Hysterectomies - it's gotta be done but over here for hand holding PART 3

[LackaDAISYcal]

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.

abdominal op unfortunately, as i've got an enlarged womb 10cm instead of average 6cm apparently

i don't go out to work, but don't drive so am expecting to have to take things very slowly for a while.

i'm also a dreadful patient

and thanks for the welcome, sorry forgetting my manners there

Aw, that's a shame they can't do it laparoscopically. Yes, I haven't been the best patient really.

Hi Jenny and welcome x

Hi ginge and thank you.

Anyone else had the full abdo recently? I'm trying to stay away from the horror stories, but it seems some people can't/won't lift more than the duvet for at least 6 weeks

i've got a pre-op physio session next week, only just got in as the whole 'date for op' has been a bit of a roller-coaster tbh. Only started to see the consultant properly in January this year.

Hi Jenny

Welcome, pull,up a chair and chill !

I'm having full abdo hysterectomy on 16th June. I'm also dreading the recovery, I don't actually do sitting down much at all and def don't do enforced house arrest.

i've been trying to do all the things i'd planned for the next month, like plant out the tomatoes and get the curtains all washed and re-hung

we're halfway through decorating our new 'boudoir' so it's a race now to see if we can get it done over the next few days

i did remember to book a hairdressing appt though, having a short cut so no hair to worry about (have very thick unruly barnet at the best of times)

was going to fill the freezer with fabulous home-cooked ready meals, but sod that, i'm not a slave

hi Jenny and welcome. Your story is very similar to mine. I only saw my GP in January too. My pre op is next Friday and op is the following Wed (21st). Mine has to be an abdominal, however I'm very good at sitting down .

Oh and I've also had my hair cut short .

i've been and bought some soft and loose clothes today, i live in denim mostly, so thought i'd give myself a bit of comfort and big pants

is there anything anyone's found crucial that i might not think of?

I've bought slip on slippers (have bootee ones and won't be able to bend down to put on) ditto shoes ..... Few summer frocks so only touch shoulders and boobs, big knickers and small knickers (won't know till afterwards which will be better. Nightie (don't possess night wear at all) dry shampoo - my hair gets really greasy quick.

Intend buying some makuni (spelling) honey products, tea tree and lavender oil (couple of drops in bath to aid healing - if I can get in bath obviously ! Facial wipes just to refresh.

I'm thinking chocolate, books, DVD's, chocolate, sleep, chocolate.....but guess that's probably not quite what you meant . Nighties rather than pj's has been suggested before. Something about peppermint tea (didn't take that bit in due to various allergies ). Someone more useful will be along soon I'm sure .

ooh yes forgot, someone has given me some cooling gel and facial wipes.

on the literature i was given you don't get a chance to lie about, even with abdo you're up on day 1 after, aided to shower and get dressed, meals to be taken in the day room and short walks encouraged as soon as your catheter is out!

and chocs, DVDs and the like is a given

Hi Jenny and Mary too - I was on this thread last year as had a total abdominal hysterectomy. I posted earlier up the thread about my recovery but fire away with any Q's. I was and am still v active ( and a dreadful patient) so can give you the real deal on my recovery….

Hi Jenny, Mary and Kingfisher. I'm having a total abdominal including ovaries (bleeding for 8 months and pelvis absolutely full of cysts) on the 22nd.

I've got the nighties and the slippers too, redecorated the hall and washed curtains and sofa covers! I am also very good at sitting down, but not very good at leaving dh to sort 3 kids out.

Now worrying about lack of slip on shoes.

thekingfisher I'd be really grateful if you could give me a rough idea of how long before I'll be able to walk 12 minutes each way on the school run and put lace up shoes on?

Hi thekingfisher, i'm such a bad patient the first thing i asked the consultant after he advised a full abdo was needed was 'will i be fit for the london marathon next year' - cheeky sod said yes, but i wouldn't win it

i'm not super fit, but i've recently taken up running, and can do 10k in an hour now, i run between 15/20k a week and have a dog i need to exercise regularly.

we've got dog walks etc covered, but finding childcare for DD is a little more problematic - she has SEN and takes a lot of settling sometimes. luckily the second week after my OP is half term, so she won't have to leave the house much either.

Jenny - the nearest I'll get to the London marathon next year is watching it on the tv Hoping I'll feel more like being active once I've had the op- really lacking in energy and get up and go.

i'll have to wave to camera as i stumble through the streets whizz past the Cutty Sark!

Morning all. Exercise ? What is that ?
Hysteroscopy this afternoon. More worried about my dentist appt this morning

Got slip on slippers. Wear big knickers anyway. A couple of nighties. Bought a couple of dresses from car boot last Monday. I don't possess dresses so at £2 each I'm not going to quibble

Have a good day all xx

Good luck ginge at the dentist as well as this afternoon.

Oh welcome jenny

I'd rather see the gynaecologist than the dentist, so good luck from me too.

just having a bit of a wobble, this time next week it could be all done. Wow

Argh bloody dentist is ill. Got appt for next Monday now.

Sorry for not coming back sooner - work got in the way of mums netting……
Ok - questions:
Defineme - doing school run walk - I'd leave 2 weeks ideally and only as long as you are spending Plenty of time resting in between and afterwards. I was driving bang on 3 weeks easily so obviously was very mobile. I was also back to walking the dog 1/2 hr - 40mins every other dayish. As for putting on lace ups..certinaly not until stitches or stapes or whatever are out as I found these v uncomfortable if i was bending - so this was 5 days for me..so probably 1 week ++ for lacing shoes.

Jenny - I am at 5 months and am back to my full exercise routine… I play tennis for 2 hrs per week, zumba and body balance at least once each plus walk the dog most days for an hour. My only concern about running ( which i hate so don't do) is the pressure on your pelvic floor…I would talk honestly with your physio about how to protect this - i think also depends onif you are having your cervix removed too as lots of your pelvic floor bits have less to anchor to after the hysterectomy. so I couldn't give you an absolute answer!

generally stuff at the hospital which was actually useful…
Earplugs ( and i was in my own room and it was still really noisy), arnica ( although don't think it dod anything for me really and i swore by it after c-sec) Peppermint capsules, ensure you have wifi capability… some boiled sweets something nice to suck (gnar gnar), lip salve, that sort of stuff really.

I nightie in the hospital is probably useful but i didn't wear it once i got home. and don;t forget you are likely going to have to wear surgical stockings for up to 6 weeks depending on your activity levels. However i stopped after a 10 days as i was up and about enough to warrant 'active'.
At 2 weeks I went to the school carol service and about an hour walking about, and went to a party a couple of days after this dressed up - but on a stool for the night with my friends attending on me!,

HTH