<p>Teri, I had no idea what was going on until I peeked into this thread. Wow. All the best to you and speedy recovery. It sounds like your doctors are experienced and knowledgeable. </p>
<p>I was pretty much mortified to even touch this thread until I had a period from hell - a week before my Boston run. I lost so much blood I decided to google things around and finally opened the thread… </p>
<p>Thanks BB - yea, it’s not been a fun couple of weeks. But I sure appreciate what the ladies have shared here regarding what to expect in recovery after surgery. I’ve learned that some women have fibroids so large that, when it comes time to do the hysterectomy, they can’t have it done vaginally, much less laparoscopically. I realize this doesn’t even begin to touch what it’s like to recover from a C-section when you have a new baby (and maybe other children at home), but there are some aspects of recovery that I can relate to. </p>
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<p>@Silpat
Thank you. Can you tell me: do you know why, specifically, we’re not supposed to lift things? As I am feeling better (day 14 now from laproscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy) I feel the need to be a little more active. (I feel like my muscled are atrophying from disuse!) Today I bought some seedlings from a local nursery, and the flat probably weighed 15# or so. I recalled reading somewhere not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk - but that just seems silly. I can understand not moving furniture or something like that, but is it really harmful to move 15-20# things when one’s used to regularly lifting 50# sacks pre-surgery?</p>
<p>That’s part of my trepidation. I am 12-14 weeks size too. But all the women I know who have had the surgery have taken 6 weeks off work to recover. I’m afraid if I took that much time off work they would realize they could do without me - know what I mean?</p>
<p>You know… it’s so funny how different doctors prescribe different precautions. I was told 5# for the first week, then 10# up until the 6th week when I see him for my second follow up. My understanding is that most times, it’s for the internal stitches that you can’t see - anything that engages your core muscles. If you pop one of those, it’s surgery again to reopen your abdomen and fix the stitch. </p>
<p>Another difference is when the doctors tell you it’s OK to shower. I was told the day after I could shower, although I really didn’t feel like it; other are told to wait a few days (probably has something to do with what materials they use to close your incisions with). I showered the morning of surgery, so I was still good. I finally did shower today, and it was fine - I just brought my clothes close to where I get out of the shower to dry off, so that I didn’t accidentally get a sneak at all the incisions on my tummy where I usually dry off in front of the mirrors. I plan to not look at those as long as possible!</p>
<p>@silpat - I had to laugh (even though it hurt) at your Velcro comment. I can imagine someone would get to that point if they’d been through that many abdominal surgeries. </p>
<p>stacey _ I think it is due to the large amount of internal stitches you have. I remember at about 10 days attending d2’s softball game. She had a great hit and I jumped up out of my seat to cheer. That night I started bleeding heavily for about 10 minutes. Scared me. I think I probably just popped a stitch, but it was a reminder to take things slowly.</p>
<p>Ladies, take it slow. Relax, let others help you out!</p>
<p>I do also want to add, I realize how lucky I am not to have a lot of outside obligations/responsibilities at this point in my life that could interfere with recovery. No kids’ events to go to (or miss), no college visits coming up, no moving kids into a dorm, etc. I can’t imagine how frustrated I would be if I still had all of those things on my plate to do, but had to recover from surgery, too!</p>
<p>It was kind of funny… when I was in the hospital overnight I woke up around 2AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. So I texted D2 who is two hours time zone behind me because I figured she’d be up, and I was bored. She got around to suggesting that I use my iPhone or computer to watch something on Netflix and I made a comment that the batteries in my iPhone and computer were drained, so I’d have to get someone to come in the room and get them plugged in, etc, etc. I guess I felt like it wasn’t the nurse’s job to take care of my electronics. D replied to me: “Hey, you have a legitimate handicap. Milk it.” So I finally called the nurse in and told her what my daughter had texted me and she just laughed and said, “It’s true. Get all the help you can.” And of course as soon as I got an episode of Breaking Bad going, I instantly fell asleep.</p>
<p>Sorry to be late replying, but as the others have said the concern about lifting is mainly due to the internal sutures - at least that’s my recollection. It’s possible to cause a hernia by lifting too much.
<p>People who aren’t lazy, self-centered, entitled, etc. (and I am certain that none of you is) are <em>not</em> going to become so in a few weeks or even a few months just by asking for some assistance during their recuperation. If you still have kids at home, it’s good for them to learn that Mom isn’t Superwoman and that they can make a meaningful contribution to their family.</p>
<p>A little after the fact, but @MiamiDAP : I wanted to avoid surgery and waited for menopause, thinking I could just wait out the fibroid symptoms. And waited. And waited. And I didn’t bleed once a month. I bled every day. Til I got so anemic I fainted on my front porch. If I’d done surgery sooner I would have gotten two to three years of a better quality of life back. I’d never counsel women to get hysterectomies without good thought-- but I am also never going to question any woman’s decision to do it. It changed my life and that is not hyperbole. </p>
<p>I am back on CC and just catching up with a few forums. Best wishes for continued recovery to Teriwitt and Stacey. I really appreciate the education on here and all of your honesty in sharing.</p>
<p>I am supposed to have an endometrial ablation after having an ultrasound that found polyps and thickened uterine walls. I expected they would tell me I had fibroids, as my periods are extremely heavy and long compared to 10 years ago. I think I am more nervous about the biopsies that they’ll do, because then I have to wait for those results. However, reading this forum reminds me to schedule that next step to get it over with sooner. I am looking forward to lighter periods as I have had a few situations that were embarrassing, but more that that, the discomfort is becoming an issue as well. </p>
<p>Thanks again everyone and good healing to all that have had surgeries and procedures.</p>
<p>@SnowflakeVT Good luck. The biopsy is uncomfortable but not horrendous. (I asked for an Atavan to take beforehand since I am kind of a wuss about procedures like that…) I think I had my results back in about 3-4 days.</p>
<p>And I’m healing… slowly! But better each week. If you do end up having to have a hysterectomy, I’d recommend you plan for at least 4-5 weeks of relative rest (w/o work or physical labor). My dr was pretty vague and I definitely underestimated how long I’d need to wait. Of course it also depends on the surgery. If you have DaVinci and leave your cervix, I think you usually expect a much shorter down time.</p>
<p>For other women considering this surgery for fibroids, here’s an unexpected bonus I am thrilled about: no more incontinence! I’d assumed this was simply a perimenopausal or age-related symptom (one that really bummed me out TBH) but it seems it was actually due to the huge fibroids. Yay!!!</p>
<p>@SnowflakeVT - Are you having the biopsy during the ablation? If so, my experience with pain was none, because I had IV sedation and slept the entire time. When I came to in the recovery room, the only discomfort I had was in my groin area from having my legs up in the braces for the procedure. It lasted a couple of hours or so and then I was fine. I had my procedure done on a Tuesday and although the GYN got the results back on Friday, because it was the weekend, he waited until Monday morning to call me since there was nothing I could do about the cancer diagnosis over the weekend. </p>
<p>The way I read your post is that you’re more nervous about the biopsy because that means waiting for results, opposed to having the procedure done, though. </p>
<p>I’ve also had endometrial biopsies as a single procedure in a doctor’s office, and I think it’s borderline traumatic to have them done that way because it’s so painful - four ibuprofen an hour before the procedure did nothing for me.</p>
<p>Do you know how much your uterine wall had thickened? Mine had gone from 5mm to 30mm, from last Sept. to this March. That, obviously, was not good, menopause or not. </p>
<p>Teri, good question, but I do not know because this was the first ultrasound for this issue. They did one ultrasound, and then because of the polyp they did the 2nd one with saline within the same visit. I will ask more questions. The doctor did say I have no other risk factors, so he thinks the polyps will be benign, but I forgot to tell him I am a borderline hypochondriac (just kidding, but I do worry). I also have incontinence when I run down big hills, but I do hip exercises now for physical therapy (so I can run to stay healthy) and those exercises have kegel-inducing properties so that has helped a little. Last week I didn’t have to sneak off the path to tinkle. :)</p>
<p>@SnowflakeVT - I developed bursitis in my hip last fall and had just finished four+ months of PT less than two weeks before I got my cancer diagnosis. My physical therapist spent an incredible amount of time stressing Kegels, saying that pelvic floor stabilization and strength is so vital to lower back and hip health. At first I thought she was a bit daft, but then she had a phone conversation with my personal trainer regarding my hip progress and told him about all the Kegels; when I talked to him the next time, he said he absolutely agreed with her, that I should be doing a lot of them, all the time. I don’t have incontinence issues and they still want me doing a lot of them. I just don’t think he ever felt comfortable bringing them up with me before he knew my PT had talked to me about them! I feel like I’m getting my body ready for childbirth again doing all these Kegels.</p>
<p>I actually had the conversation with my physical therapist about whether there is an equivalent Kegel exercise for guys. She said yes, and explained to me how they instruct guys to do them, but she says as a woman, it’s embarrassing for her to tell men how to do them the way she was taught to teach it in PT school. </p>
<p>Regarding the hypochondria, I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to figure out how to not become one. I still don’t have an answer. I honestly think for my GYN, it was the increase in the size of the endometrium in that six-month period that had him more concerned, than it was any fibroids/polyps or cysts they saw on the ultrasound. </p>
<p>In the course of my adult life, I’ve had so many biopsies (thyroid, several breast, many skin) that I’d become desensitized to them. That all changed two weeks ago. </p>
<p>YOu guys have been through so much. Ugh. Happy mothers day to you all. Stay positive.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t the PT just tell a male to 'Stop the stream" as a way of doing kegels?</p>
<p>^^^Well, there’s a bit more than that. It involves the testicles and passing gas, at least the way she was told to teach it. But yes, stopping the stream will work, in addition.</p>
<p>Hi Teri, just reporting back that the PT and Kegels have allowed me to do 3 races in the last two weeks with no emergencies. I have to schedule an endometrial abrasion in June, with biopsies. I am actually just thinking of this as a tune up.</p>
<p>Woo hoo!! Hooray for no emergencies. Diligence pays off! The upcoming ablation won’t set you back regarding running, etc. At least when I had mine, I had no restrictions, other than not driving that day due to the anesthesia. </p>
<p>I was cleared to do a range-of-motion water exercise class at two weeks post-op by my GYN-ONC. Some of the moves we do in class are exercises my PT gave me for the hip bursitis this past winter, so I’m hoping that it will all help to allow me to get back to regular exercise without too much trouble. </p>
<p>Good progress, Teri! Keep up the good work. </p>