Total Hysterectomy and depression

Hi everyone. Just needing some advice really. I went into hospital on 15th January 2014 to have a total hysterectomy with bi-lateral salpingo-oophrectomy due to stage 4 endometriosis and adenomyosis, however, surgery didn't go as planned and I ended up having a total hysterectomy, part bowel, part abdominal wall and part pelvic wall removal as both of the diseases had spread so much. I was originally advised I would be off work for 12 weeks, which was fine, I had everything planned so that recovery etc would be fairly smooth. It is now 23rd May 2014 (18 weeks since surgery) and I have been signed off for 6 more weeks!!! Apparently the hospital have informed my GP that they don't want me to return to work until they have seen me on 30th June 2014 - this will mean that I will have been off work for 23 weeks and 5 days. IS THIS NORMAL? Also, I have been feeling a quite low this past week, my GP said it's most probably "post-op blues"......surely this would have happened weeks ago!

Sorry for going on, I just thought by disclosing everything that has happened, somebody on here may have some helpful advice for me. Thank you all in advance.

[secondhandrose2]

Hi

I don't know anything about endometriosis and what it means for everyday life, but having had such a major operation must have been really difficult for you, not just in terms of it being major surgery and your body needing time to recover but also in terms of the emotions involved in having needed the op. I am wondering what it was like for you to find you had such a major problem and needed such radical surgery, also how supported you were during the surgery period itself, and how supported you have been since then. You do not say anything about your home life, but having been off work for such a long period of time you will have lost a major part of your life - your GP may call your low feelings post-op blues but although they are likely to be the result of the op I do not think he means simply the physical effects of the op but the coming to terms emotionally with what has happened.

How do you feel about all that has happened to you and do YOU feel ready to go back to work? Yes you have been off for a long time - but there is no such thing as normal, we are all different and recover physically and emotionally in our own way and our own time.

I wonder whether you have anyone to turn to for emotional support, someone with whom you can share your experiences? Your turning to the website would suggest you are perhaps having to cope alone, if so then I would suggest you ask your GP to refer you for a period of counselling as talking things through with someone will offer you support. You use the word - disclosing - about what has happened to you - and to me that suggested perhaps you feel you have been almost abused by what has happened? That would be a very natural response to such major surgery and certainly a feeling I would have in your position. My guess is that you need to express anger about the situation and to grieve.

Suexx