Recovery time after hysterectomy will depend on many factors, including woman’s general health status (eg. smoking, obesity, diabetes etc.) and the type of hysterectomy that was actually done. The time span up to eight weeks, and it really has a lot to do with the mechanics of the surgery. For abdominal hysterectomy, the required time is six to eight weeks before returning to normal activities and/or work. For laparascopic kinds of hysterectomy, the time can be significantly shorter. For instance, recovery time after laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy is only two weeks!
For your orientation, here is the comparison chart of surgical options for hysterectomy:
|
Hysterectomy
Surgical Options |
|||
|
TYPE
|
INCISION
SITE |
HOSPITAL
STAY |
RECOVERY
TIME |
| Total abdominal |
abdomen (4 to 6 inch incision) |
3 to 6 days |
6 weeks |
| Vaginal |
vagina |
1 to 3 days |
4 weeks |
| Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal (LAVH) |
vagina or navel |
1 to 3 days |
4 weeks |
| Laparoscopic supracervical (LSH) |
tiny incisions in abdomen or navel (less than 1/4 inch) |
1 day or less |
6 days |
Possible Complications
The above data are for straightforward cases in which everything goes smoothly. There are possible complications which may prolongue recovery time after hysterectomy. You may have a minor problem such as urinary infection, or it may be a major problem of an infected wound, which may persist for three or four months on its own. Here’s a list of major prolongued hysterectomy complications:
| 4-60 weeks | ovarian abscess |
| up to 6 months after surgery | late pulmonary embolus |
| 6 months to 10 years | small bowel obstruction |
| up to 2 years | vaginal vault prolapse |
| persistent pain during the intercourse | because of adhesions or abnormal scar formation at the end of the vagina |
When “shopping” for a type of hysterectomy, always ask the surgeon how did other women fare after the surgery itself. Also ask what you can do to shorten the recovery time after hysterectomy. In general, prepare yourself well with all the usual stuff, such as lots of food in house, recruit and organize the helpers (the spouse, relatives, friends), find someone to drive you back and forth to the doctor and/or hospital etc. However, regardless of the kind of hysterectomy that you had, the following energy healing techniques will also be of help and may well shorten the recovery time after hysterectomy:
Speed Up Recovery Time After Hysterectomy with Reiki
The best present you can make to yourself is to be introduced to Reiki before the surgery. Read about it on this site, Google it, become a member of the relevant Yahoo Groups and so on. See to it that not only you but the helpers also get into Reiki. In that way, you will be able to deliver Reiki sessions to yourself both before and after the surgery, and somebody else will be able to Reiki you when you come home.
The main reason to get into Reiki is that it makes wounds heal many times faster. You will lose much less blood and the surgical cuts will come cleaner and not be infected if you apply Reiki to them.
Reiki will also eliminate pain on its own. It will often make you drowsy and sleepy, which is exactly what you need to recover as fast as you can.
Reiki will also eliminate the toxins from anesthesia, fast and thoroughly.
While in hospital, you can ask whether they have an official Reiki officer. You’d be surprised to learn how many hospitals have now incorporated Reiki into their daily routine (you can learn a lot more on this if you Google the phrase “Reiki in hospitals”). Hopefully, your life will not be in danger after the hysterectomy, but Reiki has often proved itself as a literal life-saver!
Another option to receive Reiki is through Reiki groups for distant healing. Just find several such groups and their members will be glad to send you Reiki all day long. This often helps a lot, sometimes miraculously.
If you have friends that have at least Level II of Usui Reiki, which means that they can send you energy regardless of the usual time and space constraints, please engage them directly — ask them for special sessions if needed. Another possibility is to find a professional distant healer and pay them to send you the energy. Finally, you can use the Energy Pack and the Triple Energy Pack right from this site to send yourself Reiki for as many days as you would like, for free.
Bach Flower Remedies
Having a bottle of Rescue Remedy is a must, both before and after the hysterectomy. Other flower remedies should be prescribed according to the usual rules — observe the moods and the complete mental picture, then find their counterparts within the remedies.
Homeopathy Can Also Speed Up Recovery Time After Hysterectomy
Properly applied, homeopathy should be able to heal you and all the causes that led to the hysterectomy in the first place. However, if you must have a hysterectomy, you can still apply homeopathic remedies to your benefit. Please have a look at the Post Op Attunement page, which groups practically all the remedies that need to be taken after a surgery. Here’s a partial list of applicable homeopathic remedies, though:
|
Arnica |
30C | Circulation,physical strength, recuperation of thorn tissues. |
|
Ledum |
30C | For wounds deep within. |
|
Calendula |
CM | A natural antibiotic. |
|
Gunpowder |
CM | Always stops the spreading of the infection. |
|
Hypericum |
30C | To stop the pain, especially where the nerves are ending. |
|
Staphysagria |
200C | For being cut with surgical instruments; unresolved emotions. |
Apply any or all of these and your recovery will be shorter for sure.
Crystal Healing
If you are already into crystals, then it makes sense to choose one or more favourite crystals to accompany you during the recovery time after hysterectomy. It doesn’t, however, make sense to buy them just for the occasion. If there is a true crystal healer near you and he or she is willing to help you, you can give it a try.
Do not carry your favourite crystal into the hospital, though. It can all too easily be stolen or forgotten.