Almost time to go back to work

I can't believe I missed writing for the whole weekend! I finally found the HysterSisters "Ovaries Only" forum and spent time looking to see if I could find another woman with a similar situation to mine who might give me a clue as to what to expect. Of course it's different for everyone, but somehow I still yearn to hear the long term experience of a woman who, like myself, was post-menopausal and feeling good before having this surgery. I haven't found her yet, so the blog continues to seem like a good idea, a potential source of info for someone who will come later. The writing itself is cathartic anyway, and interesting to review and to see what was on my mind last week, and soon, last month and last year.

I have had very little pain, and I think that in itself is fairly unique. It sounds like other women healing from laparoscopic surgeries report various pains and limitations that I haven't shared. I still have the occasional sharp shooting pains mainly at the naval incision, and some sort of aching, burning sensations around it. The skin feels funny in response to light touch, sort of bruised and semi-numb. But the pain is well controlled with OTC pain meds and only my stomach is really suffering, and not too very badly.

What I've noticed over the last few days as my activity level has increased is that it has a very thin boundary; when I crash, I really crash. I'll be cleaning the kitchen, talking on the phone, doing some computer research and then suddenly I'm asleep sitting on the couch, computer on my lap, unable to continue. That's the factor that makes me nervous about going back to work on Thursday. It sure would be embarasing to fall asleep with a patient! I doubt I'm in danger of that, but I am planning to come directly home from work for the first week, and I have scheduled in breaks that are long enough that I can go and lie down if I need to.

I gave a massage tonight to my longest-standing weekly client who has been patiently waiting for the last 3 weeks to resume his sessions; it was okay, with the most difficult part for me being the carrying in and setting up of the massage table. My pain went up a bit, but not too bad, and now I'll take some Tylenol-should've done that before I started the 90 minute session.

I am having some mild menopausal symptoms...sleeping hot if not actually sweating, hot flashes that have not been messy and dripping, but somewhat uncomfortable, as I just don't seem to adjust to the indoor temperature as rapidly as I used to. But it's not too bad. The sleeping has been a bit challenged so far-again, not as bad as during the big change, but not as restful as before the BSO. And a bit of vaginal dryness too...I'm trying to avoid using BHRT for at least the moment, as it seems that a cancer scare ought to trigger the desire to avoid them, and I haven't really tried to treat my symptoms with botanicals in a long time, and maybe now, this far past my menstruation days, it will be adequate.