Hysterectomy help

[Momstheword91]

Hi,

just looking for advice as such.

I am booked in for a hysterectomy on the 18th of November. Been waiting nearly 2 years. Had my pre op last week, was given a leaflet and also told my the person I spoke to prior that I’d be in hospital 3-5days as it’s abdominal (either horizontal or vertical).
I had a letter come today confirming the date (unless it’s cancelled beforehand). The letter states it will be in day case unit. On the letter it says no one is allowed to wait and they will be contacted when I’m allowed to go home usually within a few hours. Am I right in thinking this doesn’t apply to me? I’m thinking they messed up because surely they know I won’t be going home the same day or even the next day? Anyone have any advice etc?
I am going to ring up on Monday and ask because it’s not open of a weekend. Just seeing if anyone has anything similar.

thanks :)

@Ridingladybugs another thing I will advise. I’m not sure if it’s everyone, but since I woke up from the anaesthetic, I’ve had a really phlegmy chest. Coughing is TORTURE. I’ve been trying the holding a pillow to my belly technique but it’s not working so I don’t know if you want to try and find a more useful method in preparation. As soon as I lay down my chest starts rattling and it’s hell to cough lol. The smallest things in life are the biggest things we take for granted that’s for sure haha!

Oh no - I remember after my second c section I got a bad cough and yes it was awful! Also
laughing.

I think there only is the pillow method! Perhaps try lying slightly propped up to attempt to
help cough less?

Im actually completely paranoid atm I’m going to get a cold and they won’t do the operation!

A friend is really kindly coming to stay with me for 2 nights and I’ve told her she can’t make me
laugh ( she usually does).

After that im going to be on my own with the kids which is slightly daunting.

I’ve been lay propped as such anyway because it hurt to lay flat.

Ah hopefully not! You only have a day to get through so surely you’ll be okay!

Good luck with the not laughing, that won’t be easy then haha. Tell her she’s on strict serious mode for the foreseeable. That’s lovely of her to stay. I certainly wouldn’t have gone through with the op if I had to deal with the kids. Well I couldn’t anyway physically as they require picking up, nappies, putting to bed etc I wouldn’t have been able too regardless. Could you not try and get her for a few extra days? Did you say you’re having it abdominal too or laparoscopic? X

Abdominal unfortunately!

Hopefully you can handle it better than me. I’m really struggling. I feel so ill today. I slipped down the last three stairs last night. Actually feel like I’m living in hell X

Sorry to hear you are struggling so much. Are you able to take short walks? I felt a bit better once I was moving. I could only manage to the road and back to start with but it was just having the fresh air etc. same with having a shower. It made me feel more normal.

The most traumatic bit for me was the anaesthetist who put the fear of God into me by saying because I am very overweight that I could have all sorts of issues and potentially not make it and did I really want the op. By that stage I was all gowned up and ready to go. Turns out I had cancer so good thing I went through with it. For the record I am fitter than I look and everyone kept saying how well I was looking. But even so. I was back working a couple of hours a day (desk job) by week 3. So nice to have had something else to think about.

I’m not really doing much apart from walking the house. The stairs are the worst part of it. They make me shake and feel so sick! I definitely ain’t brave enough to go out yet. My belly is really swollen and I can’t put trousers on so night dresses are my only option at the moment lol.

The anaesthetist definitely shouldn’t have said that! I’m overweight too and it wasn’t even mentioned. Like not once. The only thing that was said was the consultant/surgeon at my first appointment said it would be in my favour to try and lose weight but with the short space of time I had between appointment and surgery it wouldn’t have made much difference anyway. But no one mentioned a thing and still haven’t. They have given me injections for 7 days but apart from that nothing. I had to have them after I gave birth for 6 weeks because of my high BMI. Luckily they went through with your op, and clearly scaring you was completely unnecessary 😡

My partner is very protective at the moment and won’t let me do a single thing. I’m trying to not stay in bed though as I really don’t want too. I will stay upstairs to stay out of the hussle and bustle of the two young ones later though. My youngest is very unpredictable and has nearly booted my belly a good few times in the last two hours. Just have to take it day by day and try and introduce more stuff. I hate being unable to do things but also don’t want to hinder the recovery. He already had a go at me for not waking him in the night 😂 whoops!

How are you doing now @Momstheword91 ?

I’m in today and tbh am terrified. Also have completely failed to eat before 7 as so nervous and worried.

I’m struggling but I’m trying to carry on! Sleeping is so hard. I think I’ve been crying on and off since 5am. I need to get a grip. I’d some how got myself onto my side, surrounded and propped myself with pillows. Woke up at 5am and physically couldn’t move. Luckily my partner woke up in midst of my groaning and got me up right. Thanks for asking. Hopefully you’re stronger than me. I done child birth easy, after child birth easy, pain wise. This is another level!

I was going to come on here and wish you the best!

What time did you last eat? For me the eating wasn’t the hardest it was the drinking. I was so thirsty but I think it was because I was told I couldn’t. What time do you have to be at the hospital for? Did you have to have those pre-op drinks?

you will be fine; honestly. I was so nervous, I was crying the way there couldn’t speak because I’d cry. I’m such a sap haha. I even shed a few tears walking to theatre but once I was in there it was really nice and calm and I didn’t feel scared at all! The worst part is sitting waiting because you’re seeing everyone else going and coming back. All of the ones where I was were day cases so they all came back there but I wasn’t so I went to recovery straight to ward. You’ve got this. And you will probably wake up like yeah there wasn’t anything to be scared about. I’d never be worried of being put to sleep etc again!

@Ridingladybugs another thing. Don’t let them kick you out of hospital until you’re 100% ready! I was told 5 days and less than 24 hours they were telling me to go home. I refused. I should have stayed and extra day or two tbh until I was mentally prepared. Just go at your pace and tell them no!

Thanks - and sorry to hear you are still
finding it so difficult.

Have to admit I did cry last night - I’m on my own and finding that quite hard. I don’t even have to get to the hospital until 12 so assume I will be a late surgery. My youngest is a bit tearful as well - just want to get them off to school.

Panicking a bit about afterwards now too. I only have someone here for 3 nights then I’m on my own. Guess will just have to manage somehow!

I need to man up I think.

Yeah, I assume so too regarding the time as I had to be there for 8am and I went down about 1.45pm ish.

How old are your children again? (you have told me but I can’t remember, sorry).

Have you got someone to do school runs etc afterwards? Tbh, even if I didn’t have my two youngest here, there’s no way I could even do anything for the other three so you have got to be superwoman! My OH appreciates how hard women have it now though 😂.

What time are you allowed to drink until?

Drink until 11. DC are 7 and 11. I’m hopefully sorted for drop offs and pick ups for 2 weeks. Not sure after that. Will have to try and cobble something together. My main worry is that one of them ( SEN) still wales in the night and how I will manage that.

My consultant gave me the impression the myomectomy ( which I’m now having) would be an easier recovery but on reading I’m really not sure it is! He also said I’d be bouncing out the hospital if I stayed 3 nights and should be much better after 2 weeks. I’m think he’s maybe over optimistic. And not a woman …..

Ive had a few medical things that mean I know I can handle pain - I feel a bit like a child though in that I just don’t want to have to if that makes sense!

Make sure you are keeping up with the pain relief on time and constantly. Hopefully you will start to feel a lot better soon!

Once they wake, is it a stressful wake? Any comforts that are likely to ease the stress etc?

What is a myomectomy? I’ve not heard of that? And yes, the fact these people are usually male doesn’t fill me with optimism lol. Although, saying that the anaesthetist I had was male and he was lovely. Telling me to stay in bed, whack on Netflix and make sure I get waited on hand and foot haha. The doctors I seen were all female too and they were just telling me how it’s such a big op and it’s going to take a lot to recover.

I genuinely thought I could handle pain - I can not! I’ve suffered for years with cramps etc and thought they hurt but now I know In reality they didn’t lol.

I am doing pain relief and laxatives etc still yeah. It’s a crazy feeling not knowing if i actually need the toilet or not. Such a Bizzare feeling. I’m hoping that sensation comes back soon. I’ll be thinking of you today. I hope the time passes by quickly for you. I guess you have a few hours once the children and in school to try and get as much as possible done which will also help to pass the time. I have all faith that you will boss it though. Easy for me to say it isn’t that scary, but looking back now I didn’t have anything to worry about.

Thank you - myomectomy is where they just remove the fibroid ( and an ovary for me). My consultant persuaded me it was best ( there are some other reasons why it’s helpful for me to keep having periods unfortunately!).

I think this is the worst bit the waiting!

Ah okay, well maybe the recovery will be easier then in that sense? Hopefully anyway. To be totally honest, as much as I don’t really want more children (good job) it hasn’t actually hit me yet what I’ve actually done, if that makes sense.

I knew I had fibroids since I had my daughter who’s now 6. Then my last 2 children each scan there were more. I had 11 as of last scan. Biggest was 6cm others were tiny. Turns out I had one 10cm, one 7cm and then loads of smaller ones which they said Is why I lost so much blood. I’m waiting for letter to come which should explain everything - I hope.

I did think I’d have been bleeding but I had 2 tiny spots in hospital and that’s been it. I was at the end of my period on Friday and then I woke up from op and there was nothing. Bizzare.

That is strange.

I have one big fibroid - 9.5 cm. And then two miniscule ones less than half a cm. It’s very central if that makes sense! I think this is also why he recommended myomectomy plus I am nearing menopause. When I read though it says more complicated surgery as have to re sew the uterus. I would have been happy with a hysterectomy.

Hospital just rang - surgery delayed, I will be going in at 4 they think 😩

Oh my gosh. What a joke! Has that altered you being able to eat/drink? Absolutely ridiculous. Tbh, after reading so much I was convinced mine would get cancelled!

Could drink for an extra hour I think but that’s it incase end up going in sooner 🤷‍♀️

I really just want it done now - just getting more nervous with the wait!

Hopefully as you’re in later, you might be done sooner! Fingers crossed!

Im out!

Had an epidural as apparently better for pain along with light GA. Can feel wind pain starting in shoulder and very sore. Am sure it will get worse as epi wears off.

also I am itching insanely which is driving me mad. Think it’s a reaction to the drugs

Oh wow! That was quick! I had a spinal, not sure if it’s the same? But by the time I had woken up it had no effect my legs were normal and I could feel all the pain 😳

Ask them for an anti-histamine for the itching I’m sure that’s a side effect of GA but not 100%. Now to rest and recover. Are you in for the night?

In for 3 nights probably. Yes it’s the same as a spinal. Did get some piriton for the itching which made me very sleepy so also helpful on that front! I went in at 2.15 in the end.

wind pain started but all manageable so far. Because of the epidural I wasn’t given IV morphine and haven’t had the morphine pump - just intravenous paracetamol and I think codeine and oromorph spaced out. Think I’m due more now though!

Hope you are feeling a bit better?

Ah that’s good.

wind pain is the devil isn’t it? Tbh, I only had the pump for a few hours and then they took it away from me so IV paracetamol is probably a better thing. If you need more then ask, don’t wait for them. You can have oramorph every 2 hours. You manage to get a bit of sleep with the help of the piriton then, that’s a bonus. I was told 5 days and they tried to kick me out at every opportunity!

Night and mornings are by far the worst for me. I wake up feeling so ill. I attempted a shower on my own last night which was an absolute fail! Tried to get my partner to take off my dressing as well and when the nurse put a new one on she has stuck it on to the incision and it is so sore! Got to try again later and soak it somehow.

Hope you manage to keep pain under control and the wind pain doesn’t get too much for you.