Hysterectomy (continued)

[CointreauVersial]

Following on from this thread - continuing our hysterectomy chat, support and sharing of experiences.

Cointreau- sorry to hear about the radiotherapy! But glad the consultant was lovely and helpful. I’ve been told I should get my histology results next Thursday...

Am still sat in hospital as I keep throwing up.
Hoping to get out soon!! Feel weak from lack of sleep and food! Not looking forward to the journey but it will be so lovely to have my own bed...

@CointreauVersial, how are you feeling? I'm sorry to hear you need more treatment, must have been a shock. Do you know when the radiotherapy will start and how many sessions you will need?
Good news about your trip though, so that's something good to look forward to.

@yoshimi, sorry to hear you are still throwing up. I puked quite a few times and didn't really get my appetite until about 4 days post surgery. I nibbled on grapes which I could just about keep down. Hope you are released soon.

Thanks both. Yes, it was a bit of a shock, because I had convinced myself the op would be the end of it, but hey ho. It's mainly preventative. No idea when/how the radiotherapy will happen - I've been referred to an oncologist so should hear details soon. I believe there's an initial long appointment to agree a plan and do various tests/measurements, then the actual radiotherapy soon after that. But Christmas is coming.....do these things still happen over Christmas?

I feel physically pretty good; pain totally gone, but I'm just overcome by general weariness whenever I do anything too active (the anaemia isn't helping). But I'm forcing myself to do as little as possible - this time 3 days ago I was lying on the bathroom floor in a lake of blood waiting for an ambulance. I Am Not Superwoman.

@yoshimi - sorry to hear about the nausea. Not a side effect I suffered, luckily, although I didn't have much appetite for a while. Now, I'm munching all sorts of rubbish. Hope you feel better, once the anaesthetic works its way out of your system (try to drink loads of water), and you get home soon. Are they giving you the lovely blood thinner jabs?

Hurrah- home now and had blissful night’s sleep in my own bed! Feel sore and tired but so much happier. Am not a good patient.

I regret not packing eye mask and headphones in the hospital bag- I had thought I would be reading loads so took two books which I could barely lift and read 2 pages.

cointreau I’ve been told it should be surgery only so I was surprised when they said they’d be in touch after they had the lab results back. But definitely better to have the extra treatment and take away the worry of the cancer returning? Must have been such a blow when you thought it was all over.

Have managed jabs ok so far- more painful than I was expecting though!

Good luck to everyone waiting for dates/ surgery etc.

Ooh yes, those bastard jabs are like wasp stings. Hurt only a little at first, so you think "oh, that wasn't too bad", then 10 seconds later "OW OW OW!!" Anyway, good to hear you are home, yoshimi.

I've had a very therapeutic morning sorting out/cleaning/mending all my jewellery. Didn't require any energy, but was long overdue.

@YogiBear19 - are you still due to have your op tomorrow? How are things?

@Ballstothisdotcom - when is yours scheduled?

@yoshimi - how are you getting on back home? Being waited on hand and foot, I hope.

I've just had my first post-op bath (I love a bath, and have really missed them) - it turned into a proper pampering session, with facepack, hair mask, eyebrows, epilated legs, nails etc. All the things which have been left by the wayside over the last few weeks. I wish I could say I feel like a new woman, but I still feel perpetually exhausted, and weak as a kitten.

Hello @CointreauVersial! How lovely of you to remember. Yes, I’m due at the hospital at midday tomorrow (am on the afternoon list.) It’s been an extremely tough build up with my ongoing spinal surgery recovery, these horrific medical menopause injections which have left me feeling just awful with migraines, insomnia, sweats, flushes, anxiety etc and then I had to have surgery to remove a finger nail and drain an abscess on my nail bed a couple of weeks ago. It was torturous 😣 To top it all my dog was also diagnosed with inoperable cancer! So I’m going in to the op feeling rather sensitive and vulnerable and low and I’m absolutely dreading it.

How are you doing? And all the rest of the recents & imminently? Your bath sounded absolutely lovely 😊 I’ve lost track of how long post surgery you are? I think I read that you had a haemorrhage? You poor thing. Just awful. I haemorrhaged after a cervical biopsy many years ago, was quite terrifying!

Oh heck, @YogiBear19 - so much going on for you. The fingernail sounds horrendous; surely a little old hysterectomy will be a walk in the park after that? Just make sure you eat and hydrate plenty today, hope you get a restful night, and best of luck tomorrow. Presume you can go onto HRT afterwards?

I'm fine, just feel utterly wiped if I do the smallest thing. Of course, that hasn't stopped me pottering about tidying, doing laundry, ironing.... Day 17 now. The haemorrhage was not nice, and I was terrified that things had "come away" internally, but it seems to have been caused by an infection. I'm still spotting a week later.

Off to see the oncologist tomorrow to plan the next phase....radiotherapy. No idea how soon it happens, but I hope it will be post-Christmas. I don't have time right now! Nor do I feel recovered.

Good luck tomorrow Yogi and Cointreau!

I’m doing ok, went for a little stroll in the sunshine and haven’t had any painkillers since lunchtime. Finding it harder mentally, really just want to rest and have some space but my Mum is being quite draining at the moment and it’s been hectic having the boys around all weekend. They’ve really stepped up with the housework though, am impressed! But still have to give detailed instructions which is tiring too.

Sorry to moan... it could be worse! Will look forward to a day to myself tomorrow and mentally detach from the ridiculous dynamic with my Mum!

Oh am soooo longing for a bath, am counting down the days till I’m allowed- not sure when though- I thought it was 4 weeks but don’t think I can wait that long! 17 days sounds promising, cointreau...

Keep typing and losing posts! Will post several shorter ones and hope that works.
@YogiBear19, good luck for tomorrow, I was on the afternoon list and kept my self busy walking the dog in the morning.
You've had a rough time of it recently, the nail abscess sounds horrid.
I can sympathise with the night sweats, anxiety etc. I've had a surgical menopause and am unable to have hrt. Is yours a reversible menopause for the surgery?
Sorry to hear about your dog. Dogs are wonderful companions and definitely deserve longer lives. My old boy is snoring away on the sofa next to me.
Best wishes again, this time tomorrow the op will all be done!

@CointreauVersial, sounds as if you have had quite the pamper session.
I hope your oncology appt goes well. I can totally understand how you don't feel ready for anything yet. It's such a major op and then you have to find yet more reserves to get through the treatment. The good thing is, it's a slow growing cancer so hopefully they can allow you a little more recovery time.

@yoshimi, it's a lot to get your head round. I've found that too. GP offered to sign me off work for longer more for the emotional side of things but I think I will go back on my planned return date.
Well done to your kids with the housework, hopefully they will be experts in no time at all!
Mum's can be fab but sometimes they are incredibly hard work as well.

I'm now seven weeks post op. Can still feel a pull whem something is too heavy to lift. Coughing and sneezing a bit weird. My incisions have developed lumps and bumps which I'm told should subside in about 6 months.
Surgical menopause is pretty horrid especially at night. I'm able to do most things now though. Still being quite careful as don't want a bladder prolapse. Am off to see the physio on Tuesday.

@yoshimi - I've no idea how long I was supposed to leave before having a bath, but I asked the gynae consultant on Wednesday, and she said sure, go ahead. That was good enough for me.

Is your mum supposed to be helping??! It doesn't sound like she is....Mine would have been amazing, but alas she's been in Australia for the last six weeks.

@catnidge - regarding the timing for treatment, I'll do whatever the oncologist says! Do these things continue over Christmas? A question for the cancer support thread, possibly.

That reminds me, I must re-start my pelvic floor exercises. I stopped when I had the haemorrhage.

Good luck with the physio catnidge. The stroll today triggered my prolapse which is depressing. Might book myself in with a specialist physio for a booster session when my tummy has healed a bit more. It currently looks like a crime scene, not sure if I’m doing the jabs wrong but have lots of tiny bruises from them too!

cointreau sadly my Mum isn’t close enough for practical help, might be better if she was, but honestly dealing with her has been the hardest thing since I had the cancer diagnosis- daily phone calls for updates and offence taken if I don’t call etc. Surely I should have it worked out by age 44!

@YogiBear19 - how are you getting on?

@yoshimi - still on the mend?

I was planning to go back to work today, but DH put his foot down and said I should wait until Monday. I am 3 weeks post-hysterectomy and everyone and his dog is telling me that I can't POSSIBLY be well enough yet. DH's colleague was off for 5 months. Well, let me tell you, I am well enough to sit at a desk for a few hours, in fact, I'm starting to bounce off the walls. I feel absolutely normal; all the tiredness has gone, no pain or twinges whatsoever. Only a few more of those wretched blood thinner jabs!

However, once I do get back to the office I will have to break the new that I have five days of holiday still to take before the Christmas break, and I will then be out of action (or at least somewhat curtailed) during January for the radiotherapy. Five weeks of external radiotherapy sessions Monday to Friday, then two sessions of brachytherapy (internal). So it will be a bit "hello, goodbye!"

Hello, hello! Thanks for checking in @CointreauVersial. All done and went to plan. Quite a long op (3 1/2 hours in theatre followed by an hour in recovery trying to sort my pain as I’m allergic to opiates!) I’m so relieved to have this over with and to be home (3 surgeries in as many months has just about finished me off 😬) I’m very sore and wiped out (to be expected I’m sure!) but doing ok 👍🏼

Cointreau you sound amazing. Although I do understand that feeling of going up the walls when having to recover from surgery but goodness, it’s still very early days for you. You also sound very brave but I can only imagine that your upcoming treatment feels rather daunting. We are here for you.

Hi yogi good to hear the surgery went well and you’re safely home! I hope you manage to get plenty of rest.

cointreau I know what you mean about bouncing off the walls! I have to be very careful though as my old prolapse made an appearance- have spent the past couple of days lying on the sofa doing frantic pelvic floor exercises. It appears to be retreating thankfully.

Had a call from the surgeon yesterday and he was happy to say I don’t need further treatment, although I have to go back in six weeks to check there aren’t any pre-cancerous cells left lurking around.

I hope your radiotherapy all goes well cointreau! I think you’re wise to take more time of work for now...

Good to hear it went OK, Yogi. Allergic to opiates?! I hope you are being well looked after at home.

yoshimi - I'm really trying to stick to a schedule for my pelvic floor exercises, having never bothered in the past. I have installed an app on my phone that reminds me to do them, and runs through a timed program. If I don't ignore the alarm, that is.....

I'm pretty upbeat about the cancer, to be honest (or ex-cancer, should I say, as the tumour is completely gone, and the radiotherapy is to reduce the chance of recurrence down to a pretty low level). I have made myself at home on the cancer support thread, where there are a number of people dealing with far worse situations than me.

@YogiBear19, glad to hear you are home. Are you ok for pain relief now?
I can relate to how drained you feel from multiple surgeries.
I ended up having three surgeries in 6 weeks. The last surgery was an emergency so bad luck really.
Take it easy over the coming weeks, I hope you recovery is smooth.

@yoshimi, sorry to hear about your prolapse reappearing on your walk. Hope you get some specialist physio sorted.
Will you have a vault smear at your 6 week check? I did and it wasn't too bad. They said I was still healing and they could see the stitches

@CointreauVersial, if you feel up to work pop in and see how it goes. Just make sure you don't do too much physically. It may be a distraction from the thoughts of cancer, rads and brachy. Is your treatment hospital quite local or will you be spending lots of January travelling? All the best for the treatment.

I must catch up on the cancer thread!

I'm OK, physio went well.
Have an appt next week then back to work

Thanks @catnidge - and I just belated discovered your PM reply sitting in my inbox! Doh.

Treament hospital is my "local" big hospital - it's where I had the DCs, and where I was taken by ambulance when I had my bleed. But it's about a 20-25 minute drive in the middle of the day. I have my CT scan to kick off the RT on Tuesday.

I checked with the gynae consultant about vault smears and was told I wouldn't need them, as the cancer was well away from the cervix.

Hi Catnidge- yes they said a smear plus colposcopy type camera check as well.

Sorry you’ve had to go through the menopause as well. I need to arrange a brca2 test via GP as the surgeon said he’d whip out the ovaries if it’s positive but would rather leave them as it’s only 50% chance.

Going to venture out properly today to the Christmas tree farm- have lived in comfy clothes for the past 10 days, better go and wash my hair!

@CointreauVersial, hope all goes well with the CT scan tomorrow. Is someone going with you?
I found out my cancer, though endo was 'sitting' on my cervix hence vault smear.

@yoshimi,did you do your trip out? How are you getting on?

I'm tried a few squats today and am going to see how I feel tomorrow