My Hysterectomy Recovery Timeline

Considering how similar yet different some parts of everyone’s experiences are, here’s a timeline of mine that might help inform others:

Hysterectomy 7/22
removed everything but the ovaries
vaginal - no incisions

stayed a few hours longer due to pulse ox dipping when I’d doze off - narcotics were the cause.

Pretty coherent and feeling good. was able to go up stairs (slowly)
lots of sleep day 1-3 post op

Day 1-3
sleepy, slow, but generally okay
butthole lightning was SO bad - had to watch laughing and sneezing. took the heavy pain meds 2x day 1 then at night for sleep. gas pain was horrendous but fine - couldn’t breathe deep when lying down - better sitting up. could only breathe in 1 L on the incentive spirometer when my normal capacity was closer to four. spotting only.

day 4
finally had a bowel mvt. Would recommend miralax instead of pill stool softener. switched to only ibuprofen (800mg) and acetaminophen (1000mg) on rotation

2 wpo
must have done too much - tried to drive and putz around somewhere for like 5 min. Next few days were dealing with bleeding and intense lightheadedness. Was like a medium period for a few weeks.

Called the triage nurse and if clots were palm sized or filling up a pad in an hour 2x, then go to ER. Did not need to go to ER but it was scary at this points. Butthole lightning still bad. was able to breathe about 2 L at this point

3 wpo
still bleeding but not dizzy anymore

4wpo
still bleeding but tapering into light period. Still needed help around the house at this point. Energy levels still low but better

getting back into work with faculty meetings and one-on-one meetings with students. I probably had four hours of work through the course of the week. Walking very slow but able to mostly cognitively hang. butthole lightning finally subsiding.

5wpo
Back at work, moved slow. Was able to hang decently, but was walking pretty slow… Noticeably slow. Would come home and have to take a nap before cooking dinner.

6wpo
moving better, higher energy levels
got the all clear to slowly resume normal human activities. Went to the gym and started playing my (brass) instrument very lightly. finally got to breathing 3 L in.

8+wpo (now)
been able to lift heavy at the gym and breath support feels pretty okay for playing. pretty much this whole time I’ve noticed that urinating feels a little different. Nothing bad just a sudden stop towards the end of emptying versus tapering and seems like a smaller capacity. Beginning pelvic floor therapy at about 9wpo (cleared at 6 weeks just delayed bc of life).

I’m sure I’ve left some details out, but this was the big stuff. Hope this helps!