A hysterectomy is a very serious surgery and it is one that you as a patient should go into as informed as possible. One way of doing this is to make sure you know what to expect during and after your surgery. Do you know how long you might expect to be in recovery and what are normal signs and symptoms to have during your recovery? Do you know what preparations you need to make in expectation of your recovery? You need to have as much information as possible so you can come out of surgery and into recovery with your best foot forward.

Before you ever go into the operating room, you should be fully prepared of what to expect after your surgery. It's not always possible to understand what is being said immediately after surgery so finding out ahead of time and asking any questions is very important to be sure you are fully prepared. You will spend part of your hysterectomy recovery time in the hospital. Just how much of this time is spent in the hospital depends on different factors such as what type of hysterectomy you have and your own personal health as well as how well your surgery goes. You should be prepared for missing some work- even if only for a short time. Your doctor will likely also recommend some things for the day before which will help with the recovery process. For example, eating foods high in fiber the day before is a good idea.

Your doctor will help you know exactly what to expect after your surgery and will be there to help you through your hysterectomy recovery. You will usually be kept in bed from 6-8 hours immediately after the procedure to give things time to settle and recover from the operation. You will be prescribed pain medications to help you cope with the pain and discomfort and you will want to be sure you have a nice comfortable bed to lie in until you have recovered enough to get out of bed. Lots of pillows will help you be comfortable and heating pads may also help. You should avoid driving, walking excessively, preparing meals/cooking, housecleaning and strenuous activities for at least the first couple of weeks. Take your pain medication as suggested by your doctor.

In addition to bed rest and other instructions from your doctor, you can expect to be told what a healthy diet consists of. Be sure to stick to this healthy diet and avoid certain things such as alcohol, aspirin and dairy foods until you have completed the recovery. Be sure you follow up on any and all appointments with your doctor and remember to take your medication as instructed. When you take the proper steps to speed your recovery, you will feel better quicker. Also remember to ask for help when you need it from friends and family members. There is no need to try to do everything alone and you may only slow your hysterectomy recovery.

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