Anyone up for a new hysterectomy hand holding thread?

[Northlondonma]

For those who are contemplating, have a date, had one and recovering?

I had mine keyhole with everything removed on Monday. Am 40. Would love to chat to people going through same thing.

ah cosmic

so too sore to poodle, and too hyoper to sit down!

at your stage I did a morning of light activity (cupboards, maybe a sedate stroll to the post box if I was feeling daring)

then I would be so exhausted I would need a little siesta after lunch!

we are called patients, as we need to be patient

fromparis, thank you

He did refer me for a scan (begrudgingly though). Internal ultrasound (oh joy) on the the 20th of Feb.
And he gave me transexamic acid (but only because I was about to bleed through onto his chair). He also prescribed mefenamic acid but that was out of stock at the two chemists I tried so when I went back to the GP to ask what I should do he said to take 4 x 400mg of Ibuprofen instead.

I think regardless of what the scan shows I will push for a gynae referral as the prolapse is becoming too noticeable now. Today I had a little giggle in the staffroom at work (was sitting down) and could feel it bulging as I laughed.

cosmic I hope you feel up to pootling about soon!! I on the other hand love sitting still and reading books or watching tv, I would gladly come and do it for you if that would be of any help??

Hi ladies,
I am waiting to see the consultant on Friday but, having had endo for 30 years, I am pretty sure it is time to bite the bullet and agree to a hysterectomy. I was offered one two years ago or else try and get to the menopause. I thought I was getting close (age 48) but I have been constantly bleeding for two months now and in the last two weeks I have had awful abdominal pain. I am bloated and finding it difficult to eat. I had a scan on Monday and my bowel has adhesions. They couldn't see my left ovary due to the amount of scarring. I have had 6 previous laparoscopies and they have left me in a total mess inside.
Can I ask a few questions?
How long did you have to wait for surgery on the NHS?
None of you have mentioned having to self-inject (to prevent dvt) - have they stopped doing that? It used to be that you injected daily in the tummy area for a whole month - no way could I do that
Do you have an enema beforehand?
How long do you have a catheter in for and how awful is it having it out?
Do you have to have a drain?

I am so squeamish. This is why I have put it off for so long

Welcome, Mystery!

Can't help re waiting list because my problem was ovarian and the hysterectomy was secondary to that. I was on the 2 week referral pathway. 13 days from Pre-op with Consultant/surgeon to op.

I had a vertical abdominal, and, yes, you do have to self-inject and wear surgical socks for 28 days post op if it's major abdominal. But not in your stomach - ouch!- any more. You just pinch a bit of thigh fat and it really didn't hurt. My family were rather disappointed that I wasn't pulling with my teeth on a belt wrapped round my arm. I think you can have it done at your GP's if you've got someone to take you there. Tbh, I was more fed up about the socks. Not a good look in August.
No enema.
Catheter was taken out after the second night. First day was rather blurry, didn't notice it. Coming out, didn't hurt. It's a sort of balloon thing which they deflate.It just slips out.
No drains. Wound covered in something like duct tape. Soluble stitches.

All I can say is it wasn't half as bad as I expected. Was walking to the day room for lunch on the 3rd day and they let me out a day early on the fourth day.

Mentally, once you resign yourself and go with the flow, it's fine. A bit like being in a rather strict boarding school. I got told off by the anaesthetist for chewing gum. (Rightly so, now I think about it.) But it's not for very long.

HTH - you will feel so much better!

That's a good start, thank you Thyme. I have loads more!
I will have to have an transverse abdominal as I have had so many surgeries I actually had to have my belly button removed. I am officially an alien!
I know from previous surgery that the pain is going to be bad but I can't imagine not being able to move around. I get bad back ache if I sit still for more than an hour? I know you have to rest lots but how soon can you potter, walk around the house, make a sandwich etc? Do you really have to be lying down flat for two weeks?
I use a tens machine when my back hurts and it's brilliant. Would I be able to use that do you think?
I am dreading the hospital stay. I am quite private, especially when I am going to be doubled up trying to shuffle to the toilet.
How on earth do you have a poo? I will buy some of the magic glycerin suppositories but surely you can't push at all?
Oh it is so undignified

Oh, I forgot to say, re pain, I had an epidural, just before the GA. They hook it up afterwards to a painkiller, in my case, fentonyl. You have that for 24 hrs- ish, and then I just took the ibuprofen and paracetamol they doled out. Had a carrier-bagful to take home. What with the pre-filled syringes and a sharps box. Honestly, apart from coughing and laughing in the first week, pain wasn't a problem.

Like you, I hated the idea of a hospital stay. But my circumstances were unusual in that my local hospital had told me my tumour was inoperable, 'just chemo' and when the surgeon at the teaching hospital told me I was already on his list (and that he thought it was benign) he could have said he was going to cut my leg off and I'd have said, 'OK. When?' So I wasn't going to complain about ANYTHING. The only thing that really pissed me off was being given an Alzheimer's test. Apparently, it's routine at a certain age. I was affronted!

I was on a four-bed ward with ensuite. They won't let you out until they're sure everything is working. They give you a stool softener - lactulose - but seemed a bit mean with the suppositories. I'd take some in with you. No, you're not meant to strain. But in the end, something worked. I made a real effort when I got home to try at the same time every day, with a suppository if necessary. Prune juice etc.

When I got home, I was surprised how well I felt. My daughter stayed with me for 2 nights - this is 5th and 6th nights post-op - but she overslept and it was me bringing her a cup of tea in the morning! She lives near, so went home to her own bed and shower and popped in and out. I could make a sandwich, ready meal, cups of tea etc. Didn't need personal care - much to her relief, but a shower, shampoo AND styling my hair, even sitting down, meant a little lie down on the sofa afterwards. Only went to bed during the day for an hour or so's siesta. Stairs not a problem. Watched a lot of box sets, with a clear conscience. Did little walks to the newsagent's.

Had to go back to the hospital at 2 weeks for the checkup. (Usually 6, but this was a cancer facility.) This entailed a trip from the suburbs to the centre of London. Had a cab up, but came home on bus and train with no problems. Felt as if I'd climbed Everest. From then on, could get a bus to local shopping centre, but one shop was enough. And I needed to sit down at the bus stop.

Do you have dc's? I only had to look after myself and could rest whenever I needed. I'm sure that made a lot of difference.

Really don't worry about the catheter, they are really pain free and a god send post surgery!
I started taking peppermint oil 2 weeks before my op and drank loads of peppermint tea too, I haven't really struggled with wind at all, maybe I was lucky but I think it was all the mint! The only day I was really uncomfortable was when I was given lactulose, I hated that, it really upset my tummy I just drank loads of water and ate loads of fruit and raw veg to stop the constipation, also get moving as quick as you can. I was shuffling up and down the hospital corridors as soon as I could

My best purchase was big pants! I got some cheapie primark ones and treated myself to some super soft posh ones from the hysterectomy association shop. I also got only black ones, makes me feel slightly better about wearing granny pants at 42!

And yes, you can potter! It is painful but you just need to keep on top of the pain relief. My back does hurt, especially at night and it's tricky getting comfy in bed sometimes. I 'treated' myself to a new mum pillow set from argos (the irony!) It's been great, it's got a shaped pillow to sit propped up and a wedge which I use to lay on my side at night.

Paris, I am using your 'patient' mantra from now on and will try hard to embrace the boredom, thank-you

Wow, Thyme, just read back and I can see that you really had a scary time before the op. Well done on your recovery.
I don't have young children, just messy teenagers and a DH. They are perfectly able to look after themselves but only by leaving a trail of destruction (this includes DH). I know I am going to find it hard to not follow them around clearing up. Why do men not see the mess! I am someone who cannot sit still for more than 10 mins. How will I cope with that! I am also a coeliac vegetarian so hospital food might be a challenge but I shall go in armed with some rice cakes and make the most of the restricted diet before I get home and spend the next 6-8 weeks pigging out on chocolate. i wonder if the body uses calories to heal? If not then the enforced inactivity must mean that the body needs what, half the normal calories? I did note that a pp said to eat high protein meals so lots of lentils for me then! Actually, since being diagnosed coeliac I have started eating some fish but any attempt to eat meat just makes me gag. I have no morals about being veggie, I just can't stand the thought of eating meat. I can enjoy a fish finger sandwich though gf bread isn't normally big enough or supportive enough for four fish fingers!
I am in denial about the injections. Very glad it is no longer into the tummy - that's just adding insult to injury, literally, but how does one push a needle into ones thigh. I used to have a diabetic cat and I had no problem jabbing him every morning. He would be eating his brekkie and didn't bat an eyelid until the needle got a bit blunt (one lasted the whole week). Why do you have to pinch the thigh (I have plenty that will pinch). How long are these needles and how far do you have to push them in. Why can't they develop a patch of something

How soon do you think it takes to sit up straight. My work involves using a microscope so I am hoping to start back working from home pretty soon after. The only thing is that you need to lean forward slightly and I can imagine this might strain.

Well, the injections have to be sub-cutaneous, or 'sub-cut' as we say in the trade. I think the pinching makes it practically painless. Try to put it in at a right-angle, not slanted. They're only short - about a cm - needles and v fine. Pre-loaded syringes so you don't get to do that flick-flick thing with your fingers.

I was looking at my thighs and they were covered in little bruises. I wondered what on earth they'd been doing to me during surgery, throwing me around on the operating table? Then I realised it was where I'd been pinching. A little too hard, it seems.

Sitting straight could be a problem. I was only really comfortable lying down. Had to limit my computer time. Your back has to do a lot of extra work just to keep you upright, even sitting. But perhaps if you varied your position? Doing anything for long, except lying down, is tiring at first and with me it was always my back that complained first.

Can't help with the diet, but if lentils give you wind, I'd avoid them. It takes time for innards to adjust and you'll be windy enough anyway.

Hope everyone else is doing well? How's the you-know-what, North?

cosmic, just a quickie

I found the pain WORSE at 3 weeks, I think the general anes finally runs out and the real pain kicks in! just take them and dont worry its normal

will read and revert fully to all later!

I am 9 weeks now, and feeling way better but aint doing no star jumps! or heavy lifting.

Oh - and thankyou for the flowers, Mystery!

Turns out I will not be joining you lovely womb-free ladies as my consultant has decided that a hysterectomy would be too risky and would just add to the adhesions on my bowel. My blood tests and my age (48) suggest I am nearly though menopause and any endometriosis will soon shrivel and die along with my ovaries. I do hope he is right. The lower abdominal pain was caused by me lifting heavy buckets of soil at work leading to torn adhesions from previous surgery. I have had this happen before over the years. What has made the pain worse in the last week (to the point that I have nearly ended up in A&E) he thinks was due to the antibiotics I was on for a sinus infection. Apparently they don't lie well with coeliacs. Probably one was influencing the other.
Thanks to this thread I am finding that peppermint oil capsules are very helpful.
If things don't settle then he will reconsider as he said he would relish the challenge of extricating my bits without tearing my bowel and blader to shreds. So, I may be back but,in the meantime, I wish you all a speedy recovery.

Oh well, good news for you and fingers crossed it works out OK with the endo.

I hope other ladies are listening re adhesions and heavy lifting!

Yes, Paris, I think it's easy to underestimate the effects of the anaesthetic. I didn't have a problem with pain, until I tried tailing off the painkillers and then thought perhaps better not. But although I was fine with driving, pain wise, my concentration was all over the place. Took two wrong turns on the way to a friend's. Don't go there often, but never gone wrong before.

mystery, thats good I am sure your consultant know what he is doing. why go through the trauma of surgery if symptoms will abate in time.

intetesting what you say about tummy pains, today I did shopping/library trip with kids (when will I learn!!!), ie heavy lifting. I am at ten weeks and it HURT!!! so no buckets of sand hey.

I remember thyme saying that even years (? right?) later she cant mow the lawn easily. the after effects are more than we think.

No, Paris - it's only (?) nearly 6 months. Sometimes I wake up and it all seems like a dream. Did it really happen? Then I do something I used to do without thinking, and regret it. Mainly stamina. An art exhibition with a friend who reads all the info by the pictures comes to mind.

I can mow the lawn, v light flymo, but sweeping the floor makes my side hurt. And a full shopping trolley is still to be avoided.

I think part of it is being out of shape, tho'.

I'm usually lurking in the relationship threads but found my way here!
I am 44 with one DS who is 4.
I had a keyhole hysterectomy 9 days ago due to heavy periods and CIN 2 on my cervix. I kept my ovaries. I went private through my employer and I was out of hospital within 24 hours of the operation.
The first 2 days were pretty rough with trapped wind and constipation. Peppermint tea and glycerin suppositories soon sorted those out. Sitting down I feel completely normal as if I have had nothing done. I can even sleep on my side again after a week sleeping on my back.
I had to inject blood thinner for a week and wore surgical stockings for a week.
I do tire easily now but honestly feel pretty good. I have 2 small glued cuts on my tummy and a stitch in my belly button.
I have almost completed my first knitting project! Have been eating too much which I need to stop and catching up on lots of TV.
I'm looking forward to no more hideous periods or treatment on my cervix. No regrets from me.

Hi all! Hope all well. Ray gosling welcome and good news that you are doing so well after only 9 days! I'm doing ok. Coming up to 6 weeks on Monday. It's going too fast as enjoying my lazy lazy days a little too much! Am now on season 6 of the office and really don't want to go back to work before I have finished season 9. We have to have goals in life and all that. My lady bits are finally healing although still not back in knickers yet. Sure that day will come .
Does anyone have phantom period pains?? I have been having them over the last couple of days. Odd as have no ovaries.

Wow - Ray - that IS good. But still take it easy. No matter what sort of surgery, there's a lot of internal adjustment that needs to take place and your insides take much longer to heal than external scars. Did your hospital give you an advice sheet?

North - glad to hear things are going well. Finally. No, no phantom pains. Even odder, since you have no uterus. Expect it's muscular. Lifting?

Ah it could be. I am lifting my two stone son as my doc advised that I could from 4 weeks. Could this be it?

welcome Ryan! happy healing, you will see that REST is essential

north I cant beleive its six weeks, that went fast. when are you meant to be back at work? I still GET periods as only had a large lump -that said all pain is periody when its womb related (then again no womb? how?)

thyme, ah that explains it. I know what you mean about being unfit, I used to do gym/running but unfortunately when you have a full time job and 2DC the gym is the first to go. I a load of power walking before the op and massively cut the wine and cigs- but...to no avail!

Now I feel disgusting. some walking and yoga this PM methinks

Hello all, 4 weeks today since my op (tah for anyone new!) Feeling ok but worried I'm developing a fear of venturing outside, has anyone else felt like this? I feel fairly normal just pottering around at home, it's fair to say I'm possibly doing too much at home really but outside I soon feel sore, slightly disoriented/light headed and can't wait to get home My mil is taking me out for tea and cake later, surely that can't be too hard!!!

Hope everyone is doing ok?

cosmic - yes, think I wrote about it upthread. Something about not knowing your new limits and being afraid of suddenly finding you've exceeded them away from home.

I once set off on a fairly minor shopping trip and didn't get further than the bus stop. Back started aching because I had to wait. You're OK at home because there's always a chair or a sofa handy.

It'll pass. At 4 weeks, I went to a friend's house for lunch. Fine, but needed to leave earlier than usual. Just couldn't concentrate on the conversation and it felt like nap-time.

But it'll pass. Yesterday, I cooked Sunday roast for 11. But still not as good at multi-tasking as I used to be. Kept opening cupboards and forgetting what I was looking for. It takes time. And I'm not as knackered today as I thought I'd be.

Tea and cake sounds just right for 4 weeks.