How a hysterectomy prepared me for Coronavirus

A couple of years ago I had a hysterectomy.

As would be the case with any major surgery, I was confined to the house afterward to aid my recovery. For about eight weeks I stayed at home all day every day. The only time I left the house was for a short daily walk in the park opposite my home. Even when my wounds started to heal and I was able to walk further I couldn’t travel very far because the squash and bump of public transport risked reopening the scar.

Today I’m sharing my experience because it might help you or someone you know cope with self-isolation, if and when it happens.

Before my confinement (that sounds so Victorian!) I was terrified I’d be driven round the bend by boredom. Eight weeks is a long time. The introvert part of me was secretly a bit pleased to have an excuse to stay home for such a long time but I knew I needed a bit more stimulation than I was likely to get.

Before my surgery, I put a plan in place to help me get through the recovery period at home. Perhaps this will give you some ideas or inspiration to design your own self-isolation survival plan?

?? Create some routine and structure for your day

Routines and structure are really important to me – most of my days follow a deliberately designed pattern and it all goes to pot when I don't follow it. When I was recovering from surgery, every day followed a timetable with designated slots for eating, napping, exercise, reading, watching TV, receiving visitors and so on.

Not everyone responds well to a lot of structure. Some people hate routine. You will know how much or how little works for you. Even if you’re a minimalist in this respect, setting some boundaries for yourself – such as fixed times to wake up and go to bed – could help.

?? Don’t stop exercising just because you’re stuck indoors

I was lucky to be able to go out for a short walk every day – people who are self-isolating because of the Coronavirus won’t be. You can still do some exercise – there are loads of online options such as yoga workouts, for example, and it is easy to do strength exercises at home using household objects. The various 7-Minute Workout apps are also good.

Stretching was probably the most important exercise I did during my recovery. Long hours lying down or watching Netflix on the sofa quickly take their toll and show up in the body as aches and pains. The hospital gave me special post-surgery exercises to do but a good option for everyone could be the NHS Strength and Flexibility workout, which is quick, easy and effective.

?? Catch up on reading

You know that massive pile of books you have next to your bed that you haven’t got round to reading yet. Now is the time. (And don't tell me you don't have one - introverts always buy more books than we can ever read.)

?? Cometh the hour, cometh Netflix*

When you’re stuck at home, TV is your friend, even if you don’t usually watch it much. I’m a massive fan of binge-watching so I was only too pleased to be able to indulge myself whilst stuck at home. However, I did put boundaries around it because I know too much TV makes my brain feel like it’s rotting. Again, you will know how much is ‘enough’ for you. But lose any guilt you might feel about sitting on your bum and melting into the sofa. My only regret is I’ve watched so much RuPaul’s Drag Race there are very few episodes left for me to watch if I come down with Coronavirus.

*Other streaming services are available

?? Don’t stop socialising 

As an introvert, it wasn’t too daunting a prospect to have to spend many weeks with minimal social contact. It helped that I live with my partner rather than alone. However, although we introverts don’t want or need as much social contact as extraverts do, we are still human and need to feel connected to other people. Having friends pop round a few times a week saved me. When you’re self-isolating people can’t just pop round but you can get imaginative about using video calling technology not only to chat but to play games, sing together, cook together – whatever you like really.

So, that’s some of the things I learned were important during my own almost-isolation. Doing this stuff helped the days pass more quickly, introduced some variety and left me feeling well-rested and full of energy by the end of it (as opposed to lethargic and depressed).

What are you doing to prepare yourself for the possibility of being stuck at home for weeks?