Anyone here ever have a complete hysterectomy?

Janissi1

After chemo and an updated CT scan, I will be scheduled for a complete hysterectomy. Apart from having cancer, I have huge uterine fibroid tumors. I wanted to know what to expect. I'm a little afraid of the unknown. What did you experience?

I'd appreciate any feedback you might have.

Thanks in advance.

MaryVig

I had a surgery on 11 January

I had a surgery on 11 January 2017 to remove my right ovary and tube as an out patient (laparoscopic). The biopsy on it showed OCCC. 1Feb I then had a hysterectomy and staging. Mine was done with the DaVinci machine. Whereas the 1st surgery had 3 small incisions (2 below the waist, with the ovary removed from an incision in the belly button), the hysterectomy had 5 incisions above the waist, where the parts were then taken out of the vagina. The day before I had to do a colon prep, and no solid food. Next day my surgery was scheduled for 430pm and I had to be at hospital at 230pm. no food or drink day of surgery. They were so backed up, my surgery didn't happen till 930pm, and I woke up in the hospital room at 230am. They had told me to expect an overnight stay. By 4am I demanded that they remove the catheter, so I could get up to walk. They want to be sure you can pee ok so they monitor your urine.... and I knew that I had to get my feet working. I finally got food when the catering department opened at 630am. Dr came by 11am and I was released to go home around 2pm.  You will bleed a little for up to a month after as everything heals.

I went to work the next day after the 1st surgery (I have a desk job). After the hysterectomy you can't lift more than 5 lbs and they encouraged me to take it easy (I'm not one to sit at home and didn't hear that I should take it easy for 2 -3weeks. I didn't need pain pills, except for 1/2 oxy the 1st night at home, otherwise I took Tylenol. I stayed home for 4 days and then went back to work. 7 days later I worked in the yard, which was a big mistake, causing lots of pain so I was back on the sofa for 2 days. Fortunately my yard endeavor didn't cause me any internal damage....but you hold your stomach with every pothole you hit or any bounce or cough/sneeze. Don't hesitate to ask any questions.

my surgeries were all before chemo Which began 21 Feb - dose dense carbo/taxol.

abrub

I had my complete hysterectomy exactly 10 years ago today

and that was when they found my cancer (a surprise finding.)  My recovery was fairly easy.  I was walking 2 miles within 3 weeks of surgery.  You'll be sore when getting up.  If you're going to be in the hospital for a few days, you might want to ask about an epidural for pain management.  You can walk around and do things with the epidural in place; it just keeps pain under control better.

Note:  don't be surprised to find that you gain weight overnight with the surgery.  Most drs don't tell you that before they close you up, they fill you with sterile solution, so you have an instantaneous huge weight gain.  Mine was about 10 pounds.  You'll resorb that fluid; it has no reflection on your actual weight.

Janissi1

MaryVig said:

I had a surgery on 11 January

I had a surgery on 11 January 2017 to remove my right ovary and tube as an out patient (laparoscopic). The biopsy on it showed OCCC. 1Feb I then had a hysterectomy and staging. Mine was done with the DaVinci machine. Whereas the 1st surgery had 3 small incisions (2 below the waist, with the ovary removed from an incision in the belly button), the hysterectomy had 5 incisions above the waist, where the parts were then taken out of the vagina. The day before I had to do a colon prep, and no solid food. Next day my surgery was scheduled for 430pm and I had to be at hospital at 230pm. no food or drink day of surgery. They were so backed up, my surgery didn't happen till 930pm, and I woke up in the hospital room at 230am. They had told me to expect an overnight stay. By 4am I demanded that they remove the catheter, so I could get up to walk. They want to be sure you can pee ok so they monitor your urine.... and I knew that I had to get my feet working. I finally got food when the catering department opened at 630am. Dr came by 11am and I was released to go home around 2pm.  You will bleed a little for up to a month after as everything heals.

I went to work the next day after the 1st surgery (I have a desk job). After the hysterectomy you can't lift more than 5 lbs and they encouraged me to take it easy (I'm not one to sit at home and didn't hear that I should take it easy for 2 -3weeks. I didn't need pain pills, except for 1/2 oxy the 1st night at home, otherwise I took Tylenol. I stayed home for 4 days and then went back to work. 7 days later I worked in the yard, which was a big mistake, causing lots of pain so I was back on the sofa for 2 days. Fortunately my yard endeavor didn't cause me any internal damage....but you hold your stomach with every pothole you hit or any bounce or cough/sneeze. Don't hesitate to ask any questions.

my surgeries were all before chemo Which began 21 Feb - dose dense carbo/taxol.

Wow! Thank you for sharing

Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience, Mary. One thing I noticed is recovery time seems to be more speedy than I thought. I was told, because of my huge fibroids, that they'd have to do a large abdominal incision. The uterus is too large, so they cannot remove it vaginally.

I really appreciate you telling your story, and I won't hesitate to ask more questions.

Janissi1

abrub said:

I had my complete hysterectomy exactly 10 years ago today

and that was when they found my cancer (a surprise finding.)  My recovery was fairly easy.  I was walking 2 miles within 3 weeks of surgery.  You'll be sore when getting up.  If you're going to be in the hospital for a few days, you might want to ask about an epidural for pain management.  You can walk around and do things with the epidural in place; it just keeps pain under control better.

Note:  don't be surprised to find that you gain weight overnight with the surgery.  Most drs don't tell you that before they close you up, they fill you with sterile solution, so you have an instantaneous huge weight gain.  Mine was about 10 pounds.  You'll resorb that fluid; it has no reflection on your actual weight.

Wow! You were walking 2 miles

Wow! You were walking 2 miles that soon after surgery? That's very encouraging! The epidural suggestion sounds great, but the thought of them sticking me in the back makes me shutter. Did it hurt?

Thanks for sharing your story and for telling me about the weight gain issue. There are so many unknowns when going into something so serious. I really appreciate it.

abrub

Janissi1 said:

Wow! You were walking 2 miles

Wow! You were walking 2 miles that soon after surgery? That's very encouraging! The epidural suggestion sounds great, but the thought of them sticking me in the back makes me shutter. Did it hurt?

Thanks for sharing your story and for telling me about the weight gain issue. There are so many unknowns when going into something so serious. I really appreciate it.

And I had full open surgery.

My dr opened me up wide - full bikini-line incision.  In subsequent abdominal surgeries, I've had the epidurals because I can't tolerate narcotics.  It's a bit uncomfortable going in.  They do it just before they put you under.  However, it's not bad, and from my most recent surgery (in September, 2016) I remember getting in position for the epidural; getting my back swabbed, then nothing more.  The discomfort is well worth the pain relief.

Regarding the weight-gain, a friend just had abdominal surgery, and was appalled to find herself so much heavier.  Here was a woman who had previously been severely overweight and lost 70 pounds.  To gain 8-10 pounds overnight was devastating for her.  I was glad i could ease her mind.

I found recovery from the hysterectomy fairly easy (unlike my subsequent 3 abdominal surgeries, which were much more involved.)

Janissi1

abrub said:

And I had full open surgery.

My dr opened me up wide - full bikini-line incision.  In subsequent abdominal surgeries, I've had the epidurals because I can't tolerate narcotics.  It's a bit uncomfortable going in.  They do it just before they put you under.  However, it's not bad, and from my most recent surgery (in September, 2016) I remember getting in position for the epidural; getting my back swabbed, then nothing more.  The discomfort is well worth the pain relief.

Regarding the weight-gain, a friend just had abdominal surgery, and was appalled to find herself so much heavier.  Here was a woman who had previously been severely overweight and lost 70 pounds.  To gain 8-10 pounds overnight was devastating for her.  I was glad i could ease her mind.

I found recovery from the hysterectomy fairly easy (unlike my subsequent 3 abdominal surgeries, which were much more involved.)

Great insight, Abrub

Do you know if having an epidural is a normal procedure or did they decide to do that for you. You'd think after going through all the needle stucks and such, I wouldn't be such a baby, but I just haven't gotten used to being stuck. The idea of a needle going in my back turns my blood cold, but after reading that it's not that bad, then I'll probably be okay. I'm going to ask my doctor if that's something she's going to do. I don't like surprises. Yes, I'm a big baby!

 

As far as the weight gain, that would be very disappointing, especially for people like your friend who lost a lot of weight. I've lost a lot of weight too, but at least I know it's just temporary, so thank you for sharing your experiences. I really appreciate it.

abrub

Janissi1 said:

Great insight, Abrub

Do you know if having an epidural is a normal procedure or did they decide to do that for you. You'd think after going through all the needle stucks and such, I wouldn't be such a baby, but I just haven't gotten used to being stuck. The idea of a needle going in my back turns my blood cold, but after reading that it's not that bad, then I'll probably be okay. I'm going to ask my doctor if that's something she's going to do. I don't like surprises. Yes, I'm a big baby!

 

As far as the weight gain, that would be very disappointing, especially for people like your friend who lost a lot of weight. I've lost a lot of weight too, but at least I know it's just temporary, so thank you for sharing your experiences. I really appreciate it.

Epidural is not necessarily routine - depends on the dr

My dr started that with my 2nd or 3rd surgery, as he thought it would be a good idea.  I asked for it for my 4th surgery, and was very glad I did.  I can't tolerate opioids, and they can give you other meds through an epidural that they can't give via IV or orally.  Plus the meds they used for me left me clearer headed.  Note:  they can use fentanyl through the epidural, plus you can get other pain meds via your IV as well.  I ended up with just Marcaine - an anesthetic.  I didn't realize how much good it was doing until the epidural was out; I just thought that my pain level was low.  I had tylenol to supplement, and then had tramadol and voltaren (at least after my recent abdominal surgery, which was much, much more complex than a hysterectomy.  10+ hours of working in my lower abdomen to get out more cancer.)

Good luck!

Janissi1

abrub said:

Epidural is not necessarily routine - depends on the dr

My dr started that with my 2nd or 3rd surgery, as he thought it would be a good idea.  I asked for it for my 4th surgery, and was very glad I did.  I can't tolerate opioids, and they can give you other meds through an epidural that they can't give via IV or orally.  Plus the meds they used for me left me clearer headed.  Note:  they can use fentanyl through the epidural, plus you can get other pain meds via your IV as well.  I ended up with just Marcaine - an anesthetic.  I didn't realize how much good it was doing until the epidural was out; I just thought that my pain level was low.  I had tylenol to supplement, and then had tramadol and voltaren (at least after my recent abdominal surgery, which was much, much more complex than a hysterectomy.  10+ hours of working in my lower abdomen to get out more cancer.)

Good luck!

Thank you, Abrub

I sent my doctor a message asking if epidurals were routine with her doing this particular surgery. Wow, at 10+ hours! It's good to know you made it through! I guess I won't know much until pre-op.

I really appreciate your sharing this information with me. It's nice to know what others have experienced.

Selda

I just had a full

I just had a full hysterectomy on july 13th of last year.  I am not sure how old you are but I am 36 and day three I started to experience menopause.  They do usually make five incisions and take the mass out through your vagina or through your belly button.  I will be honost though and let you know that if they plan on taking it out through your belly button and the mass is too large then they might make a larger incision on your belly button.  I had a lengthy surgury and it took me some time to recover.  where the girdle they give you religiously and don't forget to take it slow.  I think it took me a full 2 months to get back to normal but my tumor was the size of softball.  I think it all depends on the size of what they are taking out.  Be patient with yourself before and after surgury.

abrub

Selda said:

I just had a full

I just had a full hysterectomy on july 13th of last year.  I am not sure how old you are but I am 36 and day three I started to experience menopause.  They do usually make five incisions and take the mass out through your vagina or through your belly button.  I will be honost though and let you know that if they plan on taking it out through your belly button and the mass is too large then they might make a larger incision on your belly button.  I had a lengthy surgury and it took me some time to recover.  where the girdle they give you religiously and don't forget to take it slow.  I think it took me a full 2 months to get back to normal but my tumor was the size of softball.  I think it all depends on the size of what they are taking out.  Be patient with yourself before and after surgury.

They did mine through a single incision

Bikini line, about 5 inches horizantel incision.  It healed easily.

Lilee2k

Total Abdominal Hysterectomy/BSO

On 9May16 I had my hysterectomy/ BSO (fallopian tubes and ovaries) for a basketball sized ovarian tumor.    I was really, REALLY afraid to have surgery.  But it turned out so well.  I stayed in the hospital for 3 nights.  The only real problems I had was having a bowel movement......it just wasn't happening.  Bran muffins and lots of water helped (eventually). And the fatigue was massive.  The incision was really scary looking, about 7 inches long and stapled together. I had 6 weeks off work, and I needed every day of it.  

 I went through menopause immediately because both ovaries were removed.  But so far I haven't had any really horrible side effects.  

I recommend a site called Hyster Sisters.  It has sooo much information, from people about to go through it to people who have already been through it.  

Best of luck to you.

Kaleena

Complete

I had a complete hysterectomy (abdominal incision), and like a couple of posters above, I too found out by surprise that I had cancer (uterus, cervix and left ovary).   I then had staging surgery and they removed my appendix and omentum.   The hysterectomy was fine.  3 days in hospital.   The important thing is to get up and moving as soon as possible to get the bowels moving.   Further, the longer you are on the "hard" narcotics it could take longer for your bowels to return to normal.   I was up and out.  Although they had knicked my bladder so I came home with a foley for about a week.    That is only because I had so much adhesions.  I even had to wait 7 months for my surgery so that I could be on Lupron to help soften these lesions so they could operate better.

Also, even though you feel better once you are home, take it easy.  If they say don't lift anything heavier than 10 pounds then dont.   I was 3 weeks from my surgery and I lifted something and ended up with a hernia.  You will become fatigued at times.   It reallyh takes 6 months to fully recover.  Although you can be feeling great after a week.

Parisdeb

I had a complete hysterectomy

I had a complete hysterectomy, plus ovaries, omentum and 14cm cyst removed on Feb 2nd. Surgery was open (just above belly button to pelvis), and I was in the hospital for 4 days. It has been a long recovery - a lot more painful than I was expecting - with a lot of gas/bloating and lower abdominal pain for about 8 weeks. I kept checking (hystersisters is a great support site) to be sure this was "normal". I still have discomfort when I sneeze or cough now 3+ months later. It is important to rest, to avoid lifting, etc. Good luck!