I’ve been offered a hysterectomy

[rainsbows]

I’d love to hear other women’s experiences. I’m only 37 but have three children. I have adenomyosis causing heavy painful periods and I also have short cycles. I’ve tried the mirena but bled constantly and I can’t take combined pills. I’m much better mentally without hormonal meds. I take mefenamic acid to help stem the flow.

Anyway…. Yesterday I saw a gynae consultant and she straight away offered me a keyhole hysterectomy, keeping ovaries and cervix.

I feel it’s so… final. Even though I’m done having kids.

Is the recovery horrendous? I’m on all ears please

My friend has just had this very procedure, I went to see her at home on day 4, she was very tired and a bit sore. Visited again on day 15, she was bored being stuck at home and moving about freely though being careful what she picked up, her children are adults though. She isn’t especially fit but is recovering very well and will probably be back at work week 6 after her op.

I totally understand but, honestly, you will feel so much better.

Well I’m going to call my gynaecologist’s office tomorrow and ask to be out on the list. I’d like to keep my ovaries and cervix so I think I’m looking at laparoscopic.

Good luck! My gynaecologist said it depends on the size of your uterus whether it can be keyhole or open.

Thank you, yes that’s what I read too. AFAIK mine is not enlarged and fibroids are small, but we’ll see.

My fibroids were so huge and both inside and outside the uterus I have a vertical scar about 6" long.

Of course you deserve/need it @rainsbows! Your life is affected in a negative way! I was just sharing my history and wondering if anyone had any advice 😊 I really hope you go for it! X

Thank you!

I have another appt with a different dr next Wednesday, if they don’t listen or refer me to gynae I will look into going private.

That is not correct. You do bleed after a hysterectomy and will need pads. It can last up to six weeks.

Yes - make sure you take pads with you to the hospital.

In my experience the bleeding was light, increasing on exertion, and tailed off after five or six weeks.

I didn't have any bleeding after a full hysterectomy done by incision.

I didn't have any bleeding either

It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m free of periods, pain, aches, cramps, I can have carefree sex, sex feels better. I wish all women were offered it after kids. It’s so freeing
OP was fine and I had full abdominal.
Kept ovaries so hormones intact, no loss of “youth”

edit to add: you’ll still have a tiny bit of spotting from your cervix every month so you’ll still see the cycle. And still get pmt at the usual time because of ovaries.
basically you’re losing all the shit

I don't think I did either. Maybe the first couple of days in hospital but not when I come out. Full hysterectomy with an incision.

I didn't get any spotting.

Maybe spotting is the wrong word, I get pink toilet paper when I wipe for one day a month. They said because the cervix still gets a tiny bit of menstrual lining on it.

I didn't get that either. Maybe because I had my ovaries removed at the same time. No pms, mood swings, nothing.

Oh right yes of course if you had ovaries removed you won’t get it. No hormones, no eggs released, no cycle.
If you keep ovaries then it all carries on as normal except egg has nowhere to go so gets absorbed in body and no womb lining coming away. But hormones still run through the cycle every month.

Hi. I’m having some gynae issues and have struggled all my life with periods and pain and everything else. I’m going private to see gynae and get an ultrasound to see what is going on. I’ve got a growth on my cervix but also have increasing flooding, bloating and pain between periods. I don’t know if I’ll be offered a hysterectomy but at 43 it may be an option.

ive got worried about prolapses and bladder issues. My mum had friends that had hysterectomies that then ended up with bladder slings and mesh and the missing uterus meant things slipped? No one has mentioned that so I’m guessing it isn’t the big issue i thought it was?

I was a bit older than you but the feeling of freedom was wonderful and I have never regretted it. I decided to have my ovaries removed and was prescribed oestrogen HRT immediately afterwards which was gradually reduced to the lowest dose. I had a vertical incision due to a huge fibroid but even so, I recovered well and could easily have gone back to work after 6 weeks, but I swung the lead and had 3 lovely months off! Do it- you won't regret it.

I was told it was a risk if you have cervix removed.

I had vertical incision too and I healed much quicker than my sections as the wound wasn’t hidden under my belly haha.

Yes that's probably why I healed quickly too! No overhang!

My incision was horizontal due to size of the uterus with fibroid. It looks pretty awful 😬

Hi, sorry to hijack your thread @rainsbows but I’ve come have as had some developments and would appreciate any thoughts or advice. After six weeks of heavy bleeding my Hb had dropped to 98 (surprisingly not too bad) and I agreed with my surgeon that hysterectomy was the only way forward. I’ve since had a contrast MRI and all looks ok, no evidence of endo or adeno, just two submucosal fibroids, one which has grown 0.3cm (despite the medical management). The bleeding is now unstable, not controlled by Prostap so I’m now having 15mg norethisterone daily as well, plus on Evorel conti patches. It’s a lot of drugs!

I will be keeping my ovaries, but the options are:

laparoscopic total
open subtotal (ie 5cm ish incision to remove uterus).

I feel quite attached to my cervix but the shorter recovery of laparoscopic and no incision is probably more important.

Thoughts welcome!