Hi Jackie,
It would appear activity is very much "country" oriented. I am Canadian. My one huge constraint was not lifting anything over 10 lbs for 6 weeks. I was very careful with this part - I had scales in the trunk of my car. One week post hysterectomy with anterior and posterior repairs, I started the recommended walking regiment. I walked to the top of my laneway (straight up the side of a small mountain) and to my next door neighbour - about 100 feet and back home - for a nap. I am in a rural area. Each day, I increased the length I walked. It wasn't easy the first couple of days, but after 4 days, I was doing one end of the road to the other. After two weeks, I was back to my pre-op 3-4 miles daily.
Together with the stool softeners and the occasional mild laxative (Senokot-S), this took care of constipation. It also allowed me to be given permission to drive in my rural area to my nearest town (11 miles away) and do some shopping on my own during daylight hours at the two week mark.. By 3 weeks, I was given permission to drive anywhere, anytime. I returned to my desk job after 4 weeks after my first check-up with my surgeon.
I am 71 years old. I have had issues with constipation (I really believe we ALL do); with leaking for about 5 weeks; with swollen tummy (still not totally OK after two months) and with blood in urine which turned out to be "just one of those things not to worry about". I willl have a non-urgent cystocopy to confirm this (this means some time in 2016). That too is gone. After my six week check up, I was allowed to return to all my pre-op activities. I cut my own grass (1/2 acre) and am back to full care-giving for my disabled husband. I was also back to full duties at work which includes maintenance and some heavy work.
I have not felt this well in a couple of years. Thank heavens for this surgery.
British women are treated much more carefully and not allowed to do this much I don't think. My uro-gynacologist has told me that I am a fast healer. Mercifuly because if I had had to sit around for months, I have would gone totally bananas - how many Sudokus can you do and how much television can you watch.
I know I felt strange sensations on a number of occasions during the first six weeks but I really didn't have time to think about them. My biggest change was sleeping 8-9 hours a night instead of my usual 6 1/2 to 7 hours a night. I am back to normal now.
I am just telling you all this as encouragement. No matter where you are, you need to do what your surgeon tells you to. We are all different and not all surgeries are the same even if they are described with the same words. And we don't all heal the same way.
But if you are feeling well enough to feel really bored, I would ask what I could do to keep busy and not do any damage.
Remember, we are here to offer our support for what you are going through - we have all been there, done that.
Hope this helps.
Nickie