Hysterectomies - it's gotta be done but over here for hand holding part two

[Oddsocksrus]

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.

I always wear big nickers so it makes no odds to me dont like the idea of wearing a nightie though. They end up under your armpits in bed !

fitflop do they give you any indication when your op will be after the pre op ? Im a chilminder and although Ive told my Mums to get backup childcare do I get the chance to Tell them in good time ?

I had twelve days notice for my op but I postponed it as it didn't suit. I then had a good 6 weeks or so for the next one.

Gingeme, I was offered a date when I has the consultation in December, unfortunately the paperwork wasn't sent in time so I rearranged directly with the consultants secretary. So knew a month in advance but then postponed for two weeks.

PMed Twinkle last night and yes we are on same hospital next Tuesday.

Even though I want this op asap July/August would be ideal as I dont have any mindees then and my own children can always stay at my Mums for a bit. Hmmm we shall see. Checked my health insurance policy last night. I can claim a bit of money for being in hospital

Wow - that coincidence is amazing. How will you recognise each other? Will you wear a rose?

ginge I got some too, for using the NHS instead of private. It's being spent on a lovely weekend away, now I'm fully recovered. Psychologically, that's really important to me.

Wow that's weird isn't it?

I think the reason I got so stressed pre op was because I literally had a few days notice. Not great.

I think they underestimate the psychological effects of losing your female organs!

Good luck everyone.

Yes Ledkr I think your right. We moan every month about the pain and hormonal problems you thought we would be glad to be rid but its a big deal at the end of the day

I had total laporoscipal hysterectomy and bilateral lymph node disection on wednesday and came home today... the only pain relief I have been given to bring home is paracetamol .. surely this is not normal? What pain relief were you given upon discharge?

Hi fulla you must be feeling crap love.

I had mine two weeks today and had good pain relief.
Dihydracociene and ibuprofen.

I'm pretty hard core with painkillers as I have migraines to deal with.

I'd either ring out of hours tomorrow or go to chemist for something better.

You can take two paracetamol and two ibruprofen together you know.

Be carefull if you get codeine as makes you constipated, so take some laxatives as we'll or some prune juice.

Thanks Ledkr I was given Tramadol at hospital along with the paracetemol and ibuprofen and was just about managing. Will double up on paracetemol/ibuprofen for now - I was just very surprised to discover only paracetamol ... I'm no hero and am feeling pretty crap.. will see how I feel in the morning.

Bless you.
I had a lot of pain too.
You can buy codeine but not as strong as dr can give.
They make me so cross scrimping on pain killers.
I nearly passed out with shock when they gave me paracetamol after my section! Wondered what had happened to the morphine!
Hope you have a good night, I sleep like a baby every night since my op.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen at maximum dosages, staggered, kept me comfortable. Why did they do the lymph nodes?

Lymph nodes were removed due to cervical cancer. Hysterectomy and lymph node removal should be the end of the treatment with no chemoradiation required. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.... I had a very uncomfortable night, luckily my sister popped in with some stronger painkillers (Tramadol) this morning and I'm going to call my doctor for advice on Monday.

The 10 days, while they analysed the lymph nodes,was a horrible wait, to see if I required extra treatment. The whole cancer thing is a bummer isn't it? Pm me if you want to talk about the cancer.
It's still very early days but you shouldn't be in pain. Pain relief should make you comfortable. Call the out of hours doctor now, rather than Monday. You don't need to suffer.

Hello

I'm looking for a bit of advice from you lovely lot.

Brief history: 44 yo premenopausal. Have had problems with abnormal bleeding on and off for a few years. Had a small polyp removed a year ago, then started bleeding heavily six months ago. Another hysteroscopy in December and they removed a massive polyp that was coming down through my cervix. Consultant remarked he had never seen one grow so big so quickly before and that fast growing usually meant something sinister. He couldn't complete the exam as my cervix was left open after removal of the polyp and wouldn't hold the fluid needed to complete the exam, so said he would schedule me in for a repeat hysteroscopy. Appointment was yesterday, but when I got there, was told that they had found abnormal cells in the polyp and were booking me in for a hysteroscopy with D&C under GA to see what is going on. He said abnormal cells normally indicate cancer, and was quite forthright about it. No, "there is a small chance" or any other typically reassuring doctor speak words. So, sent straight up for a pre-op assessment and am now just waiting for a date for the procedure which should be within the next two or three weeks.

I was very calm about it as he was talking to me, but now I've had tiome to take it all in I am very very worried indeed. I was under the impression that polyps are usually always benign and that a cancerous polyp is a very rare thing indeed. That aside, I am wondering if anyone here has any words of advice or insight and whether hysterectomy is always the treatment for uterine cancer, or are other options available. Or will a hysterectomy be performed as a matter of course, even if the cells are only precancerous?

The next few weeks are going to be very tense indeed

Sorry, this wasn't as brief as I thought

Hi Daist, welcome to the thread - I'm sorry you've had such a horrible time of it and I'm afraid there isn't much I can help with is my treatment wasn't related to cancer or precancerous conditions however there are a couple of ladies on here who have had so on sure they will be long in due course to help you - if you have any hysterectomy questions I will do my best to help

I've got no experience of uterine cancer, only cervical. Only!

I can imagine you are very worried. It is a horrible time. All I can really comment on is, that it strikes me that if they thought it was probably cancer they would be booking you in for the hysterectomy in the next two or three weeks, rather than a hysteroscopy (not that I know what that is). They don't hang around for cancer. I would have thought that they would err on the side of caution, rather than you having to undergo two generals. Of course I don't really know, but when suspected cancer is found, they don't hang around.

Sorry if that's not been very helpful. It will be a very stressful time. I do empathise, having been through the worry recently. Do not use Doctor Google. I still remain in some ignorance about my cancer. The couple of times I did venture onto the internet, I regretted it. Feel free to PM me if you would like some more handholding.

Fulasagun that sounds very painful, hope that you have got some suitable pain relief to see you through the weekend.

Daisy welcome to the thread and sorry to hear that you have a very worrying wait. I do not have any experience of polyps etc so cannot offer any useful advice. Hope that you get an appointment soon.

A truly bizarre co-incedence that fitflop and I will be in the same hospital at the same time. PSML at wearing roses!

Shewhomes thank you for the reminder to pack nighties, I couldn't bring myself to buy big pants I may regret that decision later next week.

Ledkr how did you get on last week?

Lapraroscopic ladies did you find it difficult to sit up once you got home or is it comfortable to be upright? My head is very busy with questions and worries.

Oops sorry shewhowines and I have only just got your username!

Hi daist I had my ovaries out two weeks ago as I have already had breast cancer twenty years ago at 26 and ovarian remained a very high risk and a big worry.
I can only sympathise with the damn right unfairness of it all and how bloody scary it is.
I can also testify to sucessful treatment as I'm still here!

thanks hysteroscopy is a camera into the uterus to have a look round and take samples. They are also going to do a D&C to get more of the endometrium to biopsy/have a better look at. I really can't find a lot of information via Dr Google relating to polyps being cancerous (other than it is rare), and not too traumatised by what I'm reading. I suppose I have nothing for it but to wait and see.

On the plus side though, the thought of hysterectomy isn't that frightening; two plus years of horrible periods and random anytime bleeding and I'm actually hoping that that is what they suggest, cancer, pre-cancer or otherwise!!

Daisy. I've had a hysterectomy for pre cancerous changes in endometrium. No polyp but the endometrium was showing changes. It's a very curable cancer is the good news in a worst case scenario. Polyps are a common cause of bleeding but I've not heard of them being cancerous very often?

Horrible waiting and tbh I'd just be asking to go straight to a hysterectomy if it was me! I've had two hysteroscopies, one under GA and one not.

I agree that it isn't definitely cancer if they are not heading straight off to hysterectomy straight off.

Big pants...I didn't need them and felt more comfortable with the knickers sitting low down. Abdo pretty swollen for 3 weeks.

Sitting up. I felt more comfortable reclined and hogged the sofa with various pillows again for 3 weeks

santas glad you said that! my belly is really big still! it's annoying me as I can't get my trousers on.

How long since op Ledkr? My abdo stayed same size for about two weeks then a marginal improvement... Then slightly smaller first thing...until I'm back to normal apart from the half stone that Christmas gave me