Deleted
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Oct 7, 2024 3:28:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2020 1:18:08 GMT
I met with my doctor today to schedule my hysterectomy. Unfortunately, I'm not a candidate for a laparoscopic procedure so I'll have to have a full abdominal one. They're taking everything except one ovary.
Did you have this kind? What was your recovery like? He said they'll keep me overnight, probably two. How long til you felt you could be left alone? How long til you could be responsible for your kids? Til you could drive? Til you were back to normal?
Is there anything you wish you would have known? Do you regret doing it?
Thanks!
Edit: I had a C-Section with Matthew. I imagine this is similar but he said it’s worse. If you had both, how much worse?
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Post by monklady123 on Oct 15, 2020 1:23:07 GMT
NO REGRETS! None. Never. I’m on my phone and can’t type everything right now. I’ll add my experience tomorrow when I can use my laptop. Lol.
But NO REGRETS! Lol
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Post by 950nancy on Oct 15, 2020 1:50:58 GMT
I went in for laparoscopic, but they ended up doing the big incision. I went in on a Wednesday and was out the next day. The dr. said if I could get up and do laps at the hospital, I should be fine. It did hurt a lot. Thankfully my pain meds helped. I couldn't take the mind altering ones that were sent home with me, but Tylenol 800 worked. You aren't supposed to drive for a few weeks, but I was out and about in four days or so. Slow going though. I would say that having someone around was needed just until I could remember when I had taken my last pain meds. So maybe three days? Within a week I was feeling much better, but it was a full 6 weeks before I had my energy back. My kids were elementary school age, but my husband did most of the child care for the first week.
I cannot stress enough that I had NO REGRETS. Honestly, it is the one time in my life where being a female was not a pain in the ass (after my recovery).
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
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Post by scrapngranny on Oct 15, 2020 2:35:38 GMT
I didn’t have a hysterectomy, but ovary surgery using the same bikini incision. The muscle pain at the incision site was the worst part. Gas pains the first couple days in my shoulders and upper back were pretty painful. Coughing or sneezing hurt like hell.
By time I got home I was mostly self sufficient. I couldn’t lift anything over 5 lbs. I wasn’t allowed to drive for a few weeks. Walking is your friend, it really helps with the healing. By 6 weeks it was a thing of the past and no longer bothered me.
Good luck with your surgery. You won’t regret doing it.
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Post by Merge on Oct 15, 2020 2:36:27 GMT
Do they do the same horizontal incision as for a C-section? If so, it’s not as bad as you might think. I had my second c-section when my oldest was 21 months, and my husband couldn’t take time off work to help. So it was me and a toddler and a newborn and my “recovery.” Ha ha.
Seriously, take your pain meds and you’ll be fine. Walk a bit every day. Sit down when you need to.
Having a hysterectomy (granted, mine was laparoscopic) is the best thing ever. No regrets at all.
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Post by mom2kbs on Oct 15, 2020 3:37:16 GMT
Best thing to happen to me!
I was in the hospital for two nights and took 10 weeks off of work. I was ready to go back at 4 weeks and went back at 6. You will be tired the first few weeks and need to take it easy. Bending and pushing will be hard. Can't drive for about 4 weeks.
I think the best thing I did was walk every day as soon as I could. Lots of water and lots of rest and you will do great!
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Post by grammadee on Oct 15, 2020 3:44:07 GMT
Have never had a hysterectomy, but have had several abdominal surgeries.
Please do not try to "get back to normal" too soon. One of my surgeries was to put in a mesh to repair the gap where my abdominal muscles became detached from each other, leaving me with nothing but skin between my gut and the outside world!
You will have good days when you want to jump up and do everything you used to. Do get up and move. But don't overtire yourself. It takes weeks to regain the stamina needed for everyday life. Take that time.
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Post by nlwilkins on Oct 15, 2020 5:36:46 GMT
I had what it in the early 80's. I can't remember much, but do remember that I was given an elastic band the was about ten or twelve inches wide that went around my tummy that kept everything in place when I moved. It kept the incision from being affected by sitting up or sitting down and all. It was better than holding a pillow to your tummy when moving. It made a lot of difference in being able to function on my own. It was important as I had two children to care for and hubby could not get off work to help out.
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,418
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Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Oct 15, 2020 5:38:22 GMT
I had an abdominal hysterectomy 6 years ago, and as others have said, it was the best thing I could have done, and I should have insisted on it earlier (I had large fibroids, so my uterus was quite enlarged). I stayed in hospital for a week, because that's how things are in Germany.
I felt really tired for ages - the first time I was up for a shower (day 2 or 3), I then slept for 2 hours afterwards. Even when I got home, it was a couple of weeks before I could make it through without a nap. I didn't find it particularly painful afterwards, but I had really painful periods my whole life, and gave birth to 2 large babies without drugs, so maybe I'm not a good indicator of pain levels!
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Post by Sanibel on Oct 15, 2020 6:13:48 GMT
Email me if you would like to please- I’ll be happy to tell you about my hints and tips as well as recovery. I had the same surgery you will be getting.
reba64@yahoo.com
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Post by KiwiJo on Oct 15, 2020 7:46:06 GMT
I had a full abdominal hysterectomy 10 years ago, and had no problems at All - of course, I DID follow my doctors’ advice and recommend that you do the same. I was fine by myself the day after I left hospital - I took it easy if course, but had no problems Getting to the bathroom, making myself a cup of coffee etc. walking is encouraged, it’s excellent post-surgery exercise. I didn’t have kids but I imagine that their ages would have a big bearing on when you feel you can be responsible for them. One of the big things is NOT to lift anything much at all, so if your children need to be lifted or carried, you will need help for a number of weeks. I was told not to drive for 4 weeks - I felt able to drive well before then but I didn’t. For one thing, I wouldn’t have been insured because I would have been going against medical advice. I believe the reason to wait 4 weeks is because if you need to stop quickly, or take some emergency measures, your body is likely to automatically prevent you from doing it because it would automatically try to protect the vulnerable surgery site from over-stretching etc. Have you checked out the Hyster Sisters website? It has a LOT of information, including forums where you can ask questions: Hyster Sisters
EtA: oh dear, sorry I didn’t realise Hyster Sisters might not be such a source of encouragement & info that it once was. I checked to see if it was still active but didn’t think to read many of the posts and so I didn’t know the vibe had changed. So sorry! |
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Post by monklady123 on Oct 15, 2020 8:59:16 GMT
Back from last night when I was only on my phone.... lol As I said -- NO REGRETS! omg wish I'd had it done sooner. I think I was in the hospital for two or three days. I think I got an extra day because of some sort of low blood count or something. Nothing serious but my doctor was happy to keep me there because she hated how the insurance companies rush everyone home. If my kids had been a bit older I would have probably been happy to go home sooner though. Mine were in elementary school -- kindergarten and 3rd. I think I used the heavy duty drugs for just a day or so and after that is was the mega-Tylenol (or Advil? can't remember now). The first time you get up from a chair is hard, but do it anyway, and keep walking a little bit every day. My dh took a couple days off of work for when I was in the hospital, maybe one more when I came home. But after that he just got the kids off to school then went to work, and came home early for a few days. The kids were old enough to do for themselves (with me there supervising of course), but someone with younger kids would need more help. After just a few days I was able to walk easily the two blocks to the corner up the hill from the school and the kids walked from there. The most important piece of advice that my doctor gave me was to tell me NOT to do too much when I started to feel better. She said that most (not all of course, but most) of the complications she saw after this surgery were from people trying to do too much because they felt fine. But the thing is there is lots of internal healing that needs to happen, and even if we feel great outside that's still going on inside. So it's a great excuse to have dh and the kids carrying and fetching.  NO REGRETS! oh and eta: Be careful of that Hyster Sisters website that KiwiJo mentioned... It can be a good source of information, but it's also full of women who have horror stories to tell. You decide if you're strong enough to avoid all that (I tend to try to read everything then I'm sorry I did  ) |
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Post by alexa11 on Oct 15, 2020 11:45:38 GMT
Mine was in 06 and the worst pain was in my back. Also, try to get up and walk as soon as you can to relieve gas. I was in agony in my upper back and shoulders from gas and had no idea that was what it was until a nurse told me. Walking helped tremendously. Hope you recover quickly!
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,741
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Oct 15, 2020 12:16:31 GMT
I'm also on the no regrets bench. You've gotten good advice on this tread. I'd like to echo, walk as soon as you can. You don't need to walk a lot but walk a little as much as you can throughout the day. Also, don't 'sundown' where you get your days/nights mixed up. Before my surgery I joined the HysterSisters forum, a lot of good advice but be careful because there are some horror stories.
I was in the hospital 4 days. Unfortunately DH was diagnosed w/ cancer exactly 2 weeks from my surgery so all I had, basically, was 2 weeks to recover.
Best of luck with your surgery!
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Oct 15, 2020 12:23:16 GMT
I had mine 2 years ago in December (remove uterus, kept both ovaries). I'm probably more of an exception, but for me it was "easy". I had the surgery and that night (12 hours after surgery) they had me up and walking. Very slowly and not far, but I was up. Every time I got up and walked I felt better. I had the hard drugs via IV on the day/night of surgery but then the next morning when they removed the IV I only had ibuprofen. I had pain but nothing terrible. The dr. came to see me the next morning and by that afternoon I was on the way home. It was painful to move and walk at home but I could do it- just slowly.
I've had 2 C-sections which were (at that time) 18 & 22 years ago. I'd say this was easier, especially than my first, because my body didn't have to endure labor prior to the surgery.
I'm glad I did it. I was having a lot of pain with periods and they were happening frequently. I don't regret the surgery for a minute!
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lesley
Drama Llama
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Posts: 7,295
Location: Scotland, Scotland, Scotland
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Post by lesley on Oct 15, 2020 12:30:11 GMT
Another here who thinks it was the best thing ever. I had mine about 9 years ago. I think I was in hospital for about 5 or 6 days. Like most surgeries, you need to get up and about as soon afterwards as you can manage.
The most frustrating thing for me was not being able to drive for four weeks. My DD was in hospital about 45 minutes away at that time, and I could only visit her if someone took me there. As PPs have said, your car insurance will be void if you drive before you are cleared by your doctors.
Even when your scar has healed after a couple of weeks, remember there is still a lot of internal healing going on. So don’t try to rush getting back to normal; it can backfire on you very easily! If your house is messy and you can’t stand long enough to cook a full meal, it doesn’t matter.
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Post by gizzy on Oct 15, 2020 13:23:28 GMT
I've never regretted it. I had previous c-sections so I knew what to expect. It's been years since I had it so I'm not real clear on time frames for doing things.
The biggest advice I can give you is to start (in the hospital) colace. I was in pain for 2 days before I called the Dr. I shouldn't have let myself suffer like that.
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Post by scrapmaven on Oct 15, 2020 16:04:50 GMT
I don't have experience to offer other than keep your Switch nearby so that your ANCH friends can keep you occupied. I've heard so many women say that they felt so much better having had the hysterectomy. Sounds like it will make your life better once you get past the initial recovery. Sending well wishes and easy surgery and recovery thoughts.
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lydia
Shy Member
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Apr 10, 2019 20:37:11 GMT
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Post by lydia on Oct 15, 2020 16:40:21 GMT
I didn't have as easy a time as the ladies above. I agree with the Colace; also Tucks; anything else that will help you not to strain to have a bowel movement, and keep your bum from getting sore.
I too am 100% glad I got mine (I had both ovaries taken and couldn't have hormonal therapy afterwards, so went immediately into menopause at 38). I was in a lot of pain the day of surgery, when they had me on IV meds; it started to get better day 2, and I think I switched to oral meds then. Do NOT try to drive prior to the instructions (mine was 4 or 6 weeks). I found moving around in bed to be very difficult for at least the first 3-4 days, so I tried to stay close to the edge. I had young kids at the time, but hubby took time off, so I didn't have to deal with them much. Personally I would feel better having someone around at least the first week, because your ability to sit up, roll, get in and out of bed, etc., is affected.
Now for the bad news (warning, graphic descriptions ahead): I had a terrible recovery. I felt really ill about a week out. I knew I had an infection. Doctors kept telling me no, because my labwork was normal. Then, while trying to put on my support hose, my incision came open. I mean, as big or bigger than right after surgery. Deep layers. Yep, I had an infection. When you do, the wound has to heal from the inside out, so I had twice daily nurse visits for weeks to pack my wound. And of course antibiotics. I started to feel better pretty quickly, but I was unable to do much of anything for several weeks total. The only permanent issue from it is that my scar is much larger than most. No big deal.
And despite all that, I'd STILL recommend it and do it again. I'd rather have a few weeks of pain than pretty much my whole life, as it was before. So there, even if things go WRONG, it's still a great choice, lol!
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lydia
Shy Member
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Apr 10, 2019 20:37:11 GMT
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Post by lydia on Oct 15, 2020 16:41:57 GMT
Dangnabbit. This computer likes to log me in as lydia. It is Zella who wrote the post above about my hysterectomy. Not trying to hide anything. Off to change my log in!
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by melissa on Oct 15, 2020 18:26:04 GMT
If the surgeon is using the same incision (and it is highly likely), the recovery will be quite similar assuming this is all you are having done (ie no suspension surgeries with it... not lifting the bladder, etc).
Your recovery may even be easier if the surgeon is using an ERAS protocol (enhanced recovery after surgery) and you didn't have an ERAS protocol the first time. For ex, all my c-section patients are ready to leave by the second day now and the most without using any narcotics at all.
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Deleted
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Oct 7, 2024 3:28:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2020 19:24:01 GMT
If the surgeon is using the same incision (and it is highly likely), the recovery will be quite similar assuming this is all you are having done (ie no suspension surgeries with it... not lifting the bladder, etc). Your recovery may even be easier if the surgeon is using an ERAS protocol (enhanced recovery after surgery) and you didn't have an ERAS protocol the first time. For ex, all my c-section patients are ready to leave by the second day now and the most without using any narcotics at all. This doctor did my CSection, both of my cyst removals, and my ovarian drilling. Is it safe to assume that he will use one of those incisions or should I call and ask for that? |
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Post by lily on Oct 15, 2020 19:40:11 GMT
I went in for a vaginal hysterectomy, but they could not get the darn thing out, so ended up with an abdominal hysterectomy. I was not prepared for how I felt when I woke up in, but after that initial shock, I really did not have a lot of 'pain'. Soreness yes, but I never even pushed the pain pump button so.... BUT I just had some stitches in the horizontal incision, and one side had trouble healing. Looking back they should have put a drain in it. I was off work six weeks and needed every minute of that.
Then about a month later I was having stomach pain and vomiting issues, and turned out to have an incisional hernia along the hysterectomy line that was pinching off part of the small intestine. So another surgery with an 8" vertical incision. that one they put in mesh and stitches and staples and a drain, so it healed well. Was off work 3 weeks and then worked from home for another week.
I was very fortunate in that my husband did everything for me and around the house.
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by melissa on Oct 15, 2020 19:44:25 GMT
If he didn't tell you he was going to do a vertical incision, it is pretty safe to assume he will be using a similar type of incision.
I would want to know if he was going to be using an ERAS protocol, but that's me. I wouldn't have abdominal surgery without it.
You had ovarian drilling done as an open procedure, not laparoscopic?
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