Good morning all you lovey ladies, just a random question, how soon did you start using the stairs, was it from day one? And how often do you use them in a day, Just wondering if we are all similar stair wise xx
I had to use the stairs from Day 3 as soon as I got home, in order to go to bed at night!!! I suppose I pottered up and down after that to do little household chores. Stairs didn't seem to bother me, it was more bending that I found difficult, and tried to do things kneeling rather than bending - cleaning the fridge out, weeding.
I asked my CNS about this the other day because the surgeon has said he will do a keyhole op and I'll go home the same day, so I wondered about getting upstairs to bed. Her reply was that the stairs would not be a problem and the main thing I will notice is fatigue. Hope she's right.
I had open surgery and live in a top floor flat with 60 stairs and was fine And walked straight up when I got home. They recommended a chair on the turns on the stairs in case I got tired because it is 60 steps but I was fine.
I was a bit worried so the physio did stairs with me in the hospital before she discharged me. If you’re worried, ask the physio to do the same with you. Like she said I had a hysterectomy and not an operation on my legs so they should work! Her recommendation was to go up and down as often as possible to get back to normal. The trick is to hang on to the bannister and lean very slightly forward on the way up.
I also got taught a way of rolling out of bed but I reckon that was because I had open surgery so my abs were obviously not working for a while. Even with that I was walking about a mile or so 10 days after surgery.
my physio was quite matter of fact and in short said that if I mollycoddled myself it’d take longer to heal. I was fit and active before surgery though and it all depends on personal circumstances. Your clinical team will tell you to be as active as you can post surgery but to listen to your body.
Hi. I had no problem with the stairs, just take it slow and steady. Watch out for the fatigue though. I was fine for about 5 days after my op then suddenly felt totally shattered and went to bed in the afternoon and slept for 3 hours. Same next day, then was ok again. Lots of ladies here have said they had similar experiences so be prepared for anything!
I have huge respect for physios, the surgeons are the ones who sort out the problem and then bringing the body back to strength is our own job, the help those physio boys and girls give us with that is like gold dust!
I had a useless physio! She literally made me get off the chair, gave me a walking frame and told me to walk to the ward door and back and that was it. No advice about anything, couldn't get away quick enough. I found out afterwards in one of the copy letters that apparently I had been given pelvic floor excercise advise by the physio but I hadn't, and I hadn't got a clue how to get out of the hospital bed without extreme pain, I had to work out how to squirm about for myself. I had had abdominal incision plus 4 keyholes.
I didn’t even get that and the doctor who wrote my fit note gave me one week off - when I queried it she reluctantly added a phased return of reduced hours and duties for a fortnight; this was despite her being beside my gynaeoncologist when he said it would be at least 4 weeks before I could even think about going back to work! I did return at 8 weeks but only lasted 3 days as it was still too early and started back on 1/2 days two weeks ago 12 weeks after my op.
Oh dear I'm sorry to hear about the lack of physio support. I work in a hospice where I have lovely colleagues including a physio. I guess it might be a good idea if I pick his brain before my op. Anything I learn I'll be sure to pass on to all you lovely ladies.
Oh wow, sounds like you have great access to a physio. I’d be doing the same thing as you and getting your colleague to support you.
reading the replies above it very much confirms that we are all so different. I could barely move after open surgery for about 5 days but 5 days after that was walking 2 miles a day and 6 weeks post op was back at the gym.
