Hysterectomy

[betty1938]

Hi I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at christmas I have had 6 courses of chemo and results very positive,I have been advised to have total hysterectomy but I am very anxious ,please can anybody reassure me .thankyou .

[wendydee]

Hi Betty

I was anxious before I had my op in 2002. It was the worst week of my life, I think, waiting for it all to happen. However, it wasn't anywhere near a s bad as I feared and it will probably be nowhere near as bad as you may have felt while having chemo. You can read my story by clicking on my picture, so you can see what I had done, but I was overwhelmed by the kindness of the staff, their professionalism and the way that family and friends rallied round to help after the op. I felt really well looked after from all angles. I wouldn't have a moments hesitation in saying it will be nowhere near as bad as you are expecting. I took arnica tablets for a few days before and after my op and I think they helped me to heal quickly ...who knows with these alternative tablets, but it can't hurt you! If you use the search box at the top of the page and type in hysterectomy or operation recovery or something like that, there are loads of hints and experiences that will help to reassure you.

Have you been given a date for your op yet? I would say, get it booked in as soon as poss. The waiting is really the worst part

Good Luck

Love Wendy xx

[charlie12]

Hi Betty

Welcome !

Sorry you are going through this, but I'm so glad that you found us.

Of course you are anxious , you wouldn't be human if you weren't.I also had this operation before I was diagnosed. Honestly it's not half as bad a you think and it does greatly reduce your chances of this thing coming back. It's worth minimising this risk as much as possible.

There is a wonderful support forum called "hysterectomy forum" that I used extensively before I graduated onto this one here...LOL

If you click onto monthly clubs you will see posts from ladies say having their operations in June. Similarly going back to previous months will give you an idea about how other ladies have got on.

As Wendy says getting it out of the way as soon as you can would be a wise move.

Lots of love

Charlie

[LizK]

I had my hysterectomy before my chemo (just finished sixth session of chemo) and can honestly say that the chemo was worse than the operation. That's not to say that the operation was easy but each day brought improvements - unlike chemo where every three weeks I was knocked back again. My main problem was trying to do too much as I felt so well after discharge - and then I suffered!! I was advised not to lift anything heavier than bread initially, building upto a large bottle of milk after three weeks - but I didn't listen and ended up with quite bad abdominal pains from "overdoing it". As if that wasn't a lesson, I added a small hill climb to my daily exercise - and again suffered severe pains as a consequence. I was told not to eat under cooked veg, or too much roughage, again I ignored advice and had dreadful "wind" spasms. So please don't follow in my footsteps - listen to and follow all the advice the hospital staff give you. I am now 4 months post surgery and can eat undercooked veg and roughage, climb small hills etc - but I still get a small stitch like pain when I start moving beds to hoover underneath!!!

Good luck, this time too shall pass.

Liz X

[Whippit]

Dear Betty

It's quite natural to feel worried about having surgery, particularly as hospitals these days insist you hear all the gruesome details and sign a consent form that practically makes your hair stand on end. That really frightened me. Make sure you ask any questions about the procedure in order to reassure yourself.

My experience of a radical hysterectomy was only positive. It got me out of a lot of pain and as Charlie says if it minimises the risk of it returning it's got to be a good thing. You don't say what your situation is and whether this will affect plans to have a family. If it's just fear of surgery I hope our comments are reassuring.

My op was well explained. I met the anaesthetist and the surgeon beforehand and I felt reassured I would be in excellent hands. These days you come round very quickly after the surgery and will be back in the ward in no time feeling happy it's all over and a bit groggy. You'll have been given plenty of pain killers and you should be comfortable. If not you should tell the staff as they can do something to help you. Within 4 hours of returning to the ward I wanted to get out of bed and sit in a chair, have a wash and get into my own night clothes. The nurses were brilliant - a mix of jollity and kindness that is the recipe for recovery. I couldn't believe it was possible to have such major surgery and to feel so well afterwards.

I needed a lot of sleep for a couple of days. They talk in terms of Day 1, Day 2, etc. after the op Everyone recovers at a different rate and each person seems to have their ups and downs. I had severe wind at night and one of the nurses brought me a hot peppermint drink which helped a lot. You mustn't be afraid to ask if you're uncomfortable. I was back at home within four days and I actually enjoyed the community within the ward at hospital. We all looked out for one another.

You need to plan your return home so everything is done for you. You'll be tired and shouldn't push yourself or lift anything at all. Have plenty of things to keep you amused, let friends and relatives know if you want to have visits, and within a week or so you might be out and about. A week after surgery I was told to increase my walks by 5 minutes a day. This helps enormously with the recovery process and gets rid of wind. If it affects you as badly as me in hospital walk as much as you feel able. Nothing else seems to get rid of it.

I do hope your hysterectomy goes well. I'm sure you'll be pleased you've had it done and the summer is here so hopefully you'll have some lovely sunny days to enjoy a leisurely recovery.

Let us know how it all goes. xxx Annie