Recovery is so slow... but steady!

I am one week out from my Hysterectomy and TVT-O surgeries.  Recovery already feels so slow.  However, while sitting on my butt wishing I were already better so I could compete in the September Taekwondo Tournament and getting very angry that I'm not, I've decided that next year, I'll be stepping up my game.  I want to make a 2 year intensive training goal to be in the top 5 in my division for 2015.  I figure I have 5 more weeks of healing, then another 12 weeks to get back to where I was before surgery.  This puts me past Testing in December - I might be ready for testing then, but if I am not 100%, then I do not want to test for my 1st Degree Decided Black Belt until February.  I want to be stronger than I was before surgery before I do that.  That will give me about six weeks to train before the January Tournament in Texas.  By that point, if I've not tested, I should have the best form I've ever done.  

Recovering from this surgery is a lot more difficult than I thought.  I don't have a ton of pain, as I thought I would.  The gas pains right after surgery were awful.  The initial pain from having my guts rearranged and sliced up was pretty extreme, but the hospital gave me enough drugs to make an elephant get a good buzz.  Honestly, I don't remember a whole lot of it!  I think this is a good thing.  I have flashes of going into the operating room - and that the table they put me on was skinny and someone saying, we're going to put the seat belt on you now!  And I, quite happily, said, "Okay!" The next thing I remember is them asking me to scoot over onto my bed in my room.  

Somehow, I was put in one of the rooms reserved for their Barriatric Surgery patients.   I am overweight, but not by much - I need to lose about 20 lbs to be at my goal...  So, when they finally removed my catheter and took me to the bathroom, I was astounded to find a toilet that looked 3 times the size of a normal toilet in every regard.  When I sat on it, my feet wouldn't touch the floor.  It took me forever to be comfortable enough on this giant toilet to actually do what needed to be done for me to go home!  

My tummy was sore for several days after I got home, and it is still kind of sensitive, but overall, I feel like I am doing pretty well in that regard.  I am taking one Naproxen in the morning and one at bed time.  I can take up to three, and my goal is to get down to one before week three begins.  I already have less pain than I did before surgery.  The doctor found Endometriosis, a Cyst on one of my ovaries and Fibroids in my uterus as well.  I'm very glad it is over and recovery is well underway.  

Swelling has not been horrible.  The TVT-O seems to be doing what is intended.  I lost a bit of blood, so my BP is still low, I think.  I have a little dizziness, so I'm still not driving, but I'm hoping that will resolve itself enough so I can drive myself to my doctor's appointment next week.  Overall, recovery is slow...  but it is steady!  Hoping to get out of the house at least a little this week.  I feel like I can do just as well sitting down with a friend or two as I can sitting in my bed watching Breaking Bad.