WEll lucky me! I have cervical cancer only cuz I didn’t bother to do my yearly last year (even though I can walk to my doctor’s office from here.) Any way gotta take out the hyst and nodes, then I am cured, barring any lymph node surprises! My doc told me sexual function is normal after the healing, but I have hard time believing this. What are your experiences. Not a decison factor by the way, I am doing the surg cuz I have to. Just want to know what to expect form someone who isn’t a male oncolocy surgeon! Ovaries are staying!
I don’t have any input here - just wanted to say good luck and happy healing. I hope you have a fabulously quick recovery.
Wow, thats really sweet, I am* a little freaked about it.
Oh, Sweetie- I’m sorry. Why oh why are the fun places so prone to trouble?
My family history is full of the stuff, and equally full of fun loving lusty women who continue the mischief until they are so old you don’t want to hear about it anymore. The feel good parts will be unaffected, and just imagine how much fun sex will be once you have cheated misfortune!
What are some of the things you are going to do now that you realize what a close call you have had?
I saw this and had to reply.
Same thing happened to me in 1997. Didn’t miss my yearly exam, but ended up having a hysterectomy at age 35 for cervical cancer. Of course, with no children, I had to have all the talks with the doctor about becoming sterile and alternate treatment and damn–all the forms you have to sign, acknowledging that you will no longer be able to procreate and have been fully informed of such. I was pretty certain I never wanted to have kids, having raised three step-kids and just kept repeating, “go ahead and take it out.” You still have to sign like 20 forms agreeing to “surgical sterilization.”
The thing no one warned me about and that I tell everyone about to undergo a hysterectomy is the major belly sounds afterward. You are essentially undergoing “major” surgery–they are removing an organ. For several weeks after the surgery, I guess my innards were rearranging and re-settling. My husband and I were watching TV together a couple of days after the surgery and he looked over at me and said, “Damn, honey! I can hear your stomach from here!” I told him that he should have the joy of being wrapped around all the renovations…
You will feel tired. For about six months, from my experience and all the war stories I’ve shared with others. Then, for me personally, it was wonderful and I have wondered why I couldn’t have opted for the surgery years sooner. No more periods!! You can make fun of your friends who have to take their lunch hour to run to the drug store for pads or tampons! They took the crib, but left the playpen!! Since you are getting to keep your ovaries, no HRT issues.
I’m trying to figure out the best way to describe this… Sex was still great. A bit tender in the beginning, especially with a zealous partner. Just take it easy and slow for a while.
I wish you a rapid recovery and no complications. Just don’t be discouraged about not getting your energy back right away. The fatigue goes away. Also, don’t over do it. I got bored and spot cleaned the carpet three weeks after the surgery and got myself put off work for two more weeks.
Same thing happened to me, too. The best of luck to you, Nevermind!
I should have opted for the vaginal removal, but it really wasn’t feasible to do it that way, I guess. Anyway, you will be quite tender after the operation, so don’t hesitate to press ‘the button’ they put into your hand…especially right after you wake up! It’s an Ogsend, I swear!
After coming home, take it easy. Relax. Do try to get a little exercise, at least by walking around as often as you can.
It doesn’t take long to get back into the swing of things, but when you attempt it, just take it slow, or you’ll be set back for awhile.
As for sex after you’re all healed, it’s exactly the same as it was before. No worries there! Just take it easy until you feel comfortable and don’t feel any pain. If you feel any pain at all, stop. If the pain continues, talk to your doctor about it, but you probably won’t have to, if you let your body heal sufficiently before you attempt it!
That varies from woman to woman, I’d suppose.
Again, the best of luck to you!
Thank you all for sharing your experiences, I feel a little less worried! I suppose as far as what I am going to do now that I have averted a close call: so far, I think I will not let the little things ‘bother me’ so much. And I will remember and appreciate how much everyone around me has rallied. Great question and I will be spending a lot of time thinking about that. Now I just have to work on training my cat not to jump on my belly whilst I lay on the sofa watching TV!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I had a hyster two years ago, for massive fibroids. I also kept my ovaries. Sex is still excellent, but slightly different. Of course, I don’t get the sensation of my uterus contracting when I orgasm, but that has been replaced with a hard to describe feeling of, well, intensity. It’s all good 
I recommend hystersisters.com as a good support site for before and after your surgery. The articles are informative, and the forums are good for reassurance and support.
I just talked with Mom, and she reminded me that uterine and ovarian cancer are what the four women in my family have struggled with. She mentioned the same “internal organs adjusting” thing that LemmeOut described, and complained about the adjustment to hormone therapy. (great that your ovaries are staying) Mom had her surgery when she was in her late 30’s and had some temporary bladder issues, but she and Dad are still obviously very frisky in their sixties, so I think it is safe to assume that sex is still fun.
You know, Nevermind, you are right about the little things. I had a pretty nasty accident, surgery and year long recovery a few years back, and the difference in my outlook on life has been amazing. Before the accident, I felt a little nervous eating in front of strangers. I could enter a televised pie-eating contest now. Before, a hateful comment could wound me for a week. I’m deaf to petty crankiness now. I’m nearly immune to tension at work and co-worker gossip and back-biting. I simply have fewer trivial complaints, and fewer bad habits. Perspective is a wonderful thing.
After my recovery I made some sweeping changes to my life: I left a destructive marriage. I sold a huge house, and bought a tiny one. I sold a 20 year collection of antique furniture and clutter. I snared a fun, affectionate boyfriend. (I travel lightly, now) I donated closets full of barely worn clothing. I bought the most expensive and comfortable king size bed I could afford. I bought a high quality big screen TV. I got a big, stupid dog and let it live in the house with me, and filled an aquarium with fat, silly goldfish. Part II of my life is a vast improvement over Part I.
So when you are recovering with a cat on your lap, take inventory, and if possible: purge. Make some room for new plans and new ideas, and carry them out. I promise you that life is more fun after facing adversity.
Wow Beaucarnea, sounds like quite the transformation! I 'm glad it worked out for you that way…Hopefully that’ll be it though! Thanks for the encouragement!
I also had my pesky uterus removed, along with my even peskier left ovary. So I’m plugging along with just the one ovary and everything is completely fine. Sex felt a little different, not sure how I would describe it, but my husband said he couldn’t tell any difference.
If you are having abdominal surgery (forget if you said either way), I do have some suggestions for you. I’ve now had seven major abdominal surgeries so these are 'Trary-tried and true, and may help you.
First, get a small pillow. You can use this to put on your lap so when kitties jump–and they will–you won’t get four paws directly on your incision. You can also use the pillow to sort of splint yourself when you need to cough or sneeze. I also used mine at night; since I’m a side sleeper, it’s always felt like my insides were going to spill out. Of course they weren’t but it sure felt that way. So you can sort of support your belly with the pillow.
In the hospital, get up as soon as they ask you to, stand up really straight (no hunching over the IV pole), and do any breathing exercise you are asked to. You will be shocked at how quickly you recover if you do all that.
Finally, and I cannot stress this enough, listen and follow the activity/weight restrictions your doctor gives you post-op. I did not do so with the first couple of surgeries (young and dumb dumb DUMB), and consequently I developed lots of adhesions and ultimately a nasty hernia (which had to be repaired last year).
I had a vaginal hysterectomy and it was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, short of marrying my husband! A two-three week recovery time for that, versus a traditional one. Sex is a little different, but still great–in fact, a lot of women enjoy it more, since they don’t have to worry about pregnancy. Take it easy at first, though. Things are tender in there (stitches at the top of the vaginal canal, for example) and a little less elastic, or at least it felt that way to me. Took a few months of very gentle stretching of that area (which my husband helped with cheerfully :D) before it was back to normal. Oh, and there’s that whole “lack of a period” thing, which ROCKS!