that the intravenous apparatus was on my right arm. As I am right-handed, every time I tried to use my ipad, phone etc, it crimped the tube and the beeping started and I had to wait for a nurse to come and reset the monitoring machine. Good luck!
Guest Redlandsneen
Posted
I am used to exercising and being busy , ugh. One of my friends wore a support belt around their stomach. Have you heard of this?
Redlandsneen Guest
Posted
Hi again. Yes, I used a support belt for quite a few weeks. It makes you feel a bit more protected and supported, especially when walking. I found it difficult to squat and bend down to lower cupboards. Will you have help at home? You will need it. And I also bought an over-the-toilet seat with sides on the way home from the hospital. It was a God-send. Don't worry too much. It's all temporary!
Guest Redlandsneen
Posted
i bought a support belt off AMAZON bc I didnt know if they would give me one or not. i bought a toilet seat riser too. thanks for saying you have one so I know im on the right track. i have a daughter whos on disability. im used to helping her all the time so this will be a change. i bought comfy pjs with drawstring. Do I need special underwear? My surgery is TUES and I was supposed to go on vacation FEB 1. Non refundable ticket argh..
Redlandsneen Guest
Posted
Other than the fact that I hate amazon (lol) I guess it's good you bought one. The hospital probably charges 4 x the price! Mine was given to me in hospital. I wouldn't say you need special underwear - just lots of them! The first thing that happened was a slight bladder infection which is not at all uncommon after having a catheter. I was on the antibiotic course for a week and I was still having leakage. When I asked the doctor about it, she said it was not urine but rather fluid retention from the surgery. OMG! It lasted a full week at least (maybe two) and I couldn't walk down the street without having to turn around and change! That's why I said get the real big pads. They are cheaper than the "Depends" type and may be more comfortable because they don't come up your belly. As an active person I absolutely HATED my incapacity but what can you do? It's necessary and you will come through the other end fine! I hope all goes well for you. Touch base when you can after...where do you live BTW?
Guest Redlandsneen
Posted
IOWA!
7am surgery tomorrow. THANK YOU for support, I appreciate it.
Redlandsneen Guest
Posted
Oh wow! All this time I was thinking you were in Australia - how weird is that? The world is small, eh? Well hope it all goes well and try not to be too hard on yourself. Do keep in touch!
sarah97156 Guest
Posted
Good luck Michele, you'll be fine. I also used the support belt, which eased a lot of the discomfort when I got home, and I had to use pads for a few weeks because of leakage. But my friend who had the same as me needed neither so we're all different I guess. Best wishes and please let us know how you get on xx
Guest Redlandsneen
Posted
well they removed the biggest cyst I have ever seen. Catheter was removed this am. with the help of pain meds I am walking a bit. Abdomen band helps a lot.
Guest sarah97156
Posted
thank you. the support belt is a lifesaver
sonia2611 Guest
Posted
Hi Michelle, hope you're feeling OK and not too nervous. I am now 7 weeks post abdominal hysterectomy and am feeling pretty well.
Whilst in hospital, I didn't feel up to reading too much, but kept in touch with friends via whatsapp and listened to some podcasts. A puzzlebook was great!
I took little bottles of water; nightshirts (instead of PJs); hospital knickers (mesh things), which were really comfy and I wore these for about 2 weeks. I took comfy sleep bras, the usual slippers etc. Antibacterial wipes and facial wipes, as it was lovely to freshen up a bit post surgery, but before you can get out of bed. I expect you'll have a catheter for 24 hours. The physio got me up the morning after my surgery and although this was a bot scary, it helped alot, as it showed me that I could do it safely. Make sure you have really soft, comfy clothes. You will be bloated and sore for a little while. I still have pain and numbness below my belly button.
As others have said, the most important thing to remember is to rest. I am slowly getting back to some normality, but am still off work and have been signed off until the 12 week mark (not manual job).
Good luck! You will be absolutely fine. I am so happy I had it done and do not regret it for a second.
Guest sonia2611
Posted
i sit at a desk job and they are giving me 6 weeks until I go back to work. Not looking forward to this at all. They found one cyst so I still don't understand why they need to do a full hysterectomy. They didnt give me any direction. Not sure what to buy so thank you for the suggestions.
Guest
Posted
update. 4 days post op and i was able to go upstairs and take a shower at home, yahoo!