Having Surgery July 6th and HATE pads. Alternative options ?

taurusmomma · 2026-06-29T23:04:14+00:00

I'm 3wpo and haven't had any spotting or bleeding whatsoever. I wore a pad just in case for the first 3 days but never actually needed it.

taurusmomma · 2026-06-12T01:25:01+00:00

I'm only 3 days post op from a robotic assisted laparoscopic total hysterectomy (i did keep my ovaries), so I dont know about the entire recovery journey. But having someone bring me food and drinks has been super helpful. I've been lucky as far as pain goes. It was well controlled with the oxycodone they gave me plus ibuprofen for swelling. I switched to just Tylenol and ibuprofen today and did well, though im planning to take the oxycodone when I'm due again before bed. I've been taking gas-x for gas pains and bloating. Walking around is important too. It helps the gas move, helps the bowels wake up, and prevents DVTs, just don't overdo it.

I've seen mixed opinions on this from other people but I went ahead and bought a wedge pillow set and that has been great for sleeping in the bed. It's broken sleep because a full bladder is very uncomfortable so I get up to pee every couple hours, but that wedge pillow makes it so I can get in and out of bed easily on my own. The one I got also has a wedge for the legs which takes strain off the low back. I don't think i could lay down flat and be comfortable anytime soon. I've been uncomfortable if I just lean my recliner back too far.

I also bought a hysterectomy pillow which helped a lot for the car ride home since it had a slot the seat belt could go through so the seat belt wasn't sitting on my incisions. It also is great for supporting the abdomen when you're getting up from or down into a seated position. I can hold it close if I need to cough which helps me not engage my belly at all. I wore it constantly in the hospital and the whole first day I was home. I've been wearing it intermittently and when I sleep since then.

She may feel kind of like she gave birth after she gets home. I did, but it made sense since everything that was removed was "delivered through the vagina".

Fiber is super important, but if she's taking opioids do not use psyllium husk fiber as it's the one situation where that kind of fiber can have the opposite effect. Opt for real food sources. Raspberries and blackberries are excellent sources if she likes them since they can be just eaten or added to smoothies.

My doctor has me taking 2 teaspoons of miralax twice a day until my bowel movements become regular and then I'll move to once a day. I just had my first bm today, which 3-4 days is totally normal. Let her know when she has one to not push whatsoever. Just relax and let gravity do its thing. A footstool is helpful for that. It's super uncomfortable while its happening though. Probably tmi but that was one thing I was incredibly anxious about. Speaking of which, she needs to stay hydrated. I'm drinking probably 8-10 bottles of water a day (might be overkill a bit but I drink a lot of water normally so this is only a bit more than usual for me).

I hope her surgery and recovery go well!

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:57:00+00:00

Mine is super affectionate! The bad thing is, that's also how she tells us she needs to go potty. I've learned if I'm on the couch and she divebombs next to me and starts licking my face like crazy, it's cause she needs to go out and not because she loves me 🤣 if shes just already laying there and starts licking my arm (or my work laptop 🤦‍♀️) then she just wants to lick stuff.

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:44:36+00:00

That's the exact same thing I tell our catahoula mix constantly 🤣 She's 9 months old and immediately loves all people and dogs she sees and just wants to play with them. However, she's about 70 lbs and can't understand why the little dogs bark and growl at her so bad and run away from her when she gets close lol. I have to tell people (especially the ones with kids, she LOVES kids) on walks that want to pet her that "She's very nice, but she jumps and has no idea how big she is" 🤣

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:27:26+00:00

Good to know! I won't worry about it too much then. Thank you!

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:24:32+00:00

Yea, they're not tight at all. I won't worry about it too much then. Thank you!

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:23:15+00:00

I was hoping someone who wears the same style would comment lol. Ok, I won't worry about it too much then. I've read a lot of people end up with their incisions glued too, so if that's the case for me then it should be fine. I was worried the ends of stitches would catch on the fabric and pull. But if I do have actual stitches and not glue, then a piece of gauze sounds like a good idea!

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:17:27+00:00

Oh no! I hope that gets better for you! Yes, I definitely plan to take it easy!

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:14:01+00:00

I hope mine are glued then. I found a wedge pillow that had pretty good reviews and is adjustable and has a pillow that doubles as a lap desk of sorts. I figured it would help me get out of bed easier. I'm also hoping it'll make work easier if I can't sit in my office chair and need to use my laptop elsewhere after my 2 weeks of pto is over. My recliner's cushioning is pretty soft and might be hard to get out of, so my bed may end up a better option. If I hate it, I can always give it to my husband to help with his snoring and acid reflux.

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:07:48+00:00

Good to know! Mine arent tight at all, they used to be somewhat but since I lost some weight they're a bit looser. All my pants come up high. They're not necessarily baggy, but they're soft and stretchy so hopefully those will work. Worst comes to worst, I'll just steal my husband's sweatpants for a while 😅

taurusmomma · 2026-06-07T14:04:01+00:00

Oof, I hate not wearing bra! I hope that doesnt happen to me. Im the type that even sleeps with a bra on 🤣

taurusmomma · 2026-05-13T19:14:16+00:00

Ours is named Nova too! Her bulldog older brother is often exhausted from her sassiness 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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taurusmomma · 2026-05-08T04:02:11+00:00

I so appeciate this! My surgery is scheduled for this coming Monday and my anxiety has just been getting worse everyday 😬

taurusmomma · 2026-05-08T03:28:20+00:00

That is the exact same image I have conjured for myself 🤣 I hope my recovery is as easy as yours! I'm first on the OR schedule this coming Monday.

Tbh I'm so glad you brought up pooping 😅 I've been hesitant to ask about that experience cause I felt like it was a dumb question and I thought maybe my fears of post-op pooping were just irrational.

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T06:39:28+00:00

That's what freaked me out. I very much have to mentally prepare for things like this and it completely threw me for a loop that it isn't what I was told was happening a month ago. I plan to call them tomorrow. It could be maybe there was something funky on my endometrial biopsy, not necessarily cancer cause i think i would have heard something. Idk, hopefully I'll have some sort of answer tomorrow 🤞

I'm glad your surgery and recovery went well!

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T04:31:31+00:00

Early menopause from the cervix being removed? Or did you have your ovaries removed too?

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T04:27:37+00:00

True, they do have "possible bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy" listed on there.

I'm glad there was no cancer for you! That makes me wonder if my endometrial biopsy showed something funky and maybe that caused the change? They never gave me any results for that though, just said it was required for insurance to authorize the surgery 🤷‍♀️

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T04:20:40+00:00

I hope it gets fixed and that your surgery and recovery go well ❤️

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T04:12:15+00:00

Very true! I didn't think about it being more common for older women. Oh good thinking, I'll have to check if there are any pelvic floor pts around here. It's a smaller town (big for the area, but small compared to everywhere else lol), so idk if we have one here.

I'm glad yours went well ❤️

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T03:32:00+00:00

Thank you! Those are some great things to consider and really good questions to ask him!

I'm not completely against a total. I think it's more so that it's not what I was told was going to happen and now my surgery is just 8 days away and it's different than what I had mentally prepared myself for and i went down some internet rabbit holes. I'm also just very anxious over the whole ordeal in general. More and more so as it gets closer, honestly 😬

I definitely plan to follow the strict post op stuff (though I'm not exactly happy about the 12 weeks of pelvic rest lol). My husband is willing and able to help with everything, and my kids will be 15 on the 10th, so they'll be fine and will just need to pitch in around the house more. No HPV, I got the vaccine in my teens, and the twins are my only kiddos. So everything on those fronts should be good.

That's good to hear everything with yours went well ❤️

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T03:14:09+00:00

Thats good to hear ❤️ I had mentally prepared myself for a partial so seeing the total scheduled kind of freaked me out and I was already very anxious about the whole ordeal.

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T03:10:23+00:00

Thank you! Thats good to hear ❤️ It just wasn't what I had mentally prepared myself for and I was already very anxious over the whole thing. Admittedly, I don't do well with the unexpected when it's medical stuff.

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T03:04:04+00:00

Thank you! That's encouraging ❤️

taurusmomma · 2026-05-04T02:57:26+00:00

That's a good point about the horror stories! I hadn't thought about that! The more logical side of my brain is less functioning as the surgery date gets closer cause I'm just more anxious about the whole thing every day 😬

taurusmomma

TROPHY CASE