Hystorectomy help

[Milims]

My friend has just had a hystorectomy and removal of a lot of associated tissue because of endometryosis. Her operation was last Monday and she was home by Saturday, her stapels out yesterday. By last night she was back at the hospital because her wound had re-opened and now she has to wait until tomorrow to have it sewn back up - probably with a general anaesthetic. She is a single mum with two demanding boys. She asked social serivces for help but they refused. I seems also that in hospital she was "taught" how to go up and down stairs but that was the only physical advice and practice she was given. We have all rallied round to help her out - cooking meals, sorting laundry, seeing to the boys etc, but I really feel that she could do with some more practical advice (and maybe a spot of bullying!) about how to protect her wound and not do herself more damage. Has anyone else been in a similar position? Please could you offer any tips that we can use to support her and make her do less! I have threatened to duck tape her to the arm chair!

[Thomzo]

Sorry no advice to give but she's lucky to have a friend like you.

Zoe

[Milims]

Thanks guys! I just hope that this has really been a scare for her - in the nicest possible way of course - so that she'll sit still!

[frozenthunderbolt]

my parteners mum just had this. she was off work for 6 weeks. NO lifting for 2, light activity for 4.

[HennyPenny]

Hello there
You could try contacting the red cross. In this area (norfolk) they provide a short term support service for people coming out of hospital. This service is mainly for older people but a phone call would clarify.

http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/H ... n-the-home

Hope it helps

[fifi folle]

Sorry she has gone through this, I have endometriosis and a hysterectomy is not too many years down the line for me if pregnancy doesn't reduce the rate of its spread. I've had two laparoscopies which are obviously much less invasive and I was told not to hoover, iron, lift shopping, walk for long distances etc for a fortnight minimum (was more like a month for me), with a hysterectomy I would expect it to be more like 6 weeks (similar to the advice for c-sections). She is very lucky to have such a lovely friend!!!

[Annpan]

I remember my Mum was told not to lift a kettle of water... and not to drive for 6 weeks.

I don't know how old the boys are (I was 13 I think, my brother 16) we were able to take care of ourselves.... we did the cooking and cleaning that needed done (lots of vesta curry packs and beanfeast sauces in those days). An older sibling came to stay when my mum was actually in hospital for a few nights.

Are the boys old enough to have a word with them? time for them to be wee men and take on some more responsibility? Maybe there is a way of teaching them how to do more for mum?

Would buying in microwave meals, etc help?


My BIL was recently in a serious accident and had severe internal injuries... and with no children to look after and 3 other capable adults in the house and no matter how much we tried to get him to rest, I STILL caught him trying to do the hoovering... I lost it with him the day he climbed on the arm of the sofa to change a lightbulb.... there is no stopping some people.

[Milims]

Hello there
You could try contacting the red cross. In this area (norfolk) they provide a short term support service for people coming out of hospital. This service is mainly for older people but a phone call would clarify.

http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/H ... n-the-home

Hope it helps

Thanks for this HP. I've given them a call but unfortunately their service is't quite suitable - however they are willing to look out for someting more appropriate and pass the info on to me.

[skinnimini]

I had a hysterectomy and removal of a very large cyst, in 2008 at age 59, and had 12 weeks off work. I had stitches not staples. You really do have to sit around and do nothing, just wait to recover. It's very hard if you have always been an active person. I live alone so had to rely on friends to come and help me. You must tell your friend that she must not do anything. Perhaps you can get some more friends to rally round, call in and see if she needs some help, offer to do jobs for her, get her shopping in.

[chicken feed]

i had the op 6 years ago and ended up being re admitted with a wound infection they put it down to not resting enough. its hard but you really do need to do nothing other than the odd trip to the loo and build up from there instead of not driving for 8 weeks i ended up being unable to drive for 12 weeks, not good when you live 1/2 mile or so from the nearest bus stop. i also ended up back in the operating room to sort the scaring out that had gone manky.

i soon realised when they send you home with the post op do's and don'ts its best to stick to them. its hard because its in a mothers nature to look after rather than be looked after.

[battybird]

Our local hospital has a home from hospital service where they put volunteers in touch with people needing help...possibly is the same as the red cross one though. What about the volunteer bureaux or her health visitor? Things aint what they used to be...when I was about 4 my mum had an appendicetomy and was sent to a convelescence home for a fortnight as she had three youg children(obviously many years ago)!! Your friend is very lucky to have friends who are willing to help!

[Henwoman]

I wonder why they do hysterectomies through the abdomen nowadays. I had mine in 1988, done vaginally so I had no outside scar to worry about. They also did some repair work at the same time, but I can't see a reason why most cannot be done the same way as mine. I still had to rest and not drive, not easy when you're a single mother of three children 5, 2 and 9 months. The worst thing, was trying not to pick up my baby, but to roll her into an old style pram from the cot, and wait until friends visited for anything else.