At 31, a total hysterectomy wasn’t on my bingo card but it is what it is!
Anyone got any advice, pointers, things to bear in mind that they want to share?
I’m also having a bowel resection plus possible stoma fitting (they won’t know the extent of the damage until they get in there) plus a review of my bladder so it’s going to be a biggie, with them using the Da Vinci robot and estimating an op time of 5-6 hours.
So anything anyone has - let me know!
Thank you!
Hello, I had a hysterectomy in January 22 and it’s the best decision I made! I have endo and adeno and have been virtually symptom and pain free since!
My op sounded a lot more straightforward than yours will be as I didn’t have any bowel endo. I do have a list of generic tips that you may found useful though.
Here goes…
1. Ask whomever is collecting you from hospital to bring a pillow. The seatbelt can be uncomfortable on your tummy
2. Get some baggy clothes a dress size or two up from what you usually wear for your recovery weeks. I found jersey dungarees and jumper dresses the best as they have no waist band. Even my most comfy pjs were too tight.
3. Get a few outfits out before you go to hospital. Have them somewhere easy to get to so that you done have to bend to reach them. You’ll feel a bit more independent.
4. Sleep with a pillow next to your tummy as this helps . I also found some great videos on you tube about how to get in and out of bed following surgery that really helped.
5. Lots and lots of peppermint tea for when you come out of hospital as the gas can be painful.
6. Don’t try to do too much too soon. It’s going to take your body plenty of time to recover. I was surprised at how long it took. 10 weeks in and I was still very tired and slow on my feet. I’m very fit and active usually and had a straightforward surgery.
7. If you can batch cook lots of meals and have them to hand in the freezer that will help.
8. Building a strong pelvic floor if important before and after surgery. My consultant told me to do pelvic floor exercises every day for the rest of my life! I found a great Dr who has lots of free resources online for this.
Please feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want any recommendations for you tube videos on recovery and building your pelvic floor muscles.
Best of luck with your surgery! Hope it goes well x
Hey!
I'm curious about the pelvic exercises - Do you have any links you could share please?
Thank you
The lady I used is Dr Brianne Grogan. She’s a pelvic health physio in the US. She has loads of free videos on her YouTube channel. After trying some of those out, I option to pay for her Lift programme which is designed for people with prolapse but it’s also really helpful for post op. I think it was about £250 for lifetime access to the programme as well as the private Facebook group.
To be honest, her free stuff is very good so you dont need to spend any money if you dont want to.
They don’t allow links to be posted on this forum but if you google Dr Brianne Grogan or Vibrant Pelvic Health you should find her.
Amazing, thank you
Some fabulous tips! Thank you!
I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy 6 weeks ago. I was in theater for almost just over 5 hours as it was a complex one involving bladder, ureters and rectum. My recovery is going well and I'm feeling the benefit.I think Username 12345678 has covered most things.
I was only in hospital for one night, but I would suggest taking something to read/listen to to keep you entertained. Also ensure that they discharge you with stronger pain relief. Although I was pain free from my endo and adenomyosis symptoms, I was uncomfortable from the surgery and insertion of a uretic stent they had to place. Drink plenty of fluids after, that really helped me.
Good luck with the surgery I hope it all goes well x
Thank you!
Hi, firstly, all the very best for your surgery. I had a TLH with one ovary preserved and other procedures, 6 in total.
Recovery was step by step and steady as I was readmitted twice but I am back to work from last week on a phased return. The advice given by others are spot on!
Just give yourself grace, take it easy, cause you need to focus more on yourself for now.
Do ask the doctors any questions you may have, recovery plan, etc. Also follow- up gynae appointment post surgery.
All the very best 🙏🏽
Thank you!
Hello
First breathe! I had a total hysterectomy in October 23. Planned after 20 years of Endo and multiple operations. I had two years of zoladex/prostap/ hrt prior. I had my surgery and good job I was the only one on the list. My womb was fused to my bowel so I had emergency bowel surgery and a stoma performed. To say it was shocking was an understatement. I was on a morphine drip for 4 days then morphine tablets and liquid for two weeks. I spent 11 days in hospital. There was no indication of this problem prior to surgery and I’d only been booked in because I’d been bleeding for 7 months constantly and was becoming very unwell. It was a shock so much so my consultant cried at my bedside, I had been his patient for many years. So after the op if you DO have the bowel surgery, be prepared for drastic diet changes, pain, soreness drastic mental adaptions. Sorry to sound scary but it’s best to be aware. They will help you adapt and learn to come with it. They told me to name my stoma so gremlin says hello! Hysterectomy wise there was very little post op bleeding, I had two abdominal drains and a catheter for four days. The drains stayed in for about 7 days. I also had 22 staples top to bottom of my stomach. Add that to the drips I must have looked amazing!!! Now the stoma is just life. Yes he’s annoying and I want him gone but he did save my life at the time. I will have a reversal some time in the next few months. Then it’s back to diet changes again (soft food only after dates if liquid only then re introduce food slowly after 6 weeks) sorry it’s long winded but hope it helps. Good luck hope all goes well.
Thank you! Hadn’t thought about the diet requirements! Will do some digging.
Yeah, my bowel, right ovary, right tube and bladder are all stuck to my pelvic wall in one big mass (my appendix was too but that decided to rupture in November and was removed by emergency lap). So they’re going to try and free it but they’ve been clear in that if they can’t, it’s likely they’ll need to remove some.
They’re going to be using the Da Vinci robot so aim to do it all minimally invasive but again, have stated if it all goes tits up, they’ll need to open.
So all in all, I won’t know what happens until it all happens!
But thank you for your reply!
No problem. Just try not to stress too much which is easier said than done. Treat yourself to some snazzy new pjs and big knickers you’ll be glad if them afterwards. Colostomy uk is a great help and you get a nurse team afterwards if you end up having the stoma. Here if I can help
just sending the biggest 🤗. Comfy soft trousers, big knickers, peppermint tea and a large pile of books xxx
Thank you! I can’t stand peppermint tea hahahaha I tried after my first laparoscopy and it just made me heave 🤦🏻♀️
well that'll will be a no on that then.... I found Milk Thistle Extract excellent... but started before my surgery
A podcast I found incredibly useful pre total hysterectomy was this. There are episodes advising on what you need to take to hospital with you: melanieverwoerd.co.za/podcast
I have also found this physio great at explaining pelvic floor exercises: youtu.be/-1lViRMMdJg?si=TCG...
If you can see a gynae physiotherapist 6 weeks onwards after your surgery, I recommend that too.
I would also consider having a counsellor to talk through pre and post surgery as hospitals don't really focus on the emotional impact of surgery.
I wish you all the best with your surgery and recovery. Go gently, be kind to yourself and ask your consultant as many questions as possible.
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