8 Days Post-Op: Nauseous and tired of people saying “you should feel better by now”

JoyRideinaMinivan · 2022-02-22T20:44:48+00:00

My mom seems to think I’ll feel fine two days after my surgery 🙄. I’m having it this Friday and she keeps telling me how I’ll feel fine in no time.

I think it’s wishful thinking on her part because she doesn’t want to think of her child being in pain. Maybe your family is worried about you. I would reassure them that your doctor said you’re healing normally.

2022-02-22T20:57:43+00:00

The nausea is normal and for me it was a sign that I was doing too much. I also live alone and didn’t spend enough time horizontal at the beginning. I’ve had a mix of reactions from family and friends, but it is frustrating when people project their surgery recovery experience or expectations on to me. I’m honest about where I’m at. I think people need to be educated. It is major surgery and the recovery takes time. The recovery process isn’t necessarily linear either and it differs for everyone. My third and part of my fourth week post op were really tough from a fatigue perspective and I had bouts of nausea again for that week and a half. I had to really sloth about for that week and a half.

curiousfeed21 · 2022-02-22T21:58:35+00:00

Same!!! My appetite is just not there yet?? I too have 6 weeks off-- just let me be and rest!! I still have gas pains which my mom suggested more fiber which I guess she is right. But really all I want to do now is lay around. My blood is low so in time, I'll feel better.

AwkwardBasket · 2022-02-22T22:02:52+00:00

How frustrating! You had major surgery. I felt horrible and barely ate for the first week. It takes a long time for your body to heal. It took me a long time to feel better. I took the whole 6 weeks to rest and heal. I'm sorry that people are rushing you to feel better. Take care of yourself.

2022-02-22T22:11:16+00:00

For me it took about 10 days until I started to really feel better. That's when the exhaustion got less but I still had mediocre pain and couldn't move that much. I was mostly fine after four weeks but still had to refrain from any exercise or similar straining activities or else my pain came back for a few days.

Fortunately my mother and friends were very understanding but my brother also expected me to be fine after a few days... Every body is and heals differently, there's absolutely no need to compare their experience to yours! Take the rest you need, you're absolutely allowed to feel miserable for a few weeks and act like it as well. I wish you a quick recovery nonetheless.

PearleString · 2022-02-22T23:02:56+00:00

It took me 4 or more weeks to feel okay. Not normal, just okay. Six months out and I still get aches sometimes.

People just forget/don't know how hard it is recovering from surgery.

Take what you need. You can only heal properly once, after all.

knkennedy9 · 2022-02-22T23:24:18+00:00

I was nauseous and vomiting occasionally for the first three weeks post op, I think a lot of it for me, was a reaction to pain meds. I felt awful for about 10 weeks post op. About 10-12 weeks post op, I finally started to feel better and more normal. I had a hysterectomy, appendectomy, salpingectomy and complete excision of endometriosis all at the same time. I’m 4 months post op now and feel 100% better than I did prior to surgery.

2022-02-22T23:38:54+00:00

I was down for a full 3 weeks before I even started to feel a little better. Some people bounce back within a week. I was out of work for 6 weeks because it was like two steps forward and one back with recovery. I had to have a very honest and very blunt conversation with family and friends about how I was doing before they got it.

Puzzleheaded-Car-932 · 2022-02-23T00:18:02+00:00

I literally had to keep reminding people “you do realize they took multiple organs out of my body, it was a major surgery” and finally people felt a little more sympathetic/empathetic it seemed. Thinking of you!

No-Interview-1340 · 2022-02-23T00:28:36+00:00

That sounds frustrating. i was feeling better after a week but certainly not recovered. I didn’t feel nauseous but it took awhile for my appetite to come back. It was probably 3-4 weeks before I felt good but then doing more stuff made realize I had to dial it back again. Everyone heals differently so just listen to your body. There’s a lot of healing going on on the inside that no one sees.

2022-02-23T00:35:56+00:00

yeah I did protein shakes and vegetables. I drank lots of water rest as much as you can.

WednesdayRogers · 2022-02-23T01:40:16+00:00

I just had mine in December and I still barely recall the first two weeks post op. It took 3 weeks for me to be a conscious human!

Tappadeeassa · 2022-02-23T02:25:27+00:00

I'm about 2 weeks post op and I'm still sleeping noticeably more than pre surgery. I move certain ways and slight pain tugs from inside, so I'll stop whatever I'm doing when that happens, so any activity has a general limit of about 10 minutes at a time. I can't quite sit upright AND for more than a minute or two because pressure just bears down in the pelvic region. When I'm walking, if there is gas or a fair amount of waste inside (lol, this is most of the time, even though I take stool softener, eat lots of fiber, and take something for the gas), it all puts pressure in the pelvic area. There are times I am aware of the cuff because of this.

Lol, I understand everyone's recovery is different, but I'm seriously wondering how anyone can do much of anything after a week or two (or three, or four...). I do feel better than two weeks ago, but the thought of trying to work an 8 hour shift that involves sitting quite a bit in an uncomfortable chair plus getting in and out of said chair several times a day? Lmao, NOPE. I was pretty active pre surgery, weight lifting and walking up and down steep hills. Not doing that now because I want to heal properly.

People just don't know unless they go through it themselves, and if they did, they think their experience must be universal. I can accept there are probably some who recover at lightning speed after a MAJOR surgery--that's not me and honestly no one in my life expects me to recover that fast (I know I'm lucky--they're probably more concerned that I'll do too much too soon because they know how I am....I'm trying to be good 🙂). I hope the people in your life cut you some slack. If it helps, maybe go into graphic detail when they get on your case, sometimes that gets people to zip it. Be well and heal well.

Kodiakke · 2022-02-23T04:15:07+00:00

I am an ultramarathoner, and people told me: oh, you'll be up and moving around and fine in two weeks.

My doctor gave me six weeks. Work gave me six weeks. I know how it is to rush healing and then be out even longer, recovering. This is major surgery, multiple organs were removed, and given the state of healthcare in my country (US), you're darn right I'm taking it easy and recovering fully.

Your body doesn't heal on someone else's schedule. Take care of yourself and take all the naps!

flufflesUSA · 2022-02-23T04:24:08+00:00

So sorry you're going through this. What does your dr say about the nausea? My dr said if I have nausea then I should come back for evaluation, but of course everyone's body is different. Do you have a fever at all?

ladysdevil · 2022-02-23T04:32:57+00:00

So, I was really sick after mine, nausea, no appetite. It was weird Negaunee I normally bounce back from surgery really well. Turned out I was having a reaction to the celebrex they put me on as an anti-inflammatory med. I don't tolerate those kinds of meds well and am allergic to several, hence the reason they were using celebrex. I put 2 and 2 together just over a week in and quit taking it. Once I wasn't sick and was able to eat, I bounced back fast. I am particularly sensitive to medication side effects, so this likely isn't your problem, but it is something to check.

chocklitchipcookie · 2022-02-23T04:51:53+00:00

my family sounds like yours and it’s miserable. they seem to think recovery is a fast, upward trajectory. my party line from postop day 1 has been “i’m okay” because it covers good, bad, whatever without disclosure of anything. any follow up gets something like “it’s a journey” or similar. hang in there and heal on your own time.❤️❤️❤️

DFlip73 · 2022-02-23T04:58:08+00:00

Surgery like this is real deal. Take your time to feel like crapola. Swear a little. Cry. Curse the haunted uterus.

annicirom · 2022-02-23T07:33:16+00:00

If you would have a cast on for broken leg they would be: “aww honey take it easy”.. Just because it’s not visible it doesn’t mean nothing there. F*ck them honestly… Take it easy it’s your body not theirs they have no idea what you are going through. Show them some YouTube videos of hysterectomy then they will shut up..

2022-02-23T11:06:21+00:00

People who say they were fine in a week are full of it. It’s like having kids, everyone forgets what it was really like.

It’s going to take time.

When people start comparing, say, “Ooh, is this a contest? Because I win naps!”

Then go incommunicado.

tahansen24 · 2022-02-23T16:08:58+00:00

If you are taking narcotics you are probably nausea from that.

2022-02-23T23:13:47+00:00

Everyone is different, and it’s pretty toxic and downright just..weird that anyone would think you’d just follow the same healing timeline as them? My mom when she had her hysterectomy was miserable (from what I remember) for a month, and still was at a baseline “at least im not miserable but still not good.” For a long time after that. I had my hysterectomy 12-27, and I was still pale and had no energy around week 3. I just passed week 8, and am finally STARTING to feel a little normal again. If you hit that 6 week mark and aren’t ready, PLEASE take more time off and time for yourself if you need. I’m not working right now and I haven’t through this process, but I couldn’t imagine going back to work before the point I am at now, and still at iffy about trying to go back to work and might push it back a few more weeks. With that being said, I promise you’ll start feeling better soon 💛

tbsnbubblegum · 2022-02-25T16:43:42+00:00

Oxy was great for pain but for nothing else. Constant fog and nausea. Had a puke bucket by the bed. After a few days I stopped taking it and the fog lifted and the nausea stopped a few days later.

thatawesomeperson98 · 2023-11-23T07:57:09+00:00

I know the feeling i got told i should ignore my drs orders on no heavy lifting as they did when they had their surgery years ago i said no I’m not doing that

hysterectomy

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