1st post although have been reading other posts. I wish you all a speedy & full recovery.
Off for the above (title) 4th Sept in London. Tbh, I'm looking forward to it. Just want it all gone. I guess many of you can understand that. I had my right ovary removed 9 years ago although only went in for laparoscopy, ended up with laparotomy due to large cyst and it being easier to remove ovary than prise the sticky 🤢 cyst off. With that in mind, 9 years later comes the decision to complete full sweep via incisions rather than 1 cut. I'm assuming because of previous scarring and tearing.
I've got my preassessment this week and so also hand a list full of questions.
Just wondering if anybody else has had the same done, moreso the recovery speed etc. Obvs I know we're all different. Since I got my op date I've lost nearly 18lb in preparation for it. My choice. I just want to be in the best health I can be prior to op. I'm 46, physically well ish, and now weighing 9.9lb.
I'm not nervous or worried.
Thoughts/experiences please???
Thanks, Jackie
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JJWoody
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Hi Jackie is the reason you are in for your remaining "full sweep" mainly endometriosis pain and painful periods etc?"
I'm through it as of February this year I went private. I'm 39!
Well done on the weight loss.
What is your main health is due to push you toward hysterectomy?
I asked the surgeon about the incisions and its easier for them to access your parts than the way down low 1 x c section type scar plus it's much much easier to recover from as the later is classed as open surgery it apparently has more risks. I asked all of this prior to my surgery and my surgeon was very very affable and the placement on my 3 incisions were so discrete.
It's a full sweep alright lady and if you have endo its extra work for them extra recovery time for you may find the bowel or bladder needing to settle after excision. Mine was bowel. I
Was sluggish and needed Ducolax on day 3, went on day 5, bit painful but just rode the edges of the white porcelain like they were Jesus rails lol. Peppermint tea and plenty of for the gas to release from you that they pump you with. Depending on your circumstances combined patch hrt to protect against endometriosis regrowth. I use Evorel Conti and patches of 50mg I stacked them until I was migraine free and my bloods check out fine at 2 patches, so 100mg. My sweats and surgical menopause are all under control.
No real housework for two weeks and no laundry lifting or anything heavier than a kettle and a cup for at least 2/3 months no extremely heavy items for 6 months. Expect to feel great and then like poo and feel up and down for the early part of recovery. I felt great a few times and set out on tasks or shopping trips too early and many times suffered the deeply belly and 2 days in bed to recover from the likes of...
I'm almost 6 months post op but still having back pain as I have 3 bulging discs otherwise all prior symptoms are gone. I had Adenomyosis of the womb and Edometriosis badly, dismenhoragea and peri menopause symptoms at 39.
My mental health was bad because I was in debilitating pain ongoing and longer each month.
Buy yourself really lose tummied clothing with elastic stretch, seamless pants (big pants) and kerp pads for your after surgery bleeding which is to be expected.
Kerp an eye out for post surgery and discharge or unpleasant scent that isn't irony or bloody in scent incase of infection. No baths no real need to shower must in first 2/3 days keep your incision wounds dry and tidy with their bandages. I left mine alone complety for days and had no issues at all. Painkiller around the clock...dont miss doses. Every 4ish hours take your Ibufrofen or co-vodemol you need the good stuff post op.
Stash your own painkiller incase you feel like they are holding back on you. I went private and couldn't believe I wasn't given morphine. I was in agony and was on their painkiller plus scrambled to my handbag for cocodemol in the middle of the night. I have a high pain reliever tolerance probably but IV paracetamol doesn't do it for me!
I wore hareem pants (elasticated) and a lose top and a waterfall cardigan with open toed moulded slippers very easy to dress in all of the above for to and from hospital.
You need a driver naturally to take you to and from. I was chucked out after 1 night private care and although I paid and could have stayed another 1 to 2 comfortably and up to 5 according to their literature, the staff were on a bonus to push you out obviously! I wanted to go purely due to their painkiller reluctance and having to ding the bedside buzzer and feel like a junkie or a woos. I really had to set my clock and go 4 hourly on a painkiller mix between alternating ibuprofen and co codemol otherwise I was in agony.
Heat patches helped. Warm peppermint tea. A tv beside your bed and not much movement other than shuffling for a pee pee. No need to try long walks in the first week.
Truthfully I was swolen and had the heavy weighty ferling and wasn't comfortable walking much other than around my house for at least 6-8 weeks.
Any more heavy activity like hoovering and mopping out would promote deeply belly and abdomen uncomfortability and need a rest between chores after 2 months plus.
I attempted to paint a very long fence and wall I have with pillars, and at around 13 weeks I did these but ended up settling myself back in recovery by 2 weeks as my abdomen was getting obviously too much of a work out.
I've had 2 failed attempts back at my hiit exercise regime and the last attempt on Monday has saw me with back pain but I believe it's irritated my 3 bulging discs.
Everyone is different, you will know this healing feeling its a swelly belly with cramp in the abdomen and if your chores have you feel this way you know to stop.
Reaching up and pulling curtains is a bit of a no no I remember feeling as I reached up a sharp cramp about 2 months post op.
I've read in American literature apparently they say at 6 months your insides are 80% healed and at 12 months you are fully healed. Some ladies say the symptoms are almost gone by then though can have subtle reminders.
Wow. Just wow. I can't thank you enough. The time you've taken to inform me of this very very useful reply is phenomenal. I'm so appreciative.
What a bloody journey you've been on. One I guess I'm about to start - eek!
Everything is stuck to everything as far as I understand. So leaving it all to the professionals to do the thing and fix me. The aches, pains, bowel movement (or lack of), constant swollen belly (I call it baby endo cos I look 3 months pregnant) especially now I have lost weight, are all ever present. Periods heavy, clotty, grim brown and or whitish discharge are consistent. Think I'm due on next week so will see what it brings. 😔
Yep, we are all different. We can all recover differently too. Yes, I've lost weight / been to the gym /eating more healthily due to having op 4th September. I want to be as well both mentally, physically and emotionally as I can be in order to 100% recover. Got down from 10st 12lbs to 9.9lbs. 2 months out took me. I really went for it.
Not nervous, kinda looking forward to it but at the same time dreading the recovery pains and time after.
Having had the laparotomy 8 years ago I know the 'not to do's'. I made that mistake which resulted in 2 more weeks off work.
I'm going UCLH London tomorrow (2nd Aug) for preassessment. I'm armed with questions. Lol.
I had a prostaps injection 5 weeks ago and the hot flushes kicked in last week. They're shi*@y to say the least but likely to be the last of my problems after op!
I got beautiful advice on here myself in the early days of my diagnosis and Op.
I'm in Northern Ireland its a medical jungle here with a cancer boom taking all routine surgery slots. I was given after a 9 month wait a further 22. I was in bed practically totally looking after my 3yrold from bed.
I had to take a loan out over 5 years and got mine dine in Kingsbridhe private hospital here under Dr Endometriosis Dr David Hunter he was very affable and got it all bare some microscopic cells for fear of puncturing my no. I kind of said "why not every cell" but he had me as a bit of a character and took my joke well. I know this f#cker grows back in some cases but we can't live our lives like that, I had to do what was right for myself and family situation. The NHS here has collapsed there are no routine surgeries in our main hosoital due to cancer boom and emergency traumas. Wheb I was in paying in the private hospital there was a period of no scheduled surgeries in the main hospitals so those waiting years on hip replacements etc had to be turned away at their scheduled appointment. Not enough surgeons beds and staff and probably budgets.....
It's grim here.
I praise the good job they do when they do it but the system has failed many like myself. 5k, out of pocket and we pay our taxes....
Anyhoo, best wishes for tomorrow!
You done exceptionally well with your weight loss, tell them only HOW HARD you have it as you don't want then thinking you are NOT A PRIORITY..Ive learned to be selective with media so professionals as even my made up face in the past has had comments about me looking "Too well" to be in agony. My make up is a coping mechanism for me, each of us have them...park the weight loss story and anything that seems like you've been well like long walks mountain climbing or parasailing off buildings 😉...
Remember you are almost being interviewed to be worthy of a surgery place on the NHS -
Triple wow. Got all of that. Fully understood. Roger Roger!
I don't go on social media. I've got fb with 3 people on it 😂, my hubby and 2 sons (18 & 21). I never post on it. I've got Instagram too but this is only for photos of holidays. A few year back I asked myself 'why am I wasting all this time on FB'?
As for today, my worst yet. You would not believe me, but today I've had a shocking 'episode/turn'. Pains in gynae area pains in top of legs, hips. I'm wondering if it's this prostaps injection I had 6 weeks ago?? I had a heavy period 2 weeks after, and now I'm due period again. I'm thinking it could be my natural system/cycle fighting to do what it should and the prostaps telling it otherwise! 🙄😕🙄
Have felt faint and weak, shaky, really yawny all day today, it's the first time I have felt like this. Ever the optimist, I'm hoping it's the last too! 😁😁😁
I'm currently in bed, 💊 up, fan on trying to sleep. It's another hot day in sunny Essex. ☀
I take my hat off to you. Going through all of that with a littleun... you're a hero. 🥉
NHS sounds very shitty to me where you are. I have to say, touch wood, it's not like that here.
I've got some baggy clothes, of course I've got my Bridget Jones' (standard). Will get the pampers newborn pads too!!! 😂😂😂
Your humour defo sounds like mine. Always cracking/making a joke out of a situation. 🤡 But I figure if I don't laugh, I'll cry. I'll tell em to only leave my brain cells! 🤣
Who'd be a woman eh? 🤔 Hmm, mind you, the alternative ain't too appealing! 😂😂😂
You are so funny lol! You hit the nail on the head your body is trying its best to ...MUST STAY ON CYCLE..MUST BLEED, MUST HURT JACKIE, MUST MUST MUST PUSH PAST PROSTRAP 👿👿👿
My body did this on all the pills and on the mirena but only enough on the period stop tablet it was like trying to put a tampon in the opening of a hot volcano 🙈🙉😱😲 (Norethisterone) I got a period free wedding day and only 2 honeymoon days and I needed to be like Moses and part the red sea and let it WHOOOOOOOSSSHH, lol. Yes I do use humour to bat away most things in life. We are having a hard time atm but this site keeps me active and its a good distraction. We just got confirmation that our son has a brain condition on MRI (he is severely mentally disabled) that is a big epilepsy contributor and that his brain had suffered oxygen deprivation at birth. Yes, so that's how S*hit the maternity services are, my labour was horrendous and my midwife was a pencil pushing Nazi. We are investigating it further with an independent assessment and with possible legal action.
Our son is going to a special needs school in September we are delighted he got accepted its very local to us plus he gets to ride the bus to and fro 🤗
How about you how did today Go? Wasn't it today you went to London?
You get spoilt with thst weather in Essex I'm hoping the good weather makes its way over here soon to s@itty Northern Ireland lol 🤣
PS: I've always had heavy periods, clotty, 8-10 days sometimes but always regular. Mainly due to lots of endo and stuck to my uterus and ovary and bowel. 'Unloading 🚽' ain't much fun for I feel like my poo pipe 😂 has got a 'u bend' in it, lol. One chopped prune in my breakfast helps. I've had endo since 2008, poss earlier. So I've suffered enough. They told me after the laparotomy in 2009 that it'd come back. At that moment in time I'd never heard of it. Went in to get cysts removed via laparoscopy, ended up with laparotomy.
I sooo get you. Going No2 was the worst toward the end before surgery plus that pain you tense up and as many women say you are literally using the toilet seat for leverage to expel that bad boy out to feck!
Kerp the prunes handy and the Ducolax its so mild yet effective it took me 3 doses of that overnight and I went on day 5 or 6 post op.
The femine washes and wipes with the PH neutral are a God send I still use then plus the femine deodorant I got no infections touch wood.
Tesco Luxury wet wipes are lovely the coconut ones 2 for £1.80 a must beside your toilet post op, lovely and fresh.
Can't believe I'm still in my big knickers I'm just not there yet, it takes time and my core is saying no to my exercise regime.
It's a fight for another day! We must pick our battles!
So I've been to UCLH (London) today. Was there about 2 hours. Long chat about op, pre and post. H I've had a real shi**y couple of days. Found out it's my hormones and my cycle battling my prostaps. Feels like a tug of war going on down there. Makes sense as I'm due on.
So plan is, all out via bellybutton. Laparoscopic. A 2 night stay in hosp, prob a 4-6 week max recovery. Fingers crossed for all of that. Slightly anaemic atm, so I've got some iron tablets. Was bloody hot on the London underground today. Really not ideal combined with hot flushes! 😓
Here's hoping you fully recover and get out them big knickers lol.
Sounds like you've a lot going on at home. You must be one tough cookie.
I am a generally very hot person and sweatted from I was like 14, convinced it's always been hormones but must be endocrine as I got rid of my own hormones and still sweating lol. Your trip on the underground Jeeaassssuuss I would have needed a mop to mop me up off the floor! I'm glad you had a good discussion. Your body will feel like thst tug of war I believe that many women who have strong menstrual systems almost can't benefit from those intervention meds like pills and injections as the body is hell bent on going its own course!
Yes, I got mine dine laparscopically and had the belly button plus two bikini line a left and right I had Womb ovaries tubes and cervix out and had the vaginal cuff created so that there us a closure after the Vag where the Cervix would have been.
I only felt comfortable to try intercourse after 3 months and the first time felt like I had a Vaginal plasty or whatever you would call It, felt very much like we needed to go extremely slow and careful. Lubrications are good too. Are you considering any form of HRT for afterwards at all as you say you are flushing.
Post up (no ovaries obviously) I stsrted to already feel like I was getting insomnia, sweats and had a weird feeling like I was unprotected, it's hard to explain like a car driving with no head lamps...I was begging for my prescription to be filled.
If you are coming off the PROSTRAP why don't you are if you can get yourself covered with HRT patch, you need protection against endometriosis regrowth anyeay and that's why I am on a combined patch called Evorel Conti, it contains Progesterone with the Estrogen for year 1.
I was migraine until my side was at 100mg so it's 2 x 50mg patch of Evorel Conti. The patch bypasses the liver and not as hard on the body to process. I put inside my knickers above bikini line and use dry oil spray to get them off as they stick like leeches, change patch 2 times per week, whallah! - instant hormones!
Yes lately has been tough they say you won't get served any more on your plate than you can handle 🤔🤔🤔✌...Im flipping them the bird as it's been a hell of a long year lol!
Sex? A bit of the other? Rudies???? Nnnnnnnnfffffffwwwwww is that happening, not on my watch lol. Too painful, and, when we did (ain't been for a couple of months) I'd always end up with an infection/bleed etc. I gotta admit, the old man is a good a gold, a hero and a rock, despite me being moody or snapping at him. He can't wait till I start HRT😅🤣😂. So yes, I've got to have HRT. I haven't got a choice. They said yesterday that it'll likely be patches.
I'm hoping it'll all come out laparoscopicly, but how the heck the cervix will 'pop' out from there I don't know, but I'm aware they did say back in April that they may go vaginally too if they have to. Clearly they don't wanna cut if they can get away with it. The bowel is a little stuck too. I'm praying they all gets cleaned up ok.
I went to my GP yesterday afternoon, follow up to the nightmare day I'd had before. He gave me iron tablets (said I'd been anaemic for several weeks). I was like, oh, thanks for letting me know! 😞 We discussed HRT patch now and he said no, defo not, cos I'd be giving the body mixed signals. I've only another month to go.
It's now 2.30am lol. Just woke up to a hot sweat. It's 19 degrees outside atm!!! Gotta love a hot sweat in a heatwave eh?! 🔥😰😩
Luckily although I've felt like 💩 the last 2 days, thankfully it's been my 2 days off. Back to work tomorrow. Another thankfully, I work as a GP receptionist. So if I'm gonna collapse I'll be in the right place. 🤣
You go flip🖕 away girl to your hearts content. I bloody would.
Do you work? What's the next step for you health wise? You got a follow up appt or just off you go, get on with it?
I get you totally I couldn't enjoy a bit of the other pre operation it was quite often too painful. You really NEED this! Like asap!
Yes sweat it out its a month or so get your patches try to go for the 50's in Evorel Conti its the combined one you will take combined for a year to treat any endo cells regrowth, my prescription will change to just Evorel in May thats only Estrogen.
Your laparoscopy will remove the womb from its ligaments etc and probably a few cuts to it if its bulked out at all and they 'deliver' it through your Vagina! -Whallah! BOOM - no womb at the Inn 🤣....
I imagined myself on the table like a big Christmas Turkey with the giblets coming out lol lol!
God love you with them bloody sweats you won't know yourself when the get kicks in get on it Right away no delay post op, 3 days without hormones I was sweating, clammy, deer in the headlights type insomnia having signals sent to my by my ghost ovaries and they begged me to thank them for their service yet I cursed them for years lol. - Morphine and anaesthetic does stage things to ones mind obviously 😂😂😂😂
Pack bag;
Hrt Combi patch
Lots of changes of pants incase of bleeding accidents/wonky pads etc
Changes of loose nightie or PJs
peppermint tea
Pads
Face wipes
Wet wipes
Loose clothing (a shrowd lol lol lol)
Granny knickers no seams
Own pain killer stash
Water or the like bottled
Sweets to suck on (terribly dry mouth from being tubes for the anaesthetic etc)
...plus that loving hubby by your bed side and that's your list for 1 x months time!
Hiya, feeling a tad better. Still not 100% but figure I'm not going to be pre op. Iron tablets have kicked in. But also had a call from uclh following my BT up there, they called to say I need an iron infusion. So so chase up gp tomo see if they've heard anything.
Went tesco today. Couldn't find coconut wipes. Got the Peppermint tea though. Got bigger knick Knocks, baggy clothes and nightwear.
All I need now is a bloody big bag to put em in! 😉
Going back to gym tonight after a week off. My son goes too so I won't be alone. I won't go crazy, just try and burn 200 calories as opposed to normal 350. But, I've been eating 'crap' for a few days. As long as I stay under 9.12lb is the plan.
Ahhh I'm glad you have a child ..didn't know whether to being that up...you are doing great with the gym n weight loss etc.
You really are! You're positive!
Tesco Luxury Wipes coconut is one of the scents they call the good loo roll range "Luxury" lol though Andres do em more expensive and a smaller wipe! I'm a loo roll expert here check me out!
I was at solicitors during week seeing my birth notes so my son has suffered prolonged partial asphyxiation at birth. I'm up and duck and f@cked off Jo, why was I so polite with them, why me why him...all swirling in my mind. Anyways we love the wee man has an adorable wee innocent in all this.
Need a wine tonight for sure!
What date is your op?
You will be grand.
Remember all your stuff and get that big sports bad sorted or a big Louis Vuitton whatever the hubby will buy you lol lol lol Ha!!!!!
I think you're a hero, a true superstar. You must be doing a great job. Onwards, upwards and think positively. I'm fairly certain there should be a claim there. That can't be right all the at birth problems you encountered. 😕
As for you health wise, do you feel you're getting better each day, recovering?
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