Hysterectomy.

[Beanfield]

Hurrah and Hallelujah. My uterus has been given an eviction notice!

30 years of being a complete bitch. Let me down twice (miscarriage and ectopic). Did what it should do twice (2 grown up DDs). Never officially diagnosed with anything but suggestions have been PCOS and endometriosis. 30 solid years of hideous periods. 30 years of being fobbed off by assorted GPs who told me it was normal to faint, vomit, incapacitate and take over my life for one out of every three or four weeks.
It’s got to the point where my cycles are just 18-20 days long, I bleed huge amounts for 5 days (emptying cup every 2 hours), overflowing, clots. Light bleeding on and off for a further 4 days. Bleeding on and off randomly mid-cycle. Puking and dizzy. Period diarrhoea, excruciating, labour style pain. Another 3 days of pain while i ovulate plus bleeding then too.
Tried everything. Mirena - I bled for 8 months then it fell out. Painfully. Pill - unhinged. Drugs - I’m allergic to the good ones and the others don’t work so well. Herbs, flowers, tea, homeopathy, diet - all bollox.

Finally saw a Dr who actually listened and agreed to whip the bugger out. Not sure how yet as apparently it's ‘bulky’ (like the rest of me) so need a scan to see how big it is. Also waiting on smear results and endometrial biopsy (which hurt like a bastard and is still hurting 4 days later).

Yes Monty I was told I would need HRT as the removal of my ovaries would put me into surgical menopause.

I can’t help re surgeon-sorry-it is carried out by our gynaecologist in the UK generally and we don’t really get a choice who we are assigned to for our treatment and subsequent op (although my initial man one was horrible so I did manage to change to a more sympathetic lady gynaecologist 2 years ago).

Maybe you could try here if you aren’t UK.
www.hystersisters.com

Thanks for replying about the zoladex even if you dont know the answer. I'm getting a little nervous about my surgery even though it is still 6 weeks away :/

Glad you’re feeling better Imacliche

Macaroon that’s great to hear. Im hoping against hope that happens to me although it might be better if I put down the gin bottle.

I have my pre op tomorrow which I am weirdly excited about. Although I am just about to start another murder scene period so hopefully they won’t need to go near my nethers. I’m excited I suppose because it’s a step closer and I may find out my date.

My hysterectomy was laparoscopic, vaginally assisted, seven weeks ago. I was already off work when I had the op, due to cervical cancer, but had no problem getting my sick line extended. It's up in two weeks, when I'll be nine weeks post op. I think I'll go back then.

Realistically, I've been feeling physically quite well for two weeks now, and could have gone back to work on reduced duties then. But I'm struggling a bit emotionally, and have taken this time to recover from the experience of cancer, as well as the hysterectomy.

Megan pre op is one step closer! I can’t remember who posted this but I saved the link www.hysterectomy-association.org.uk/faq/hysterectomy-hospital-bag-your-suggesting-packing-list-for-hospital/

Appin I’m sure the drs happily extended given your circumstances, it’s a lot to go through when you have so much more than the physical effects of an op to deal with glad you are feeling physically okay.

I can’t fathom how long to tell work I may be off for.

If it helps, my consultant advised 6-8 weeks was the standard recovery time. I'd say my physical experience matches that. A phased return would be beneficial though, as I'm still very tired.

Hello- thought I'd pop back and tell you about my healing now I'm nearly 6 weeks post-op. I hope this is reassuring. Honestly I'm so glad I did it!

I had a total abdominal hysterectomy, but kept my ovaries, on 22 January and went home three days later. Pain in hospital was pretty bad, but by the time I was home it was under control with ibuprofen. My operation was by all accounts hard work- they eventually wrestled out 1.2 kg of bloated, fibroid-infested womb etc.

I deliberately ate as much fruit and veg as I could to avoid constipation and with the laxatives they gave me in hospital that worked well.

Had staples out on day 7, no problem with that, though I was scared beforehand as the hospital had sent me home with a terrifying object to give to my GP nurse to remove them. 5 weeks on, my scar is a very neat, thin red line. I have been moisturising it but not with anything special. I don't have any numbness on the skin and I have worn normal pants a few times, though for comfort I'm mostly still in my Bridget Joneses. My tummy is still a bit swollen, but that's partly because I could lose a stone or two, I think. There's definitely less of me round the waist though.

I was careful not to lift much and mostly rested for two or three weeks, but then I started feeling better and was able to do some housework, including washing and washing up, though my DH was touchingly cross whenever I found I had done too much too soon.

I flew to France and back at week 4, after taking an aspirin a day for a week on the advice of one of the hospital nurses- to prevent DVT.

Since week 4 I have been walking proper distances, over 5 miles on several days. I had my signing off meeting with my consultant at week 5, and he said I can now do 'anything I like', so I'm going back to work tomorrow. He said I could bounce on a trampoline if I wanted to. (I don't just yet!).

Consultant recommended Pilates or yoga to encourage the internal scar tissue to become stretchy, so I did my first class (sticking to the easiest levels) on Saturday. It felt great. I've downloaded the NHS Squeezy app which reminds you to do pelvic floor exercises.

Feel free to ask me anything!

Hey Fanny good to hear from you. I’m 4 weeks behind you on exactly the same op (including the wrestling to remove things😂) so it is really good to hear that you are doing so well.

I am on Zoladex to try and shrink my fibroids - had the second injection on Friday - no symptoms to report apart from sometimes being a bit hot at night. Although my period is now in its third week (only a dribble though) but this started the week after my first injection and they do say it takes a couple of months for the meds to work.

Thoroughly fed up as Consultant will not do a hysterectomy because of my BMI - she says its too high for a safe hysterectomy - but if I had cancer she would do it! I am also 53 which means I "should" be in menopause - but I am far from it!

I don't understand the logic - yes, I get cancer is life-threatening, but my life is miserable with these bloody things which are multiple and huge.

I have literally had all the treatments they can throw at me - northisterone, esmya, now Zoladex. I have had hysteroscopies, biopsies, a couple of fibroids removed, anaemia (almost to the level where I would need a blood transfusion), periods so heavy I cannot leave the house and can go through a pad in 15 minutes on a bad day. But surely my mental health is just as important?

Anyway, will be joining Slimming World with the aim of losing a couple of stone before I see them again in August and see if I can persuade them to do something a bit more radical.

Hey-ho - hopefully the Zoladex will kick in and I will be on here moaning about menopause symptoms!

Good to hear you’re feeling well Fanny! Thanks for a detailed account.

Jappydooda that sounds frustrating. Hopefully the zoladex will help and good luck with slimming world.

So I had my pre op today and have been given a provisional date of the 9th April. I was expecting it to be a lot later than that, it’s only 8 weeks from joining the waiting list. My boss is not happy, we were expecting 3-4 months and he has me booked up for things he is now going to have to rearrange. He says not to worry and we’ll manage but I am now pretty stressed about it. It’s a small company, I have only been there 4 months and I feel like I have royally shafted them.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I’m thrilled it’s so quick but it’s also put me in a bit of a difficult position.

High five macaroon !

Wow Fanny sounds like you have had a smooth road to recovery, glad you are doing so well.

Appin thanks, I will warn them I won’t be rushing back. Hope the tiredness eases soon for you.

Megan don’t stress, they will just have to get in with it. It’s nice your boss has said not to worry. It would be way worse if he was being an arse about it.

Jappy I hope the symptoms don’t get too much worse, good luck with slimming world.

Had a call last night asking if I could attend an appointment today to see consultant and have a pre op.
Provisional date of 15th March

Oh Stripes great news, though I imagine a bit nervewracking to say the least. Fanny holiday on week 4 is very encouraging, thanks for sharing that.

Jappy sympathies. I had to lose weight for a gallbladder removal so understand how you feel to an extent. Can I share what I did in case it helps? I spent years doing SW and WW and was always on or off a diet and realised basically they had failed and I needed a new approach. Very sceptically bought a Fitbit and forked out £30 for a year for Nitracheck which is a calorie counter but pretty user friendly and suggests portion size which I found helpful.

Nothing was banned, I ate what I wanted and tried to break the cycle of good v bad foods, not letting a day that wentba nit pear shaped ruin the work I’d put in, basically KOKO - keep on keeping on. To start with I aimed to eat 7k calories less than I burned each week and would do it on a weekly basis which allowed flexibility when needed. Started doing Leslie Sansone walking videos off YouTube . There’s a 5 min one and a 15 min one and would donwhilst kettle boiled or rice boiled. Gradually as I lost I became fitter and could do more.

Kept chipping away and was at my target of BMI under 35 a couple of weeks before my pre op so worked well. Carried on after that and have lost about 6.5 stone in total. Was 7.5 but put a bit back on that will get off again. I’m still knackered a lot of the time but do feel a lot better than before. Hope there’s something in there that might help a little.

Ultrasound for me next week than back to Consultant in 2 weeks. Am really hoping there is something in ovaries to explain the bleeding. Period here, really light so far but I get that, day 3 goes pear shaped and then it doesn’t stop for days. However I hope each time this is the one that will be different and I do know that keyhole hysterectomy now an option which is a definite improvement to where I was before.

Oh Stripes that’s great news - so a week today hopefully? Fingers crossed all goes well with your appointments today.

Hey. Hows everyone keeping. Haven't had chance to read through as I'm currently pretty ill. Felt lousy for a couple of days. Was healing nicely walking about pain had mostly subsided by last weekend. Then suddenly Monday Tuesday started getting bad pains again. Finally this morning after waking up feeling absolutley horrendous went to the drs. Ive been put on cephalexin for a week. Rather bumped up dose for what the dr thinks is a kidney infection if i feel any worse tonight or over the weekend have to ring out of hours straight away incase its something more sinister. Currently sat shivering and sweating with immense pain and all i want to do is sleep.

Hey Imacliche, sorry to hear you’re not doing so well. Are you seeing any improvement today, now you are on meds? Hope so.

Thanks macaroon. Yeah slight improvement on yesterday and the few days previous. Still not great but feel like im heading in the right direction. Have had 5 doses already so hopefully after the weekend I will be like a new woman

Just wanted to say a big thank you to you all. I'm going in tomorrow for a hysterectomy, hopefully laparoscopically, due to C section scar tissue. I've been twitchy about it, but so glad I found this thread. So many practical tips and encouraging recovery stories, it's been reassuring.

Hope you're feeling better Cliche

Imacliche sorry to hear you have been suffering, how are you feeling now? Hope you are starting to feel a lot better

Foo2 i hope it all goes well, come back and let us know how you are doing. I am having mine a week tomorrow so this time next week I will be feeling like you are now!! (If they don’t change my date....again)

post wow at the 6.5 lost-that is amazing! Hope U/S is ok and shows something up that explains it & that they can fix for you.

Good luck foo.
Erm quick question. Should I be concerned (tmi warning) Ive started bleeding. Its a fair bit more than spotting and Ive got an awful lot of pain with it. Dont fancy bothering the drs again if its normal. Id say its probably about the same amount as a period. Maybe a bit more. Been constant since yesterday morning.

Minor update. will be ringing gynae ward where I had my op. I think ive sourced the issue. I think theres a tear in the internal stitches...pretty sure i felt a hole and a whole heap of blood just came out. Also the pain is pretty bad.

Oh god Imacliche that sounds awful! I hope they tell you to come in so someone can examine you and see what’s what. Let us know how you get on.

Yep got to go down as soon as i can. Hoping it's nothing. Just trying to arrange childcare now.