Hysterectomy Recovery

SURGERY IS COMPLETE! 

My uterus, cervix, and tubes are GONE!  Hallelujah!

Day of surgery:

I was doing pretty good in the pre-op room with my husband and momma.  They did a great job of keeping me distracted from getting nervous and focusing on just how thirsty I was.  When it was time to be wheeled back into ther operating room I was getting anxious.  I got on the table and I remember I started to tear up from my nerves and they gave me some medicine and then I was just out.  It is always so crazy how quick that anesthesia kicks in!

Waking up in the recovery room, I was extrememly disoriented for a minute, I had no idea what had happened.  It took me a minute to remember that I just had surgery.  Anesthesia makes me very confused, very sad and very weepy; I feel so bad for my recovery nurse.  I cried and apologized to my nurse probably about 20 times in the short time that I was actually awake and coherent in the room.  

I vaguely remember being taken to my hospital room and my mom and hubby coming in.  I did sit up and talk to them in my drugged up state though,  haha and after about an hour I started to become more alert and aware.  My surgery was around 1ish, and I was in my hospital room by 4.

Pain:

I was experiencing no major pains thanks to the medication.  Though I was super uncomfortable when I moved around and later realized it was the catheter that was bothering me so much.  {Once they removed the catheter I felt like a new woman!}

I did have an extremely sore throat from my breathing tube during surgery.  My mouth was constantly super dry and my throat was very scratchy.   I had a hard time swallowing anything besides water that first day.  After a couple of hours I “ate” chicken broth, jello, and some applesauce.  For dinner that night I was able to eat some mashed potatoes and enjoy some ice cream without any problems.  

By 10pm I was asking for the catheter to be removed and I was able to get up and walk around.  I felt so much better with this surgery then I did with my hysterscopy  and appendectomy surgery 6 months prior.  

PostOp Day 1:

I slept pretty well overnight.  However, my nurse never came in and brought me medicine and so when I woke up it had been over 7 hours since I had received any pain meds and I was definitely hurting.  I tried to get out of my bed and that was excruciating.  They came in and gave me a short of Toradol and that worked amazing (though the burning of it going in was not fun at all!).  Within 10 minutes I felt like I could get up and move around a bit.  

My throat was still hurting but not as bad this day, so I attempted to eat a little bit for breakfast.  I was able to eat a little bit of a pancake, egg, hashbrowns, and some more jello.  Though eating a lot was not possible, I felt better having been able to eat some real food.  I even had some more ice cream to help soothe my throat that morning.  

Doc came in and we went over post-op instructions again and then I was discharged after receiving one more shot of Toradol.  We left the hospital around 1130.  So I was in the hospital for just barely over 24 hours.  

Post-Op instructions:

I can drive once Im off Percocets. 
No lifting heavier than 10lbs for a week, and then nothing heavier than 30lbs for 6 weeks.
Lots of resting the first week, and then gradually adding in walking to 30 mins a day by the 2nd week.
I can slowly add in yoga and lifting (with restrictions) after 1st week.
Can take a relaxing bath right away-no need to worry about incisions.
Take stool softener –DONT get constipated!

PostOp Day 2:

Slept well over night, made sure to wake up by alarm to take pain med so that I didnt get off schedule and have to rebuild back up.  Im sleeping on the couch in our recliner instead of the bed so that I have an easier time with getting up and down, and not laying flat is helpful for my abdomen and my back.  It feels so nice to be back in my own home.  

I am so thankful that so far with this surgery, I havent had any gas pains whatsover and I couldnt be more thrilled!  Those pains are the worse!  I have been able to get up and walk around without any assistance but Im easily exhausted.  Just walking around the house from one room to another for a couple of minutes and I was so worn out!

PostOp Day 3:

Slept very well and even spaced out the time between medications more and didnt have any problems.  Im having a better time staying awake today and not randomly falling asleep so thats nice too! ha  I feel like today is a great start to feeling alot more alert and back to my normal self.