My Mam is having an Hysterectomy tomorrow. Advice please

[Riot_Grrrl]

Tomorrow my mother ishaving a full Hysterectomyand it's not keyhole. Please can anyone give me any details , what can she do after the op?, how long till she recovers etc, anything would be very helpful, it's just my mam and sister 20 (who is bloody useless) thanx girlies

 

[1sttimemum]

i would suspect she wont be able to do a great deal at all, i now she wil have to take it easy for at least 6 weeks,

Good luck with it

 

[Jade&Evie]

No advice but wanted to say good luck and hope everything goes well to you and your mum

 

[mummykay]

my mum had her hysterectomy after her double masectomy (cor thats a mouthful) and she was pretty much laid up for mths - i know it was horrible for her cos she wanted to do things for herself but my dad had to do everythin so it frustrated her

good luck to ur mum, i hope she recovers quickly and is on her feet again soon

 

[DebbieM]

My Mum had a hysterectomy when she was 29. I was only young but I do remember it very well.

She wasn't allowed to do more or less anything for 6 weeks because it really is a big operation. She wasn't allowed to even lift a kettle, let alone hoover or anything.

I always remember it as it was October and it was icy out and a few weeks after the op she took us to ballet on a Saturday morning and she slipped in the road. I was petrified and cried my eyes out thinking she had really hurt herself. She was ok though.

Anyway, I digress... erm, yeah, she won't be able to do much, especially lifting etc. She will be ok though hun. Good luck to her xxxxx

 

[chezzabell]

I dont have any advice, but just wanted to say hope ur mum has a speedy recovery

 

[libs]

Basically nothing - its major surgery. No hoovering, driving, standing for long periods, lifting carrying etc. And it takes quite a while - that's apart from the hormonal crash if she hasn't had the menopause - which made my Mum very tearful, forgetful and emotional for a while - she found it difficult to concentrate until the HRT kicked in and got to the right level.

Hope she's ok - time for a bit of TLC

 

[1sttimemum]

How did she the op go??

 

[Riot_Grrrl]

op went great and she's home my little sis has to take sometime off work to look after her..i'll be doing my bit but with 3 hooligans to look after my time will be limited she seems to think she can go to town shopping tomorrow, methinks not!! thanx everyone xx

 

[Morganuk]

Heres some advice I found, hope it helps hun.






http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com/p ... ctomy.html (link for this info)

How to take care of yourself during the post hysterectomy period!


How do I prepare for my post hysterectomy? Hysterectomy is an inpatient procedure — meaning you're admitted to the hospital to have it done. Be prepared to be away from home and work for a short time. How long you'll be in the hospital depends on what type of hysterectomy you have, how your surgery goes and what your doctor recommends.

Are you worried about your post hysterectomy period? Well, remember that you will be much better soon.

While it may take you a few weeks or months, depending on which surgery you have had, to recover from the hysterectomy - there are a few things you can do to speed up your hysterectomy recovery.

At home after the procedure:

• Take all the pain relievers prescribed by your doctor. It's very unlikely you will get addicted to pain killers because of your hysterectomy... what is crucial is to be as comfortable as possible during your post hysterectomy period.
• Make sure you have enough sanitary pads for vaginal bleeding and discharge. You may have some discharge and bloody drainage for several days after your hysterectomy

• Use heating pads - buy one or two. Place one over the abdomen and another under it, if necessary. Do not sleep with a heating pad in direct contact with the skin because it is not safe and it may burn you.
• Limit your movement at the beginning or if your doctor authorizes it take some short walks to keep your blood circulating and prevent blood clots from forming in your legs. Take it slow, and make sure save all household activity for another time. Limit your bending for a few weeks and don't lift anything heavy after the surgery.
• While in bed listen to your favorite music, television programs or read your favorite books. Use headphones if necessary at home or in the hospital.
• Learn to relax and enjoy this quite time in your life so you can improve a lot faster. To be relaxed strengthens your immune system.
• Avoid all lifting after the surgery and during the post hysterectomy period (ask others to do it for you).
• Do not climb stairs or drive a car during this recuperation period (ask family and friends to help you).
• Do not prepare your own meals for a few weeks. Ask a friend or family member to do it for you or order them from some business that could deliver them to you.
• Find assistance from your family or friends and move very slowly when trying to get up into a seated position.
• No alcohol please for a few weeks (especially while taking medication).
• Avoid aspirin and dairy foods during the post hysterectomy time because dairy products will not help you with constipation. The pain medicine you will be taking during the post hysterectomy time will tend to make you constipated.
• Eat healthy, because your body needs nutrients to heal (even if you don't feel like it). Eat cold-water fish as well as turkey, chicken, organic bread, soups, salads and broths.

• Take the best daily multiple vitamin you can find, iron supplements and vitamin C as well.
• Take time to heal and take care of yourself. Soon you will be feeling better!
• Don't forget to drink filtered water. And since most of life is "consumption and elimination", you need to consume 8-10 glasses of water daily to adequately "flush" your system of toxins which would otherwise build up and cause some level of discomfort or illness.
• Your first two weeks at home will be the most difficult. So take the opportunity to sleep, relax, read, listen to music, eat healthy food until your post hysterectomy is over.

• At the end of two weeks you should start moving around, feeling better every day that goes by, and slowly getting back to your normal activities.
• As you improve during this post hysterectomy recovery time, talk to your doctor about when you can start exercising. Exercise will definitely speed up your post hysterectomy progress. Take walks or use your treadmill when you are home. Exercise! Exercise as soon as your doctor authorizes it.

• All post hysterectomy women should be using "Natural Progesterone Cream" supplementation immediately. Since there's no ovulation, your body no longer makes this vital hormone. This supplementation should be your first choice. It's crucial!

You just use the amount you would have if your body were still making it as part of your monthly cycle. Natural progesterone cream is absorbed into the bloodstream on a continuous basis as the body needs it.

Massage 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cream twice daily to any of the following areas: hands, belly, inner arms, face, neck, thighs, buttocks and breasts until absorbed, alternating application sites. Use for 21 days or as needed. Discontinue for 7 days and repeat every month (this timing mimics your natural cycle). Read more about natural progesterone cream supplementation here!

• If you are postmenopausal or post hysterectomy, you should also be using natural estogen cream (estriol cream). After menopause or if you are post hysterectomy, your levels of estrogen production go down 40-60 percent and progesterone production ceases. Use 2.5 to 5 mg of estriol cream daily or every other day, if you are experiencing hot flashes and night sweats.

During the week following the procedure, watch for the following symptoms:

• Temperatures over 100.6 F (check two or three times a day). You need to have a thermometer at home to measure your temperature. Call your doctor for advice if your temperature goes up.
• Dizziness
• Swelling
• Bleeding at the catheter insertion site
• Return of fever or pain after symptoms have subsided

Some questions to ask your doctor...

• What medications will be used to treat pain, both in the hospital and post hysterectomy?
• How long should you expect to be released from work to recover from the uterine fibroid embolization or hysterectomy?
• How long will you be in the hospital?
• What kind of post hysterectomy follow-up care is typical, and who should you return to or consult with after the procedure for additional care, your gynecologist or your surgical physician?

At the Hospital:

• Prepare a list of important phone numbers and store them in a convenient place during the procedure. Be sure to find out who to call and for what, specifically, in terms of the procedure and recovery period.
• If your doctor is unavailable following the procedure, ask for the name and number of an alternative physician to call and add it to your phone list. If you have an emergency at home in the post hysterectomy period, you may want to have more than one option.
• You may be at the hospital for 2 or 3 days depending on what type of hysterectomy you may be having.