Can I have a hysterectomy and not miss work?

[Beachbumpirates]

I am hoping so. I just started with a new company 3 months ago, I work part time and from home. My surgery is scheduled for a Thursday and I dont work on Fridays. Think I will be ok by Monday? I am having it done LAVH (laparascopically assisted ******l hysterectomy). Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[yoopermom]

I have no idea, but there's a wonderful board at hystersisters.com that could probably answer all your questions and then some!

Good luck with your surgery...

Terri

 

[Polyluvr]

I had mine in July~I'm really not a big baby; but you really will need at least a week of true rest~ the docs say longer~ by day 10 I was pretty much back to normal.

3 days isn't going to cut it; sorry


edited to add: I also had it done laparascopically.

 

[dehlers]

not sure. i would expect you will need to take it easy.

 

[ontariomonkey]

Ask your doctor of course but I think it is sort of like pay now or pay later ie take a rest now and recover nicely or do too much at first and suffer later from haemorrhage or infection or pain. It is a big surgery even if it can be done as outpatient.

 

[minkydog]

I would be very surprised if you could recover that quickly. Having major organs removed, even laparoscopically, is still major surgery. You can expect to feel very fatigued and possibly short of breath due to all the fluids you receive in surgery. There will be some bleeding in the aftermath,as well. Talk to your doctor. I would think you'd need at least 2 weeks for physical recovery. Best of luck to you.

 

[dislal]

I had mine over a year ago, and I would say if you have a sit down job you should be fine. I remember just getting tired easier and needing to rest alot you won't be able to lift anything.

Good Luck and just want to let you know it was the best thing I ever did for myself.

 

[rie'smom]

If you can work from bed you MIGHT be able to do a little bit by day 3. I had a laproscopic surgery and the recovery was worse than my abdominal surgery. Gas was trapped in my shoulder and I just winced remembering the pain.

 

[focusondisney]

You said part time work & you do it from home. Do you work on the computer? How many hours a day? I also had an LAVH. I think a few hours on the computer from your couch might be do-able by Monday. But you might need a nap during the day, or you might sleep in. I had trouble getting comfortable in bed for a few nights. So once I finally fell asleep, I slept a little later in the morning. So are your hours flexible or set?

Also, sitting was very uncomfortable for several days. So lieing on the couch was OK, but I could not have sat in an office chair for hours. Getting up & down was hard for a few days, too. Don't forget you might be on pain meds, too, so they may make you groggy.

Not to scare you, but there is always the possibility of complicatons. What would happen if you were still in the hospital on Monday?

Good luck with the surgery!

 

[Piglet4Ever]

My SIL just had this done two weeks ago and it took her a good week to even start feeling up do anything. I think it depends from person to person but I wouldn't try pushing it too hard. Good luck with your surgery!

 

[JessicaR]

I just had one done. Through the belly button about as laparoscopic as it can get. No way would I have been able to go back to work in 3 days. A week to 10 days depending on what work entailed.

Part time from home doing what?

 

[Beachbumpirates]

Thank you all for the reality check, I needed it! I work on a laptop and my boss was terrific when I told her today but I think we sometimes tend to want to be "superwoman". I told her today I thought I would be fine by Monday but I may take a few days and play it safe. Thank you all again!

 

[msjprincess]

I had mine on a Thursday and wasn't even released from the hospital until Monday.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

Everybody I've ever known, they have taken not days, but weeks off work.

 

[minkydog]

If you can work from bed you MIGHT be able to do a little bit by day 3. I had a laproscopic surgery and the recovery was worse than my abdominal surgery. Gas was trapped in my shoulder and I just winced remembering the pain.

Oh, isn't that the truth! I've had 3 laparoscopies and that referred shoulder pain is the WORST. It felt like someone was shoving a knife into my shoulder socket. I have had some major abdominal surgeries and never had that much pain in my life.

 

[princessmom29]

NO WAY can you do that. My mom was down 4 weeks with hers. Average is 2 weeks.

 

[quentina]

Yep.....

I had mine out in steps. Only is hosp over night for the uterous which was the last organ left. I walked out of the hospital and went to Target cause we needed cat litter.....no pain....it was great. Never even took an Advil!

Worst part is the gas they fill you up with.

Good luck!

 

[shortbun]

When my sister had hers done, she took a week off and added a few more days at the end because she wasn't quite ready-still a lot of pain moving around. I remember her having lots of gas and pain moving around.

 

[OhMari]

I had to work too and I had surgery on Friday, was out of the hospital on Monday and had to go into work on Thursday. I was like a zombie, but I struggled through what I had to get done. I went back the next week and worked 2 days. By week 3 I was almost back to work all week. It sucked, but I didn't have no sick time, or disability pay. I had to use my 2 weeks of vacation and I went without pay the days I didn't have vacation days.

 

[Prose]

My hyst was supposed to be by lap, as well, and I think I had planned to be out a couple of weeks. Turns out I had complications and was out of work for a month, but oh well. The main thing I remember is that you cannot drive until you can stomp your foot (as if stomping on the brakes) without it causing abdominal pain, and you can't lift anything heavier than a jug of milk for a certain amount of time.

Check out the stores at the hystersisters web site -- the elastic support bands really do help afterward.