Hysterectomy - hand hold / scared

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I'm going into hospital for a full hysterectomy and bowel resection next week and I'm terrified. I've never had an operation before in my life and I cant remember if I've ever had anaesthetic (I had my kids with no pain relief). I'm just after any stories from you lovely people and how to prepare for my stay and what to expect. Please dont sugar coat things either, I need to be realistic about this and prepare for the worst I guess.

I have my hospital bag packed with the usual stuff including ear plugs and eye mask as I've heard the wards can be noisy and bright. I've got my toiletries including sanitary pads.

Oh forgot to say that I had it done keyhole, so when they use the gas to bloat your tummy, it can get trapped and cause really bad pain in the shoulders - so be prepared for that. If they hadn’t warned me about that before the surgery I would have been very worried when I came round.

Please don’t worry about it OP you will be okay. I haven’t had a hysterectomy but have had a gynae operation under GA and it’s fine. You get prepped for surgery and may feel anxious getting taken down to theatre, but the minute they put the aneasthetic in you are absolutely away in the deepest ever sleep.

When you wake again you will be back on the ward and so stuffed with the best of painkillers you feel fine coming round. I can remember telling the nurse I was worried as I hadn’t peed and couldn’t get up, she then explained I had a catheter put in- I didn’t even realize (I didn’t actually know what she meant back then 😂). As another poster said, gynae wards are absolutely fine. Oh, always order large meals as hospital meals are tiny. (And ask your visitors to bring nice cold drinks for you, otherwise you sit all day with a tepid jug of tap water).

The main thing is just to take it very easy and focus on your operation recovery. I remember feeling guilty about taking time out (as my DH worked FT and our son was little at the time) and rushing back to doing things and going back to work far too soon. Please don’t do that!

Yours is major surgery and you must take it really easy. Take all the good painkillers you are given and stay in bed resting afterwards as much as possible. How often do we women get a chance to do that?
best wishes to you.

I had a keyhole hysterectomy, ovaries and tubes done 3 years ago when I was 48 after a cancer diagnosis. I was in hospital one night, had a catheter until midnight after the operation, and was able to take short, gentle walks within a couple of days.

You may get blood thinning injections to do yourself at home. I had them for a month. Also be prepared that you might have to wear surgical stockings for a while after your operation.

You'll be fine OP. Good luck.

I had heard about the love heart sweets being good for trapped wind so I'm going to get some of those. I'm taking a lot of pain killers now anyway due tot he severed pain so the anaesthetist has said they will take this into consideration when they give me pain relief on the ward and I've also got my laxatives ready to go.

I didnt even have exploratory surgery, I had an MRI and they could see how bad and fused my insides are so I've not even had the benefit of knowing what I'm like with anaesthetic.

I'm very much looking forward to a pain free christmas this year :)

I'm due a totally abdominal hysterectomy In a couple of weeks and literally can't wait! I've a large mass of unknown origin in my womb with suspicious features and I want the fucker out!

I don't care what pain I'm in post surgery, it can't be worse than the god awful pain I'm experiencing with this thing inside me.

Good luck OP, I'm right behind you x

I'd never had a catheter either but found I really enjoyed not having to get up to pee like a pp said 😅
The removal didn't hurt at all - the sticky tape being pulled off from various blood test spots was worse!