Hysterectomy - Hints and tips for post surgery

[SolitudeNotLoneliness]

Hi

I'm going in for a hysterectomy shortly, and wondered if anyone had any useful hints and tips for surgery / post surgery.

I haven't been in hospital overnight since having dc who are now late teens so I'm not familiar with hospitals!

DH has booked the week after work off so I will be having rest forced upon me!

I've seen someone recommend having a pillow for drive home to have on lap so the area isn't aggregated by the seat belt (it is planned to be abdominal)

I've got big high waisted leggings that are loose on me to wear home.

Anything else anyone can share?

Thank you!

@mydogisthebest I’ve heard similar stories from people who had it done a while ago, and also about speed of treatment - a friend of my mum’s went to the GP, saw gynae a few weeks later, had scan and was booked in for surgery two weeks after that. Sadly these days we wait years on various meds and are much more poorly by the time we get there so recovery times are often slower. I was back at work after 10 weeks but I’d been anaemic for years too.

I waited just over 2 years before the op was done.

I think my youngish age was in my favour but I also think the advice from my surgeon and my very positive attitude helped a lot.

I have friends who when they had the op were told to not lift anything, not do anything etc. One was even told she would be best to stay in bed for a week (for no real reason). They all took far longer than me to recover and 2 had problems post surgery.

@mydogisthebest oh that’s interesting! I was definitely told to get up and get moving because of the risk of blood clots, and this was recent. They had me walking to the loo, washing and sitting in a chair not back in bed less than 24h after my surgery and home after 48. So yes similar. I guess my slower healing must have been anaemia from the haemorrhage, I was wiped out exhausted for weeks.

One of my friends had a hysterectomy last year snd her sister bought her maternity leggings she said they were brilliant and she wore them for a while as her tummy swelled up.

Also fill your freezer with lots of nice food

Hope it goes ok 👌

Yes I would think the anaemia would mean a slower recovery time. My sister suffered from it and she was quite ill.

As I said, I was relatively young and fairly healthy apart from the fibroids and heavy periods so I do think that helped me.

It seems the advice given varies a lot from not doing anything to being reasonably active

This is such a useful thread my op is next month (over a year on the waiting list).

I'm amazed at the range of recovery periods. I've got 8 weeks leave agreed but some people are saying that far too much, others that it's not enough.

As far apart and the north and south poles! No comparison whatsoever. Hysterectomy is a big aggressive brute to recover from whereas my caesarean was a ballet dance through a meadow

Recovery really depends on your surgery. If you have it done vaginally, your recovery is quicker and this is why there's lots of prompts to have peppermint etc because of the gas used in surgery to balloon out your abdomen.

I had it done horizontally abdominally replacing my c sect scar. The last way is vertically abdominally. Each way has very different recovery periods.

I had 12 weeks off and a phased return to my desk job. Back full time at 6 weeks after the 12 weeks.

I really struggled with the menopause side as I wasn't absorbing the HRT patches they gave me so my recovery is a bit more extreme.

Whoever said it feels like your insides are falling out is correct (they weren't).

There's a great Facebook group called Hysterectomy sisters UK.

Good luck. Make sure you sit on your ass and let everyone fuss you!!!!

Thanks everyone, this is all really helpful!

DH has taken a week off work to make sure I rest, was advised it would be abdominal so see if that happens!

I have the biggest leggings ever to travel back in! Told dh to bring a pillow when he picks me up.

Lots of pj's ready for lounging about in, trying to max out fibre in diet for the terrifying big poo 😂

Work have told me to take as long as necessary which is goid, I don't feel the need to try and be a martyr.

Charged juice power bank in case I'm waiting all say and git books.

Have packed a m and s version of an hoodie so if I feel really rough going home I will gave no shame and will wear that!

Been shopping and stocked freezer,

Really appreciate everyone pisting in her, thankyou, it is all so helpful and hugely appreciated.

I haven't had surgery since I was about 7 years old so starting to get a bit panicky about going to theatre!

You didn't say when you're going in but a week later might count as soon.

Good luck. Hope all goes well for you

Be prepared for the possibility of incredible pain. I was in for a week but discharged on paracetamol which they told me was standard. Paracetamol was in no way enough. I was in pretty severe pain for at least a month, couldn't lift a kettle etc. It took me 6 months for 100% recovery.
Separately, ask for your wound to be glued. I had no drains in and no stitches. The neatest wound you ever saw. The gynae was super careful to make it look neat.

2yrs!! I waited 3 weeks and was shocked but pleased at the speed. This was in 2013 though.

This is SO true. I remember when I was finally fit enough to try a gentle walk. I'd wait at the zebra crossing, cross on the green man and the beeping would run out before I could get to the other side!

Get a little light travel kettle if you've got time

V shaped pillow was great

Buscopan was good in between the proper heavy duty meds.

Really massive knickers!

Have a loose maternity style dress on standby if you can't tolerate your leggings

Definitely nighties not pyjamas in hospital

Good luck OP it's really worth it in the long run.

Thanks everyone!

My op should have been on Sunday just gone but I got a phone call Friday morning postponing it so another 2 week wait... Bit annoying as I was in the head's pace it was last day at work and been handing items over and getting in the head's pace of going in for the op.

However I am going to stock up on nighties and a travel kettle as recommended.

Thanks for mentioning about how they plan to close the wound, I will ask this!

Hi everyone, (not requested) update 😄

Had the op today, was in theatre at 9.30am, woke up in recovery at 12.30pm, was home by 6pm!

I feel very very sore, had everything except my ovaries removed.

Dh has fortunately got the week off work to let me rest, and my awesome neighbour who is a nurse has offered to do my jabs which I'm chuffed about. It was an unexpected but massively appreciated offer of help!

Struggled to eat due to having the tube in, my mouth is really dry and I'm sipping water to freshen up but it's not having much impact yet, managed half a sandwich, tried to drink some tea but that really upset my stomach.

Had a pillow for the drive home, propped up on a v pillow now, was having lovely woozy sleeps at hospital but can't seem to nod off as much now.

However, in the theatre staff were lovely, and the anaesthetist tucked me up with a blanket before starting to put me under and I could feel tje sensation working up my limbs and knocking me out... I think I was telling thembthis as I fell asleep!

I'm hoping my mouth will be better a bit tomorrow and food is less claggy bed rest planned.

Thanks for the update OP. Wishing you a steady recovery. One step at a time. It really will be worth it in the end. Take care of yourself

Blimey, out the same day! Is that usual?

@SolitudeNotLoneliness how are you doing today? I'm amazed they let you out the same day. Hope you are being well looked after. I'm due to have a total hysterectomy via open cut (belly button down) very soon so I'm keen to know how you find the recovery. I need a kidney op first.

bluedomino mine was laparoscopic, so I have stitches on each side and middle which has allowed them to take uterus, cervix and fallopian tubes out. Is there any chance yours could be this way too?

I have been sent home with cocodamol and ibuprofen... I took ibuprofen yesterday evening and nothing else since... Yes, the area is sore and aches but not unbearable touch wood, I don't need the pain relief (although it would make me a lot more comfortable!) but the nagging pain is goid to remind me to take it easy and move slowly... I think I would be more likely to move too quickly and cause problems if I used too much pain relief if that makes sense?

I was suprised at going home same day, I came round in recovery room at 12.30 and I was woozy and kept falling asleep until about 3pm on and off. By 5pm I was out! And they said they tend to send most if not all home same day!!

They said they tend to get most if not all out same day!! 😮

I would say what was most uncomfortable was eating or drinking... Because if havibg tje tube down throat for the op my my mouth was really really dry and not really improved until tjis morning.... Don't drink anything other than water, they made me a cup of tea and it came straight back! Plus as ypur mouth is so dry and throat is really sore you want to glug water which isn't good for your tummy....so slow sips if water, all food was really claggy and I struggled to eat half a sandwich to prove I could eat, every tiny mouthful had to be washed down with water so if you gave to eat after the op I would recommend something light like a salad.

Good luck for both your ops x

I'm booked in for an abdominal hysterectomy - no keyhole shenanigans - so I'm kind of assuming I won't be out the same day... but I'd been really happy to be out asap.

Have some sort of support (a walker or similar) to allow you to sink slowly onto the toilet and hoist yourself up again after. Mind was 12 years ago and I wish someone had given me that advice at the time.

@Paq i had abdominal lunchtime Friday and was home Sunday afternoon. Take it easy but get moving - you need to be able to walk to the loo and pee properly - they were checking I was fully emptying my bladder, and as soon as I was I could go. So it was 24h with a catheter, 24h of getting to the loo (only helped the first couple times, after that I was going alone) then on Sunday they checked me twice and sent me home. Definitely doable, and I live 40 mins from hosp.