Hysterectomy recovery. How long roughly?

[Pyjamaface]

I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer at the beginning of November. Thankfully, they are confident they have removed it all during a Lletz and was stage 1a1. Because of remaining high risk cells up to the margins, I opted for a hysterectomy.

I've just had my surgery date confirmed as 8th December which is very close to christmas obviously! The plan is for a keyhole surgery which should have a quicker recovery but information I'm finding is saying at least 4 weeks.

Actual planning of christmas, wrapping, shopping etc, I'm not worried about as DP can handle all that but will I be able to be up and joining in with christmas day? Even if it's in a granny style nightie and big knickers or should I just order stuff to make my bed as luxurious as possible?

I had open surgery and was 'ok' by week 4 just a little slow.

Oh that sounds rough. I'm really only aiming to make it to the sofa so I can do presents and zoom calls with family but maybe I'll need to plan for otherwise.

How was your recovery generally? I'm expecting to be tired and sore but in my optimism, I haven't really thought about it too much

Had keyhole, was driving 2 weeks later and walking the dogs just fine.

That's more promising

I dont need to be driving or anything, just being out of bed and joining in will be enough for me

You should definitely be up and able to join in with the family after a week or less. If your partner is doing all housework/cooking etc. you will be fine.
You shouldn't lift more than a mug of tea for the first week or so and gradually increase activity until driving and hoovering etc. by six weeks. You will probably feel more tired than normal. Standard painkillers should keep any pain at bay.
It could be anything from six weeks to three to four months before you feel 100% back to normal and don't lift anything too heavy until recovered.

Awesome.

Yeah, DP (and DS) have said they have everything covered so all I have to do is drink tea and direct them as needed.

I'm quite looking forward to no housework for a while, even of it's a drastic way to go about it

You should be ok, just things like lifting the turkey etc you will need help with

I had open and was fine within 2 weeks. I was discharged after one night. I just walked as much as I was allowed and that made such a difference to my recovery.

I have to be at the hospital at 7am as they want me to be first on the list and home again the same day so fingers crossed it works out.

I can do drinking tea, little walks and naps. Just as long as I'm not trapped in my bed over christmas

My hysterectomy was 14th December. 2 nights as inpatient.
My Birthday was 19th & we actually went out to lunch . Christmas Day felt fine , a little tired but husband did all the cooking.Kids washed up

I had a hystectomy a few years ago. I was off week for six weeks.

The first couple of weeks were the worst, due to recovering from the anaesthetic, (and constipation!). After that, felt better. Just had to be careful - no heavy lifting, ironing, hoovering etc. I could cook if I was careful.

Walks i slowly built up and listened to my body.

I think if you have your op on 8th you will be fine for 25th. You may not be fully operational, but you/will be able to join in the festivities. It’s like like having a hysterectomy of the past.

(Incidently, make sure you have lactulose, peppermint tea, jelly babies etc for the constipation and wind. It’s the worst part!).

Not like hystectomy of the past!

Oh bonus! An excuse to eat all the jelly babies!

I had keyhole on a Friday afternoon and was discharged on the Saturday evening. My husband was working that night so my mum stayed with me and I tried desperately to stay awake until he got home, but ended up dozing off at about 2.45am, 15 minutes before he walked through the door. I woke up again at 5.30am to find him in bed next to me and I gave him a nudge. His first words to me were "I brought you a kebab home - it's in the fridge" and I forgot I had just had surgery and leapt out of bed to run and go and get it. The pain caught up with me just as I opened the fridge door, but wasn't bad enough to stop me from devouring the whole cold, claggy mess from the comfort of my bed by 5.45am!

By Monday lunchtime I was sat in a friend's garden with my feet in a paddling pool whilst her husband cooked a BBQ. I got there and back in her car with a pillow between my wounds and the seatbelt.

By Thursday I was able to make the 10 minute walk into our town centre with my husband and enjoy a hot chocolate sat outside Costa whilst he got a haircut.

After two weeks I could have happily returned to work, but ended up having a further week off as I came down with tonsillitis.

Overall, I found the whole experience to be nowhere near as bad as I was expecting. I was discharged from the hospital with Tramadol and a whole bag of other pain relief, but I couldn't tell you what any of it was as I was fine on two OTC ibuprofen tablets regularly for the first three days and I didn't need anything at all after that.

The only thing I wouldn't recommend is drinking two glasses of wine within 48 hours of the anaesthetic. I have never known a headache like it in my entire life and hope never to know one again!

Good luck with your surgery, hopefully all will be fine but feel free to PM me if you have any questions or want to talk.

Dont tell DP hes allowed in the bed, we decided I could have it all to myself for a few days

I'm just back from my last ever Lletz (fingers crossed, Covid dependant and all that) and I am very happy I won't need one if them ever again

Ssssh. I won't tell him!

To be honest I liked having DH in the bed straight after my op because he sleeps the sleep of the dead and I knew I had no chance of waking him up if I needed anything and he was sleeping anywhere other than just beside me. I can understand though that other people might be physically uncomfortable and prefer not to have a snoring lump moving around next to them less than 48 hours after surgery.

DH wasn't so impressed with the bed sharing when I woke him up at 5am on the Monday morning to tell him I'd successfully been for a poo. 😂

Oh and @Pyjamaface if I can give you one more bit of advice, it would be to stay off the "Hyster Sisters" website/forum. I scared myself silly reading the chat on there before I had my op!

I half want to go look now I will save it til afterwards

Good luck OP. I am having mine 10th December so found this post very useful.

Good luck to you as well @Butterbeeen

I milked the ‘can’t do the hoovering’ for ages’!

I was pleased to see this thread as I am having mine on 9 December. Unfortunately mine isnt keyhole though, but I have been told I may be able to come home the next day as long as I can eat, drink, and fart! 🤭 I hope it goes well for you OP and other posters who are having the same.

Spoke to my surgeon earlier and just had my pre-op call, not a day case now but should only be 1 night so DP will get the bed to himself before he gets relegated to the sofa.

Blood tests tomorrow. Covid test on Saturday and then isolating. Also have the joy of not 1, but 2 enemas! I doubt they'll be needed as I'm going to be a bag of nerves on Monday 😂

Also, I know they have to, but I really wish they would stop telling me exactly what they are going to do/are doing. It grosses me out and I trust that they know what they're doing so I dont need to know.

Good luck @Tinkerbellflowers. Fingers crossed we all get a nice, chilled christmas with no hoovering!

I hope you're okay OP!

How are you OP? Are you still in hospital? I had mine today, and I can't sleep. In a lot of pain.