How long does it take to recover after surgery?

It has been six weeks since my total proctocolectomy and I still feel really sore. I guess I am getting impatient. To tell you the truth, I felt better two weeks out of the surgery than I do now.  I walk daily, do light housework, and drive some. I've had other serious  surgeries that didn't put me down like this has. I know that each person is different, but I'd like to compare my situation with others in the same boat.

NeNe205

It has been 5 weeks since my surgery (total colectomy with ileostomy) and I am schedule to have 2 more for the J-pouch after the first of the year. From what I've been told by dr's and nurses is that this is a huge surgery and the recovery is long. It's hard to be patient when you rely on others to help take care of you. I still get so tired in the afternoon and I have to take a nap, and just walking thru a grocery store wears me out!! I have to go back to work in 2 weeks and there is a lot of walking involved (I work in an ER doing bedside registrations) and I worry that I won't be strong enough to go back. I also lost 30 lbs during my last illness (5'5"--now 99 lbs) and it takes so long to build strength back up! I have pain in the rectum and the urge to go to the bathroom a lot which I wish would go away, but really haven't had abdominal pain---back pain probably from walking a little hunched over but other than that, am enjoying feeling better than I did before the surgery. What kind of problems are you having?

I, too, took a long time to recover after my surgery many years ago.  I can say now that most of my recovery was because I was so ILL when I went into the surgery.  If you were feeling really poorly before surgery, you have that hurdle as well.  It takes a long time to feel normal again, and sometimes  it is hard not to be impatient because the thought that I just went thru this surgery to "fix" me and I still feel like crap is disheartening.  BUT, don't be too impatient. 

Remember, you are improving a little each day or you wouldn't be able to be up and about doing stuff around the house.  And I would bet, you are doing a little more each day, and those muscles that haven't been used are just telling you so!  Keep your caloric intake up to keep yourself fueled.  Don't push yourself too much.  Sometimes, taking those naps in the afternoon allows the body to rejuvenate and totally relaxes the muscles.  Yeh, being soooo sore makes everything a trial, but you will be ok....  

 What kind of a schedule are you trying to keep?  Are you listening to your body and not pushing it too much?  Drink lots of fluids.

Best wishes on a better day tomorrow, and a little better each day after that. 

amey is super woman, lol.
I took a while, but i had been on steroids before, and i didn't listen and just went off them cold turkey (shh don't tell my dr) and i think that hurt me a lot. Anyway, my main problem was my back, and it took forever for that to stop hurting, also i couldnt' sleep comfortably at first, it hurt to lay on my tummy, and after i ran out of sleeping pills, i was just out of luck! but i am five months out and i feel fine, i still am very tired, but i think that has more to do with my child that has yet to learn to sleep, lol. But other than that, i feel much better!
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Summerstorm - is your back better now? I remember you having problems in the past for several months after your surgery. Do you take anything for your pain or did it finally just get better on its own? I can recall my back feeling like I had been beat with a bat after my surgery. Even now, it is still sore and my muscles are tight. I guess you just get used to feeling this way after a while. I don't really notice my back discomforts anymore.

Nene205 - Hang in there! Be nice to yourself...your doing great. You just had major surgery only 6 weeks ago. Six weeks is not long at all...there are 52 weeks in a year and it takes a year to FULLY heal. You've got a long way to go to fully heal. As far as the pooping problem, I am really sorry that you are going through that. Do you have an ostomy or did you have a TC? Beleive me, your not missing much when it comes to shopping. I was at Wal-Mart yesterday buying a ton of groceries when I felt something warm on my stomach. Within minutes my shorts were loaded with stool and it was running down my legs. I ran to bathroom and stuffed toilet paper under my bag to catch the leak and then ran to the check-out line. Leave it to me to pick the line with the one lady who is ringing up all of her items as 3 seperate orders! She took forever. Meanwhile, I look like I am stealing merchandise from Wal-Mart because I have such a huge wod to toilet paper in my pants. I finally got to the check-out and all I could do was smell myself. I am sure the lady scanning my groceries thought I was dirty. I had to drive home crapping all over myself and then I rushed to the shower. However, that was my LAST BAG! I did not have any more. I was stuck in the tub with an active stoma and no bag to wear. I called my home-care nurse and begged her for help. I sat in the empty tub for an hour waiting for assistance from my nurse. She had one bag in her car. She rushed me the bag and I put it on.

Anyway, that is ONE of my MANY, MANY pooping stories! Trust me, shopping is over-rated! LOL

Have a great night.
Amey