Hysterectomy info & tips -please share!!

LoveBabyJesus said:

Hi Heather -- I just wanted
Hi Heather -- I just wanted to wish you good luck today with your Dr.'s appt. Hope all goes well and they decide on the best surgery method for you, with no complications at all.

I'll be interested to read what others say about their experiences.

Please keep us posted.

Sending good positive energy to you,
Heather. My mom had a complete hysterectomy a few years ago and they did hers laparoscopically (a couple of small incisions in the abdomen). She did really well and was up and around in a couple of days--moving slowly, but moving with very minimal pain. This surgery has come a very long way. You are one tough cookie as well--you're going to do great.

Let us know.

Hugs, Renee

The Couch can be your Friend!
Hi Heather, I had my hysterectomy in 2002 and although they had the easy surgery available all my girly insides were tipped so they had to do it the old fashion way. It was painful but not horrible. I was on the couch for a week and then I was up a bit (not totally by any means) but I could do a batch of dishes, cook in spurts, you know start dinner take a break then go back then take a break till it got done. I could not do any heavy lifting or things like sweeping and vac (things that use tummy muscles) no pushing or pulling things for six weeks and that was a must or I could hurt my insides.

As far as personality changes there were only a few and it did not last very long. I actually thought it was funny because I would find myself sitting on the sofa sobbing at a sappy commercial then I would be laughing at the fact I had be crying, go figure my family thought I had gone nuts and they would laugh along with me! I did not get too much of the hot flashes since I had already done some of that while on chemo.

All in all once it was said and done I was thrilled to have it over with and wondered why I had waited so long to do it. I had a sister who was positive for the Gene and lost my Mommy to ovarian cancer so it was important to get all those parts out of me.

You're gonna do great and those little ones can help you out. Don't stress over the house hold chores if things are not as you would normally keep them for a couple of months so be it since you are doing this to allow yourself many years of time with your loved ones...you are in my prayers!

RE

Double Whammy said:

Laparoscopic hysterectomy
I had mine one year ago today. DaVinci robotic assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy, that is. Because I had cancer, they cannot remove the parts via the ports, but if you don't have cancer (and you don't), they sort of chop everything up and bag it and pull them out via the ports. My stuff had to be removed intact, so they did all the cutting (done by cauterization, not with a knife) and suturing (again cauterization) and looking around using the instruments via ports and then they removed the organs vaginally (sort of went up there and grabbed them and pulled them out the "shoot"). If you're keeping your cervix, of course, they can't remove stuff vaginally nor can you have a traditional vaginal hysterectomy. It's amazing how many different ways there are now to do hysterectomies.

I could be a poster child for the DaVinci method. I went home on NO pain meds. I was uncomfortable, but it wasn't pain. Google it. It's amazing. I was scared to death about recovery. I don't like pain. My friends who had previously had hysterectomies could not believe how active and painfree I was. My gyn oncologist makes me recite my experience to his medical students every time he has one with him (most times).

Like Re says, there are reasons to do a traditional abdominal hysterectomy, but if you don't have any of those reasons, I think it's barbaric to cut when you don't have to. I have 4 tiny (about 1") scars at about waist level.

Good luck, Heather. Be sure to ask you surgeon about a laparoscopic hysterectomy (robotic assisted or not). The downside is you forget you had major surgery and you have to remember to not lift, vacuum, strain, etc. Same precautons as with abdominal hysterectomy but you don't have the pain from the incision to remind you to take it easy.

I've had no flashes or personality changes, but I was post menopausal. Sorry I can't help there.

I had my hysterectomy in
I had my hysterectomy in 2000. It was not lap or vaginal but I did very well. I used the morphine pump the 1st day only. After that I did not need any major pain meds. I was up and walking the 2nd day and on the day I went home (4 days later) I had been up and walking so much that they didn't make me use a wheelchair to leave. Just had an aide walk me out to the car. I know that this is never done and I have had minor procedures where they make you ride out but the one nurse said if you can walk all around the floor for this long I should get to walk out. I walked every day after I got home. The hardest thing was getting in and out of bed so I opted for the couch. No lifting, no vacuuming, nothing strenous but I could get around okay. I did have a slight set back. I popped a couple of stitches that created a hole. I was running a fever so when I went to have the staples pulled they had to pack it. They arranged to have home health care come each day and change the packing until it healed. It had to heal from the inside and it was too low on my abdomen for me to do the packing. It was a bit of a pain to have to have this done but it healed fine and a few weeks later I begin my radiation. On a funny note, when they told me no vacuuming I told my hubby I could never vacuum again. I told him the nurse exact words were "No vacuuming". There was no time limit put on this. Oh, if only she had said no housework. LOL
There are so many improvements on hysterectomies now that I am hopeful you will do very well. But remember that no lifting, no straining and no vacuuming are part of any of these. Let stuff go. It will get done one way or another. Maybe not to your personal standards but the most important thing is to heal with no complications. Oh, and maybe bacause of my age I had no menopausal type problems either. You are much younger so you may experience some. Ask your doctor about the possiblities and what will help with them. Hoping you can wait until September and enjoy family time until then. My prayers are that all goes smoothly and you do great.
Stef

Double Whammy said:

Let's hear it for the robot!
Heather -
Compared to all you've been through this past year, your hysterectomy will be a piece of cake. Trust me on this one.

Suzanne

Wish they had the robot
Wish they had the robot 16 years ago when I Had a my surgery.I did have though a fairly large fibroid tumor so that might not been a option with the tumor but they also didn't have robots then. The tumor had grown and I was high risk.I had complications after surgery.My husband waited on me hand and foot.He never stopped for a week.Doctors orders is why.

Robots are less invasive and a fast recovery time.

Lynn Smith

Heather:I am 51 yrs old and
Heather:
I am 51 yrs old and just went back to work this week (out 6 wks)! I spent 90% of my time on the couch...I totally listened to my Drs...no housework, no grocery shopping etc...BE very cautious...no one did me I got very constipated and impacted and 2 trips to the ER and set me back big time. Take stool softners and eat high fiber if you can. Each week I could feel a big difference. ex: I bent down to pick something up...week prior no way I could have done that...I am 99% back to myself now...I let people do things for me (pride or not) IF people offer take them up on it..dont' be super woman...

I WISH YOU LUCK...keep us updated

Denise

PS: reason for my surgery was side effects of tamoxifen (enlarged uterus)so I had to have bigger cut since too large to get out the other way..!!!!

Heatherbelle said:

Thank You!!
Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond to me! Appt went well, the nurse will be calling me next week with a surgery date in September. My Dr. said that it's a robotic assisted surgery, and that I'll have a few very small incisions in my abdomen, have 1 night stay in the hospital, and minimal downtime. Linda, thank you for that link, I'm going to check it out now
Part of me wants to have the surgery right away -just in case, ya know. But, we just got one of those Intex 4 ft pools from a friend who couldn't have it up at her new house - just got it put up & haven't even swam in it yet! So we have lots of fun time in the sun in store for us, another Chicago excursion in the works, and a wedding in early september. Since we're scheduling this far out they're getting me the first surgery time of the morning, as early as i can, so that i dont have to be miserable with the whole fasting thing.
Thanks again ladies and I'll keep you all updated as things progress!
*hugs*
heather

If you haven't checked out
If you haven't checked out hystersisters.com, I hear it's a wonderful site. One of the girls I work with just had a hysterectomy a couple of weeks ago and said it was big help for her.

Enjoy the pool and your summer plans! Lots of hugs and keep us updated~

Debi

sea60 said:

Hi Heather!
Sent you a PM!

Hugs,

Sylvia

Hystersisters
Forgot to chime in on this. I've been a member of hystersisters for over a year now. It's a great site. Learned more from there than I did from my gyn oncologist. Not surprising - just like this site has taught me so much about breast cancer. In fact, I recommended to a member this morning that she come on over here as she has breast cancer.

Suzanne

Also Important Second Opinion
I just wanted to add -- make sure to have a second opinion! Such a huge decision and you should definately make sure you are making the right choice for yourself and family -- you deserve it!