Hysterectomies - advice and hand holding over here PART FOUR

[AtSea1979]

New Thread...
Over here for the hand holding

One in five women in the uk will have to have a hysterectomy at some point in their lives

Come and join us if you are waiting, pre-op, bleery eyed on the ward or recovering afterwards or just need a bit of advice.

[AtSea1979]

Hope everyone finds this.

(Waits patiently for updates)

[TheOriginalNutcracker]

Morning atsea

I had a look in the leaflets they have me in hospital and they said it was normal to have light bleeding for up to 3 weeks but if it got heavier to contact them.
How is yours now ?

I had fab news yesterday as my test results came back clear of cancerous or pre cancerous cells

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

Morning all, thanks for the new thread, AtSea

How are you doing now, and more great news, Nutcracker. I still keep looking at my letter confirming all growths were benign, such a relief as I'd been in a degree of denial about cancer.

I had a 'normal' day yesterday as in I tried my usual routine (bar the exercise, sadly) as in shower/dressed, vacuumed downstairs, went to town for light shopping, walked the dog, walked the school pick up and bathed DD.

Today I feel as though I've been kicked down a flight of stairs, I'm so achey!

Also getting intermittent sharp but brief pains in my abdomen, is this right?

Anyone further down the recovery line about?

I'm 7weeks post op now.

[notapizzaeater]

Morning all - I've been out for the last two nights (done bugger all all day) but I'm hurting .

[notapizzaeater]

Oops - brilliant news Nutcracker

[AtSea1979]

Aww pizza hope you are feeling better soon.
Jenny that's great though surprised you are still in pain 7 weeks on.
Nutcracker waw fantastic news, that's great.

I'm still bleeding relatively heavy, about same as normal period (well normal for me anyway). I have a cough at the moment, I don't think that is helping and I haven't been to the toilet much since op (two weeks ago today).
I rang ward yesterday who asked if I could get in to clinic, I said no as live half an hour drive from hospital and can't drive yet and not fit enough to catch three buses. The nurse said it sounds like I've pulled a stitch somewhere. To be honest I'm scared of what they will do if I go in too, presumably they will need to put a speculum up there and take a look and I'm scared it will hurt. I know the sensible side is saying let them do what they need to but at the moment the bleeding is not getting any worse. Then again, I've been bleeding for 3 days now so not drying up either.
Nurse said take laxatives, anyone recommend something gentle and effective over the counter? Never had constipation before so no idea why I should get it now.
Will try to rest as much as possible today and see how I am this evening and go to the ward then if needs be.

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

What's your normal diet like, AtSea?

I've always found eating more high fibre food is better than taking pills etc for constipation, things like beansprouts, prunes, olives, beans and sweetcorn all work for me. Saying that, my DD has to take movicol daily, so we are all different.
I think anything with sena is pretty reliable though.

These pains I'm experiencing are different from anything I've had before - just under the skin, not deep in muscle or like the pain I had pre-op.

Oh, and I put my brave head on and had a root about. . .it was fine, no surprises.

[AtSea1979]

Ha root about! Fair enough, glad all was well.
My diet is ok, never had this problem before.
Nurse suggested Senna but DP had it once and said it was violent, had bad stomach cramps etc and remember a friend saying same a while back so a bit scared to take it.

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

I understand your unwillingness to take something else, Dr Jenny prescribes a chinese takeaway tonight, with plenty of mixed vegetables as a side dish

[AtSea1979]

Haha crispy seaweed and veg chow me in it is then!

[notapizzaeater]

My nurse gave me a suppository for the constipation - was wonderful.

Since I'm come home I've upped my seeded bread, having lentil based soup every couple days, lots if fruit and veg and drinking loads, it still hurts to poo so I'm doing my best to avoid constipation.

I've not dare have a rummage around, presume I will have stitches at the top of what was my cervix ?

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

I think I felt a stitch where my cervix used to be, didn't spend too much time up there tbh, it was more like a peep round the door post than taking a seat in the room

[blueberry2310]

Hi all, I wonder if I could join you to pick your brains.

I had a cone biopsy for adenocarcenoma in situ on my cervix. All went well and they manage d to remove everything. I then got an infection and the bleeding couldn't be stopped so they ended up putting a stitch on the edge of my cervix. I have since found out that they have stitched both sides of my cervix together in error. My gynaecologist has had one attempt at opening it up but she went off course so had to stop.

Any way I've been told my options are to have another go under ultrasound, however, chances are they won't be able to detect cancer so easily in the future as there will be lots of scar tissue. My other option is a hysterectomy.

Sorry for the epic post. I wanted to know about recovery - it will be keyhole and my ovaries will be left there as I'm only 36. I feel so young and it's so final and only because of a cock up. I'm an emotional mess at the moment with this decision hanging over me. How is the emotional recovery from having a hysterectomy? I have two young children so at least I'm lucky enough to have had my family.

Sorry for the garbled post.

[marymoocow]

Hi everyone . Feeling loads better this week. I'm managing little drives and starting to drift back into the 'real' world - still in denial about vacuuming though Jenny . My wound is finally drying up. I took the decision yesterday to stop putting the iodine strip on as it was starting to feel sore. Glad I did because when I took the dressing off this morning everything looked a lot better, and there on the dressing was the part of the stitch that the nurse said must have dropped off because she couldn't find it! I knew it hadn't come away.
I'm having some pains still Jenny, especially if I have stood still for too long in one place. I'm a couple of days behind you post-op. Hope it is normal as I want to start life again. Not been as brave as you yet though .
DH is away overnight tonight, so will be pretty much doing everything. All 3 DC are away at various scout related camps this weekend, so packing is a priority for today. Will be interesting to see how I feel by tomorrow night when he gets back.

[marymoocow]

Hi blueberry . I'm 7 weeks post-op and had an abdominal. I've still got my ovaries and apart from getting frustrated a couple of times at not being able to do something (DH might tell you it was a few more ), emotionally I've been fine. However I was desperate for the op due to fibroids (my uterus was the size of a 3 month pregnancy) meaning that every month my life stopped due to severe, heavy flooding and pain. So in my situation it was desperately needed and wanted. I'm also the other side of 40 and had definitely finished having children, so to me, in that way, it made no difference whether I had those bits inside me or not. I certainly don't feel any different now.
Hope I've helped a bit. I think also that recovery time is a lot quicker with keyhole.

[blueberry2310]

Thanks Mary. I'm glad to hear you're recovering well and good to know you don't feel any different without 'those bits'.

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

Hi and welcome, blueberry

I was a bit of a mess emotionally after the op, but only because I think the whole timing was so fast, only started to see the gynaecologist in December last year, and had operation in May. With 18 days notice of actual date.

The whole 'omg, they've taken out a huge part of my body and sewed me back up' was really a big shocker, and I did have a couple of days where I just cried at everything.

I'm now feeling very relieved at not having to check my chair for flooding,even though I still do think about it, old habits die hard, and I know that's one sort of cancer I'll never have - very hard facts, but since I've had an invitation for early breast cancer screening, it's come home to me how important my health is and what I can do to try to preserve it.

[winnybella]

Blueberry, is there a reason why trachelectomy is not an option? If you would prefer to preserve your fertility, I mean. They fucked it up so I'm a bit at the limited choices offered.

[AtSea1979]

Hi Blueberry, I'm two weeks post op keyhole. Recovery is fine (though I'm in denial and keep over doing things). Emotionally it was a difficult decision but I have two kids and had ovaries removed too. I seem to see babies everywhere I look now even tho I wasn't planning anymore the finality of it does hit you but once it's done it got easier than the waiting and worrying.

Hi Mary, glad to see you seem much better.

Is anyone else finding their relationship difficult at the moment? Me and DP haven't been together long and I am finding it hard to be around him at the moment, either he sits there surrounded by mess and I want to do everything, or he helps and I feel frustrated at doing nothing. As for the physical side, that's not good, we were still at the phase where it was most days. I tried suggesting he waits for me and abstains completely but he said no, and has been full on every day this week. I want to be close to him, I just wish we could cuddle up without him wanting more.

[notapizzaeater]

I'm abdominal full hysterectomy, 3 weeks post op and still can't do much. My doctor told me no sex for at least 6 weeks, currently I can't see that happening in 2.5 weeks - we shall see. Luckily been married 20 years so DH not putting any pressure on me.

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

AtSea

Are you saying your DP is putting the pressure on for you to resume a sexual relationship already?

At your early stage, you should be doing nothing more than washing a few cups up tbh, and recovering. Slowly.

[AtSea1979]

Don't want to give tmi but more like he wants me to go down on him or touch him etc when I'd rather just cuddle up and do nothing for next couple of months. I can't even kiss him without him seeming to want more.
He has been brilliant over past two weeks but its so hard, always feel like I have to try and make it up to him so how.

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

I'd say the same thing to anyone in any sort of physical relationship...
Never do anything unless you are completely willing and comfortable with it. You do not owe him sexual favours at all. Ever.

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

I'm assuming

[notapizzaeater]

Totally agree jenny.

Don't do anything you're not happy with, his balls won't explode if you don't !!