Serious question, am possibly having a hysterectomy, have gynae appt. next friday will get final decision then, any helpful tips or advice please?
I am 52 so I am not concerned about the fertility thingy. Thanks. xx
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Vivbikerbabe says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
I can only describe my experience and hope it helps, I had a hysterectomy at age 37, I am now 55, I had pelvic inflammatory disease and was bleeding fortnightly,in a great deal of pain and quite moody.
I was taken into hospital in the Morning, had bed rest until the following day then given a premed,this is relaxant and a mild anaesthetic,I then was taken down to theatre,a cannula,was inserted into the back of my hand and the anaesthetist injected into the cannula asking me to count backwards, I awoke about 6 hours later attached to a drip and a machine to self administer morphine, the nurses asked me to use a bed pan this is to check that you are passing urine correctly, I then went back to sleep being woken the following morning by the normal breakfast routine. My drip was removed and I was allowed a cup of tea.
I found that the morphine gave me a headache and asked for it to be removed and was given an analgesic in tablet form instead. During that day gradually my intake of food was increased until by the following morning I breakfasted properly.The following day I was sent home with the instructions to rest but on no account to lift anything not to try to make beds or do any thing for at least 6 weeks.
A week later a district nurse came in to remove my stitches and I was able to stop pain relief.
The scar is a narrow line just above my pubic hairs, and cannot be seen even with bikini pants on
Because I felt so much fitter and well after the op I did find it difficult not to overdo things in the first 6 weeks.
I can only hope that you will feel as fit and well and that I have been able to answer your questions and put your mind at rest.
granny says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
Congratulations!!!! Was the best thing I ever did. I don’t take HRT, do not have mood swings, no hot flashes, no problems what so ever!!!! Several of my friends have had one, and they all feel GREAT. I am sure that some women have issues afterwards. just don’t fall for the old wives tales and feel what YOU feel. None of my friends regret or have issues post hysterectomy. Recovery takes some time, but is not too bad after the first few days. You get tired easily, and have to be careful not to over due. I had my hyst in August and went to Mexico in October and climbed to the top of one of the ancient pyramids outside of Cancun. Again, congratulations. It is a wonderful life.
rustynail says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
Yes for one thing ask if you are having a full hysterectomy, ie including the fallopian tubes and ovaries. If this is the case, you will need to have hormone replacement therapy as you would go into instant menopause, not gradual like in nature. My mother had one 40 years ago and suffered perforations to her bladder. Medicine has improved a lot since then and doctors did not tell women what to expect after surgery. She had instant menopause. And went home to a family of 8 small children! Tough ladies those days. Good luck with the op. Hope it makes life easier for you.
Melissa says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
About what fertility thing? As in not being able to have a baby? While you may be healthy someone of your age having a baby can cause the baby serious damage (for example Sarah Palin’s newest baby)
One... says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
Advice, just prepare yourself because you have to take HRT and sometimes this can make your emotions a bit all over the place… which can affect the people around you in an unfair way, so really just warn your family and friends…
kams mommy!! says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
my mom got one about a month ago.. the recovery wasnt to hard on her at all. she just made sure to follow all the dr’s orders exactly such as not driving for the whole 3 wks no matter how good she felt. if you do so im sure it wont be too bad.
Em says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
My mum had one done and was not happy, although I imagine lots of other people are, I suggest you do plenty of reading around the subject first. You may find ‘what doctors don’t tell you’ website useful
(they have never sent me any spam,but you do have to log in)
Vict D says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
What’s the reason for the hysterectomy?
Dan says:
June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm (UTC 0)
You do not mention the reasons for your appointment and whether or not the hysterectomy is confirmed or not.
Up to 40,000 hysterectomy operations are carried out by the NHS on women in the UK every year, this figure means that one in five of all women will have a hysterectomy at some point in their life. It is what is termed ‘elective surgery’ this means that in most cases it is a choice that a woman has rather than an emergency procedure. It is rarely performed for reasons of saving life, although there are a number of instances where it might be necessary for this reason.
The majority of hysterectomies are performed when a woman is aged between 40 – 50, however many do occur before and after this age group. Women who have a hysterectomy that removes their ovaries, as well as other organs, will go through the menopause immediately following the operation (if they haven’t already) regardless of their age, this is known as a surgical menopause. Women who have a hysterectomy that leaves one or both of their ovaries intact have a 50% chance of going through the menopause within five years of their operation, again regardless of their age.
There are FOUR types of hysterectomy operation:
> A “subtotal hysterectomy” removes the uterus leaving the cervix in place. If you have this operation you will need to continue to have smear tests.
> A “total hysterectomy” removes the complete uterus including the cervix, this is the operation most commonly performed.
> A “total hysterectomy with bilateral or unilateral salpingo-oopherectomy” removes the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and both or one of the ovaries.
> A “wertheims hysterectomy” removes the uterus, cervix, part of the vagina, fallopian tubes, peritoneum ( this is the broad band of ligament below the uterus), the lymph glands and fatty tissues.
The operation is usually performed under general anaesthetic, however in a can also be performed with with an epidural (injection into the spine) that numbs the area around the spinal column and anything below it.
In addition to the different types of operation, there are a number of different ways to perform a hysterectomy. The most common way is to remove the uterus through a cut in the lower abdomen, the second, less common, way is to remove the uterus only through a cut in the top of the vagina, the top of vagina is then stitched. Each operation lasts between one to two hours and is performed, in hospital, under a general anaesthetic.
Following a hysterectomy a women will start ‘The Menopause’ immeadiateley and it is this stage that women find most difficult.
I sincerely hope that I have helped or at least raised some areas for you to question during your appointment. Good luck and I hope all goes well whatever your decision.