I have to have a hysterectomy. What should I expect?

[Kat45]

I had a D&C and the results showed microscopic cancer in the uterus. I need the operation, and I'm really nervous about everything: having surgery, being in the hospital, the recovery period, etc. If anyone has had one (or been close to someone who has), I'd appreciate any information you could give me so I'll have some idea of what to expect. Thanks.

[bertha katzenengel]

1. Wow. Bless your heart.

Mine was eight years ago. Some can be done through the vagina. Mine was abdominal, so everything I write will be re: abdominal surgery.

I was in hospital for four days, but in eight years recovery medicine might have changed. They'll probably use staples, not stitches. It did not hurt when the doctor removed them.

It will hurt when you wake up, and for 2-3 weeks afterward, but the pain subsides almost daily.

When you wake up, you should have self-controlled morphine, a little button on your wrist that you can push at will. My sisters told me they saw the pain in my face, and when I pushed the button they saw me relax in two or three seconds.

The day after surgery, they will start making you get up and walking around. It hurts, and it's very hard, but it's important for healing and recovery. Going pee might hurt the first few times.

They probably won't let you go home until you have a bowel movement. That will hurt, my dear.

Because of the anesthesia, I lost my appetite. People were kind and brought over all sorts of wonderful food, but I couldn't eat any of it. I had to force myself to eat for a week or so.

I went back to work in about four weeks -- I think.

Now remember that YMMV. But that's what I remember about mine.

When's your surgery?

[Kat45]

2. Thanks, Bertha.

My surgery is next Thursday. I met with the surgeon the other day, and he said they usually keep you in the hospital 2-3 days. I'm having abdominal--a bikini line cut--because they want to be able to look at everything and see what's going on and they also want to take everything out. I had been hoping for a partial because I don't relish having an instant menopause, and I'm also concerned about it affecting my sexuality (because sex is very important to me). I think they're using stitches, the kind that dissolve on their own. I have a low tolerance for pain, which is concerning me after reading your comments on the pain. I hope I won't lose my appetite because I take Paxil daily, with food, and that will cause a problem.

They had told me it's a 6 week recovery period, but then the surgeon said that you can get up and out after a few weeks. Unfortunately, I just received a great job offer last week, and when I told them about the surgery and recovery period, they rescinded the offer because they need someone right away.

Thanks for the info.

[bertha katzenengel]

3. Oh, MAN . . . the job offer . . . I am so sorry

:cry: God, I know how that hurts. I'm so sorry.

Re: the pain: tell the doc you have a low threshold. Of course, they will NOT send you home without pain killers. And when you're walking in the hospital, someone will always be with you unless you say you're okay. And if you just CAN'T take it the first time they ask you to get up, they can't make you do it. But try really hard.

Re: sex, this was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. My eldest sister was with me during all the pre-surgery stuff. (Mine was an emergency so I was already in the bed with the IV, the whole nine. So if it was an emergency, what was taking so long? That's another story.) I'd filled out a questionnaire and the only write-in question I had was, "will I still be able to have orgasms?" Two hours later the nurse comes in to go over the questionnaire with me. After a few minutes of discussing this and that, out of the blue she says, "yes." I said "Yes, what?" She looks at my sister, then looks at me and said "Will you still be able to have orgasms." :blush:

So that might answer one of your questions re: sex. If you want to know more than I can say here in public, please feel free to PM me.

I'm sorry they have to do a total. Mine was partial. Maybe they can do low-dose hormone therapy. I read that it keeps getting safer and safer. I'm so glad to hear they want to look around. They did that to me, too. I'd also had pretty bad endometriosis, so they had a lot to clean up.

Re: appetite: It won't be so bad that you just will not be able to eat. First, the anesthesia may not affect you the way it affected me. And second, I'm sure you'll be able to eat enough -- maybe just a couple of crackers w/ peanut butter, or a banana -- to be able to take your Paxil.

[lady lib]

4. I had a TAH on Tuesday, Nov 28

and right now I'm too spacey from Percocet to write very much, but I hope that whoever else has had a hysterectomy could write about their experience. I'm really trying to take it easy, but whenever I get off the couch or out of bed I feel a sharp pain at the incision site and I'm worried that even that is too much and that it will cause adhesions down the road. Does this make sense? I don't know if it's okay to take a shower maybe if I cover the site with plastic (?), or if I should take sponge baths. Some wisdom right now would be really helpful. Thanks!

[lady lib]

5. Well, I guess I'm going to answer this myself.

The sharp pain at the incision site is now resolved. I am able to take showers, but not baths, and I feel like a new woman whenever I do. I'm still not sure how much activity is too much, but I'm guessing the hystersisters website is a more appropriate forum to discuss this.

Best wishes for your recovery, notmyprez! Feel free to contact me if you ever need to just talk.

[Kat45]

6. Lady lib, sorry to not answer. I haven't been on DU that much lately.

I'm glad to hear your pain is resolved. One of the things they told me was to not lift things, nothing heavy. THat seemed to be the main thing. Doesn't it feel great when you finally take a shower?! I felt so much better after my first shower too.

[lady lib]

7. I haven't been on much either

because it hurts to sit at the computer for more than 5 minutes - and hubby keeps reminding me to go lay down. The sharp pains are gone, but I still have assorted aches and mystery pains that come and go. Is it possible to literally overdose on TV??? Cause I just might be there.

How are you doing?

[Kat45]

8. I know what you mean about OD'ing on TV.

When I got out of the hospital, I stayed at my mother's for two weeks and all I did was watch TV. I've been home for a week now, and TV still seems to be the main activity. It is mind-numbing. But whenever I do anything that involves moving around, I get tired pretty easily. Mystery pains? Yeah, I have a few, but the weirdest is pain I've had on the side of my head for a couple of weeks, off and on (mostly on). I really wouldn't think that would have anything to do with the surgery, but it's annoying nonetheless. Maybe I'll call my primary care dr next week and check it out.

[lady lib]

9. Maybe that pain on the side of your head

has to do with how your body, head and neck are positioned while you're resting. For me it's really difficult to get comfortable and when I sit back in a recliner for several hours the back of my head starts to get numb. Are you laying or sitting with the side of your head against a pillow or with your neck twisted?

This is just an aside... yesterday I received a book titled 101 Handy Hints for a Happy Hysterectomy (from the apparently alliterative hysterectomy association of the UK). Anyway, it's got a few good suggestions for handling post-op recovery. Some of the hints are useful, like how to manage "painful wind" and "looking after your wound." Some are let's just say, not my cup of tea, like "write a poem to your womb" or "learn belly dancing." Belly dancing?!! Some are humorous. My favorite humorous suggestion is on how to make use of my leftover tampons. I took note of this one because I've got 2 Costco sized boxes of them. Let's just say this is the first time in recorded history that the words "tampon" and "BBQ" are used in the same paragraph! :rofl: