To ask about hysterectomies - dreading

[Hysterectomynext]

I’m having a hysterectomy tomorrow. Ovaries and cervix too.
does anyone have experience- I’m sure lots of you lovely ladies have been through this.
will I be able to walk up the stairs when I come back from hospital?

Will I stay in hospital for days? (I have general idea from pre assessment but they say could be one day maybe more)
Will I be able to climb stairs at home? My bedroom is at the top of the house. About 5 flights of stairs. If I can’t get up I’d need to make a bed in the living room but the problem there is no bathroom on ground floor.
i haven’t packed a bag yet. So fearful.
can anyone give me any supportive advice?

I’m having it due to fibroids and polyps and to reduce cancer risk
thank you

Had the same surgery in November and just about recovered.

What time of day are you scheduled for? I was first thing in the morning and was on the ward late afternoon. Had a catheter until the following night. Was in for 3 nights but you could potentially be in longer depending how it goes and you are feeling. Take all the pain meds offered.

You will be able to walk upstairs when you get home but should rest as much as possible and not get up to much. Do you have someone to help you at home?

Do you know if it's keyhole or open surgery? Mine was open and incision is similar to a c section.

It takes time to recover and just be careful not to over do things when you start to feel better.

Meant to add hope it all goes well.

Are you having keyhole or abdominal?
I had a hysterectomy in March and was so worried as I have a disabled teen to care for and am a single parent.

I was home after 24 hours (one night in hospital), I had keyhole with vaginal assist but kept my ovaries. I was able to walk upstairs but only one flight. I spent the first 2 weeks pretty much resting but I didn’t stay in bed, i pottered around, did light house work after a week and was cooking meals after days 3. I started walking short distances outside after a week and increased the distance slowly.

My advice would be to rest as much as you can for the first 2 weeks as this will help the rest of your recovery.

packing your bag…..you won’t need much, I spent most of the time in a grown, take a nightie to change into, and some lose fitting jogging bottoms to go home in. I took ear plugs (luckily didn’t need them…but didn’t really sleep), take some snacks as hospital food isn’t great.

After care….I had my mum stay for the first night when I got home to help me with dd but I then sent her home, luckily she’s local and would pop in to check on me and do shopping for me.

My recovery was really good and looking back now it seems like nothing. I was driving again 2 weeks after surgery (automatic car) and back to walking long distances by 5 weeks.

I had an abdominal hysterectomy including ovaries/cervix about 10 years ago. If you are having keyhole surgery, you will probably be more mobile than I was.

You will be able to go upstairs, but slowly and possibly sideways at first Holding a pillow to your abdomen while moving about helps to cushion against impact pain - also take one when you're being driven home as any bumps on the road are painful.

I would suggest planning to stay on the same floor as your toilet, at least for the first week or so.

I was only in hospital for two nights.

Don't be scared. It won't be as bad as you think.

Thank you so much both of you. So lovely and kind to give me advice.

i was supposed to have surgery in Sept but wasn’t well enough. The surgeon asked me to lose weight (not the reason it’s was cancelled) but I haven’t lost weight. She said I might not be able to have keyhole as my weight is on the cusp of Whether it’s doable

I do have help at home Because I have a wonderful teenage daughter. I have other children and an a single parent. One child at primary so my eldest will help with school runs- school quite a distance from us

I’m thinking if I can get up the stairs at home I could then stay in my room for two weeks. But I’d have to get up 5 flights of stairs initially. But then I have small wet room next to my bedroom

I had keyhole and found recovery good.
Stayed in one night and first three days was in need of pain killers.

Single parent with two children and was back walking them to school in a week.

Probably would advise waiting longer if you have a choice!

The thing I found was the tiredness lingered so afternoon naps were a thing!

Good luck! I am so glad I had the op and life has been much improved, I hope the same for you

I had my womb and cervix removed through my vagina in April. I kept my ovaries. I walked down to the op, had a catheter overnight and was out by lunchtime the next day. You can climb stairs slowly but rest as much as you can the first week at least.

I was off of work for 6 weeks, driving after 3 but listening to my body and sleeping lots to heal.

Now I’m healed, it has been life-changing. No more flooding, no longer anaemic, sex life is fab and I’ve lost weight. All in, the best decision I made.

when you come round, you do feel like you’ve been hit by a bus but just take the drugs offered and sleep. Good luck!

You'll probably be OK on the stairs after a week or so; you'll reach the pottering about stage where you can move around a bit and then need to rest. Getting to your feet from lying/sitting position is painful at first - you don't realise how much you use your core muscles until you suddenly have to rely on your upper body.

Do you have a list of what you need to pack? I have some suggestions and probably others have too if you need help.

Really hope it all goes ok tomorrow, I'm having an endometrial ablation tomorrow, if it fails I'll be having a hysterectomy. I have had open abdominal surgery to remove a large ovarian tumour previously, I was in hospital for 2 or 3 nights, could climb the stairs fine at home but really did need to take things easy for a few weeks.

I was in one night and could manage three flights of stairs the next day without too many problems. I think if you rest between flights 5 will be doable. I was in much less pain than expected, just discomfort. Rest lots, don't lift things but do move around...v gentle pottering.
Good luck!

I had a full abdominal hysterectomy at age 34 (I am now 70). I was only in one night. The hospital checked that I could walk ok and walk up and down stairs before they let me home.

I had no problems with stairs whatsoever. I went for a walk every day on my Consultant's advice and although I did rest a lot I also did stuff around the house (not any heavy lifting though).

My Consultant said he thought the reason many woman take a long time to recover is because they are advised not to do anything which is not good. Obviously though every women is different and a lot depends on age, fitness etc.

Had a full hysterectomy via keyhole, for stage 4 endometriosis with a lot of bowel involvement, surgery was complicated and took 3 and a half hours, went down at 10 am, awake at 8, slept all night. Woke up and could have gone home - but ward messing about with HRT, so stayed one more night. No pain at all throughout, no painkillers. No trapped wind. Felt really good, just delicate and a bit vulnerable and a bit more tired than usual . Three weeks after I went to see my mum in Spain for a week, I felt good enough to do that by myself. Back to work four weeks after. Not everyone has a bad time, I was petrified - if I had to have it done tomorrow - I wouldn’t worry, if major surgery can be described as this - it really was the perfect experience. Good luck!

To add, I totally agree with previous poster- I did not sit around, I walked a little bit to start with and built it up, my consultant advised this. Be careful, you’ll know when you’ve done too much though.

I had a total keyhole hysterectomy at 4 pm and was discharged at 10 am the next day. I was mobile but slow. The worst bit was the pain from the trapped wind which made for a crappy few days. I was also absolutely knackered for days. Sleep propped up so it's easier to get out of bed. Recovery was quick, I was back in work (with some adjustments) after 2 weeks. Best thing I have ever done, hands down. Changed my life and I am not being dramatic!

I had a total abdominal hysterectomy. The physios came in and had me doing stairs the following day. I went home after two nights and was fine to do stairs once home. I could have done five flights with a rest in between each.

It was honestly nowhere near as bad as I'd been lead to believe. The following day was pretty bad (particularly getting out of bed for the first time), but after that it got a lot better, especially after the two week mark. I stopped the codeine after around five days and just took ibuprofen for a few more days after that. They don't give out hysterectomies unless you're really suffering, and the surgery was a walk in the park compared to how badly affected I'd been by the fibroids.

I had an abdominal hysterectomy October 2023, I stayed in one night and was fine to walk up and down stairs after, albeit slowly. I stupidly went back to work on the Wednesday (had the op Monday afternoon, work from home) and I also overdid it with doing laundry and stupid things like that and ended up back in hospital for a week with an infection.

Please take it easy, I m not sure if my infection was inevitable or if I caused it by doing too much so that would be my best advice!

I waited the full six weeks to drive again but I went to a standing concert only 5 weeks after and was absolutely fine.

Aldo to add I was housebound due to the hideousness of my periods for six months before, (also fibroids) so it was absolutely life changing for me!

I hope it goes well, just remember plenty of rest!

Good luck @Hysterectomynext .
A year ago today my mother was in surgery at this time having a radical hysterectomy. We’d been told she’d need a five day stay, and time in high dependency because of other health conditions but she was home 24 hours later.

Top tip from her is to ask whoever is collecting from hospital to bring some cushions/pillows for the seat to add a bit of hight; lowering herself into the car wasn’t the easiest.

Listen to the advice you’re given on taking it easy!

I had one in 2015 for fibroids. I had abdominal surgery and had my uterus and cervix removed.

I was only in for 2 nights which I was a bit surprised by, but I'm a nurse by profession and I live with husband. I think their rationale was "she'll know if and when she needs help".

About 2/3 days later, I had an ooh GP appointment for a UTI, which is common after being catheterised for 24 hours. I also had to inject myself with blood thinners to prevent blood clots.

I won't lie, recovery was slow, but not too bad. You do have to take it easy for the first few weeks, no bending, lifting etc. Get someone else to do shopping, bedmaking etc.

After a couple of days, try and go for a short walk. I started with going to the corner shop 2 minutes away, then worked up to a short walk round the park and/or a local cafe.

The wound healed normally but I was off work for 12 weeks. Fortunately I worked for the NHS so obviously not an issue with employers.

Obviously I didn't have periods after but as my ovaries remained, I didn't have a surgical menopause. I've had some symptoms of it since, mainly brain fog, and have also had periods of depression but I suffer from that intermittently and have an underactive thyroid so i can't say that's the menopause.

Also read up on adhesions which are common after abdominal surgery as a result of stitches. I kind of imagine them as being like velcro....areas of scar tissue which can stick together and unstick as you move around. Usually they're harmless but rarely can cause a blockage. Sometimes I have a mild cramp like sensation for a few seconds which I think are a result of adhesions.

Good luck x

I had mine in May. I was in overnight and able to manage stairs and short walks when I came home. I only took 2 weeks off work, as I had recently started a new job and didn’t want to be off for too long but I found it a struggle so I’d plan for your recovery to take at least 4 weeks. The actual procedure wasn’t too bad. Take your pain relief regularly to keep on top of it when you get home. Symptom wise, it’s great having no periods but my moods are a bit all over the place (although I’ve been diagnosed with a type of cancer since) You can consider HRT if you’re struggling with menopausal symptoms.

Good luck for tomorrow! Allow yourself plenty of rest xx

Had a hysterectomy and salpin.......ectomy! 18 months ago. Was in hospital for three days. Was painful to move around for a couple of days and made sure I had the full dose of oromorph - no point in being brave when in pain.
Came home with a bag full of painkillers.
Could get upstairs albeit slowly ( need a knee replacement)
District nurses came to take out clips.
Did develop an infection in the wound but INSISTED my GP did a home visit, either that or I would turn up at the surgery with a very soggy, bloody wound dressing and plonk it on the counter in reception😁😁 The threat worked!😁

Only real problem was having to give twice daily post op injections in my abdomen for a month. To be honest, they don't really hurt, but started running out of space on my abdomen esp as it was bruised. Began to dread them. In the end, I qave myself the morning injection and a friend gave me the evening one. They are very easy to administer ( very similar to diabetic injections) and don't require any skill, so you could get a partner, relative or friend to help. ( am sure a nurse or doctor will wail that you can't do that but, come on, the injections are idiot proof and it is more important to have the full course than to stop because you dread them).
good luck
Didn't do any heavy lifting for a few weeks but made myself meals, coffee, unpacking Ocado delivery, etc., just slowly and carefully.

I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectony with salpingectomy in 2020 for endometrial cancer when I was 48.

I was only in hospital one night and could manage one flight of stairs slowly once I was home. I took 9 weeks off work but that was mainly due to the mental trauma of being diagnosed with cancer rather than the physical side of the operation. I didn't drive for 6 weeks as advised and could take short walks within a week.

Do take the advice not to lift anything and absolutely take it easy afterwards, it's a big operation. I found that I did tire easily for a few weeks afterwards so napped on the sofa quite a lot.

Good luck tomorrow OP.

I was hugely overweight and had the horror stories from the consultant about not being able to do the op by key hole etc although they would try.

I went to surgery around 9.30 a.m. then back to the ward which was hugely busy and pretty much ignored apart from regular checks. (I felt fine though). I had a catheter in place and although I was told it would be removed and they would get me up and about before tea it was left in for another 24 hours. I had a morphine drip that I could control myself. I had a drink and everything I needed within reach.

When they looked at discharging me they saw that I hadn't taken the morphine since the early hours of the morning and eventually someone took out the catheter and sent me to the loo. I did feel wobbly walking but I had been in bed for over 24 hours. By the time DH came to collect me I felt much stronger. I had a full flight of stairs to the front door and half a flight then to the bathroom.

I was up and down those stairs all evening to go to the loo. I slept in the spare room because I didn't want to risk the dog jumping on me in the morning. I rested a lot for the first couple of weeks in a recliner chair, going to bed for an hour in the afternoon. I would go up and downstairs every hour just for exercise and the first few times I left the house DH came with me. He went back to work when I was 10 days post op and apart from doing things like picking up the dog bowls off the floor and putting the dinner in the oven I was able to do everything else.

I knew I had overdone it if I was aching (nothing paracetamol couldn't fix) and I just got better and better.

I had keyhole with vaginal assist 18 months ago. (Kept ovaries) I am not UK based so I was in hospital for a week afterwards. I felt great but I was really really tired and needed to nap. I wasn't bed bound at all.

As PP said, rest as much as possible in the first two weeks, and then slowly return to normal. I found the facebook group hysterectomy sisters very useful.

Thank you so much everyone who has taken the time to reply to me. It’s so kind and very helpful and I’m reading and rereading everything

OP - if you don’t have a necessity to remove your cervix, I would highly hugely recommend you think twice about it. Removing it can severely impact your sexual function, and there’s no way to know if it will until it’s too late and it can’t be reversed.

As for the recovery, it depends on your age and your fitness level. I was early 30s and in my peak of CrossFit, so I was in the gym 2 weeks later starting my physiotherapy to recover core strength, which is pretty quick.

I will say that the first couple weeks are really sore. Definitely do NOT try to orgasm before 6 weeks as it will be excruciating (I fucked up there). But overall, it actually wasn’t that bad - just be sure to demand that you’re sent home with adequate pain relief (codeine or tramadol) to last you at least 2 weeks. Paracetamol won’t touch that pain, trust me.

Good luck, you’ll be fine!

OP - if you don’t have a necessity to remove your cervix, I would highly hugely recommend you think twice about it. Removing it can severely impact your sexual function, and there’s no way to know if it will until it’s too late and it can’t be reversed.

This hasn't been my experience at all just to counter the above point. My libido has taken a hike, but that's due to surgical menopause and no HRT thanks cancer rather than losing my cervix.

Good luck today OP. Hope it all goes well.