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.

I'd leave the ironing - too much like hard work !

Atsea, that sounds a tough job to be doing now, when do they want you to start ?

Scarlett - how are you today ?

We've broke up here now so pottering round, might walk up the village later to the ice cream parlour but hubby took all my cash (to save him going to bank) as I don't need it and no mini banks in distance, think ill raid the piggy bank.....

I'm going to doctors tomorrow afternoon (not sure quite how I'm getting there yet, it's about 3 miles (road) and 2 ish hard miles cross country (joys of living in a village) had enough of the hot flushes, everything I read tells me as I'm 47 I should be on hrt till I'm t least 50....

My scar started weeping a tiny tiny bit yesterday so keeping an eye on that as it's fully healed ...

Hot flushes are driving me mad in this heat, especially at night. I'm trying to hold off the HRT for a few months but each evening I think I'll give in but then it's not too bad in the morning.
Work wants me to start as soon as possible but need DBS so hopefully that will delay things for a bit.

Just popping back to see how everyone is doing. Sorry to hear of your 2nd op scarlett. Mine has been delayed as I was on the wrong surgeons list. Back to waiting for me.

Feeling a lot better after after feeling awful on Sunday - I think the anaesthetic takes a few days to leave your body and that always makes me feel pants. I've been into town with my mum and dad and sat in Starbucks which was lovely

The nurse has taken my dressings off. I had a huge long one along my hysterectomy scar which she took off, along with half my muff. I am never having any kind of waxing done if that's what it feels like.

Going away next Thursday and hoping to feel able for a restful week.

I definitely think you feel very tired a for quite a few days after a GA. Hope you manage to enjoy your holiday but please take it easy.

Oucn Scarlett ! My doctor grabbed mine and just yanked it off, wasn't impressed !

I thought DBS were taking a few weeks so you might be feeling better Atsea.

My gp won't prescribe me HRT until I've got the all clear from my consultant and I asked if I could take these stupid dvt socks off and he said no .... I queried if I could take a natural one, and he just said only if you want to waste your money. He did point out that hrt doesn't stop the menopause just puts it off so I said well just give it me in summer ......

Hi Ladies,

Have just found these threads

I'm going in for an abdominal hysterectomy next Friday, have had dreadful bleeding/flooding for such a long time! Have tried the mirena coil and had an ablation last year without success.

What do you recommend I take to hospital with me, it's going to be hot, I'm melting today, so not looking forward to being in a hot hospital!!

This has all probably been covered in your 3!! previous threads but I'm such a lazy arse and I'm supposed to be working that I don't have time to read them all.

Many thanks

I took : nighties, slippers, sports drinking bottle, arnica tablets, makuni honey, peppermint oil capsules (amazon), magazines (couldn't concentrate to read a book) big and small knickers - wasn't sure about cut, normal toiletries.

Cotton nighties
small towels
Big pants
hair bands if you have long hair
iPod/mp3 player
something to read
phone and charger
food!
Sports water bottle
slippers
loose day clothes
Toiletries
Peppermint capsules
boiled sweets
lip balm
Get visitors to bring fresh fruit/salads for you to eat on the same day

And a note book to write down what people tell you, I'm now realising I remember very little what was said to me while I was there

Thank you

The note book is a very good idea, my memory is shocking at the best of times

am going to print off the lists and go shopping this weekend. Have already told DH that I want lots of cold water bringing in and food

Is peppermint tea as good as the tablets or is it best to get them?

Am kind of in denial about how much pain I'm going to be in!! Had ds by c section 13 years ago and don't really remember much but have asked the surgeon if he can use the same scar, don't want tram lines!!

I never had a c-section so can't compare by experience, but a nurse warned me of people doing that.

This gives the same sort of external wound, but internally is totally different. Ok you lose the bulk of your baby, but this is actual removal of an organ.

Far more intrusive and I'd say along with that, longer-lasting pain.

I was drinking tea and taking the peppermint tablets, I still got horrific painful trapped wind. No idea how bad I'd have been without them, it was bad enough with them.

I had to have mine up,and down so it starts about 2inches above my belly button and runs down alongside to my pubic bone.

Make sure you take all the painkillers, don't wait to be In pain, it's easier to keep it at bay than fight it when it's arrived.

I'm chomping at the bit, now 5 weeks post op. Can move about during the day ok, just aches and still hard to get up and down. Struggling to sleep I have a pain on my right hand side deep,inside, seems to be worse when I've a full bladder so every time I lay on my side/front it hurts so waking me up. Not going to have a drink tonight from 8 o'clock (I drink gallons during the day so won't be dehydrated) so my bladder won't get as full overnight.

Sick of wearing these silly dvt stockings, consultant and gp both adamant I need to wear them for the full 6 weeks (and physio friend) I'm allowed an hour without them so I run into back garden whip them off and get a tan !

Got a letter from the hospital, I'm seeing the consultant for the results of my most recent surgery on 13th August and they will discuss results and possible treatment plan. Really hoping the cancer was entirely confined to the ovary. Going on holiday next week.

Keeping everything crossed for you Scarlett. Try to push it out your mind for now and enjoy your holiday, easier said than done I know.

I'm doing well now. Pulled a stitch yesterday, totally forgot to be honest until I rubbed it too hard with a towel after my shower and felt something pull. It bled a little but its fine now. My back is proving to be biggest problem at minute, had started going out again and now my lower back is agony. Only other issue is the hot flushes, getting them a lot now, seem worse in the evenings, trying to hold off HRT for a few months. Is there anything anyone knows of to help with hot flushes?

Aw Scarlett, agree try and forget cans enjoy the holiday.

I've ordered some well woman tablets that have soy in them to help the menopause, reviews on amazon said they started working in a few days, mine are due tomorrow so will let you know if they help.

Ok pizza keep me posted. Will have a look for them now, can't cope much longer with this heat

Morning everyone . I seem to have slipped/fallen completely back into normal life again. DH has been abroad with work since Wednesday and won't be home until Thursday, and obviously DC broke up from school on Wednesday too, so the total running of the house is down to me. The house has been on the market for 9 days and we have had 5 viewings so far, with another one today, so last night/this morning has been spent finally cleaning the oven. I still have soreness and aches internally if I do too much and I'm getting tired quicker than normal, but it is finally no longer my every waking thought . My sick leave finishes on Wednesday (I'll be 10 weeks post op), fortunately working in a school means I have few more weeks before I have to return to work.
Hope everyone is getting on well, good luck to those waiting, and who will hopefully carry on this thread for others. It has been a godsend to have others to chat to through all of this, thank you to everyone on here .

It's 6 weeks and we know what that means !!

Yes no silly dvt socks and I can drive ! Got DH car today (automatic) wasn't going to have as garage had it but they've brought it back ! So we are off to the sculpture park with the dog and ds. It's only a few miles so should be ok. Am going to take it easy but other than the pain (still) I feel better than I gave in months so the growth (can't call it cancer as I feel a fraud being diagnosed and cured in one sentence) was obviously tiring me out without me realising it. I've been off painkillers for a few weeks but still struggling to sleep as it hurts deep inside on my right hand side so I'm going to restart them tonight.

Hope everyone else is well.

Good that you've a few more weeks before starting work, hope your house sells

2 days in and the well woman tablets haven't kicked in yet hope they do soon.

Hi all, hope everyone is making good progress.
Its been 4.5 weeks now and I'm much more mobile, if it wasn't for my back I'd feel much better.
I went to GP as work wanted a return to work form despite me not actually working until sept, unless I take other job offer.
Anyway whilst there I got HRT, estradiol valerate. GP didn't see any reason to put it off any longer. Had first one yesterday morning. Still having hot flushes so must take a while to kick in. My main concern was it would affect my mood but GP seems pretty confident it wouldn't. So will just have to see.

can you buy hrt under the counter ? (Mutters to self - 2 weeks to wait)

Don't be jealous Pizza, still got the bastard hot flushes

Found you all again!

Not sure if it's the heat, or general life but I'm still needing a nap most days. So sleepy!

Going to see GP next week, to check if it's ok to start fasting and exercising again.

Got a marathon to train for

Ooh Jenny, hope he says you can am desperate to start dieting again (well jot really but I need to !!). A friend has just sold me a Vibro disc thingy and I want to know when I can use that.

Hi all, I posted at the beginning of this thread. I'm booked in for a hysterectomy. My ovaries are being conserved and I'm having it laparoscoply. What advice can you give me? What to take, what to do and what not to do? I'm not good at sitting around doing nothing so it's going to be a struggle spending four days in hospital.

Hi blueberry, I had a total abdominal so slightly more invasive, but believe me, sitting about doing nothing was not a problem, especially in the early days!

I had no idea what to expect, never had a GA before, only ever had gas and air even for childbirth. I considered myself very active, and thought I'd struggle being laid up for so long.

How wrong was I!

make sure you take up and even chase down all the people who say they will help out, do you have young DC? Pets? Have people to take DC out, make them food, generally be around for them.
Pets, especially dog, get people on regular walking duties, and get used to sitting with a cushion on your knee - if cat/dog jumps up at you, natural reaction is to brace yourself. First few weeks you don't want to do that, cushion will deter them wanting to do that.