Tips for surgery and after?

Lusafag

zsazsa1 said:

Wow, same day surgery for a

Wow, same day surgery for a lap hysterectomy?  They kept me overnight for that, with no complications.  I'm sure you'll be fine, but I'm really surprised.  Did anyone else have this done as same day surgery?

Same day Lap.

My friend a gyano performed diagnostic d&c on her own mother because of post menopausal bleeding,she had already had a suspicion of cancer.

When she found huge endometrium,she straight away did vaginal hysterectomy.

But then she was a doctor as well as daughter.

I don't know about developed world but in underdeveloped countries,lots of delay,mismanagement and negligence happens.

You are lucky.

You fared better.

Best wishes.

Lusafag

cmb said:

Post surgery

Although I was scheduled for surgery at noon, trauma emergencies took priority in the operating rooms. So I didn't actually go into surgery until after 6:00 pm. And I didn't get into a room until almost midnight. So I was in the hospital all the next day and wasn't released until the morning after that. So be prepared for delays that are beyond your control.

Since I live alone, the most challenging part of the post-surgery recovery was getting out of bed by myself. It was really painful and I felt like I was pulling at my incisions. (I didn't get any guidance on this at the hospital). So I found a video on You Tube that demonstrated a good technique that really helped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heEvgDc4w90

I took the pain killers for the first couple of days, but then I stopped as I didn't really need them. I also did not take the pills prescribed for constipation as I did not have this problem. I had the opposite problem with diarrhea, which continued to bother me during chemo, radiation and even today. So while constipation after surgery may be more typical, be prepared for diarrhea too just in case that's how your body reacts.

I did ask my sisters and a good friend to help with washing the cat litter boxes once a week for the first month since I was restricted from lifting more than 10 pounds for 30 days. The boxes of litter weighed more than 10 pounds.

I also gave myself Lovenox (blood thinner) shots for 30 days after surgery.

So brave of you

You are so brave,my husband,a doctor and my adolescent son,helped me at every stage.

I would have been in trouble without them.

But you are braver.

I will learn from your own self empowerment.

 

Wish you best.

 

My regards.

Lusafag

Molly110 said:

I hope your surgery went well

I hope your surgery went well. I had a robotic hysterectomey for the same kind of cancer at the end of August. I wrote a long reponse to your first post to the board, but as has happened a couple of times before that, I somehow froze the site and it never posted. My surgery was a snap, expect for the anethesia and pain meds, which made me throw up for much for the next day. My center's usual protocol is to allow woemn to go home the same day for robotic hysterectomies, unless they live alone or (I guess) have other complexities.  I would have loved to go home. I was woken up every couple of hours for vitals and other standard operating procedures, and had blood drawn in the morning, which the nurse explained was SOP for people who happen to be in the hospital (while admitiing that it was unnecessary since women who didn't stay overnight  obviously didn't have a morning blood test). My wonderful doctor didn't want to release me until I could keep a meal down, but the nurse did a little wink, wink nudge, nudge about how much I was able to eat, so I went home in the afternoon. I switched immediately -- wtih my doctor's support to give it a try -- to over the counter medication rather than the prescribed opoids. I used something called POP, out of the Univeristy of Michigan. I alternated tylenol and ibuproferen every three hours around the clock, which meant I had to wake up several times at night. For me, it was worth it, and I was able to stop even that over the counter pain medication two days after surgery. Every person is different, of course, in what they need for pain, and I think it's typical for people to use pain meds for quite some time after surgery. Because of my reaction to any opiod, I was so grateful to find an alternative. Patient information about the protocol is avaialble at https://pteducation.med.umich.edu/umhs-departments/michigan-pain-control-optimization-pathway-mpop   

One of the hardest things for me post surgery was remembering not to pick up heavy things for several weeks. On the advice of a friend who'd had similar lifting restrictions. I put a few signs up around my house reimding me. I also had trouble remembering to slow down a bit. My doctor reminded me on several occasions that a hysterectomey is major surgery, even if it's robotic. So. even if you feel great after a few days, it's probably a good idea to get more rest and sleep than you might usually do.  

I hope you have a smooth recovery. I remember from your first post that you have great support at home and from a physician friend, and, of course, this forum is full of good information.

ps. If you decide to do chemo, I agree with Army Wife that you may want to look into the elasto-gel cool mitts to help protect from neuropathy in your hands and feet. My center does not offer that therapy, so I didn't know about it unitl after my first course, and I'm having quite a problem with chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). I've used the mitts and slippers for my second and third courses and will for the final three, but I had a lot of damage from that first unprotected exposure. Good luck!

Molly

Thank you Molly

It was very inspiring.

Can you tell more about the mitts you mentioned ?

Lusafag

Radiotherapists

Hi everyone,

Has anyone gone through internal or external radiotherapy ?

My radiotherapists are confused still about the staging,and are stuck because of my non healed wounds but soon I will be undergoing at least some radiotherapy for my biopsy reported T2 Nx Mx tumour.

Any tips ?

 

Forherself

Good info here…