Stoopid Uterus (But not for long!) (Maybe TMI)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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For months now, I’ve been having female problems. Periods lasting three weeks, cramping that went for a whole week instead of just the first day (and we’re talking narcotic-strength cramping, not just “ow, that’s unpleasant” cramping!) Then I landed in the ER with what I assumed was kidney stone pain, because of the location and the strength of the pain. Nope, not stones. Fibroids. Lots and lots of fibroids. On my ovaries, in my uterus. Fibroids.

And the almost non-stop bleeding has left me severely anemic (I’ve bled 45 of the past 60 days!)

After my trip to the ER, I saw my OB/GYN. She talked to me about all my options: hysteroscopy, D&C, uterine ablation, and hysterectomy. I chose the hysterectomy. I’m 46 years old. I’m menopausal anyway. And Og knows I’m done having babies!!

So, on February 28th, a little more than a month from now, I will check into the local hospital at 6AM (Yikes, that’s early! But if we’re doing surgery, I prefer it early in the day), and everything is coming out! She’s even taking my appendix! (There’s nothing wrong with my appendix, but it’s not like I’ll be needing it for anything, and it’s one less thing to go wrong down the line).

The surgery will be done abdominally, and I’ll have a “bikini cut” (not that I can wear a bikini!) The recovery, by all accounts, is not easy. But fortunately, my hubby can use his sick time (of which he has a pile) to take two weeks off work to take care of me during the worst of the recovery.

In a way, I wish I could get an earlier surgery date and get it over with, but in another way, I’m glad I’ve got more than a month to prepare, and accumulate some of the things I’ll be needing (like underwear one size too big, and some more lounge pants; it’ll be a while before I’ll be able to wear my jeans again).

I posted a little about all this in this
thread, but thought this was a different thread.

I’ve come to rely quite a bit on the community of this place, and consider many of the people here to be my friends. So I thought I’d share this with all of you.

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My mother had this done and benefitted greatly.

And remember to get your husband to peel the grapes. :smiley:

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Best of luck!

You may want to check this forum out. I’m not sure if she’s active, but she used to frequent the site, and it was very helpful to her. Hysterectomy Discussions | HysterSisters

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I had the same problems as you, norinew, and I went the exact same route.
Everything was removed.
I’m so much happier now, not to mention much more comfortable ALL the time!
Yes, it’s not an easy, nor pleasant recovery, but it’s all for the best, and you will be much better off after it is all said and done.
You’ll wish that you had this done much sooner than now.

I know that I don’t even have to mention the lack of periods is beyond wonderful!

I left the hospital the day after my abdominal hysto, of course, it was against doctor’s wishes for me to do so, but I really detest hospitals with a passion, and he knew this from the start.
So, he sent me off with pain meds and his phone number.
Dear Og, the ride home was sheer hell.
But, I stayed in bed most of the time, for several days, only getting up to pee and eat.
Your husband might need to help you off the toilet for a day or two…just so you know.
Quite humiliating and humbling, that is!

I know you’ll do fine, though.
I wish you the best of luck through it all.

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Well, I plan to make him wait on my hand and foot (maybe throw a foot massage in, since I won’t be able to bend down to moisturize my tootsies!) but I think I’ll skip the peeling of the grapes. I know from experience that pain meds can cause major constipation, and fruit peels will help! :wink:

Santo Rugger, someone actually already suggested that site in my previous thread, and I’ve joined. Some of the jargon bothers me, and I could certainly live without the animated smilies, but there’s lots of good info there!

Bah! I’ve had chronic kidney problems for years now that have led to him: giving me enemas (when the pain meds constipated me too much), pulling out my urethral stent, and he’s helped change my maxi pads after I had my kids C-section; I think we’re past the humiliating and humbling phase! :wink:
As for bed, I’m skipping the bed thing. After I had my weight loss surgery a year and a half ago, I was given the advice that sleeping in a recliner would be more comfortable the first couple of weeks, and was it ever!! I’m going the same route this time. Not to mention that my bedroom is upstairs away from the family, while the recliner is right in the living room, so I won’t feel isolated (though I may end up watching more Nickelodeon than I might prefer!)

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Echoing nonacetone here. I had the complete thing done when I was 38, and I never regretted it for an instant. One thing I would recommend you consider is pre-donating blood in case you need a transfusion during surgery. There might be enough time to do that if you want to.

Not only did the hemorrhaging stop, but so did the mood swings and that “always cold” feeling most women have. I strongly recommend HRT so you don’t experience instant menopause from your sudden drop in hormones. My doctor put me on Premarin at the time of the surgery, but then I found out it is derived from the urine of mares who are kept pregnant (thus the name of the drug) and now I’m on a plant-based estrogen which works just fine and doesn’t creep me out.

The recovery is not great. You will feel like someone cut you open, rummaged around and then ripped some stuff out, because that’s what happened. After several days, though, you will realize you’re on the mend. I couldn’t lift anything very heavy for about a month. The scar quickly faded away and within six months it was nearly invisible, if that kind of thing matters to you.

Tried to get my surgeon to install a clock radio when he took out the organs, but he said he stopped doing that a while back.

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I bled for three weeks once. Turned out to be hyperplasia and a round of hormones soon set me right. In fact, the hormones worked too well, if you ask me. Beforehand, I often skipped months and had only 6 or 8 periods a year. Since then, though I haven’t taken them for at least a decade, I can count on having a period every 25-28 days without fail. Ugh.

Norine, I’m glad this isn’t another kidney stone but I know it’s got to suck anyway. Maybe more. You have my hugs and best wishes.

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My GYN and I already talked about HRT. She thinks we should wait and see what kind of problems I experience, but if the symptoms of menopause turn troublesome, she has no problem with putting me on HRT.

Well, I’ve had three C-sections, and gall bladder removal (that involved opening me way up) and weight loss surgery, so I have some idea of what the recovery will be like! And all the scars (not to mention very unattractive loose skin from losing a lot of weight) make me not care about another scar.

My doctor wants me to not do anything strenuous (including housework) for six weeks. I told her “Hell, I don’t do housework now; it’ll be nice to have an excuse for a change!” :smiley:

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I would recommend this also. I had hemorraghing and had to be rushed back into surgery. Fortunately I didn’t need a transfusion, but it was a close call. Better safe than sorry if you have the time to do it.

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Oh my. Please research that. The idea is to not have a sudden drop in hormone levels, which you will have if she doesn’t slap a patch on you just after surgery. Although my gyn did do this, he gave me too little and I ended up shaking and pouring sweat, thinking I had a huge case of the flu, for several hours until he increased the dose. I can’t imagine why any doctor wouldn’t see that you have to match the normal hormone levels after surgery. The idea of HRT is to match the level of hormones you’d have if you hadn’t had your ovaries removed.

There is just no reason for you to suffer unnecessarily from lack of hormones, when you’ll be suffering quite enough from the surgery alone. I don’t get that at all.

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Best of luck, Norinew!

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I will add this to my list of questions to ask her at my pre-op appt. I think her thinking is that since I’m already menopausal, it may not have that much of an effect on me.

I will definitely ask about donating blood in advance. I have to go to the hospital tomorrow anyway for my final iron infusion, and I can ask then.

Tikki and nashiitashii, thanks for the good wishes!

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Good Luck! My mom had a radical hysterectomy, and she is the typical oh-I’m-fine-how-are-you? mother that never, ever complains about anything - emotional or physical. The closest thing I’ve ever gotten from her was from her hospital bed when she was recovering from the surgery. She looked me square in the eyes and said, “Northern Thalia, if someone ever asks you if you want your uterus taken out, you tell them NO.”

You sound like you know what you’re getting into though, so fingers crossed for you that it’s as easy as possible!

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I had that pesky organ removed one month after I got married, also the pesky left ovary that had been the scene of my tubal (ovarial?) pregnancy. I still have my right ovary and for me that was a good solution.

I cannot tell you how wonderful it was not to bleed all but three or four days every month. I had just gotten used to it, plus it sort of happened incrementally over about three years. So when I sat down and did the math to try to figure out when my last period was, I gave up.

As you are having, I also had the bikini cut. In my case it was required because of all the previous surgeries I’ve had. I’m sure you are getting good advice for post op, and I’ll just chime in with two pieces of my own.

First, when you do get out of bed to walk your IV pole around–stand up straight. Don’t slump, don’t slouch–stand up. Oh and do the breathing exercises you are given. Standing up made me feel like my innards would soon be outtards but of course they weren’t.

Second, follow your doctor’s instructions regarding stairs, amount of weight you can carry, etc. I did not for the first couple of major surgeries I had and I’m sure that contributed a lot to the adhesion issues I’ve had. It also didn’t help me when I developed an incisional hernia. So yeah, you’ll feel like you can do more than your doctor recommends–don’t.

I found tampons I’d squirreled away for almost a full year afterwards. It was amazing how many accommodations I’d made for all that bleeding.

Oh OH one more thing–this was a suggestion from a woman I know who’d had the surgery removed for much the same reason–go buy new panties! Because they won’t get ruined and you sure won’t feel like wearing the old ones any more, right?

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And, on the plus side, if she doesn’t need it (and here’s to hoping!), the blood can then go to somebody else who does.

Cool, glad to hear it. And, since I didn’t mention it in my post, the “she” and “her” I was referring to is my mom. :smack:

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Well, it’s easy to have “buyer’s remorse” for the first few days. You just about always have that feeling of “what the hell have I done to myself??” But I’m guessing the first time my period’s due and it doesn’t come, then it’ll all be worth it!!

I had that feeling after I had my first C-section and my gall bladder removal; for subsequent abdominal surgeries, I was given a binder. Makes all the difference in the world! I’ve already asked my doc if she prescribes post-op binders, and she said yes. If she didn’t, I was prepared to supply my own!

Yeah. One of the women on hystersisters.com recommends staying in jammies and a bath robe for several weeks, to remind yourself and your family that you are not “open for business”! I’m sure I will go to the store with my hubby and such, because otherwise, I’ll go stir crazy! But when I’m recovering from surgery, I always make him drop me off at the door, and if it’s a big store (like the Super Wal Mart or Lowe’s), I use one of those little electric carts they supply. Another thing the hystersisters are fond of saying is: “You only have one chance to heal properly!” I’ve adopted this mantra myself, and will repeat it frequently!

Well, I do have lots of new panties because of all the weight loss. My old ones didn’t fit me any more, and I can finally fit into cute ones! But I do have several pairs that are hopelessly stained that I’ll be replacing! Plus, I’m going to have a “sheet replacement party”! I have two old sets of sheets that are my “bleeding sheets”, that I use for when I’m, well, bleeding. But I’ll be treating myself to a new set of nice, high thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, and toss my old nasty ones, and celebrate!!

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I had a simple, vaginal hysterectomy when I was 27. The surgery was on Thursday, I went back to work on Monday.

I think my recovery was so quick because my post-op pain was so much less than the pain from my broken uterus.

Yours will take a little longer to heal, since you’re having the abdominal incision.
Good luck. I’ll be thinking of you.

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Thanks, picunurse! (Do medical professionals really make bad patients, like you always hear?)

Oh, just for you, one more nurse-related question: some of the ladies on the hystersisters website recommend bringing chocolates in to share with the nurses. They say that if the nurses know there’s chocolate in your room, they might get to you just a little quicker than they might otherwise. I think it also falls under the heading of just treating the nurses well, which I always try to do (just 'cuz I feel like crap is no need to be nasty to the nurses! Hell, they have the narcotics!)
What do you think of the chocolates idea?

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Good luck!

I haven’t had a hysterectomy but two c-sections, one bikini cut under controlled conditions (too big baby badly positioned - found out before labour ever began) and one vertical cut from a smash-and-grab operation (placenta previa - they had to cut through the placenta to get him out).

Although the second smash and grab was MUCH harder to recover from - it took me 18 months, all told - the vertical cut was FAR less painful than the horizontal one. I like to lie on my side and it felt like the cut was doing this () when I did so. I was wakened with a jerk of pain every 30 minutes for about a month! So your recliner idea is probably sound! The vertical cut stayed like this = when I lay on my side, and I was able to do it a few hours after surgery. Such a relief for a sore back.

I used to wear bikini panties but the elastic came exactly where the cut came and it was awful even after the skin was all healed up, as I think some nerves were damaged - one side was all buzzy and the other was numb for a couple of years. My husband brushing his hand over my belly gave me the heeby-jeebies for a couple of years too but it’s all OK now. I had to go with bigger pants and now have only massive grannie panties to accommodate the vertical scar which is like a big, pink rubber pencil even 8 years later. The bikini cut is a tiny thin white line barely visible under the top curls of my pubes.

Please DO be careful about overdoing it. I remember from the second cesarean in which I lost 2 litres of blood and was fairly badly damaged inside in the getting-out of the babe that every single day I felt 100% better than the day before. That made it hard to judge how far I had to go until true recovery, as each day felt so very much better than the day before had done. Especially at the beginning it was unbearable pain the first day, awful horrible pain the second, painful pain the third, and really not too bad pain the fourth, and so on - the changes were huge and rapid. It wasn’t until I vaccumed the floor of our small apartment about three weeks post op and then had to go to bed with similar pain to about day three again that I believed what the doctors had said. And that second bout of recovery was not rapid and miraculous. Please, please be lazy!

The belly binder thing is a good idea too. I remember getting up after the first c-section and feeling all my innards go BLERRRK! down my belly! Then the nurse exclaimed in horror that I didn’t have a wrap on (I didn’t know they existed!) and she rushed off to get one for me. Instantly I was able to stand upright! For the second op I kept it on for over a month as it really did help with getting up and down while my muscles were so battered.

I am sure that after all the trauma of the op is over you will be feeling very much better and energetic once you are allowed to keep all your lovely blood inside you and not keep suffering from a permanent slow leak!

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Well, for all three C-sections, I had both vertical and horizontal cuts, in what was called “anchor cut”. This is because I was very obese when I had my children, and they said that if I just had the bikini cut, it might tear open. So the two cuts “supported” each other. My gall bladder removal and weight loss surgery were both just vertical cuts. It pretty much all sucks.

But I understand what you mean about feeling so much better every day. That didn’t happen with my WLS, because my tummy was all cut up and my intestines were re-arranged, and I didn’t feel better at all for at least two weeks. But with all of my C-sections, and with my gall bladder, I was pretty much controlling the pain with Tylenol or Advil by the fourth day. But yeah, I have to keep reminding myself to “stay lazy” and not try to do too much!