Activity:

Avoid strenuous physical activity and do not lift anything greater than 10 pounds until your postoperative visit. This includes heavy housework, such as cleaning and vacuum cleaning.

Don't drive while on pain medications containing codeine, hydrocodone, or other narcotics, because these medications may make you drowsy. You can usually drive 2-3 weeks after surgery.

Avoid putting anything into your vagina (tampons, douching, sexual intercourse) until your postoperative check.

Listen to your body. If certain activities are fatiguing or increasing your discomfort, limit these activities.

You may:

• Climb stairs (try to limit for the first week or two)
• Go for walks
• Ride as a passenger in a car
• Shower, but avoid tub baths for one week

Diet:

To decrease postoperative nausea, try to eat small frequent meals. Eat foods high in protein such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Eat foods with vitamin C such as citrus fruits. Consider taking a multivitamin. Drink lots of fluids.

In order to avoid constipation, try the following:

• Prunes, or other high fiber foods
• Metamucil or Citrucel
• Milk of Magnesia
• Stool softener. Look for "Docusate sodium" on the label.

Medication:

If you regularly use aspirin or an anti-inflammatory medicaiton (such as Motrin or Advil) you will be asked by your doctor to stop it before surgery. You may resume this and all your usual medications after surgery. You will be sent home with strong pain medications containing small amounts of narcotics. You may also take milder medication, such as Naproxyn, Acetaminophen (Tylenol), or Ibuprofen (Motrin) for your pain.

• At first, take the strong narcotic pain medicines during the day, and use the milder medications to "take the edge off" in between.
• Take your pain medication when you first begin to feel discomfort. Do not wait until your pain is intense to take your medications.
• The narcotic pain medications may cause nausea or constipation. As you heal, you may find that you feel better without those medications. If Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin) relieves the pain, use these medications instead.

Incision:

Abdominal incision:
You may get the incision wet in the shower. Avoid tub baths for one week.

If the abdominal incision appears dirty or caked, you may clean it with hydrogen peroxide or a cotton swab.

You may have small plastic bandages called "steri-strips" on the incision. Some of these will gradually fall off in the shower. You may trim the curled edges with scissors. If they have not fallen off, you may gently pull them off in one to two weeks.

Vaginal Surgery:
You may do sitz baths once or twice a day with warm water. A tablespoon of Epsom salts mixed in the water may help healing and decrease pain. Do not douche.

Vaginal Bleeding:

It is normal to experience vaginal spotting and light discharge for up to a month after surgery, whether incision was abdominal or vaginal.

Bladder Catheter:

It is sometimes normal to go home with a catheter in your bladder, especially after a surgery to lift or tighten the bladder. Your surgery may cause swelling near the bladder's opening, making it difficult for your to pass urine. You will be given instructions before you leave the hospital on the care of the catheter. You will be given an appointment within a week or two with your doctor to see if it is ready for removal. It sometimes takes days to even weeks for the bladder to return to normal after surgery. Most can be removed at the first visit to the office.

Warning Signs:
Call your doctor's office if you experience the following:

• Temperature over 100 degrees F, or shaking chills
• Persistent vomiting
• Separation of the incision edges, drainage from the incision, or redness around the incision
• Shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Vaginal bleeding soaking more than one pad an hour
• Severe pain not helped by your prescribed medications
• Vaginal discharge with a strong or foul smelling odor
• Difficulty urinating or emptying your bladder
• Leg or calf pain, swelling, and cramping