How soon after hysterectomy did you ride?

[yaya]

Had a laparoscopic hysterectomy via robot 10 days ago, and am already antsy to ride.

Recovery has been easy so far. Only took pain pills for the first two days, and only because they said to - didn’t really have any pain, so I stopped.

The 4 incision sites are tender to the touch, but mostly I don’t notice them. Every now and then I get kind of a pulling feeling on one side, but it doesn’t last.

I’m already driving (drove an hour to the parents’ place for T-day exactly one week after surgery), can do most things around the house (no sweeping, mopping or vacuuming as was told, but I have a housekeeper once a week for that anyway!), but have not done anything with the horses. (Was told not to even lead them for several weeks in case they pulled on me, so my stall cleaner has been working double time to do all feeding and turnout.)

I got back on and rode 3 weeks after my laparoscopic gastric sleeve surgery, but my doctor was making noises like it may be way longer than that this time. I don’t feel any different with this surgery, although I know there are vaginal cuff sutures this time, so I don’t want anything falling out!

When did you get back on?

[Fleurdelis]

Congrats on the easy recovery so far! Mine was pretty similar last year-- felt worse on the pain meds (made me very nauseous) so I stopped taking them per my doctor’s order about 36 hours post surgery. Sorry to break the news to you, but though you feel better you still aren’t healed internally until several weeks after. I’m very healthy and had no complications and wasn’t cleared until about the 8 week mark. My dr looked at me like I was absolutely nuts when I asked if I could ride at my four week checkup. He said he didn’t want me “bouncing around.” Lol. I figured it was worth a try. I didn’t lead my horse or do anything where I thought I might pull a stitch loose. A year later and I’m very happy I followed dr’s orders. Hang in there! Give lots of rubs, hugs and treats for the time being-- the beasts will appreciate it.

[Where_sMyWhite]

What Fleurdelis said. Please listen to what your Dr said and wait regardless of how you feel. You want all the internal structures to heal completely before you put stress on them or you could end up paying for it later (usually much later, like years later).

[Kyrabee]

I had a vaginal hysterectomy. No outside incisions but lots on the inside. I had a 6 week recheck and MD suggested I wait another 2 weeks…and I did. I didn’t want anything falling out a hole it wasn’t supposed to be in:eek:.

Picked up riding the day she said OK and never looked back.

Susan

[mtngirl]

3-6 weeks is the " high risk" time period…

Open cut, total hysterectomy. Cleared to ride by my OB/GYN at 7 weeks…but no sitting trot or anything “strenuous” until after week 8, and then build up gradually.

My doctors tell me that the 3-6 weeks time frame is when you are at a high risk of causing complications from returning to activities too soon. At about 3 weeks, you start to feel better, as if the worst is past and you feel like doing normal activities…and so you do. Thus stressing the healing tissue.

The problem is that the scar tissue has just formed and has not had time enough to completely fill in and toughen. The scar tissue is more fragile and you are at a high risk of it tearing, weakening or not healing completely.

My doctor always gets me by asking " If your horse had this done, would you let him be back working at this point in time?"

[trubandloki]

What they all said.

You feel fine but your inside parts are still healing.

I was OK’d to go back to any physical activities at the six week point but she did tell me that if anything feels at all off to stop immediately and come in to get checked.

[candyappy]

[QUOTE=Kyrabee;8950965]
I had a vaginal hysterectomy. No outside incisions but lots on the inside. I had a 6 week recheck and MD suggested I wait another 2 weeks…and I did. I didn’t want anything falling out a hole it wasn’t supposed to be in:eek:.

Picked up riding the day she said OK and never looked back.

Susan[/QUOTE]

I had one of these myself. I did too much from day 1 and had plenty of discomfort along the way. No problems though. Listen to your doctor and wait until they clear you to ride again.

[ybiaw]

Even done laproscopically, a hysterectomy is MAJOR surgery. Please wait until your doctor gives the ok, even if you think you feel fine.

[ladymcts]

Six weeks for getting on and walking around, another week or two for trotting, by my own choice.

I also had the DaVinci robot last year. I never took any meds other than ibuprofen, either in the hospital or after. I was sneaking a drive behind the wheel at a week (to go see the horse, of course). And felt fine enough for riding at about four weeks, but I waited until 6 as the doc said I should.

The night I went to ride for the first time I was feeling all full of myself, and the barn doors are garage-style doors on rollers with no opener to help out. So I did the same maneuver I’d done hundreds of times before, reaching down for that handle and yanking the door upwards. Well duh, that was probably a wee bit more than 10lbs of force, and I really wasn’t thinking of it as “lifting” but it sure was. Hurt like heck. That kept me from trotting for a couple more weeks.

[yaya]

Got on and walked around today (2 days shy of 3 weeks). Only did it because the saddle fitter was in town and my horse’s saddle needed refitting, and I wanted it fit to my weight, not my trainer’s.

Behaved and only walked. Reeeeeeally wanted to trot, but didn’t. Was only on about 10 minutes.

Feel fine so far, will see how it feels tomorrow. Won’t ride again for awhile. Trainer is keeping horsey going.