Lothlorien
Active Member
- Messages
- 424
A huge thank you for all the good vibes and all the advice offered in my original thread about preparing for a major surgery and managing the recovery process. I've made use of a number of suggestions and tips, and hopefully they've been of use to others too. 
After years of suffering with fibroids, I underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with ovarian preservation. Several of the fibroids were atypical, meaning that malignancy could not be excluded, so the surgery had to be performed abdominally.
Everything went well. The fibroids were just about countless, and my uterus was the size of a 4 month pregnancy which is considered ‘big’. To my immense relief, I got away with a bikini line incision, rather than a midline one. I was in hospital for 3 nights. All the nurses were great, and overall it was a positive experience. I was walking around the ward the day after surgery and in not much pain.
It’s been 3 weeks since my surgery. I rested quite a lot the first week, but went for several short walks every day, building up gradually, and just doing my best to listen to my body. Getting up and laying down hurt for a few days, as did coughing/sneezing, and there was a feeling of tightness in my abdominal area which made me stoop when walking. Other than that I haven’t been in pain at all, haven’t need to take pain relief medication, and haven’t feel restricted in any domestic activities (avoiding anything heavy duty, of course).
Six days after surgery I ventured to the local coffee shop which is about 10 min away. It took me twice the usual time to get there that day, and even longer to get home despite a long break while I enjoyed my coffee. A day or two after that I was able to walk much further and at my normal pace, and the post-surgery tightness disappeared overnight, and since then it’s only been upward progress. To fill time whilst I can’t do my usual endurance and strength activities, I’ve been walking lots and lots. My body has been great about letting me know when enough is enough: I get a bit sore, and sometimes tired.
My post-op check up is still a few weeks away, so I don’t yet have any definite yes/no regarding malignancy. The cancer in question is very rare, but also very nasty.
A lot of what I’d read about in various hysterectomy accounts hasn’t happened (or, perhaps not yet...?). Very little pain. No bleeding. No swelling. Almost no tiredness. Perhaps it's an age/fitness thing, or maybe I'm some mutant fast healing freak.
I’ve been able to do almost everything I needed and wanted to at home as well, and venturing out and about has been fine too. I’m off work for now, but hope to be back in not too long, and maybe all the above will catch with me then. But so far so good.
Thank you again to everyone
After years of suffering with fibroids, I underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with ovarian preservation. Several of the fibroids were atypical, meaning that malignancy could not be excluded, so the surgery had to be performed abdominally.
Everything went well. The fibroids were just about countless, and my uterus was the size of a 4 month pregnancy which is considered ‘big’. To my immense relief, I got away with a bikini line incision, rather than a midline one. I was in hospital for 3 nights. All the nurses were great, and overall it was a positive experience. I was walking around the ward the day after surgery and in not much pain.
It’s been 3 weeks since my surgery. I rested quite a lot the first week, but went for several short walks every day, building up gradually, and just doing my best to listen to my body. Getting up and laying down hurt for a few days, as did coughing/sneezing, and there was a feeling of tightness in my abdominal area which made me stoop when walking. Other than that I haven’t been in pain at all, haven’t need to take pain relief medication, and haven’t feel restricted in any domestic activities (avoiding anything heavy duty, of course).
Six days after surgery I ventured to the local coffee shop which is about 10 min away. It took me twice the usual time to get there that day, and even longer to get home despite a long break while I enjoyed my coffee. A day or two after that I was able to walk much further and at my normal pace, and the post-surgery tightness disappeared overnight, and since then it’s only been upward progress. To fill time whilst I can’t do my usual endurance and strength activities, I’ve been walking lots and lots. My body has been great about letting me know when enough is enough: I get a bit sore, and sometimes tired.
My post-op check up is still a few weeks away, so I don’t yet have any definite yes/no regarding malignancy. The cancer in question is very rare, but also very nasty.
A lot of what I’d read about in various hysterectomy accounts hasn’t happened (or, perhaps not yet...?). Very little pain. No bleeding. No swelling. Almost no tiredness. Perhaps it's an age/fitness thing, or maybe I'm some mutant fast healing freak.
I’ve been able to do almost everything I needed and wanted to at home as well, and venturing out and about has been fine too. I’m off work for now, but hope to be back in not too long, and maybe all the above will catch with me then. But so far so good.Thank you again to everyone
