Are you someone who can’t stand to sit still for days on end? Then this is the blog for you. I am speaking from experience because this is what I am going through right now. I’ve had surgeries in the past, but I always seemed to bounce back from those with relative speed – apparently because what I experienced this time was a major surgery, my bouncing back is a lot slower than I expected.
Great Plans of Mice and Men
It’s said that there are great plans to be made – and that we base all of those plans on suppositions. The supposition in this case was that recovery would take place over the course of 4 to 6 days. But that was back when the surgery was a minor procedure, an exploratory that would identify and potentially correct whatever the mass was. If they had performed a cystectomy on my right ovary as they did on my left, chances are I would have healed up in no time flat, but as I’ve since described – they performed a full ovarectomy removing the right ovary and fallopian tube, followed by a cystectomy on the left.
My minor procedure was now a major one. Major procedures involve blood loss, a great deal of internal trauma and an extended recuperative period during which you will be taking medications to manage pain and you will require a great deal of rest. In my case, the type of rest is also important. Just sleeping flat in bed wasn’t working, instead, I am consigned to sleeping in one of our lazy boy chairs in the living room because it allows me to be somewhat propped up, but also prevents me from rolling over on my side or stomach where the incisions are healing.
Exercise, Activity Levels & Stressing
Recuperation after surgery can be hard on an individual, especially if you are extremely active and are used to a higher level of activity than you are able to participate in following the surgery. Active parents may struggle even more because the needs and demands of the children do not just evaporate while you are recovering from your surgery. The most difficult part for me is the sensation of being lazy. I can’t do the dishes because I can’t bend down to empty the lower rack. I can’t do the laundry because I can’t bend over to pull things out of the dryer. Folding clothes is hard on the side and the back if I try to fold an entire load by itself.
Taking a shower is hard.
When performing regular, daily activities becomes nearly impossible – your self-esteem and ego may take a hit and this can create stress for you. That stress increases the difficulty you may have in trying to rest. As hard as it sounds and trust me – I am very aware of just how hard it is: you have to rest.
You need to let your body take the time it needs to heal and you need to be aware of what you are going through as you do this. You are not being lazy. You are not being a burden – you are recuperating. It’s also important to recognize the fact that everyone heals at different rates and in different ways. The painkillers they have me on have kept me pretty much hunger free for two weeks. I’ve been thirsty as all get out and I’ve drunk gallons of water every day, but I’ve not been hungry at all.
I have made a point to eat when I take a pain killer because they need to be taken with food, but there is no satisfaction to be had when consuming food and that’s as frustrating as the fact that I keep forgetting to eat. In the ten days since I had surgery, I’ve lost 12 pounds.
12!
And that’s from doing very little to nothing at all and mostly because while I have been still – my body hasn’t been – it’s been busy repairing itself and protecting itself and that’s why I’ve needed so much sleep. So if you have to have surgery, pay attention to what your body needs and do your best to balance out what you have to do versus what your body needs you to do. This is an important facet of your recovery, if you push yourself too hard, too fast – you risk setting your recovery back and spending even more time resting and recuperating than you may have needed in the beginning.
Have you recently had surgery?
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Oy, I Overdid It – Recovering from Surgery
WHEW! It’s Benign, Can I Describe My Relief?