Surgically speaking a hysterectomy is very similar to a c-section. With that I was told not to lift heavy stuff until everything was healed and the final ok was given. Took about 3 months for me to ease back into regular activities. I didn't lift or workout at the time, but I think that would have been allright to ease into by then as well.

Hope this helps!

I think it differs from a C-section in that I no longer have a uterus to hold my internal organs in, & I didn't get a sling because my doctor said I was young and my core muscles should be strong enough to keep everything held in.

It appears that the reason I thought why c-sections and abdominal hysterectomies would be surgically similar does not apply. I thought that with both the stomach muscles were cut, but this isn't usually the case with a c-section. My apologies for any confusion caused by this! :flowerforyou:

I wasn't cut..they did it laproscopicaly (Spelling?) and "delivered" what came out. Best thing that ever happened to me, since TOM was more like TOW (time of the week...). I don't know if that makes a difference or not? I'm just glad that the issues are over and done with, altho it WILL be kind of hard to determine when the actual menopause starts... :laugh:

I wanted to have mine Laproscopically, but the Dr. told me I couldn't because I had never had children & it would hurt me worse than doing it the incision way. My TOM was all month most of the time with a lot of other issues so it really was the best decision. :embarassed:

I forgot another question I had that you brought to my attention Juliemouse83, I'm on HRT, along with Testosterone therapy, but only enough to mimic what is normally present in a womans body...I'm wondering if lifting will affect my use of Testosterone, ie: make it produce more. Maybe I should reduce my dosage...guess that really is a question for the Dr, but I don't want him taking me off of it because it makes all the difference in my moods, energy levels etc. :bigsmile:

Geez...so many issues when all I want to do is pick up really heavy things! :ohwell:

The increase in testosterone is temporary--not something you need to worry about.

As for the missing internal organs--that is really something to discuss with an internist. My understanding is that the spare space is usually filled up by fluid if the surrounding skeletal tissue is rigid: for example, if you have a brain hemisphere removed, your skull cannot collapse onto itself, and there are no other organs to take up the space in your head, so there is just fluid in there. It's not as if you have an empty air bubble in there taking up room. In your abdominal cavity, the other organs simply expand to take up the room. I don't think you have to worry about anything other than old scar tissue in your abdominal muscles. That's the part that would worry me, and that applies to both C-sections and hysterectomies.

But then, I am just a stranger on the internet, not a medical doctor. Ask a well-informed geeky internist about this--you'll get more useful opinions.