Week 6/Day 37 (Sunday) - I can see the light...

This Friday will mark the end of 6 weeks post surgery, and I'm feeling 97%. This past week I've been filled with energy and feeling like I can actually use it.

First, I survived the period from Hell. In addition to the killer cramps, it was super heavy. I hope that's a surgery side effect and not my new normal.

My daily life is mostly back to usual. I am doing my daily work commute, during rush hour, and working full days; I have full range of motion; and I'm not on any kind of drug, powerful or mild.

Since I still don't have the OK to do physical activity like jogging, Pilates, or sex (going nuts, here! Richard, too!), I've been doing torso stretching/leg strengthening moves + fast-paced walks for exercise. I'm proud to say I'm back to overtaking the average walker. Despite the frustration, I can tell that my body's not ready for the bigger stuff yet.

My only complaint is an occasional twinge in my lower right (similar to the ligament pains I mentioned in an earlier post); it's been going at it for a bit tonight.

For the record, I'm posting a timeline of my visual healing, as my scars are now looking much better and probably close to their permanent recovery place.

Day 1 - Saturday, Oct. 13 (Fresh wound padding)

Day 3 - Monday, Oct. 15 (Steri-Strips)

Day 14 - Friday, Oct. 26 (Scabs)

Day 37 - Sunday, Nov. 18 (Scars)

That all for this week. I'll check in again once my full 6 weeks are up.

Sayonara.

Week 5/Day 29 (Saturday) - Oh so close...

I am officially into week five, and only a couple days away from my one-month mark. This past week has been inching along in terms of noticeable progress, but I can taste full recovery.

Monday was the start of my daily subway commute into Boston/working in the office. A colleague applauded my decision to work from home during week 3; he had abdominal surgery years ago and returned after week 2, and said it was so hard on his body.

Monday though Wednesday were trying on my core from sitting at my desk. I now realize how ergonomically lacking my chair is. (And I work in occupational safety and health! Go figure.) But by Thursday, quite a dramatic change actually, I felt fine. So I should be in great shape for next week.

Even the subway was doable, though tough, the one day I had to stand in a sardine-packed car during rush hour.

Other positives for the past week:

• I'm back to my regular walking pace, without feeling winded.
• There's barely any tenderness when I rub my incision spots (which expands my wardrobe options tremendously).
• [to tune of 'The Safety Dance'] I can dance if I want to!

Me and Richard at Dance Spot #1

I really tested myself yesterday, but passed with flying colors:

My sister held the 'Last Dance' of her public art piece, Dance Spot Boston. Since I couldn't participate earlier due to my surgery, I had to join the congo line for this.

I tried to be cautious, and took several breaks from the action. But dancing inevitably involves quick movements and bouncing. And I was fine! I think the tiredness I felt was more due to my lack of exercise than my body still healing. No cramping, no soreness.

They really have this 6-week recovery timeline down to a science. In another week, it's going to feel like my surgery never happened. Except for feeling even better than I did pre-surgery.

Week 4/Day 23 (Sunday) - Take It Easy!

I'm to the point where my body feels normal much of the time. This both good (great, even) and bad.

The great side is obvious: It's nice to feel like my old self. I've even started to view some of my previous posts about discomfort/pain as whiny, even though I know they are 100% legit; so that shows how removed from surgery I'm beginning to feel.

The bad side is that even though I feel back to normal, my body still has another couple of weeks to go before it is.

I physically have the strength and mobility back to do active things, like walk briskly or carry heavier groceries, but doing these things strains the parts of me that are still healing. And because I feel better and want to be active again, it's hard to remember (and accept) that I'm only halfway through my recovery and still need to take it easy.

Good thing my body has natural reminders built in!

The steps I jogged down this morning.

Reminder 1: On Friday, feeling really good and energetic, I dropped my car keys under the driver's seat and had to dig them out. Not very active, but a lot of bending and twisting. I was completely winded after the 45 seconds it took to get them out.

Still not OK to make awkward movements.

Reminder 2: I quickly hopped down our front steps today when I went out to get the paper. Didn't think twice about it because I, again, felt so good, and my pre-surgery pace up or down our steps was a jog. After I went inside, I started to feel cramp-y in my uterine area, and almost a little queasy.

Still not OK to bounce.

Both good reminders for my first day back in the office tomorrow. I'd better get some sleep before the big day.

Sayonara.

Day 20 (Thursday) - Milestones

Several updates and milestones to report on, this morning! Today marks the end of my third week post surgery.

• Milestone #1: I slept on my stomach last night for the first time since my surgery. This is a major 'normal' activity for me that's been impossible because of both how it stretches my core (similar to standing up straight) and the pressure it puts on my incisions. It's especially exciting/surprising that this happened last night because I slept horribly the previous night; my incision spots were really acting up and I could not get comfortable. Now, it's really just my belly button and lower right incisions now that still hurt at times when pressure is applied.


• Milestone #2: On a similar note, I can officially stand up beyond upright (shoulders completely back, back arched), and for more than just a minute. I have been moving pretty well, anyway—no more waddling, I can twist—but this is going to make such a difference in my daily activities in terms of fatigue because of the stress it takes off of my back.


• Update: And speaking of movement, I have continued with my 1.25 mile walk at least every other day, and my pace has picked up tremendously. I've gone from a 35-minute-mile to about a 22-minute-mile, which is only 5 minutes off my personal normal. Still very winded from it, but all the more reason for me to be doing it often and picking up speed as best I can.
  
  I am officially a human animal again:

I'm passed the zombie stage, but thought this was appropriate post-Halloween.

I was saying to Richard just last night that it's been really bugging me out to feel winded after such low-key movements, like walking or sitting upright for long periods of time. So I'm really pleased to be able to report on these milestones.

Off for my walk and coffee, and then work.

Day 17 (Monday) - Road & Recovery

I expect my posts will become less frequent from here forward.

It's nice knowing that I am over the physically hardest part of my recovery, and that I'll be back to work tomorrow (if only from home). But I will continue to blog about important milestones and thoughts up until week 6, at by which point I should be completely back to my personal normal.

Yesterday was a pretty low key day. The biggest event was making a Costco run with Richard for things we've been needing given today's storm warning for Hurricane Sandy.

I drove for the first time since pre-op days, which felt OK and was better than bracing myself while Richard drove, wonderful as he is. However, for as good as I've been feeling, I learned the hard way that there is a movement I am not yet ready to do: The Twist.

Without thinking twice I did a super full turn and stretch at my waist to see while backing out of our parking space at Costco (a mad house)—you know the posture, one arm around the back of the passenger seat. Owww.

Any incision tenderness left was revived to the fullest.  But hey, the days have been more boring lately without as much pain to fill the time, so it added a little excitement. ;-)

"After a fall such as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs!"

- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

Day 15 (Saturday)

Being so in tune to my core these past couple of weeks has been quite an eye-opening experience.

It is amazing how much energy and muscle goes into even the simplest actions, like sitting. I'm not going to say I took these things for granted—my abs and back are the body parts I take best care of when I'm healthy because I know a lot depends on a strong core. But I definitely didn't appreciate this to the fullest.

Case in point: Richard and I went out to dinner tonight for the first time since my operation, which was wonderful. But after an hour or so of being in our booth I had to turn to him and say, "I need to leave, I can't sit here anymore." I just couldn't maintain the posture.

Definitely the right decision to wait another week before going back into the office.

Sayonara.

Day 14 (Friday) - Part 2: Post-Op

Looks like I am going to spend one more week at home.

I will still be working, but remotely. My mind is ready, but Doc says my insides need a little extra strengthening time before exposing my core to the daily office posture. I'm inclined to agree after my commute trial run.

I was completely winded after the 1/2 milk walk and subway ride into Boston. I wasn't expecting this since I've walked over a mile on each of the past three days. I was wiped by the time I got home.

Still, I am healing well. My incisions look great (her words not mine), though she cleaned two of them out with peroxide which was uncomfortable (both of them) and made me really squeamish (belly button one).

Blurry (i.e. less gross) photo of my healing incisions

Got some info on some of my questions:

• First, not that they weren't anticipating it, but my fibroid/tumor was confirmed to be benign. It was also 10cm (4 inch) ball all around; now I have dimensions. 
• Because of placement, they didn't have to cut all the way through my uterus to remove it--very good *, but unusual for a fibroid at this stage. They did still have to cut away at layers to get to and detach the fibroid: it was growing off the outside my uterus, but smooth muscle had grown all around it, sandwiching it in. The backside of my uterus is in the process of strengthening and re-growing smooth muscle.
• Forgot to ask about weight gain, but that was just curiosity. 
• A lot of the gas pains I'm still having (not to mention hypersensitivity to my bladder) is because there's suddenly extra room in there. My pieces are all slowly moving back into place as they re-learn where they belong. In the meantime, any trapped gas has to find a creative path out. 
• Finally, the small pains I've been having in my lower sides are likely some of the ligaments that hold my uterus in place; they, too, are healing.

So many working parts!

Bodies sure can be gross, but they're also amazing.

Sayonara.

* Because they did not have to cut open and stitch back together any part of the uterus, if I were ever pregnant I could likely labor no problem, vs. automatic cesarean.