Hysterectomy - Recovery
When can I join work? Driving? Is sex forbidden after hysterectomy? Answers to all your questions.
Hysterectomy, no doubt is a major operation, however, patients in majority of cases recover fairly quickly. It may take 2 to 4 days after hysterectomy to go home. some people will need more time to recover in the hospital before they feel fit to go home.
In India, getting medical attention at home can be problematic. So, most patient wishes to be a little bit more confident before they actually take the decision to go home. After you go home, usually the recovery is faster within your home environment.
After all is nothing like sleeping on your own bed, isn't it?In some cases, you may have a little bit of yellowish brownish discharge from vagina during first few weeks. You may also see some lose dissolved stitches which is usually black or violet in colour.
You may also even have discharge which can be mixed with blood and red in colour. If it is not cleared up by the time you have your follow-up visit with your surgeon please do mention.
Returning back to normal
Most women will feel more comfortable in about three weeks after the surgery and would like to start their activities. We do encourage gentle activities like encouraging the muscles, particularly back muscles, to go back to its normalcy faster.
It is advisable not to do heavy exercise or lift heavy things as it may cause problems on the stitches of abdomen. However, gentle walking and moving around inside home, or maybe outside, on your little garden will be helpful for better recovery.
After 4 to 6 weeks mostly women will feel ready to go back to usual household chores. If you feel uncomfortable, then do not stress on doing all these. Ask your doctor about it more.
Yoga and light exercise
It is important to remember that light exercises and yoga are better than doing nothing. Initially it may be very tiring. Eventually in long run it will help you have better recovery.
Too much or too little activities can result in backache. Moderate activities are best. Tip: remember to bend your knees when lifting things from the floor instead of bending your waist fully.
Passing urine
The operation may temporally affect your experience of passing urine. Uterus remains very close to your urinary and bowel passages. During surgery uterus needs to be separated from the tight attachments with its neighbours -the urinary tract and bowel passages.
Don't forget to learn a much-needed exercise called pelvic floor exercises before you leave hospital. Physiotherapists are very important part in your recovery and they I will teach you if you ask them about pelvic floor exercise.
For a few days you make experience a little bit of uneasy while passing urine. You may also experience little burning sensation when passing urine however should get settled over time.
Going back to your office work
Most women will feel ready to go back to office work within about six to eight weeks after the surgery.
Some will feel ready sooner, but some will take more time to recover. Recovery is individual. Of course, the nature of your job will tell us when you should venture out for your usual office activities.
For example, if your office is within 10 minutes’ walk then you may be able to go a little early than the office which requires 2 to 3 hours of journey in a car or a public transport. Do you talk to your doctor regarding your return back to work.
Driving after
Normally your doctor will advise not to drive car too soon after the surgery. However, there is no real evidence in the hands of science to advise you about that. As a matter of fact, there are for you only.
One need to use caution and it is of course not smart if you are uncomfortable and you are taking steering in your own hand. After you become comfortable you need to judge yourself when you are comfortable to drive again.
Resuming sexual activities
Resuming your sexual activities are fine after surgery. You just need to again feel for your mind that when you will be comfortable to restart your sexual activities.
Initial few times one may feel that a little bit more unusual, but situation will improve soon after. Many women say us that before the surgery, because they had some uncomfortable disease, they didn't engage in to doing regular sexual activities.
Therefore, when you resume such activities afterwards, it may be that you need to you take it as a teamwork between you and your partner. For few days a little lubricating jelly may be of help at first.
Afterwards, most women will not need lubricating jelly at all.Be aware about a myth that goes around that after hysterectomy women should not engage into sexual intercourse. There is absolutely no scientific basis for that call.
So, it is between you and your partner when you want to resume sexual activities.
Long term factors
After you recovered from this major surgery it is advisable to start some change in in your usual lifestyles. Try to make you a bit more fit by doing exercises, yoga, swimming , walking etc.
Go back to some healthy habits including having some more vegetables and regular fruits to reduce your intake of carbohydrate. Avoid simple sugar and consciously add additional protein in your diet. Aim to reduce carbohydrates and fats in your diet.
Fill your diet with plenty of green vegetables and seasonal fruits. If you have lost your ovaries for your gynaecological problem too early and you are far off from menopause, then it is possible that your doctor will discuss hormone replacement therapy with you.
Hormone replacement therapy replaces a particular female hormone called oestrogen to protect your bones and few other body activities. Is not mandatory to have it though. Please do discuss with your doctor whether you should have it or not.
(এই টপিকের বাংলা লিংকের জন্য এখানে ক্লিক করুন)
(The English version of this topic is above page itself)
This is an impartial , unsponsored health information. For public awareness and not a replacement of Medical Advice.
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