On being an Invalid or on Recovering

This past Wednesday I had an abdominal myomectomy. It went very well--the anesthesia was great--I don't remember a thing and my doctor/surgeon tells me that I have very tight ab muscles. I guess that all that belly dancing does pay off! :) If you run a google or blog search for myomectomy, you can find a number of myomectomy recovery blogs--I read a lot of them will preparing for my post-hospital experience. I'm only 4 days post-op, but I seem to be doing well. While this blog will not turn into a recovery blog, I do have some advice.

1) Strength train your arms and legs, you will need your arm and leg muscles to get in and out of bed and to maneuver around (e.g getting in and out of bed, chairs, etc). Push ups and squats--do multiple reps during the day. Before this operation, I never knew if my lower abdominal muscles were working; now I do know when I use them. When transitioning from standing to sitting, there is a point when my abs would like to work a LOT (I'm reminded of this mostly on when I wake up in the morning). Right now to get upright, I concentrate by using my arms (to push myself up) and my thighs.

2) I can use my upper abs, obliques, glutes, psoas. The incision and (internal) stitches are located in the lower abs. When I'm walking or standing, I tilt my butt down in the back, so that my abdominal muscles are not stretched out (they are kind of contracted). It makes it easier and less painful. Posture really does make a difference!

3) I'm wearing an abdominal binder. I have a horizontal incision, just above the hairline. I think that eventually that the scar will be hidden/less visible in fold in the skin. I'm no lightweight, so I do have a bit of a pooch. When I put on the binder, I pull up the pooch with my hand so that the incision is flat and not hidden in the fold. I think that this is helping with the healing--less stress on the incision.

4) I stocked my fridge with yogurt, prunes, sparkling water, OJ. Its easy to open a carton of yogurt and eat it when I'm hungry. Or to have a small glass of juice with an iron pill. My friends are keeping my stocked with fresh fruit. My freezer has lots of frozen dinners and I have my friends and neighbors on speed dial. I also move my cell phone/blackberry chargers to an easy location--I have a landing spot near my front door so I can get stuff charged easily.

5) Hospital stay--I'm glad I bought my ipod, blackberry, cell phone, lip balm, several magazines. I used my ipod to listen to music while falling asleep (I shared a room), blackberry to respond to some work emails, but mostly to read newspaper websites while bored on painkillers, lip balm to moisturize my lips which got amazingly dry, and magazines--the articles were short enough to hold my attention (Vanity Fair, Threads (including several older issues)). In my hospital bag--all the stuff I didn't need: I packed pajamas, granny underwear (1 size larger than normal), lotion, soap, toothbrush, etc, stuff you pack when you travel. When I left, I wore the clothing I wore to the hospital. I did need the granny underwear, but not while in the hospital.

6) See if you can get your prescriptions filled before your surgery. I was able to get my painkiller prescriptions filled before the surgery. I had them placed on a tray, with my regular prescriptions, thermometer, notepad and pen (to note times when I took pills).

7) I can't life anything over 10 lbs. Sigh. I can't wait until my post-surgery visit.