Do’s and don’t’s for hysterectomies?

[Teawithfrenchtoast]

I have been on the w/l for a hysterectomy due to fibroids for the last 10months. I’ve had some recent complications and ended up haemorrhaging and being being admitted to gynae twice recently. Due to this my hysterectomy has been expedited. I’ve received my pre op appt for the end of June and now I’m a little nervous! Is there anything I should be doing to prepare for surgery? Any advice from those that have had hysterectomies as to how best to prepare? Any tips for pre and post op? thank you ☺️

Don’t be a martyr. Put yourself first for your recovery period. Take the drugs on schedule for the first week or two, even if you think you don’t need them.

As soon as you feel able have a plan to do ‘a thing’ most days that will get you out of the house. My DH was brilliant when I was recovering- healthy meals, drugs, drinks, etc. were flowing for weeks, but the one thing that really made a difference was him getting me out every day. These were small things, like a 5 minute walk to the coffee shop at the end of the road, or a short drive to the garden centre to look at stuff and have a scone, or taking me to the local park for a walk - just things like that. It stops you ‘going in to yourself’ and prepares you for your return to normal life. Once we drove to the beach (about half an hour away), sat on a bench and had an ice cream, and then came home. It was such a positive way to recover.

I second @Flamingmentalcats. I developed a nervous cough while waiting. @AImportantMermaid gives very good advice.

I am 10 days post op and thought I should probably come back and update. I'll just brain dump anything notable and in no particular order.

My experience chimes with so many people on here.

Surgery was a little bit brutal. Fibroids had not shrunk at all, even after months of injections and were in fact, bigger. Around the size of a 25wk pregnancy in total. Plus, lots of other organs were being displaced and I had adhesions from previous sections sticking everything together. The surgeon converted to open surgery and I have a large incision hip to hip. It took 5hrs to get everything out and things rearranged.

I was - still am - very bruised. But this might be the nature of my surgery. The surgeon apologised afterwards and said it would all feel very tender for some time. I was black and blue from above my belly button, down to my thighs.

Immediately post-op, I was apparently very tearful and needed morphine via a pump and IV paracetamol, plus ibuprofen. Once they'd got on top of the pain, it became much more manageable.

They refused to remove my catheter until the next day (had it out within hours of my caesareans) and I was very frustrated as I don't like being bed bound at all. As soon as it was out, I got up and walked around.

I was discharged the day after the op as well as their criteria for this was "walking and weeing". Ideally, not at the same time.

The drive home was uncomfortable and DH had to drive slowly on the country roads, pulling over to let people past. You really will need padding between you and the seat belt.

I could only sleep sitting up for the first 5 days and 10 days in, I still can't lie on my side comfortably. My v-shaped pillow is a God send.

The fatigue was unreal for the first few days and the anaesthetic meant I couldn't make new memories easily. Write down what meds you've taken for the love of God. I could not remember what I'd taken and when. I had high hopes of reading and doing puzzles but I just couldn't concentrate for a few days. Podcasts and films were far more accessible. It turns out that the evening after the op, I logged onto work emails on my phone and replied to several. I don't recall this at all.

I did way too much, way too soon. On day 3, I unloaded the dishwasher and swept up for example. It's because the painkillers work. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. I thought hanging out laundry and dusting and tidying was just fine and within a few days was in emergency care with a horrible infection. Of course, there may be no link but I was soundly told off and ended up back on semi bed rest for a couple of days. I'm being much more sensible now and just potter about, make breakfast and lunch, go for a walk each day and do less than I think I can as a rule. I dead headed some flowers today and retied some plants. I wanted to weed and chop back a few things more dramatically. I felt able to but I chose not to.

I have had zero bleeding post op. That was a very welcome surprise.

I did need regular painkillers for the first week - ibuprofen, paracetamol and dihydrocodeine - but 10 days in, I just take a couple of doses of paracetamol a day.

I couldn't bear anything on my abdomen and still find it uncomfortable but that might be the bruising. I am still choosing dresses over trousers, even very loose waist stretchy trousers.

The bloating is unreal, as was the gas pain in the early days. Simeticone type drugs were the best thing I found and moving round to get my digestive system working. My abdomen is still swollen and gets bigger as the day goes on. The surgeon reassured me that this can go on for a few weeks.

Drink lots and stay hydrated. It will get you home faster, make going to the loo easier, and make you feel better.

I was tearful and emotional for days, still am a bit. I think the trauma of everything caught up with me and the anaesthetic didn't help. I am not emotional as a rule but I needed a lot of reassurance and then felt pathetic. It really isn't pathetic!

Even though I have kept my ovaries, they have gone into shock and I'm having night sweats as a result. Chances are they'll wake up soon and it will self resolve. However, the sweats are awful. I wake up at 3am looking like I've been swimming and/or wake up absolutely freezing.

It feels sloshy and empty. No other way to describe it. When I walk, my insides feel like soup. I assume there's just lots of space there. That bit is just weird!

I'm glad it's over and feel relieved to be on the other side of it. Please ask any questions if you need to. People on here helped me so much with my endless anxieties and queries.

Well done @ShowOfHands and wish you a speedy recovery. It must have been more uncomfortable due to the hot weather. The worst is over.

So good to hear from you @ShowOfHands. I’ve been thinking of you, imagined you were post-op but didn’t want to mither.
Well, you’re on the other side now! I bet you’re glad of that.
I wasn’t offered anything to shrink my fibroids and when you mentioned it I thought I’d been cheated. You suggest not.
Your surgeon sounds amazing as was mine. Mine struggled to comply with my wish to have the hip to hip incision (added to the c-section and appendectomy scar all hidden below my belly 😆 unless I look in a mirror) but he did it. I offered an argument-free patient (unusual he’d said) happy to lose everything as I was post-menopause so it was win-win.
Walking and weeing but not ideally at the same time; lol! I won’t mention the padding between you and the seat belt…The bruising, bloating and tearfulness (you were understandably stressed hence the offer of a handhold) will go. Yes to no more bleeding! You’re doing really well.
Just bloody slow down superwoman and make sure you rest. x

🥰 awww thanks.

Doing it during a heatwave was bloody awful. I made DH set up fans everywhere before I got home.

I swear my consultant was a wizard. He performed a real act of magic and I am so hopeful that this is the start of getting my life back.

Even with the bruising and crying and bloody heatwave, I am in less pain than I was pre-op and I am going to donate all my San Pro to the local food bank. I might even skip down there juggling the bloody things.

I’m having one soon but have no one to help me. I’m on my own. I have a young teenager and exDH went help. Is it doable alone???

How young is young? My ds is 14 and was more than capable of doing a shift in the first couple of days when dh was work. He could make me sandwiches and a cup of tea, basic cooking, did laundry etc.

It is not ideal at all and you really should have somebody to lean on if possible. No family or friends at all who can come in and just help out here and there? How will you get to/from hospital? Do you know your neighbours? When dh was at work and ds at school on days 3 and 4, the neighbours were on standby in case I needed them. How will your teen get to school?

You would need to do a lot of prep beforehand. Set up your bedroom and your sofa with identical supplies of painkillers, a fan, pillows, books, tissues etc. Batch cook in advance and stock up on easy to eat snacks, smoothies and electrolyte drinks. It would be doable yes but if there's anybody you can call on, I'd ask. Most people are delighted to help out.

Life can only get better now. Take one small step at a time and enlist the cavalry to make breakfast and lunch while you heal and recover. Determination to get back to normal can set you back and give those around you the impression such major surgery is a doddle (which it wasn’t for you and I). My DH recently had a small incision for a hernia and couldn’t believe how much it affected him. It was role reversal helping the patient stride the bath edge to get in the shower, go from vertical to horizontal to get in bed, slide the undies over the feet and up the legs! Sending best wishes for your speedy recovery.

Thanks for coming back to update @ShowOfHands! So pleased you’re recovering but it sounds like slime you had a bit of a time of it to start with! I have my hysterectomy in 9 days, I’m nervous. I still don’t know what method the surgeon will use. I’ve taken next week off work so I can get the house completely straight and get some batch cooked meals prepared for the freezer.

You sound really well organised @Teawithfrenchtoast and have had lots of good advice on this thread. Try to distract to yourself during the wait with podcasts/ films/ whatever works for you, and don’t wear yourself out. Very soon you’ll be fibroid and haemorrhage free and looking forward to better health. Take the recovery slowly. Best of luck. x

I was totally on my own. I got a friend to stay the first night I was home . I had stocked up on food. I got a Molly Maid in once a week to change bed, do bathrooms etc. Set yourself a little routine to get through the day.

I had a total laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy exactly a week ago (last Monday).

I was in hospital for three nights as I needed multiple transfusions and infusions of tranexamic acid and haemoglobin afterwards. Also two CT scans to rule out blood clots.

The pain on day 1 after the surgery was every bit as bad as I had imagined, but it doesn’t stay at that level for long. By day two I had massively reduced my morphine intake (via pump).

Since coming home on Thursday I have managed on paracetamol and ibuprofen, as I can’t take codeine.

The worst part for me is the stomach/digestive issues. I have endometriosis on my bowel, so need to thread very carefully not to get constipated but also not overdoing it with the laxatives. Once I managed to get rid of trapped wind, things got easier, but I’m not fully recovered. Eating Chinese takeout last night was definitely not a good idea.

I am back in my normal clothes and underwear although still quite swollen (I look like a barrel, no waistline at all).

I agree with the poster who said your insides feel like soup, it’s an odd feeling like things are swishing around. Thankfully I’ve been able to sleep on my side the last few nights, supported by pillows.

I’ve been doing very little around the house but I’m fine going up and down the stairs and doing a bit of light gardening. About to go on a short walk later today.

I have three small incisions that are not particularly painful, and are all quite low, which I’m grateful for as I had just bought a (high waisted) bikini when I got my surgery booked 😄

Good luck to everyone who is going through this surgery, and thank you for all the advice x

Question for those that have recently had their hysterectomies…were you given PreLoad drinks to have the night before and morning of surgery?

Not for me. I had to stop eating at midnight then I was allowed to sip a small amount of water (one hospital glass size per hour) throughout the morning right up to when I was taken through for the surgery. They had mentioned a cup of tea or coffee with a very small amount of milk being allowed first thing in the morning but I just stuck with water.

Thank you @Tarkan i skipped over the pre op assessment info in the booklet as I’d already been for my appointment, just have read the entire booklet just now and it states gynae patients are given 3 x preload drinks to have at 5pm, 9pm and 6am 😬 I wasn’t given any.

When is your surgery date again? Maybe see if you can give them a call tomorrow to check if it’s not too late. It might be something they’ve changed and not taken out of the booklet if no one has mentioned it to you.

Friday 😬 my friend had a hysterectomy a few weeks ago and was given them. I’ll call the secretary tomorrow morning!

I was told to drink two bottles of Lucozade the evening before and one bottle at 6am on the day. I bought it myself

Well done . Have a great recovery.

This thread has given me the fear.

I am on the waiting list for hysterectomy with prolapse repair. I have a large fibroid on the back of my uterus causing prolapse. They said to do it both at once.

now wondering if I should just put up with it!

I had a milkshake type drink I had to have the night before and that was 8 years ago.
take it slow after, no need to rush recovery. I had chargers everywhere and a little tote bag I carried round the house that I could put a water bottle in, my phone, tablet, snacks and pain killers. That was if I got upstairs and didn’t feel up to going back down I had everything I needed.
change the bedding the day before so you come home to lovely clean sheets.
arrange a good food shop with some nice ready meals
new pair of slippers made me smile every day ( no idea why 🤣)

and get outside for a a short walk every day to build your stamina back up and give your mental health a boost. I walked daily and it made me feel so much better.
lastly don’t be scared to say your in pain, I was in horrible pain after a dressing change I cried on the way home and nearly called an uber to take me 100yds. Turns out I was allergic to the dressing and had had an instant reaction to it.

it’s the best thing I ever did for my health - I was 37 and have never ever regretted it

Just read some more comments, yes to your insides feeling funny, like the organs left are moving about! But it does go and 8 years later I don’t notice this at all 🤣

Tell your partner that you can’t ever use the hoover again…worked for a lady I met! She was 20 years post hysterectomy and hadn’t hoovered once since she’d had it done. 🤣🤣🤣

I had mine a week ago. It was a laparoscopic TLH with vaginal extraction, so minimally invasive. In hospital 2 nights (I’m not in the UK), 1st night on morphine drip and catheter, then up and walking the next morning. One thing that does seem to differ here is that I was told to empty my bowels completely the day before, so a light diet, Epsom salts in the morning and a self inflicted enema the next morning. That was certainly fun!

Anyway, I was out on day 3, unexpectedly completely mobile and, apart from the shoulder pain and bloat on day 2 for which I demanded toradol, no pain whatsoever. The key is to fart out the gas you’re pumped with and most of the pain magically disappears.

I’ve been going out for walks most mornings, starting slow, and now after a week I’m pretty much normal speed, although I do get tired so don’t go far. As a PP said exercising beforehand is helpful, I was pretty fit and I think that has helped with recovery. The only concern I have now is that as I can move almost completely normally I’ll do something I’m not supposed to by accident and pull something internally. I’ve been cooking and emptying the dishwasher, the only issue I’ve had so far was accidentally leaning on one of my incisions, which was sore.

The incision sites are healing slowly, a couple are bother free but the belly button one and another are itchy and pull a bit. I’ve only got one more day of dressing them, then I can leave them uncovered.

All in all much better than I expected. The only tiresome element for now is that I have another 7 days of injecting heparin in my belly, but that too will be over.