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).

I'm not a needle fan, and have to look the other way, and talk about nonsense to distract myself whenever needles are involved. Which does NOT bode well for self-injection!

@yoshimi - the diagrams didn't bother me, because it was so abstract, but arriving in the anaesthetic room really set me off. It was suddenly real. Luckily, the anaesthetist was happy to indulge in nonsense chat - I seem to remember discussing what I like to put in an omelette as the lights went out! Anyway, good luck for the 26th - not long now.

@YogiBear19 - you poor thing. My only suggestion is to try and get yourself as healthy as you can beforehand. Eat good food, drink lots of fluid, and go to the GP for some short-term sleeping tabs, as you really do need sleep to repair yourself. Hope you can get a relative or friend to stay over for a few days post op, and your kids can step up and help out at home - I know they're young, but they can tidy up and do a few chores. Failing that, if they are going to be more of a hindrance maybe see if someone will have them for a short sleepover so you get some rest from parenting and the school run. Most people will help out if you ask.

mumma sorry I must have missed your post. Hope you are feeling better. I was also given two lots of antibiotics as a precaution as I had a return to theatre. They are quite a strong combo so hopefully they will clear the infection.

yogi and yoshmi good luck with your surgeries. Try to get as much support round you as possible. Get the kids to muck in where they can.
I pre made and froze some meals which could be popped into the oven and made the house tidy enough before I went in.
Post surgery, I've walked and gradually increased my stamina as I felt better. I'm 5 weeks post op and there are some things like pushing a supermarket trolley which I am avoiding. If I need to lift I'm doing so very carefully and not lifting too much. I use a small water bottle to fill a pan for cooking rather than lift the pan etc.

I didn't get shown any diagrams pre op but maybe that was no bad thing.

I was pleased to close the lid on the yellow bin once the injections were done.
cointreau do you think you would rather a family member do them for you?

Well, I'm home. A bit later than planned, because my blood pressure dropped yesterday evening,so they had to put me on a drip and test my blood pressure hourly throughout the night. So I didn't get a lot of sleep. The extra fluids did the trick, though. DH and DD2 came to collect me this evening, and it took me ages to hobble out of the hospital - I felt like a little old lady.

The good new is, I managed to "man up" and do my own injection, but boy is it ouchy!

I wasn't given any antibiotics, which surprised me. Just lactulose, blood thinners and codeine (which I'm avoiding as much as I can).

Feels very odd to be sitting on the sofa while DH loads the dishwasher on his own. I'm normally buzzing about doing stuff.

@catnidge have you already had your follow up appointment where they discuss the pathology of the tumour?

How is everyone going? cointreaversialand others who have to do injections, I don't want you.
I'm on, um, day 19 post op I believe.
Pain ok but fatigue is incredible.
Internal Infection still raging. GP incredulous that surgeon didn't give me antibiotics post op so I only started these day 13. Feel like I'm leaking poison although TMI the vile smell has gone so there is definitely an improvement.
Hope everyone can get some rest over the weekend.

*don't ENVY you

cointreau bet it feels good to be home! Hopefully you will sleep much better tonight. Take it easy, it's hard to sit and watch but definitely don't do anything yet.

The injections do sting a bit. That's one down though. I think I only got antibiotics because of my return to theatre.

Five weeks on and I'm constipated so upping my lactolose and took a sennakot last night. I don't feel ready for any straining

I've got my histology appt in Tuesday. I had a complex cyst removed too so will get results on that too. My gut feeling is that Ive stayed stage 1 grade 1.

My DH wanted me to chase it up but I just didn't feel ready to hear about it. I had a look on the mcmillian womb cancer forum and people seem to wait varying times for their histology. I was told 6 weeks is the norm where I am.

@catnidge - not long to wait now. My consultant said it would be "a couple of weeks", although she was pretty sure mine was stage 1 grade 1 too.

@Mummaofmytribe - what was the first sign/symptom that you had caught an infection? I'm paranoid!

cointreauversial I had no bleeding or discharge at all initially which surprised me. Day 11 I was sitting thinking God I can smell something like a really old lady. It's like great nan's room. Sorry TMI ....I realised the vile smell was coming from ME! I was mortified.
Of course this was a Saturday morning so had to wait till Monday to see GP.
She was stunned that I hadn't been given a short course of antibiotics post op as this is apparently standard.
So my advice would be ask your surgeon if you will be given antibiotics automatically.
I'm gradually improving, but it's annoying as I'm sure it's contributing to the fatigue as it's pretty bad and must be using precious energy to fight it.
All my external wounds are healing perfectly.
So yes, do ask about precautionary antibiotics.

mumma sorry to hear you are still feeling rough. When I was in hospital I smelled a horrible rotting smell and realised it was me! Hope the antibiotics work fast.
cointreau definitely ask about the antibiotics.
I really notice reading through the thread how different everyone's experiences are in terms of pre op adivice, medication given etc.
I was given no recovery info at all.
Ii understand we are all treated individually case by case but am surpurised by the lack of information given to me.

cointreau that's fast for your histology. Will that be a letter or follow up appt?
I did receive a letter outlining the op. It said my womb was 18 week pregnacy size. After the op the consultant said my womb was bulkier than expected. I think this possibiilly contributed to post op the intra abdominal haemorrhage.

Morning everyone!
After waiting ages for surgery confirmation I’ve been given a date and had pre-op on Monday. But I still haven’t had a letter to confirm with the time etc... they said I should get it as soon as bloods were checked... am starting to panic now that the date might slip... will call admissions on Monday if I don’t get the letter then... date is following Tuesday... feel in danger of anxiety spiralling after keeping calm for so long!
Sorry- just needed to let that out!
Hope you all had decent weekends. Am tackling the garden today as no rain 🍃 🍂

@yoshimi - no reason to suspect your date will slip, if they've done all the pre-op. I suffered huge anxieties in the days before my op, mainly I was paranoid I was going to catch a cold, as just about everyone seems to have one at the moment. But I suppose I had two things in my favour - going private, and having an "emergency" reason for the hysterectomy (i.e. cancer). Try not to worry....

Antibiotics weren't mentioned - I wish I'd asked about it while I was still in hospital. I don't think it was a mistake, though - perhaps they only prescribe them if there's a particular risk? DS had an appendectomy last month (we now have matching scars!) and he was given antibiotics but no blood-thinning stuff, whereas you'd think they'd be similar in terms of follow-up care.

I haven't had any discharge at all; will watch out for nasty niffs.....Surgeon did say there was no bleeding at all during my op.

Anyway, first night at home went well - except DM phoned from Sydney at 7.30am having got the time difference wrong, and woke me up. I look about three months pregnant, and am chugging lactulose in an effort to get things, er, moving. I've just done my abdominal exercises and am chilling on the sofa, watching DH scurrying round with baskets of laundry. Not in any pain, though.

Thanks for the reassurance Cointreau! I think part of the worry is that they kept saying surgery would be super quick (cancer too) and every week that passes I worry that it’ll get bigger- although it should still be tiny. I was told I will be given precautionary antibiotics during surgery (phew!)

@Crazyladee - how are you getting on?

Hi Im fine thank you @cointreauVersial

Total laparoscopic op went ahead on Wednesday afternoon. I was actually on the morning list so was told to get to hospital at 7.30am but didn't get sent to theatre til 2.30pm as there were a few emergencies that came in.
Op went well and I was sent home last night. I was ready for coming home as its impossible to sleep on the ward. Feeling OK but a little wobbly. Pain manageable with Dihydrocodeine etc.
Started taking HRT today.

yoshmi mine was cancer too and I didnt always get letters. I think the NHS can't keep up pace with the letters!
Try not to worry too much about time. I was diagnosed on the 9th September and had surgery on 10th October. This is considered super quick for the NHS, waiting lists for hysterectomy are pretty long. I understand how worrying it is though, the closer I got to my surgery the more stressed I felt!

cointreau I wonder if you had iv antibiotics in hospital. Its only because yoshmi mentioned them that I remembered I had iv antibiotics in hospital as well.

crazyladee, hospitals certainly aren't places of rest, I wonder if anyone sleeps whilst there.
Good luck with the hrt.

Just read some more posts. I didn't have any antibiotics post surgery but the pain in the shoulder is definately not a myth! I felt like I had been in a fight as all my shoulder and collarbone area was very sore. Okay now though. I'm getting DH to do my injections as I don't like needles. Boy it stings!

I'm finding that I'm doing things that I probably shouldn't be doing like I found myself loading the dishwasher yesterday. I'm lucky, I don't have any young kids at home anymore and DH is around a lot during the day but it's just I find I'm doing things without thinking.

I spent an enjoyable day yesterday snuggled on the sofa with my dogs watching chick flicks. Today will probably be more of the same. I'm up and dressed in a cozy loungewear tracksuit and managed to wash my hair yesterday as it was minging.

At what stage did people venture out of the house for a gentle walk etc? (I'm 4 days post surgery) what was everyone else doing at my stage?

Sorry, am behind. Crazyladee I started walking outside around day 4 and built up gently.Go steady with the dishwasher, the bottom rack is not great and you don’t realise at the time as can hurt later or the next day. If you are going to do it I suggest kneeling then moving things up onto worksurface one item at a time (or handful of cutlery), then stand and put them into final places.

Crazyladee - don't overdo it! Very easy to get sucked back into doing chores. Luckily my lot are being very helpful, even though it's usually me cooking meals and doing laundry etc. And thank heavens we have a cleaner.

I left the house yesterday, just a little trip in the car with DH to pick up some cakes. A short wander along the aisles of the local mini-Waitrose was quite enough excitement for Day 2!

I may have had an antibiotics jab in the hospital, but I don't remember it. All seems to be healing OK at the moment, although I haven't yet peeped under my dressings (they suggested changing them after 4-5 days). The bloating is slowly dispersing, and I'm not needing codeine any more. My main issue at the moment is I feel really down in the dumps, as I'm just not used to sitting around doing nothing, and I hate feeling like an invalid. And I rather irrationally miss my dear old uterus, which did sterling service, right up to the point where it grew a tumour.

It's funny you were told that as they took my dressings off while I was in hospital as they said they would heal quicker without them.

I know what you mean about missing your uterus. I wondered whether I would feel sad and not a woman anymore etc but I actually feel relief and regard it as my woman's bits as the antichrist leaving my body. I feel quite happy taking it easy for a change and being able to put my feet up.

Season 3 of The Crown started yesterday so I spent an enjoyable day binge watching my way through that.

Have you started HRT yet, Cointreau?

No need for HRT, Crazyladee - even though I'm only 52 I went through the menopause (without any drama or hot flushes) at 46.

The nurse from the hospital phoned yesterday to check how I'm doing, and repeated that I should leave the dressings on until Day 5 (tomorrow).

Pain is definitely diminishing; I have given up the painkillers and I can now sleep on my side again, although there's a definite "twinge" when I move. I can see this is when I'm likely to injure myself by doing too much when I haven't healed but it doesn't hurt so much. But I still feel weak as a kitten - I've been sitting at the kitchen table MNing for only half an hour, and I just want to lie down. My tummy is less swollen, but is one massive bruise.

@catnidge - thinking of you today. Hope your histology appointment goes well, and the news is reassuring.

@Crazyladee - are you feeling OK?

I'm good, pain is much reduced, unless I change position too quickly. I took my dressings off this morning in the shower - the wound inside my belly button is a bit gungy (sorry, TMI), so I've left the dressings off, and I'm contemplating a blast of Savlon spray. The other two wounds look great. Taking the dressings off did make me come over all "peculiar" and I had to very swiftly lie down! I still feel so weak and nauseous if I stay upright for too long. But I need to tell myself I had major surgery five days ago.

Thinking of you today Catnidge.

Fingers crossed for today catnidge.

I'm finding I have days that are better than others. Today, I don't feel so good. I've had a shower and then hopped back into bed. I just feel a bit lightheaded and I have dull achy pains in my tummy. I have been to the loo for an number 2 this morning (so sorry for the TMI) so DH thinks it could be something to do with that.

Just out of interest, how long has everyone had/having off work? I'm a self employed carer and my service users were due back with me today, 6 days post op. I've had to extend my leave until Monday as I really don't feel up to it yet. If I can't fully look after myself I can hardly do my job! Lol

@Crazyladee - that sounds WAY too soon to be back at work as a carer! Is it a very physical role? Lifting? Changing beds etc? If so, you need to be very careful.

I've been signed off for 6 weeks, which is frankly overkill, as I have a sedentary office job that I can even do from home if necessary. I don't expect to be off for more than 2 or 3 weeks, assuming recovery continues to be straightforward. But I am on full pay throughout that time; very different being self-employed.

@Mummaofmytribe - is your infection reducing now?

Hi cointreau, post and crazy. Thanks for thinking of me today. All went well, no change in grade or stage so no radiotherapy required. I'm very relieved.
I had a vault smear, which was a bit unexpected. I had a lot of layers of clothing to remove My internal stitches haven't dissolved yet! To be honest I haven't really thought about what I can't see but it did give me a reminder of being careful physically.
Will get info re genetic testing.
Next appt 4 months.

I've been signed off for 8 weeks as post op haemorrhage set me back a bit.

crazy, would you be able to delay going back any further?

cointreau I felt light headed for about 2 weeks Are you taking iron supplements?