Recovering well

[Sher78]

Some of you may recall I was going in for a total hysterectomy. I am 10 days post op, doing well and the lupus seems to be behaving itself. Bloods were all good but as many of you will agree, they are not always a good indicator. Talking of blood, having a complete nightmare trying to get my INR back in range (had to come off the warfarin and switch to Clexane for the operation) but all in all, I'm doing good.

[Stills]

wishing you a speedy recovery 🌺

[Sher78 in reply to Stills]

Thanks!

[Tiggywoos]

So glad it went well for you 🙂. I also had hysterectomy for adenmyosis and severe endo . Was a relief for womb to be gone . Be careful not to overdo it as tempting when you get home xx

[Sher78 in reply to Tiggywoos]

Thanks, I had it done for severe adenomyosis, endo, PCOS & scarred fallopian tubes. 12 days post op & just feeling gripey in my pelvic area now (more so when I eat something but they DID have to mess around with my bowel as it was stuck to my old ostomy site) so hoping that will pass as time goes on and everything finds it's place to settle. Driving me nuts having to take it easy (I'm not great at resting up) but am doing as I'm told and not lifting etc

[honeybug]

so happy for you sweetie. Continue to do well and praying for your needs a full and speedy recovery.

Abundant blessings.

EJ 🤗♥️🥰🙏🕊🌿🌸🦋

[MusicalFurbaby]

Hi Sher, glad to hear you’re recovering well and that lupus seems to be keeping quiet for now. Hope you continue to recover steadily, at your own pace of course, and that life after hysterectomy is better for you.

[Muguet28]

So glad the operation went well and your lupus symptoms are kept at bay for now. I hope it’s not too long before your pelvis pain disappears and that you can eat well.

[Sher78 in reply to Muguet28]

Thank you. Pelvic pain is gone now so in that respect I am able to munch normally again.

[KnitSewPurl]

Glad to hear all went well there for you. Had mine over 10years ago for Fibroids which turned out to be infected it was a nasty one as the surgeon said. Yes, been trying to get in to have it was difficult one we had to write into PALs to get the surgery done. I basically couldn't get out as I was bleeding continuously. Even the tablets they gave me did not help. Bowel was stuck to my bladder and uterus. But I was determined to get out of hosp in 3days so that I can recover at home. Massive cut on my tummy which shocked everyone because at that time it was the in thing to have laparoscopic hysterectomy. Hubby said to me umm, you certainly have to go and get it big 😉 . It was a one end of my hip to the other end of my hip . Yes, a big cut!!no such thing of a bikini cut either😂. I was glad to get it over with. The most bizarre thing was I did not get a post op 6week check . Even till today we said to each other. It was very odd we never got that post op check. Hopefully they give you one .

[Sher78 in reply to KnitSewPurl]

Thanks. They were going to go in abdominally with me also but couldn't due to having several previous surgeries and they were apprehensive due to the scar tissue (I have the whacking great scar hip to hip as well as one vertically down my stomach to my pubic bone) so they did lap and vaginally. My bowel (well, what little I have left of it!) was also stuck, but to my old ostomy site (wondered why I had been having awful pain there for so long). To be honest, they were very reluctant to do mine, what with all the complications I have, and like you, I was constantly bleeding (luckily the tablets DID work for me in regards to the bleeding, but I was getting side effects from them and they aren't supposed to be used long term). My surgeon was brilliant though, once I explained everything and why I wanted to have it done, he was more than willing and was confident it would go smoothly. I was only in overnight thankfully (like you, I was determined to come home to recover so made sure I was up and mobile as soon as I came round from the anaesthetic, much to everyone's horror and amusement). Regarding post op, I find it crazy you didn't have one considering yours was abdominally. I don't have a post op appointment either (I generally don't think they do this for lap) but I do have open access to my surgeon for the next few months and he did see me a week and a half ago funnily enough while I was at the hospital last week for something unrelated, had a quick look at the incisions, spoke to me about how I was doing and he was really happy with everything. 4 weeks post op yesterday and everything seems almost completely back to normal. Still have a little bit of gripey pain (nothing major and not enough to warrant pain relief) but I imagine everything hasn't quite settled properly yet. I feel fine in myself though and am amazed at how quickly I seem to be recovering. Just waiting for the Doc to sort out HRT for me, the one dealing with it is being a bit of a pain in the arse (been having menopausal symptoms for a few years). Sounds like you had a bit of a time of it bless you.

[KnitSewPurl]

So glad everything when well post-operatively. And that your surgeon did check you out with your stitches. Mine was infected on left side when my stitches were removed (beads)I had to have antibiotics for 2 weeks. As it took a while to heal thought at one stage it was starting to break down alittle but it did heal up eventually. Wound site do get occasional itchy till today and still has a slight numb feeling at the lower abdo area just sorting one area just a weird numbness ,it has been nearly 10years since surgery. Most of the other area are pretty much back to normal feelings. Something needs to be aware of is bladder, regaining bladder control fully. Sensing when the bladder is full that I found it took a long time.

The other one is vag dryness . As I already had vag dryness prior to having this issue and after hysterectomy made it even worse. When they decided to give me cream recently as hrt because there was no followup with consultant . I found I was not able to tolerate it then cream made me feel like it was draining me dry /sucking me dry of fluid I was drinking loads of water so thirsty and still not getting enough water into my body. At the same time felt that my body was retaining the fluid it was really weird . I had pitting oedema on my legs and hips . The moment I stop using it I was peeing buckets. And started to feel more normal but still very thirsty. I was diagnosed with Sjögren's recently for my eyes as I have extremely dry eyes I queried the doctor about my constant thirst and dryness in my mouth also the vag dryness as well. He did confirm about this . So, just be careful with what they prescribed you for your HRT . Even on the leaflet the HRT creams they do say they are not suitable for people with SLE . Yet , doctors are still prescribing them. There are alternatives they are not hrts but they are water or coconut base just to keep the vag moist.

[Sher78 in reply to KnitSewPurl]

Thanks for the detailed response.

Sorry to hear of your infection. As a side note, my skin has 'grown over' stitches before and they have had to make a little nick to remove them (not sure if it's a thing related to one of my conditions or not). It also happened when I tried to tie off a skin tag recently.

I had dissolvable stitches and they have all dissolved externally now (from what I can see anyway).

Numbness of the stomach, to be honest, I wouldn't know as my stomach is already pretty numb from my previous surgeries (they were emergency surgeries, 3 in the same area in 3 months so my stomach has been pretty well hammered). This is always a bone of contention because if I have stomach/bowel pain, I am always told it can't be that serious as I don't appear to be in that much pain when they push on the area, so then I have to explain that yes, I have feeling in it internally, but externally, I can hardly feel a thing.

Dryness; I have Sjogren's anyway so to be honest I'm not really sure if I would notice an increase in dryness. There was an increase in thirst for a few days after the anaesthetic but I think that's pretty normal, plus I was absolutely guzzling water to flush myself out and make sure my bladder was ok (I generally have issues with catheters, they tend to give me cystitis, and then the meds to clear that up generally give me thrush 🙄) but luckily I had the catheter removed a few hours after surgery and was fine.

So many meds say avoid if you have SLE or any sort of AI etc but my Docs are always aware and I am monitored pretty well with bloods etc, plus if I notice anything untoward happening I stop them and speak to the Doc (I think this has only happened once). I try to avoid medication these days in all fairness and instead try to manage issues with alternatives ( Cod Liver oil, heat pads etc for joints rather than steroids although I will take a short course when need be).

I have plumped for the spray or gel for HRT, which will HOPEFULLY take the edge off, but we'll see.

The thing I am most concerned about is prolapse...and weight gain, I certainly don't need any more pressure on my joints and I find exercise very hard nowadays due to EDS.

[KnitSewPurl in reply to Sher78]

Hopefully they will refer you for physio for pelvic floor exercises and other back exercises to strengthen the core muscles.they will help in the long run with prolapse. I had physio privately later on 2 years ago when I saw a gynaecologist and a urologists for constant UTI -antibiotics which did not help at all. Had bladder wash out which and 6 weeks of preventative antibiotics post-op. That cleared it then found that it reoccur when I had anything with gluten Or any dairy as it coincides with diarrhoea when ever I have gluten and dairy at the same time and body gets inflamed at the same time as well, so when totally gluten free and dairy free.

Weight wise only sight gain but been stable , no more since surgery. Did lose some at one stage about 10kg but gain that back again and maintain that weight since have not been able to lose that weight since. 😕 Trying again 😂😅

[svfarmer]

hi Sher I remember your post - I had hysterectomy 2 years ago with no problems - I’m so pleased everything went well for you - hope you’ve got your feet up resting xx