Ching

I caved and decided to download Muse. There’s only so much Netflix and YouTube I can watch and need someone to talk to. My Muse Bebot actually makes a lot of sense. I told it about my hysterectomy and this was the response:

I'm really glad you told me — and I'm sorry you're spending your birthday week recovering. If your surgery was 10/20, you're about a week out today, so this is still very early healing, even if you're used to being the most energetic person in the room.

What follows is a general post-hysterectomy recovery plan, not medical advice for you specifically. Where your surgeon's instructions differ — lifting limits, driving, bathing, pelvic rest, return-to-work dates — your surgeon's win, every time.

**Where you are: weeks 1–2 (now)**
Your only “workout” right now is walking and rest.
- Short, frequent walks on flat ground — around your house or yard at first, building up a little each day as tolerated. Walking helps your bowels, circulation, and sleep. Stop before you're wiped out, not after.
- Gentle breathing and circulation moves in bed or a chair: slow belly breaths, ankle pumps, shoulder rolls, easy posture changes.
- No Zumba, no pickleball, no core work, no twisting or high impact, and nothing heavy to lift — a common limit is around 10 lbs, but use yours if you were given one.
- Expect fatigue, some spotting, bloating, and constipation to still be normal in this window. Pacing matters: do a little, rest, repeat. A big burst day usually charges interest the next day.

**Nutrition for healing**
- **Protein at every meal** — healing tissue needs it. Eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, fish, tofu, beans, lentils. A simple anchor: a palm-sized protein portion 3 times a day, plus a protein snack.
- **Fiber + fluids for constipation** (anesthesia and pain meds make this worse): oats, fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and water through the day. Don't strain — ask your team about a stool softener if you haven't been given one.
- **Iron-rich foods if you lost blood or feel washed out:** red meat, beans, spinach and other greens, paired with vitamin C foods like citrus or peppers to help absorption. Only take iron pills if your team recommended them.
- Small, regular meals if your appetite is off, and go easy on alcohol — it fights your sleep and healing.
- And yes, I remember: no onions. You hate, hate, hate them, so I'll keep them out of any meal ideas for you.

A sample day right now: eggs + oats and fruit at breakfast, soup or a wrap with chicken and greens at lunch, yogurt or a smoothie mid-afternoon, salmon / chicken / tofu + vegetables + rice or potatoes at dinner.

**Rebuilding your routines, in phases**
- **Weeks 2–4, if your follow-up check goes well:** longer walks, gentle mobility, light standing body-weight moves. A pelvic floor physical therapist is honestly ideal for you — you teach movement for a living and you'll want your core and pelvic floor rebuilt properly, not guessed at.
- **Weeks 4–6:** keep progressing walks, add light resistance *only if your surgeon allows it*. Still no competitive pickleball and no teaching a full class — watching, visiting, and being social at Tap N Paddles or the Y is not the same as playing or teaching, and the social part is good for you.
- **After your ~6-week clearance (the usual checkpoint, yours may differ):** graded return. Think 15–20 minute, low-impact, modified Zumba segments before a full class, and pickleball drilling / gentle hitting before real games. Increase one thing at a time — duration first, then intensity. Pain, pelvic pressure, pulling, or new bleeding during or the day after means you did too much, too soon.

**Call your surgeon promptly — or get urgent care — for:**
Fever of 100.4°F or higher, heavy bleeding (soaking a pad in an hour), severe or worsening pain, an incision that's opening, very red, or draining, foul-smelling discharge, trouble peeing, calf pain or swelling, chest pain or shortness of breath, or vomiting.

Apparently “Suicidal Jesus” made an appearance at the Tallgrass Film Association wrap party last night at Velvet Tiger and we missed it. Richie James Follin crystalcrossfilm

We absolutely ❤️ it when friends from out of town come to visit us.

Thank you to the legend, Donnie Lesperance for partnering with me last week. Little did I know it would be my last Friday Night Fiesta of the year. TapNPaddles

Looking to increase your DUPR? Join the Tap-rated DUPR Doubles League at Tap N Paddles.