Poorly chicken

[Charlottechicken]

 

I'm thinking this is a long time but I think the weeks will fly by. Not looking forward to being in hospital and struggling to do things for myself.

 

I know a few of you have already been through this op and wondered if you could offer words of wisdom?

 

I've already stocked up on big pants

[kerryegg]

I was fine but DON'T do anything for about 6 weeks afterwards that involves any lifting. main problem, being bored after the initial tiredness has worn off. Remember no ironing, carrying shopping etc. I was able to drive after 3 weeks and Tesco offered to walk round shopping for me. 1995 but hopefully things haven't changed that much. Mine was full op. May be different if suction or something else.

Stock up on books. Best wishes, I sure you will feel the benefit afterwards.

[Jules.]

Hope all goes well for you, Clare, & that you'll be feeling better in no time.

[Snowy]

Can't give much advice but will be following your progress with interest as I will have to go through the same myself before too long. From a nursey point of view, definitely watch the lifting post op - the skin wound heals pretty quickly, but it takes quite a few weeks for the underneath layers of muscle to heal properly.

[Seagazer]

Not had it done myself but just wanted to wish you well and I hope you don't get too bored during the recovery time. My mum was a terrible patient afterwards and would do too many things she wasn't supposed to.

[Chickvic]

My sister had one last year (ovaries left in) and she had been suffering constant bleeding before so that when she had the op done all she felt was relief! She recovered well and quite quickly although she was very good about not lifting/carrying. The one thing she did say was letting the scar air dry. She also had tingling, and an occasional stabbing pain, rather than a lot of pain all the time. Good luck with it!

I think Claret recommends taking arnica for the bruising, can't remember how soon you should start taking it though

[BeckyBoo]

Just wanted to say good luck, my Mum had this done a couple of years ago but they went "in through the out" if you get my drift so she had a relatively easy recovery.

 

BeckyBoo

[Guest]

sorry to hear this claire, all the bst for a mega speedy recovery and don't try to do things too soon, as everyone has said! xxx

[chelsea]

I agree with the other comments, take things easy. The housework can wait and maybe prepare by doing some batch baking & freeze before you go in so that you don't have to worry about cooking when you are recovering.

 

Good luck x

[Willow]

Will you have an adominal op ? if so you need to think about the scar healing and I found I wanted to wear skirts as jeans were too uncomfortable for quite a while but I don't think it makes that much difference to the overall recovery time.

 

I found it hard to settle to reading much which surprised me as I love reading but I had a combined tv/dvd player for the laundry room that came up to my bedside and I got addicted to House on DVD

 

Stairs were difficult and slow to navigate for a while and as our downstairs cloakroom was mid refurb and without loo I spent a lot of time upstairs. I was surprisingly tired but it felt wonderful to be the other side of the op and able to recover back to normal.

 

I'm sure the hospital will tell you and if they don't ask and get this advice confirmed as I'm not medically qualified but taking the painkillers helps with inflamation/recovery so well worth taking rathe than feeling you should hold out and you can combine differnt painkillers so in the initial days you can have something every 2hrs. I kept a small notepad with the painkillers and everytime I had something I wrote it down so I could track I wasn't having too many. I was told as long as you don't go over the allowed amount you can stay on parcetamol for ages.

 

My sofa was too soft and squishy for me to sit in comfortably after the op so my sister and BIL went to Ikea and got me two of these chairs http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60106254 so I could have one upstairs and one downstairs. They were perfect and have proved generally useful since.

 

If you don't already have one a V pillow is a good idea for sitting up in bed. I took mine into hospital with me. I also took one of my own pillows and a pillow case that smelt of familiar washing powder but in a strong colour so it couldn't get mixed up with the hospital white pillows.

 

I agree with eveything said about housework. I thought about getting a cleaner for whilst I was recovering but because of renovation work downstairs was like a building site complete with missing floor boards in places so not an option for me but you should seriously consider it.

 

You will feel so much better afterwards, I am so glad I had the op.

 

edited to add more advice

Edited March 28, 2010 by Guest

[Snowy]

Good point about the painkillers Patricia. If you don't take them you become immobilised by the pain. You will have a better recovery by controlling the pain and remobilising sooner. Reduces the risk of post op complications as well.

[Seagazer]

My mum had a cleaner to come in but she used to go and tidy up before the lady came

[kerryegg]

I think I must have been very lucky. Don't cope very well with pain but only needed paracetamol for what ironically felt like bad period pains. Had epidural for pain relief when I came round but asked to have it removed and just took co-codamol, I think, strong painkillers of some sort. Everything out, small scar bikini line, clips and sticky stuff not stitches. Incredible tired for a couple of weeks and had an implant HRT which lasted 6 months to ease or avoid menopause. Didn't continue HRT and went back to work after 3 months. Chose the lovely summer of 1995, off work June, July, August. Sadly I don't like watching tennis!

Anyway all best wishes, not long to go and you should have good weather. Incidently I was also a civil servant, now retired and they were really kind when I went back, making sure my work station was comfy etc. I know employers are required to consider staffs needs but you hear some dreadful stories about treatment of staff who need sick leave or workplace adjustments.

Anyway good luck again. What's with the big pants???????????

[Chunkin]

Me too Claire - June 10th.

 

Glad I have a date now but worried about what I won't be able to do after and for how long.

 

Does anyone know how long it will be before I can lift, dress and shower a child about the size of a five year old (who does not help himself in any way!). Or drive? Or lift a bottle of wine..?

 

Best of luck to you! XX

[Lewis]

Umm, can't help with advice

- but hope it all goes well

 

If you need anything, we're not too far away

[Lesley]

Best wishes to both of you.

 

My sister seemed to come through it relatively easily - and she had a small child and a toddler and had to be very careful with lifting - not allowed to lift a full kettle etc.

 

Carol do you have anyone who can help you with your little one? - that's going to be far too much for you to do for a while

[Chunkin]

Thanks Lesley and Lewis - I do have help but have to be organised about it. Trouble is, it's hard to get useful advice from doctors who assume a 12 year old can look after himself (unsurprisingly!). Even putting his coat on involves taking his full body weight and peeling him off the floor!

 

Claire - let's hope we have a lovely early Summer and we can sit in the garden and be amused by the chooks!

[Willow]

Hi Carol

From memory lifting a bottle of wine is within allowable weight lifting limits from the start

 

You're going to need help with your 12 year old (I'm assuming from the description that he's disabled). You'll need looking after.

 

Everyone is different but I'm normally the sturdy get on with anything type (I spent yesterday taking down a garden wall and digging up part of an old drive and dumping in a skip to finish filling a 8 yd skip which is full of hard core the majority of which I'd dumped in there the last few weeks) and I was so weak afterwards that a week after my op when I needed to open the infant school opposite for a w/e function I could bearly walk over and couldn't think quick enough to turn the alarm off properly so it kept going, by the time I had sorted that I was in tears with tiredness. Fortunately a dear friend who had never been in the school had turned up to visit so I left her to find keys for various gates and sort everyone out.

 

Vacuuming pulls on muscles you need to rest so in terms of housework that is particularly bad (which surprised me, I'd never thought of vacuuming needing muscles before it always seems the easiest housework task)

Edited March 29, 2010 by Guest

[LisaP]

Good luck to you both.

 

I had my hysterectomy in May 2005 - I had 8 weeks notice and it did fly by.

 

For me it turned out to be a most welcome relief and I've never looked back. Mine was done abdominably as I already had the scar from having one of my children by caesarean. I seem to remember it was about 3 weeks before I started being able to move around properly and about the same time I was able to fold washing and make packed lunch sandwiches as long as I did it sitting down.

 

My OH was a help as we have 4 children, who at the time were aged 14 11 7 and 6. OH worked from home for the first couple of weeks and then continued to do the school runs but went back to work - I was fine on my own by then.

 

Certainly I wasn't prepared for just how tired I was initially after the op, but having said that for me personally the actual recovery process wasn't anywhere near as severe as I had expected. The hospital seemed to focus more on the psychological advice - rather than practical, warning that I might get emotional, depressed, or even feel grief but happily I didn't and as I've said for me it was just a relief to get it done.

 

I wish you both well and hope it goes as smoothly for you

 

Lisa P

[ClaireG]

Hoping it goes well for you both.

[Daphne]

I haven't got much to add to the excellent advice so far; my Mum was tired and got in the habit of napping - she found the co-codamol made her drowsy and a bit 'not with it' as well, but she has said since that it was better to take your meds in the short term and get over it quicker rather than soldier on. As well as not lifting/carrying you should be careful about bending, turning and twisting (move your whole body). My mum had problems getting her socks on! I stayed with her for a week after the op doing meals/laundry/cleaning/changing the bed and for the company and after that I'd visit once a week for about 6 weeks and do the big chores and take her shopping so she didn't have to reach for things or carry them. Before the op we considered getting her some domestic help, but she was much more able than we'd thought she would be (but not up to the physical work of looking after a child unaided - no bending down to pick things up for a start....and definitely not the stamina required!) I also planted up some containers so she had something bright and cheerful to look at in the garden for the hours she was chair bound. A firm, fairly upright, quite high chair with arms is very very useful - its hard lowering yourself in and getting out otherwise. My Mum was so relieved to have had the op, it made her life better immediately. Good Luck with everything.

[Chicktastic]

Hope everything goes ok!! Sorry can't offer any advice, but it seems like the guys have already sorted you out with plenty!!! They are a great bunch!!!

[The Dogmother]

Good luck Claire, I had one two years ago, and it honestly was the best thing I ever did.

 

Big pants are good as anything low-line will cut into your scar. Recovery is the same as for a c-section, except that you don't have a baby to look after! Medication was the problem for me as I'm allergic to opiates, but we worked out a wonderful regime (except when one relief nurse gave me codeine ) and it worked a treat. You really do need to take them though and not be brave... that's from someone with a really high pain threshold!

 

I found that I tired easily, which meant that i HAD to rest - not something that I normally do, but I took loads of Arnica and amazed the nurses with the speed it healed at.

 

I'd recommend getting some big support knickers... not too tight, just enough to hold your tummy in, as the swelling (jelly tum) wobbles and makes it ache, and you get a low, heavy feeling if you stand for too long. No real bleeding to speak of, in fact less than I'd expected.

 

Try to get up and walking (within reason) as soon as they will let you up as it really helps. The trapped wind from them furtling in your guts does hurt, so take them up on that peppermint tea thing they make - it really works along with the exercise! I was back at the farmers' market roughly 10 days later, didn't drive for 2 weeks though (bear in mind that your insurance company won't cover you for 6 weeks afetr a major abdo op)

 

I was fit as a fiddle before the op and I think that helped with the recovery, back doing normal things pretty quickly, but with plenty of rests and not too much lifting - a small child would be out of the question for a couple of weeks; you'd need help with that. I was signed off for 6 weeks and could have gone back sooner, but having never had time off work before, I decided to make the most of it. You will need someone at home though for the first few days; I had a couple of funny turns, (due to usual low blood pressure) but luckily had briefed Rosie on what to do.

 

If you have any questions guys, I'd be more than happy to talk to you about it, just PM for my number.

 

Good luck you lot... and keep positive, it really helps.

[grracee]

Can't really offer advice but wish you both luck and hope it goes well.

[Charlottechicken]

Gosh, thanks for all the advice folks, brilliant stuff!

 

Clare, yes I've bought my selection of big pants as am having the abdo op, I got tight, medium and bloat sized I bought 14 pairs, from 3 different shops, so I don't have to wash anything for a fortnight I'm not good with support pants, as for some reason can't have anything too tight against my tummy, even tights with a control top (could be due to anxiety related bowel problems ) so threw away some sloggi pants years ago, they made me ill.

 

Patricia, funny, I can't find the wine lifting guidance...but if you say it's OK......

 

Chunkin, have pm'd you

 

My surgeon has told me recovery is three months, so that's the minimum I'll be having. If I have just one spell of sick leave I'll be fine (treated as a one off event) but if I go back too soon and need more sick leave I'll be in trouble and will get a warning, even though I've not had a day off in almost 4 years.