Stupid Hormones

Well, I'm doing great. Much better than I thought.

I get tired, and I knew I would, but I don't think I really understood what that would feel like. It's not like a sick tired, like when you have a fever. It's more like a tired you get after donating blood. Like my body is occupied elsewhere.

I have trouble focusing sometimes. I have a rather short attention span. The blog entries I've been doing take a while. I'll type for a bit and save them and then come back to them later.

I try to read, but I can't get more than a page or so. Magazines are good and reading the papers online. I've tried watching movies but I can't really do that for more than an hour yet. Sitcoms and cartoons are about my speed. I have to be careful with things like The Daily Show though, funny hurts.

My incision is healing well. My pubic hair is growing back and it itches at this point. I know it'll only be a few more days and it'll be fine. The bruises from the operation that are around the incision site and those on my arms where I had the needles are also fading nicely.

I take maybe two super Ibuprofen a day. My bowels are back to normal and I pee pretty regularly (actually, I'm still peeing about as much as I did before, but without that burning pressure I used to get because of the fibroids).

Thursday next week is my first appointment and I'm hoping to get some restrictions lifted then. I don't think I'm ready to drive right now. Hell, I've only been out of the house once to go to the back yard. I certainly couldn't drive right now unless it was an emergency.

I'm spending a lot of time online. I chat with friends on instant messenger. I blog things. I read website and stuff.

I also spend a lot of time at a website called HysterSisters.com - it's a bulletin board for women planning or recovery from a hysterectomy. They have lots of great info but mostly it's just seeing posts from other women who are going through the same thing. It's good to see real life examples - I like to find folks that are most like me to see how things are going for them four weeks or four months ahead of me.

Right now it's lunch time and my husband is making me a sandwich. I think I'll eat that now. I have no appetite but I've been eating anything he puts in front of me because I know I need to. I'm losing weight, about two or three pounds since surgery. One of those was what they took out.

Posted by Elizabeth M. on August 15, 2004 9:23 PM

It is strange how using energy takes on a whole different perspective at this point in the recovery. I saw going to church as five energy zapping events: shower, dress, drive, sit and maybe participate, drive. Surprised everyone when I said that going to church was too tiring. It will get better. The concentration improves too eventually but not fast enough. It was forever before I could read anything. The commercials on TV were about my speed for the longest time. When you can put something on the incision, Nivea cream works wonders. Glad to hear things are going well for you.- Diana
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TITLE: One Week and a Day
AUTHOR: Elizabeth M.
DATE: 8/13/2004 12:55:57 PM

1. Posted by Anonymous on August 14, 2004

It will go away. It took about 14 weeks for me. Your mileage may vary because you are taking hormones...right? I am a person who never cries. It just isn't in me. I was crying over puppies in commercials and spilling something on the counter in the kitchen and having sappy memories of stuff. As I would weep on the phone when my sister told me about something sweet my nieces did, she'd exclaim, "What is wrong with you?"The funniest crying jag was soon after my roommate was home from her hysterectomy, and I was on week 12 from my surgery: we made each other cry over whether or not to eat dinner at the table or in the living room. When we realized it, we started laughing - that painful not able to stop kind.Camomille tea really helped calm me down. Brewing it with peppermint tea and honey makes it more palatible.I also had a very short temper and no patience. When I went back to work I nuked my boss who was being ridiculous and unprofessional. By the time I got finished with her, she looked very charred. As I walked out of her office I said to the wide-eyed secretary: "I can't believe I just did that." The secretary said, "Well, she'll learn to not mess with a women who has no hormones." The flash point has calmed a lot. The being irritated easily has not. I get pissed if someone else enters the same aisle at the grocery store. The interesting thing is that it is adults that really set me off. I have incredible patience with children.Sounds like you are right on track. When the hot flashes start, you'll forget about the crying part. Nothing like sitting at a meeting, sweating profusely for no reason and soaking a blouse to the skin. - Diana

2. Posted by Anonymous on August 15, 2004

DATE: 8/16/2004 05:48:56 PM
Yee! 14 weeks! I'll be back to work at 8!I kept my ovaries so no HRT for me. Of course if I've got night sweats and weepiness I'm guessing they're still in shock.I plan on talking to the doctor about it on Thursday, though she's gonna just pat me on the shoulder and tell me to muddle through.I'll definitely try some tea.
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TITLE: Oh, the Itching!
AUTHOR: Elizabeth M.
DATE: 8/14/2004 09:26:33 AM

3. Posted by Elizabeth M. on January 9, 2005

Health Diaries publishes diaries and blogs on health and fitness topics. This diary is listed under:

Name: Elizabeth M.
Location:
Southern California

About Me: I'm in my late thirties and suffered with large fibroids until August '04 when I had a supracervical hysterectomy. Keep reading as I'll cover topics on long-term recovery from hysterectomy.

Links
PelvicFloor.com
All About Myomectomy
Fibroids
HysterSisters

Stupid Hormones

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