Post-Op Recovery Week 4 - Rectocele Repair - Prolapse Surgery

Week 4 was definitely easier than week 3. I was less stressed and stopped over-analyzing every little sensation. My good friend and pelvic floor physio Julia reminded me that sensations are good - they are a sign that the body is adapting and healing.

Exercise
I continue to be very intentional with my exercise and am following the Core Confidence Exercise Program with a few additional exercises added in.  Every morning and every evening I do 2 sets of 10-12 of all the following exercises

• kegels in a supine, bent-knee position 
• pelvic tilts in a supine, bent-knee position
• bridges
• clam
• bent knee lift

I also do supine butterfly with support under my thighs, stacked butterfly (also called stacked cobbler), and a thoracic rotation pose. I have done a few cat cow here and there too.

I do these in conjunction with my red light therapy as well. (I love my OrionLT light and you can get your own here...use code KVOPNI10 to save 10%).

I walk 3-4 times a week and my speed is almost back to normal. I am still taking it a bit slower because I usually hike in trails with tree roots and with all the rain lately it is slippery. So I am cautious and purposeful on my walks. I feel so grateful to live by the forest and have beautiful nature to feed my soul and body each day.

As for Hypopressives - I have been doing 3 apneas in 2-3 poses and next week will add in another few poses. I feel like I still get a nice deep apnea but can certainly feel that some of my mobility and flexibility with some of the poses and transitions has fallen behind.

Symptoms
My morning poops are as they were before. My afternoon/evening poops are much easier and come out straight!

I still have tenderness on my perineum and am using calendula oil and polysporin once or twice a day. It is healing well and is really the only discomfort I have. I am a bit nervous about getting back to sex but am armed with lube and will use my Kegel Release Curve first before the real thing. (If you are interested in one of these for yourself you can use code VCOACH15 and save 15%).

I no longer feel like I have something in my vagina which is so nice. I do feel some tension on the right side, inside my vagina from the incision.

I do have a slight sense of weakness which is to be expected. I need to gradually retrain my core for another 4 weeks and then start to add in some more loaded movement. I know my strength will improve and I am focusing on what I can do and remembering to thank my body regularly for being strong and for healing well.

On-Going Care
I have a bath every night. I am sure missing our hot tub but that is off-limits for another 2 weeks. So the bathtub it is and I soak for a good 30-45 minutes. I get a little sweat, I read, I relax and I still use the perineal herbs.  I had stopped but started up again as I found them to be helpful. I let the bag steep in the tub and then place it right on my perineum as a compress.

Activities of Daily Living
I have 2 teenage sons and a husband who have been doing all the lifting. This past week I did vacuum once and cleaned 2 bathrooms but I am not doing any heavy lifting at all. I bring someone with me to grocery shop too. I am so grateful for them all - especially my husband who has done everything!!

My Daily Routine
Each morning I wake up and have a glass of water and heat up my bone broth. I poop and then I do The Miracle Morning. I use the Chopra app for meditation, an affirmation app called I Am, and The Five Minute Journal for writing.  For the reading, I have been spending a lot of time reading about CBD and HEMP.

I then shower and get to work.  For several days over the holidays, I was in complete sloth mode and didn't make it out of my jammies at all which was pure bliss! I feel fortunate that I was able to do my surgery when I did and while I am not grateful for covid, I was grateful that I didn't miss any holiday festivities.

Each night I watch a few episodes of Grace and Frankie with my husband (I love that show so much ...especially because they say vagina A LOT!) I have become a bit of a night owl over the holidays and am usually up until 11 or 11:30 and sleeping until about 7:30 or 8 which, for anyone who knows me, is crazy! I have always been early to bed and early to rise. I am just allowing my body to sleep as long as it needs to.

That's pretty much it - I wake up, poop, do my routine, walk, work, watch and then go to bed.  Another 2 weeks like this and then it will be time for my check-in with the doctor and my check-in with my physio.

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