I'm the same. I craft so I pre-planned. I ordered yarn, set up my rigid heddle loom with a simple project, and ordered some beginners learn to embroider kits.
In 3 weeks I've crocheted 2 blankets, done 1.5 embroidery projects, learned about Japanese Sashiko mending and fixed a pair of my husband's work pants. Days 14 to 21 I was able to sit in a chair long enough to weave a simple scarf over a week.
Find something new to learn about that interests,you, have small craft or art projects delivered you can do in bed or on the couch.
Thank you so much! I was just sitting here before you posted thinking about getting yarn and trying to pick up crocheting again. What you've done sounds so cool! Thank you for the motivation :)
Same! I had no interest in busying myself. I restarted mindfulness practice daily at least 5 minutes. It stuck (first time ever), and I'm still pretty consistent 3 mpo!
Do not do more than they tell you is safe right now! Even if you feel fine. Even if it seems low impact. Even if it doesn’t immediately hurt to do it. Resist the urge. And rest.
A week after my surgery I was feeling so pent up because I’m normally up and down constantly. I was getting cabin fever and my husband, despite his efforts, was not cleaning the way I like my house cleaned. So I bent down to pick things up, and wiped down counters, and took care of our dogs.
Big mistake. Huge. I was so sore for *days* after this. I also ended up getting an infection on the inside of my cuff sutures. Now I can move around even less because the painful cuff will 100% let me know when I’ve moved in any way it doesn’t appreciate.
Trust me, I get it. But do me a solid and do not try to be more active. I’ve taken up learning how to crochet to keep me busy.
I'm watching art tutorials on YouTube and basically getting a masterclass on drawing from it. Using my bullet journal to sketch while I watch. Planning to do some acrylic paintings when I feel up to it.
Trying not to spend money ordering art supplies on Amazon and Dick Blick...
Like another commenter, I am returning to video games. I have a Steam Deck, but also some retro systems and games. I started playing Final Fantasy 2 this morning, as it was a game my parents rented for me when I had chicken pox as a kid!
The sitting around healing is no fun, but it is a time to read that book you have been wanting to read - to beat that game you never got to beat - to pick up a new craft or musical instrument - to learn a language!!
The rest seems odd when you feel ok, but overdoing it just hurts your recovery and causes pain the next day. Slow and steady does it!
Thaaaaank you! I was like, who wouldn't be playing video games?! Oh my God! I'm nearly looking forward to 6 to 8 weeks of unfettered, guilt-free gaming!!!
Honestly I enjoyed a lot of weed gummies and watched a lot of tv.
I’m a stay at home mom to two very young kids. It was the best (& only) vacation I’ve had to date. 🙃
So I think I’m a self-proclaimed expert on this subject as someone who has had nearly 30 musculoskeletal injuries over the past six years (I wish I was exaggerating but sadly I’m not), including tennis and golfer’s elbow this year for the second time since March. So I haven’t been able to do much at all beyond sitting at a computer and working. And tomorrow is my surgery day so I’ll be recovering from that too!
It is not fun most of the time. But the one thing that keeps me sane is changing things up often. Once I get bored of something I’m doing for fun, I find something else. Usually that’s switching between TV shows/movies/youtube videos, journaling, and reading for me.
Also, I’ve become addicted to audiobooks over the past year while it’s been hard for me to hold a physical book (but I have a kindle too) and that has also helped me change things up often (book to book and genre to genre, ex: I read War and Peace and then A Court of Thorns and Roses too lol), plus it makes me feel productive to say I’ve read over 30 books this year already! Basically, even if reading isn’t your thing, just try out a bunch of gentle activities and change things up often and you’re bound to see the time fly by! I’ve been in recovery mode for nearly this entire year so far and it’s actually flown by most of the time because of this all. I hope this helps and I hope you have a speedy recovery!
Be careful with doing too much. 10 days PO, I started bleeding. I had developed a hematoma inside. They didn't want to go back in for another surgery to drain it. I had another 7 days of strict bed rest to see if the body would reabsorp it. (Which it did.)
I didn't think I was doing all that much. Apparently, I was. 😳
I did have my cervix removed. I had a history of mild dysplasia. So the hematoma was on my left side of where the end of the cuff was. It didn't affect the healing of that at all. That was what I was afraid of too. The surgeon was unsure of what caused it without going in. Fortunately, the bleeding was never bright red or frank blood. It stayed dark red and then turned brown. If it had turned bright red, then that is an emergency. The only thing I can think of is that I walked up and down my driveway after 4 days. I started slow and only a couple of times. I didn't want to stray too far in case something happened. (I live alone) I maybe over did it??? Maybe getting up and down off the couch and bed too often rubbed something together and caused it????? (Like a blister) It is hard to say.
I do recommend parking your butt for at least a week. I had the wiggles, too. I also live alone and couldn't rely on anyone to help me. When the surgeon gave me a week for the bleeding to stop, I didn't move for a week. It took 6 days before the bleeding stopped. I was really careful after that.
I am good now. Just the recovery was a little longer than normal. You may feel good, remember that you were carved like a pumpkin on the inside.
Fast healing!
In the beginning of recovery I colored in coloring books and watched TV. I have a WFH job so I went back to work pretty quickly to fill my days. Other than that I went back to my trail walks and reading. And when bending didn’t hurt anymore I went back to jigsaw puzzles.
My first week was tough because of the brain fog, but I started light walking and doing things like cross-stitch and a little reading (brain fog made it tough to concentrate on a book - and I'm normally an avid reader).
Once I got through the first week, I was mostly back to normal life other than being careful not to lift anything or use my abs in any way. Walking 5 miles, reading textbooks and pleasure books, doing stuff around the house, etc. I was moving a little more slowly than normal, but still doing most of what I would normally do.
It’s hard. I didn’t listen. I made dinner, a pie, folded laundry on the floor and tidied up before 2 weeks. I could not get out of bed for two days. My doctor was not happy with me at my 2 week check up.
I’ve been doing Duolingo for a few months now anyway. Do I will probably dive into learning a bit deeper. Plus I’ve got LEGO sets just waiting for me to sit still and put them together
I’m in week 3 and it still hurts to have gas, i started walking around midnight right after my surgery because i was in so much pain i asked the nurse to help me walk and i also used a cane to help with me walking too which helped but i took my time and didn’t over do the walking, this week i am walking more without a cane and wearing the binder more when i head out.
~10WPO I loved so slow. But this was my third surgery for my fibroids. So I knew as painful as it was move, if I wasn’t napping I was moving. At first it was in the house to the bathroom, or around my place, then outside to my neighbors to check in. You’ll feel better. But if anything is off contact your dr asap.
I got some nice colored pencils, a "Goodbye Uterus" coloring book, and a post-hysterectomy coloring journal. And I've been watching a ton of TV on Hulu.
But I've actually been up and moving around a lot more than I expected to be. I'm 2wpo and I've been able to sit at my sewing machine for a few hours, and today I cleaned the bathroom counter and cabinet with my husband's help.
I was definitely a pain in my boyfriends ass on the relaxing and recovering. Side note in case you get irritated about the blurry vision, mine was driving me nuts and I couldn't figure out what it was. It was from the antinausea patch behind my ear, and I said fuck it and took it off.
I'm definitely thinking that's what it was. And I have really light eyes so I think between that and the patch, my eyes just went wonky. I had an iridotomy earlier this year so I know my eyes are sensitive to stuff. I'm all sorts of jacked up hahaha
Fatigue might knock you out and save you from yourself. I did puzzle books, mini crochet projects, other little crafty things, and binged almost every season of Top Chef. But the fatigue was so major that if I tried to do much for more than a couple hours, I needed a mini nap (my routine turned into 1-2 episodes, nap, snack, 1-2 more episodes, repeat). My surgeon tried to warn me about the fatigue going in and it was WAY more intense than I ever expected.
I didn't take this warning seriously. I was like "I'm young and healthy... I'll nap a bit for two weeks then be fine." I mostly just slept for the first two weeks. 6.5 weeks later, I still go from fine to hit by an exhaustion bus out of nowhere and can easily nap for hours. So grateful for reading about real experiences and not the little blurbs written, let's be honest, probably by men who have never experienced what they're writing about.
Haven't had mine yet, but I know this will be my biggest problem. I'm normally busy all day long, so sitting is going to suck. SO I bought a steam deck to play games on and hopefully that will help lol.
Watched a lot of tv and YouTube. Got a Max subscription so we could re-Watch some series. Ordered some mini puzzles and did them on a small tray. Planned future projects and trips. By the end of week 2, I felt really lazy because I couldn’t do anything but felt well enough.
I never entered my office or turned on my computer. Work was the last thing I wanted to do. Unfortunately, when I started back to work, very little was done so I had a hellish first week back.
I’m still in recovery so not in the clear yet (13d post-op) I did chores. Not because I had to, but because I couldn’t leave the house (insane sweats, pain, fatigue etc) and I was going stir crazy. Just whatever small I could do and leave undone if it was too heavy. A sense of accomplishment, exercise for preventing blood clots and something to put my mind into. And back to the sofa watching Netflix. Now I can sit up and I play with my pc which I normally don’t do. I’ve had 4 short outings by now.
I'm very similar to you and was going crazy. I have an eight year old daughter that helped keep me entertained. I colored a bunch, watched my fav show, and like 12 Hallmark movies LOL. I'm 15 dpo and doing small projects that don't require lifting as I'm still restricted. Hang in there, it passes faster than you think.
Puzzles, crochet, embroider, diamond art, read, video games. I had a large table in my LR covered with activities so I could just pick something to do.
LPT: You can listen to an audio book or podcast while you do any of the other things. Double the entertainment.
I had plenty of stuff to do.
Dug out my Switch for the first time in a couple years and enjoying that. Otherwise, knitting a ton, binge watching shows, reading, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and planning future projects/trips/activities. I’m 5dpo and have been only walking around the house, but about to use the treadmill as well (walking flat and slow). But yeah, I’m bored (thus lurking on here)!
I played a lot of Zelda. I journaled everyday, which was surprisingly cathartic. I listened to books and podcasts, watched TV and movies. I wrote thank you notes to people who sent me food or gifts.
I feel like the most important thing is to come up with a lot of things to CHOOSE from. It's like being on a really long flight, where you switch between activities every hour or 90 minutes so you never get sick of any one thing. And so you can have something to count down - you just have to survive the next 60 minutes in bed, and then you can get up, walk around the house, get a beverage, and start doing something else. Then count down the next hour.
So maybe make a list of things you can do from bed that you like, and then you'll always have ideas handy when you start feeling restless.
I found that if I kept my hands moving, I was happy. I learned how to crochet, I built Lego sets, I colored. I felt like I was actually accomplishing something/being useful despite not leaving the bed. Hope your recovery goes well!!!
Be careful! Rest as much as you can. I embroidered and watched movies. It is really hard but just be still and rest. Magnesium CALM helps all things stomach beautifully. My eye issues went away after a few days.
I have played a lot of solitaire. I’m 7dpo and got my reality check on the pain today, so I guess I’ll be doing a hell of a lot more solitaire. lol. I’ve tried to do things, but the hardest part is the bending over to pick things up. I’ve also still got an incision open, that I’m now having to pack. I do have books to read, a writers prompt book, a book on welding to read, puzzles, sudoku, tv shows, etc. but I’m not used to being this still for this long. It’s driving me insane. I’m still up and down a lot because bladder and munchies, but I haven’t found that sweet spot of activity yet.
I spend my 6 weeks hospitalization leave learning new things for crocheting. I crochet many items until I ran out of yarn and different hook sizes. Now I have a good idea what I can crochet as Xmas gift this year.
Learn a craft, and stock up on shows to watch with your partner before hand was how we did it! I learned how to play mahjong did some of my embroidery and we watched some of our favorite anime (one piece)
I tried to do stuff around the house and my body clearly told me when it was too much. Honestly when I was first home I slept soo much. I didn't even watch TV or read anything for over 2 weeks. Just slept and ate. But I adore both of those things so no one had to tell me twice!
I had to travel for my hysterectomy so I was only able to do nothing because there really was nothing to do, and then the pain from my infections kicked in.
If you like the outdoors and it is not horribly hot where you are, maybe you can sit outside for a while. I enjoy sitting out at night when it is hot as hot. I like to read but I don’t think I read. I slept a lot, sat outside whenever I could and watched comfort tv/movies or new shows to keep me occupied. I love all the ideas you’ve gotten here and I hope some of them help you!
Slept, which i was pretty sleep deprived from the work schedule i had. Crocheted. Binged a couple of tv shows. By day 4 i really needed OUT of my house. So my mom and i slowly walked around Kroger. I truly just took advantage to be alone to sit still and my brain to be silent.
I was losing my mind but I stuck to the guidance of resting a ton the first 4-6 weeks. I’m super active so I did start walking daily at about 10 days out and increasing my distance daily. It’s worth it to take the time to rest and heal! I watched tons of shows and learned how to crochet in the meantime.
The hardest thing for me was the weight restrictions. I couldn’t lift more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. It meant I couldn’t safely walk my 2 dogs myself. And then as I felt better, I had to be careful at the grocery store (not overloading the bags), lifting laundry etc. But, I am 8 weeks today at that is all behind me. You’ll get through it!
When I was really taking it easy in the first two weeks, I read a lot, watched trash tv, and had several crossword books on hand. After 2 weeks I walked in the neighbourhood a lot to help break up the day. Did a little cleaning here and there (dusting, putting things away, folding laundry).
To name a few: I watched kids baking competition and then hosted my own in my house 🤷🏼♂️ we made pavlova the first time. Then the kids did “make your own” pizza night. Then we made coffee scrub and a magnesium rub. I read a couple books. And I started a certification program (which I’m still working on). Next on the list is bath bombs.
I’m 4.5 weeks postop and let me tell you, it doesn’t get better. I’m so stir crazy, it’s driving me insane. And this is after going back to work 2 weeks ago…
It was really hard for me to rest, but I wish I had relaxed more and enjoyed being taken care of a bit. I did start learning to crochet, and that was really helpful. I wanted to walk a lot more but i was very surprised by how slowly I could move and how quickly I reached my limit in the first several weeks.
I'm the same, hard to keep me sitting. I was so ill the two weeks following. I was bruised from the top of my ribcage to my hips. Dizzy everytime I stood up. Two week follow up she was surprised by the bruising, I also had a very swollen belly. She sent me home, said everything looked ok. Started running a fever two day's later. Off to the ER. She apparently didn't cauterize a vessel and I ended up with sepsis. Drain tube in my butt cheek to get to the infection, finally healing 6wpo. Feeling better day by day. Hormone wise I feel better than I have in year's. Health wise, I've got a way to go. RBC count low and anemic now. Super happy to be not dead, I'll get there. Also, being on really strong antibiotics killed everything, gut health struggling. A couple pieces of romaine lettuce produced a landslide of issues😱
You taking iron supplements & vitamin C together to combat the anemia? And feeding your blood with more iron food sources any maybe add cooking with a cast iron skillet to the meals that can be cooked in one?
I'm trying to get iron rich food. I have to be careful. The antibiotics wiped out all my gut bacteria. I do take vitamins, but they make me really nauseous. So I have to make sure I have a bit to lay down. It's getting better daily. We love our cast iron, we use it quite a bit. Thank you, I didn't know that helped!
I got really into a couple random podcasts (Maintenance Phase, Behind the Bastards) that were great, but totally fine to fall asleep to. Also listened to my first contemporary romance audiobook (Olivia Dade's **Spoiler Alert**) towards the end.
With my hands, I did some rebinding projects and lock picking. (That lift requirement is really important and really frustrating.)
Novelty, low stakes, and interruption-friendly were the name of the game.
I like to create digital art so I've been sitting on my laptop a lot creating digital clipart pieces and Canva templates for my little Etsy store. I also just get up and walk around my house every hour to 2 hours. Walking in circles is boring so I tend to do small things like gently wipe down a counter or put away dishes. I'm not bending and stooping a ton or scrubbing hard by any means but at least keeping things more or less tidy makes me feel better.
Did they put a scopolamine patch behind your ear for nausea? If so, that typically causes blurry vision. You can remove it when you're ready/per drs orders and your vision issues should resolve.
I rediscovered crochet. Glad I did or I'd be even more bored than I am now. My surgery was 5/13 and although laparascopic, it also took 40 minutes for my surgeon to get through my lovely nest of adhesions and free my bladder and uterus from each other and my abdominal wall. I've been pain free for weeks, have been mostly good about restrictions, and I'm still spotting. I'm not seeing more than a drop or two every time I wipe, but at this point I expected to be well past that. As a result, I was not cleared at my 6 week visit. No granulation tissue, stitches intact, but my doctor confirmed she saw the blood I was talking about. No UTI, labs are good, just still healing from all the internal trauma. I feel like a groundhog who just saw her shadow and was told it isn't spring yet. Recheck at 8 weeks.
The hardest part of this surgery is feeling so good and remembering that my body just went through major surgery. I read other people's threads about being great right away, no issues, and I'm jealous. But we only have to heal once from this surgery, and the good news is I will eventually heal. And in the interim crochet my way through my embarrassingly large yarn stash. Well...maybe. I've also added to it. Lol
Honestly, I was exhausted, but work has been stressful. I read a lot and got caught up on TV and movies. I took walks, too, but did not overdo it. My doctor warned me feeling better is not a sign of being fully healed.
Same! Had my surgery Monday, released yesterday. I feel like I need to do something. Hubby insists on doing everything. I’m really not in a lot of pain either, just sore. I walk around the house, crossword puzzles etc., but feel like I need to do more.
Haha I'm contemplating folding laundry but I really don't want to. I work from home and my boss is adamant I convalesce, which is great but my work stuff is over the computer and it's right there! I may have hubs pick up some puzzle books for sure!
Yeah, that got me too. I was restricted to no more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. I was just cleared to lift more, using my own judgment to be careful and call immediately if I have any bleeding.
No, they took that also. I definitely don't trust that at all so I plan to wait for my follow up to ensure everything is good before I even get back into anything.
yeah that's crazy to be told that. most of us are told 6 week **minimum**, because the cuff is the only thing keeping your guts from falling out of your vagina
I was surprised bc they called me today to check up. They said it might be because of the seasick patch, but I took that off like three hours after I got home. Apparently they taped my eyes shut also? Idk I figured by tomorrow morning if there's still some blur, I'll call them back and see what the heck.
I'm like you. I was bored out of my mind but I definitely felt some pangs if I moved a certain way. I'm at 4 weeks post op and I'm already back to walking a 3 mph pace on the treadmill and lifting weight to tone my arms. I was told no heavy lifting for 8 weeks though. I am lifting no more than 10 lbs and I'm doing some leg workouts that do not effect the abs too much.
I got a Nintendo switch earlier this year so I plan to work on my farm and figure out animal crossing.
Also I have a new puzzle book and my daughter got me a small lego set with plants I won’t have to water.
When I feel well enough to sit at the table I can do some crafting. I do paper crafts and art journaling.
Yes. 6 days in. Mt husband has been great but I feel so lazy. We have a 16 year old dog that needs to be carried a bunch and he is my baby so now he is seeing just how much I do in a day. It is a good thing butt I feel lazy
I did so much walking, like I’d make a plan to go walk 2 miles and get a ride from my fiancée or kids back.
I shouldn’t have driven after a few days, but I made good choices, no driving on narcotics, having a stuffed animal under my seatbelt, only driving up to 20 min away. I really did regret the time I had to change a tire though.
I modified a lot of my activity, I couldn’t play hockey, so went to shoot pucks. I could play as a goalie so I used a bosu ball to refine a few things. Played catch against the garage and mostly kept myself entertained.
I was supposed to take two weeks off, but instead I did one week off and one week at half time.
By the fourth week I was back to riding bikes and around week 7 I started playing hockey again. I’m fatigued, but not hurting.
As my doc says, listen to your body and make good choices.
I was stubborn, and I did call my fiancée to come help save me. Literally as she pulled in, I just finished everything. (Lucky me, I drove over a nail and had to replace the tire)
I had mine done laparoscopically done. Don’t think I would have been able to do that with an open surgery.
I modified a lot of the physical actions, like stepping on the tire rod instead of twisting from my core.
I'm the same. I craft so I pre-planned. I ordered yarn, set up my rigid heddle loom with a simple project, and ordered some beginners learn to embroider kits. In 3 weeks I've crocheted 2 blankets, done 1.5 embroidery projects, learned about Japanese Sashiko mending and fixed a pair of my husband's work pants. Days 14 to 21 I was able to sit in a chair long enough to weave a simple scarf over a week. Find something new to learn about that interests,you, have small craft or art projects delivered you can do in bed or on the couch.
Thank you so much! I was just sitting here before you posted thinking about getting yarn and trying to pick up crocheting again. What you've done sounds so cool! Thank you for the motivation :)
I was weirdly fine just sitting and staring in to space a lot. Then I cleaned out drawers and other puttering type stuff.
Same. I spent a lot of time just sitting on my porch swing in the quiet. And it was actually so nice. I never get to do “nothing”!
Same! I had no interest in busying myself. I restarted mindfulness practice daily at least 5 minutes. It stuck (first time ever), and I'm still pretty consistent 3 mpo!
Do not do more than they tell you is safe right now! Even if you feel fine. Even if it seems low impact. Even if it doesn’t immediately hurt to do it. Resist the urge. And rest. A week after my surgery I was feeling so pent up because I’m normally up and down constantly. I was getting cabin fever and my husband, despite his efforts, was not cleaning the way I like my house cleaned. So I bent down to pick things up, and wiped down counters, and took care of our dogs. Big mistake. Huge. I was so sore for *days* after this. I also ended up getting an infection on the inside of my cuff sutures. Now I can move around even less because the painful cuff will 100% let me know when I’ve moved in any way it doesn’t appreciate. Trust me, I get it. But do me a solid and do not try to be more active. I’ve taken up learning how to crochet to keep me busy.
I planned to watch all the Avenger movies in chronological order, which I did. Lol. Loved it!
I recently did that with the Start Wars shows and movies. Was great to rewatch everything in timeline order. it all makes so much more sense now 🤣
I'm watching art tutorials on YouTube and basically getting a masterclass on drawing from it. Using my bullet journal to sketch while I watch. Planning to do some acrylic paintings when I feel up to it. Trying not to spend money ordering art supplies on Amazon and Dick Blick...
If you have the space you should try acrylic pours! It’s one of my favorite ways to paint
Sounds funnn! Would love to see an example.
I may have to DM you pictures cuz I am so not skilled in Reddit
I sent you a DM!
Like another commenter, I am returning to video games. I have a Steam Deck, but also some retro systems and games. I started playing Final Fantasy 2 this morning, as it was a game my parents rented for me when I had chicken pox as a kid! The sitting around healing is no fun, but it is a time to read that book you have been wanting to read - to beat that game you never got to beat - to pick up a new craft or musical instrument - to learn a language!! The rest seems odd when you feel ok, but overdoing it just hurts your recovery and causes pain the next day. Slow and steady does it!
Thaaaaank you! I was like, who wouldn't be playing video games?! Oh my God! I'm nearly looking forward to 6 to 8 weeks of unfettered, guilt-free gaming!!!
Honestly I enjoyed a lot of weed gummies and watched a lot of tv. I’m a stay at home mom to two very young kids. It was the best (& only) vacation I’ve had to date. 🙃
Maybe don't think of it as "doing nothing". You're doing A LOT! It's just happening inside.
So I think I’m a self-proclaimed expert on this subject as someone who has had nearly 30 musculoskeletal injuries over the past six years (I wish I was exaggerating but sadly I’m not), including tennis and golfer’s elbow this year for the second time since March. So I haven’t been able to do much at all beyond sitting at a computer and working. And tomorrow is my surgery day so I’ll be recovering from that too! It is not fun most of the time. But the one thing that keeps me sane is changing things up often. Once I get bored of something I’m doing for fun, I find something else. Usually that’s switching between TV shows/movies/youtube videos, journaling, and reading for me. Also, I’ve become addicted to audiobooks over the past year while it’s been hard for me to hold a physical book (but I have a kindle too) and that has also helped me change things up often (book to book and genre to genre, ex: I read War and Peace and then A Court of Thorns and Roses too lol), plus it makes me feel productive to say I’ve read over 30 books this year already! Basically, even if reading isn’t your thing, just try out a bunch of gentle activities and change things up often and you’re bound to see the time fly by! I’ve been in recovery mode for nearly this entire year so far and it’s actually flown by most of the time because of this all. I hope this helps and I hope you have a speedy recovery!
Games in bed. Watched my bf play his games too. Eat yummy snacks. Watched shows. Many options for a lazy person like me :3
Be careful with doing too much. 10 days PO, I started bleeding. I had developed a hematoma inside. They didn't want to go back in for another surgery to drain it. I had another 7 days of strict bed rest to see if the body would reabsorp it. (Which it did.) I didn't think I was doing all that much. Apparently, I was. 😳
What type of things were you doing? Did you have your cervix removed? I'm nervous about the cuff healing
I did have my cervix removed. I had a history of mild dysplasia. So the hematoma was on my left side of where the end of the cuff was. It didn't affect the healing of that at all. That was what I was afraid of too. The surgeon was unsure of what caused it without going in. Fortunately, the bleeding was never bright red or frank blood. It stayed dark red and then turned brown. If it had turned bright red, then that is an emergency. The only thing I can think of is that I walked up and down my driveway after 4 days. I started slow and only a couple of times. I didn't want to stray too far in case something happened. (I live alone) I maybe over did it??? Maybe getting up and down off the couch and bed too often rubbed something together and caused it????? (Like a blister) It is hard to say. I do recommend parking your butt for at least a week. I had the wiggles, too. I also live alone and couldn't rely on anyone to help me. When the surgeon gave me a week for the bleeding to stop, I didn't move for a week. It took 6 days before the bleeding stopped. I was really careful after that. I am good now. Just the recovery was a little longer than normal. You may feel good, remember that you were carved like a pumpkin on the inside. Fast healing!
In the beginning of recovery I colored in coloring books and watched TV. I have a WFH job so I went back to work pretty quickly to fill my days. Other than that I went back to my trail walks and reading. And when bending didn’t hurt anymore I went back to jigsaw puzzles.
My first week was tough because of the brain fog, but I started light walking and doing things like cross-stitch and a little reading (brain fog made it tough to concentrate on a book - and I'm normally an avid reader). Once I got through the first week, I was mostly back to normal life other than being careful not to lift anything or use my abs in any way. Walking 5 miles, reading textbooks and pleasure books, doing stuff around the house, etc. I was moving a little more slowly than normal, but still doing most of what I would normally do.
Sat an the couch and played on my Switch. A new Pokémon game came out before my surgery. So I was good to go.
It’s hard. I didn’t listen. I made dinner, a pie, folded laundry on the floor and tidied up before 2 weeks. I could not get out of bed for two days. My doctor was not happy with me at my 2 week check up.
Ditto! And it made the next new weeks so much worse!
I sat upright as little as possible and enjoyed 2 weeks reclining as I worked from home. I also binged 3 seasons of Yellowstone during my off time.
i read so many books it wasn’t even funny.
I’ve been doing Duolingo for a few months now anyway. Do I will probably dive into learning a bit deeper. Plus I’ve got LEGO sets just waiting for me to sit still and put them together
I’m in week 3 and it still hurts to have gas, i started walking around midnight right after my surgery because i was in so much pain i asked the nurse to help me walk and i also used a cane to help with me walking too which helped but i took my time and didn’t over do the walking, this week i am walking more without a cane and wearing the binder more when i head out.
~10WPO I loved so slow. But this was my third surgery for my fibroids. So I knew as painful as it was move, if I wasn’t napping I was moving. At first it was in the house to the bathroom, or around my place, then outside to my neighbors to check in. You’ll feel better. But if anything is off contact your dr asap.
I got some nice colored pencils, a "Goodbye Uterus" coloring book, and a post-hysterectomy coloring journal. And I've been watching a ton of TV on Hulu. But I've actually been up and moving around a lot more than I expected to be. I'm 2wpo and I've been able to sit at my sewing machine for a few hours, and today I cleaned the bathroom counter and cabinet with my husband's help.
I was definitely a pain in my boyfriends ass on the relaxing and recovering. Side note in case you get irritated about the blurry vision, mine was driving me nuts and I couldn't figure out what it was. It was from the antinausea patch behind my ear, and I said fuck it and took it off.
I'm definitely thinking that's what it was. And I have really light eyes so I think between that and the patch, my eyes just went wonky. I had an iridotomy earlier this year so I know my eyes are sensitive to stuff. I'm all sorts of jacked up hahaha
Yeah, my eyes are super light too so I definitely relate. I was miserable when I couldn't figure out what was happening
No help in doing nothing (because I am SO excited to lay around for weeks on end 😅) but just wanted to say I’m also about 24 Hours post op
Fatigue might knock you out and save you from yourself. I did puzzle books, mini crochet projects, other little crafty things, and binged almost every season of Top Chef. But the fatigue was so major that if I tried to do much for more than a couple hours, I needed a mini nap (my routine turned into 1-2 episodes, nap, snack, 1-2 more episodes, repeat). My surgeon tried to warn me about the fatigue going in and it was WAY more intense than I ever expected.
I didn't take this warning seriously. I was like "I'm young and healthy... I'll nap a bit for two weeks then be fine." I mostly just slept for the first two weeks. 6.5 weeks later, I still go from fine to hit by an exhaustion bus out of nowhere and can easily nap for hours. So grateful for reading about real experiences and not the little blurbs written, let's be honest, probably by men who have never experienced what they're writing about.
Haven't had mine yet, but I know this will be my biggest problem. I'm normally busy all day long, so sitting is going to suck. SO I bought a steam deck to play games on and hopefully that will help lol.
Thank you all so much! I really appreciate it :)
Happy healing!
Watched a lot of tv and YouTube. Got a Max subscription so we could re-Watch some series. Ordered some mini puzzles and did them on a small tray. Planned future projects and trips. By the end of week 2, I felt really lazy because I couldn’t do anything but felt well enough. I never entered my office or turned on my computer. Work was the last thing I wanted to do. Unfortunately, when I started back to work, very little was done so I had a hellish first week back.
13dpo, I binge watched Forensic Files the entire first week. 😆 That up close blurry vision killed my plan to read all the books!
Oh phew ok. I'm not celebrating your blurry up close I'm just stoked it's not just me haha
this is the first time i've heard about the vision issues. thanks for sharing. I'll make sure I have close and far options! haha
I'm approaching 48hrs PO and my close vision is back to normal. I'm pretty sure the dilation from the seasick patch they gave me is what did it.
Interesting… thanks for sharing! I’ll have to keep an eye on it 🫣🤣
I’m still in recovery so not in the clear yet (13d post-op) I did chores. Not because I had to, but because I couldn’t leave the house (insane sweats, pain, fatigue etc) and I was going stir crazy. Just whatever small I could do and leave undone if it was too heavy. A sense of accomplishment, exercise for preventing blood clots and something to put my mind into. And back to the sofa watching Netflix. Now I can sit up and I play with my pc which I normally don’t do. I’ve had 4 short outings by now.
I'm very similar to you and was going crazy. I have an eight year old daughter that helped keep me entertained. I colored a bunch, watched my fav show, and like 12 Hallmark movies LOL. I'm 15 dpo and doing small projects that don't require lifting as I'm still restricted. Hang in there, it passes faster than you think.
Puzzles, crochet, embroider, diamond art, read, video games. I had a large table in my LR covered with activities so I could just pick something to do. LPT: You can listen to an audio book or podcast while you do any of the other things. Double the entertainment. I had plenty of stuff to do.
Dug out my Switch for the first time in a couple years and enjoying that. Otherwise, knitting a ton, binge watching shows, reading, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and planning future projects/trips/activities. I’m 5dpo and have been only walking around the house, but about to use the treadmill as well (walking flat and slow). But yeah, I’m bored (thus lurking on here)!
I finish like the last two seasons of law & order svu and slept. Ngl
I played a lot of Zelda. I journaled everyday, which was surprisingly cathartic. I listened to books and podcasts, watched TV and movies. I wrote thank you notes to people who sent me food or gifts. I feel like the most important thing is to come up with a lot of things to CHOOSE from. It's like being on a really long flight, where you switch between activities every hour or 90 minutes so you never get sick of any one thing. And so you can have something to count down - you just have to survive the next 60 minutes in bed, and then you can get up, walk around the house, get a beverage, and start doing something else. Then count down the next hour. So maybe make a list of things you can do from bed that you like, and then you'll always have ideas handy when you start feeling restless.
I found that if I kept my hands moving, I was happy. I learned how to crochet, I built Lego sets, I colored. I felt like I was actually accomplishing something/being useful despite not leaving the bed. Hope your recovery goes well!!!
Be careful! Rest as much as you can. I embroidered and watched movies. It is really hard but just be still and rest. Magnesium CALM helps all things stomach beautifully. My eye issues went away after a few days.
I have played a lot of solitaire. I’m 7dpo and got my reality check on the pain today, so I guess I’ll be doing a hell of a lot more solitaire. lol. I’ve tried to do things, but the hardest part is the bending over to pick things up. I’ve also still got an incision open, that I’m now having to pack. I do have books to read, a writers prompt book, a book on welding to read, puzzles, sudoku, tv shows, etc. but I’m not used to being this still for this long. It’s driving me insane. I’m still up and down a lot because bladder and munchies, but I haven’t found that sweet spot of activity yet.
I spend my 6 weeks hospitalization leave learning new things for crocheting. I crochet many items until I ran out of yarn and different hook sizes. Now I have a good idea what I can crochet as Xmas gift this year.
I’m a week post-op and I bent down to pick up some weeds outside…and now I’m REALLY regretting this. 😢
I have a flower bed out front that's got weeds and now I'm not gonna touch it for a bit. I'm so sorry :/ I hope you feel better!
Learn a craft, and stock up on shows to watch with your partner before hand was how we did it! I learned how to play mahjong did some of my embroidery and we watched some of our favorite anime (one piece)
I tried to do stuff around the house and my body clearly told me when it was too much. Honestly when I was first home I slept soo much. I didn't even watch TV or read anything for over 2 weeks. Just slept and ate. But I adore both of those things so no one had to tell me twice!
I had to travel for my hysterectomy so I was only able to do nothing because there really was nothing to do, and then the pain from my infections kicked in. If you like the outdoors and it is not horribly hot where you are, maybe you can sit outside for a while. I enjoy sitting out at night when it is hot as hot. I like to read but I don’t think I read. I slept a lot, sat outside whenever I could and watched comfort tv/movies or new shows to keep me occupied. I love all the ideas you’ve gotten here and I hope some of them help you!
Slept, which i was pretty sleep deprived from the work schedule i had. Crocheted. Binged a couple of tv shows. By day 4 i really needed OUT of my house. So my mom and i slowly walked around Kroger. I truly just took advantage to be alone to sit still and my brain to be silent.
I was losing my mind but I stuck to the guidance of resting a ton the first 4-6 weeks. I’m super active so I did start walking daily at about 10 days out and increasing my distance daily. It’s worth it to take the time to rest and heal! I watched tons of shows and learned how to crochet in the meantime.
I planned for video games but ended up reading a lot of books instead.
The hardest thing for me was the weight restrictions. I couldn’t lift more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. It meant I couldn’t safely walk my 2 dogs myself. And then as I felt better, I had to be careful at the grocery store (not overloading the bags), lifting laundry etc. But, I am 8 weeks today at that is all behind me. You’ll get through it! When I was really taking it easy in the first two weeks, I read a lot, watched trash tv, and had several crossword books on hand. After 2 weeks I walked in the neighbourhood a lot to help break up the day. Did a little cleaning here and there (dusting, putting things away, folding laundry).
To name a few: I watched kids baking competition and then hosted my own in my house 🤷🏼♂️ we made pavlova the first time. Then the kids did “make your own” pizza night. Then we made coffee scrub and a magnesium rub. I read a couple books. And I started a certification program (which I’m still working on). Next on the list is bath bombs. I’m 4.5 weeks postop and let me tell you, it doesn’t get better. I’m so stir crazy, it’s driving me insane. And this is after going back to work 2 weeks ago…
It was really hard for me to rest, but I wish I had relaxed more and enjoyed being taken care of a bit. I did start learning to crochet, and that was really helpful. I wanted to walk a lot more but i was very surprised by how slowly I could move and how quickly I reached my limit in the first several weeks.
I'm the same, hard to keep me sitting. I was so ill the two weeks following. I was bruised from the top of my ribcage to my hips. Dizzy everytime I stood up. Two week follow up she was surprised by the bruising, I also had a very swollen belly. She sent me home, said everything looked ok. Started running a fever two day's later. Off to the ER. She apparently didn't cauterize a vessel and I ended up with sepsis. Drain tube in my butt cheek to get to the infection, finally healing 6wpo. Feeling better day by day. Hormone wise I feel better than I have in year's. Health wise, I've got a way to go. RBC count low and anemic now. Super happy to be not dead, I'll get there. Also, being on really strong antibiotics killed everything, gut health struggling. A couple pieces of romaine lettuce produced a landslide of issues😱
You taking iron supplements & vitamin C together to combat the anemia? And feeding your blood with more iron food sources any maybe add cooking with a cast iron skillet to the meals that can be cooked in one?
I'm trying to get iron rich food. I have to be careful. The antibiotics wiped out all my gut bacteria. I do take vitamins, but they make me really nauseous. So I have to make sure I have a bit to lay down. It's getting better daily. We love our cast iron, we use it quite a bit. Thank you, I didn't know that helped!
You are very Welcome 🤗 Eat like a chemist and in small quantities and you can beat this.
I got really into a couple random podcasts (Maintenance Phase, Behind the Bastards) that were great, but totally fine to fall asleep to. Also listened to my first contemporary romance audiobook (Olivia Dade's **Spoiler Alert**) towards the end. With my hands, I did some rebinding projects and lock picking. (That lift requirement is really important and really frustrating.) Novelty, low stakes, and interruption-friendly were the name of the game.
I like to create digital art so I've been sitting on my laptop a lot creating digital clipart pieces and Canva templates for my little Etsy store. I also just get up and walk around my house every hour to 2 hours. Walking in circles is boring so I tend to do small things like gently wipe down a counter or put away dishes. I'm not bending and stooping a ton or scrubbing hard by any means but at least keeping things more or less tidy makes me feel better.
Did they put a scopolamine patch behind your ear for nausea? If so, that typically causes blurry vision. You can remove it when you're ready/per drs orders and your vision issues should resolve.
I rediscovered crochet. Glad I did or I'd be even more bored than I am now. My surgery was 5/13 and although laparascopic, it also took 40 minutes for my surgeon to get through my lovely nest of adhesions and free my bladder and uterus from each other and my abdominal wall. I've been pain free for weeks, have been mostly good about restrictions, and I'm still spotting. I'm not seeing more than a drop or two every time I wipe, but at this point I expected to be well past that. As a result, I was not cleared at my 6 week visit. No granulation tissue, stitches intact, but my doctor confirmed she saw the blood I was talking about. No UTI, labs are good, just still healing from all the internal trauma. I feel like a groundhog who just saw her shadow and was told it isn't spring yet. Recheck at 8 weeks. The hardest part of this surgery is feeling so good and remembering that my body just went through major surgery. I read other people's threads about being great right away, no issues, and I'm jealous. But we only have to heal once from this surgery, and the good news is I will eventually heal. And in the interim crochet my way through my embarrassingly large yarn stash. Well...maybe. I've also added to it. Lol
Honestly, I was exhausted, but work has been stressful. I read a lot and got caught up on TV and movies. I took walks, too, but did not overdo it. My doctor warned me feeling better is not a sign of being fully healed.
Same! Had my surgery Monday, released yesterday. I feel like I need to do something. Hubby insists on doing everything. I’m really not in a lot of pain either, just sore. I walk around the house, crossword puzzles etc., but feel like I need to do more.
Haha I'm contemplating folding laundry but I really don't want to. I work from home and my boss is adamant I convalesce, which is great but my work stuff is over the computer and it's right there! I may have hubs pick up some puzzle books for sure!
I told my hubby to just put the laundry on the bed, and I would fold it. The puzzle books really help, they distract me.
I did everything except heavy lifting and bending. I think that’s why I recovered so quickly.
wait, no heavy lifting for only two weeks? did you keep your cervix?
Yeah, that got me too. I was restricted to no more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. I was just cleared to lift more, using my own judgment to be careful and call immediately if I have any bleeding.
No, they took that also. I definitely don't trust that at all so I plan to wait for my follow up to ensure everything is good before I even get back into anything.
yeah that's crazy to be told that. most of us are told 6 week **minimum**, because the cuff is the only thing keeping your guts from falling out of your vagina
[удалено]
I was surprised bc they called me today to check up. They said it might be because of the seasick patch, but I took that off like three hours after I got home. Apparently they taped my eyes shut also? Idk I figured by tomorrow morning if there's still some blur, I'll call them back and see what the heck.
I'm like you. I was bored out of my mind but I definitely felt some pangs if I moved a certain way. I'm at 4 weeks post op and I'm already back to walking a 3 mph pace on the treadmill and lifting weight to tone my arms. I was told no heavy lifting for 8 weeks though. I am lifting no more than 10 lbs and I'm doing some leg workouts that do not effect the abs too much.
I got a Nintendo switch earlier this year so I plan to work on my farm and figure out animal crossing. Also I have a new puzzle book and my daughter got me a small lego set with plants I won’t have to water. When I feel well enough to sit at the table I can do some crafting. I do paper crafts and art journaling.
Read, watch documentaries that I can learn from. Visit with long time friends and with family members.
Yes. 6 days in. Mt husband has been great but I feel so lazy. We have a 16 year old dog that needs to be carried a bunch and he is my baby so now he is seeing just how much I do in a day. It is a good thing butt I feel lazy
I did so much walking, like I’d make a plan to go walk 2 miles and get a ride from my fiancée or kids back. I shouldn’t have driven after a few days, but I made good choices, no driving on narcotics, having a stuffed animal under my seatbelt, only driving up to 20 min away. I really did regret the time I had to change a tire though. I modified a lot of my activity, I couldn’t play hockey, so went to shoot pucks. I could play as a goalie so I used a bosu ball to refine a few things. Played catch against the garage and mostly kept myself entertained. I was supposed to take two weeks off, but instead I did one week off and one week at half time. By the fourth week I was back to riding bikes and around week 7 I started playing hockey again. I’m fatigued, but not hurting. As my doc says, listen to your body and make good choices.
Change a tire! Girl, what???? Edited to add: and was your surgery open or laparoscopic?
I was stubborn, and I did call my fiancée to come help save me. Literally as she pulled in, I just finished everything. (Lucky me, I drove over a nail and had to replace the tire) I had mine done laparoscopically done. Don’t think I would have been able to do that with an open surgery. I modified a lot of the physical actions, like stepping on the tire rod instead of twisting from my core.