Positive Hysterectomy Stories

Hey L.,
You can have your friend write to me and I can talk to her... but I was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer.SO I had to have everything out...hysterectomy, appendex, omentium, and cervic, 49 limph nunds and more...I TRUSTED my God and my doctor. I now take estradol and that is working well. I have VERY good communication with my dostors about how I am feeling and if my estrol is working well for my moods and other symtoms. The surgery was scarey but if I stayed in the place that this was GOOD for me I could handle it. PLease tell your friend that I am praying for her. I know surgeries are scarey, but trust that she and her doctor are doing the right thing and that she will wake up feel better in time.

my mom had a hysterectomy. she met with us (her kids) before the surgery and had a ritual/talk with us about our conceptions and births. we sort of said "goodbye" to her womb, our "first room." secondly, she arranged with the hospital to let her keep the remains of her uterus after the operation so she could bury it in a special place. both of these actions made the experience much more easy for her, and was in fact very healing.

good luck to your friend!

It was the best thing I've ever done!!!! Truely!!! So freeing, no sexual complications, don't believe the myths..... It is sooo much better not having a cycle and not having to deal with the pain and complications associated with keeping the "nap sac"...etc. If you need it....go for it! Both older a younger sister have had it too and we celebrate and wonder why we didn't do it earlier. We had it for different reasons but we are all happy to have done it and are happy and healthy.

A little about me: I am a mother of 3 grown children, love God, breast cancer survivor and full time public servant.

Hi L., I had a Hysterectomy 11 years ago. I was very scared. I heard every horror story under the sun. Mostly about the pain. I had knee surgery 6 months after the hysterectomy. Everyone told me how easy that was. I will tell you that the knee recovery was more painful than the hysterectomy. Yes, the hysterectomy was not comfortable. I was walking around after a day or 2. They take really good care of you at the hospital. I would just remind her how wonderful it is not to have a period to look forward to every month. That part is the best. I am sure that the way they do the surgery now, is much better than it was 11 years ago. Good Luck...she will be fine

I have not had hysterectomy either but I do make happy uteruses:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5144958

(I'm sharing the link here on Mamasource not to sell but to share the image of happiness. If anyone here is ever interested in purchasing one of these, please send me a message and I'll drop the price for you.)

Any surgery is scary but tell your friend to have faith that it's going to be ok. And not to be too scared of anesthesia, because the alternative would be much scarier!! I would also tell her, Trust that you are in good hands, and that your surgical team has your best results as their absolute top priority.

Have faith. Chances are that her surgical team has done the procedure at least hundreds of times with best result. If she hasn't met her surgeon and her surgeon's staff yet, tell her to ask for that before her next appt. Meeting the team can do a lot to reassure the patient.

I'll be praying for your friend, and her surgical team, and have total faith that she's in good hands!!

Tell her to ask for a spinal with some twilight. She will breathe on her own and be monitored. I had that because I was afraid of having issues with the anesthesia too. It was great. Now, there is the potential for a killer headache, worst ever in your life, but that's what the pain meds are for. She won't have one while in the hospital on morphine. It will happen when she is off. (Well, she'll have it, but won't feel it.)

I had mine 12/5/07. I immediately lost 8 lbs. Yeah, uterus was huge. I only used pain meds at home for two, maybe three days. It did take 8 wks to recover. I wanted to go back after 4 part time, but wasn't ready. I begged at 6 and doc said no. 8 I was ready, but still had to gain stamina to do a full days work.

At home, she needs to have someone else care for the family for 3 wks. No lifting laundry baskets for 8 wk. I think I pulled that off for a good 12 wks.(LOL)

I didn't realize that the bowels and bladder shut down.I also didn't know when I had to go. I didn't have accidents. I was on lock down.

After the first week I figured out the pain in my side was the bladder screaming to let go, so the 2nd wk I put myself on a potty schedule. That helped. It took a good 8 wks for the bladder to be recognized.

I called my gastro doc and he explained the sleeping bowels and told me to take Benefiber and Miralax daily to turn the bowels back on. It would take up to 4 wks. It did.

My ob didn't understand that, but it all came back. It would have been better for me if I had been prepared mentally for it.

All, in all, it was much easier than I thought it would be. I was surprised how well I felt post surgery, at home (1st wk), and throughout.

Stephanie

Dear L.,
What a supportive friend you are!
I had so many operations from the time I was a young teen that I literally lost count. I was 16 the first time they mentioned hysterectomy to me. It was pretty devastating. I must tell you, that what scared me more than being put to sleep, was not knowing what, if any parts, I would wake up with. I hung on for dear life to my sick little uterus, part of an ovary on one side and a shriveled tube on the other. Against all odds, I had two beautiful children. However, my son was only a year old and I was back in the hospital again. I didn't even weigh 100 pounds (I'm 5'8"), I was in so much pain all the time I couldn't bear to be in the car for any length of time or go out on our boat or even stand up straight for the most part. I was a real mess. Finally, my doctor just said it was too risky for me to continue like that. I had endometriosis that was spreading with a vengeance and it just had to be over. I was too sick to even argue about it anymore.
It was the best thing that ever happened to me!
I'm so fortunate to have my children, but if I had known how my life was going to change without living in pain all the time, I'd have done it years earlier. I was up and around really quickly and I just felt wonderful.
The only drawback was, they had a hard time adjusting my hormone dosages and I got really bad migraines until that was sorted out. And, I did gain weight over time, but I needed to. I was so free from pain and the sickness in that part of my body, that I just never gave it any thought anymore. And my poor daughter...I constantly forgot to buy pads for her even if that's one thing I specifically went to the store for. That's how far from my mind those "bad old days" were for me.
In all honesty, the only thing that bothered me was that I finally, no turning back, knew there was absolutely no hope of having another child. I just turned 46 and to this day, I'd have another kid right now if I could.
Surgery can be very scary for anyone. And fear of the unknown about how you might feel after a hysterectomy can be very frightening too. Your friend needs to give herself time afterwards. Especially if she has to have hormone replacement. It's a change for her body, just like your body goes through changes during and after pregnancy. And there comes a time when a woman no longer has periods, etc anyway. They are all changes and they can be sailed through. Another positive thing, at least for me, was that I no longer had to worry about cervical cancer, uterine or ovarian cancer. That risk was diminished by 100%.
My hysterectomy was very freeing, for so many reasons and I think if you can look at it that way, it's amazing how great you can feel afterwards.
Every woman is different. Your friend needs to let herself have her feelings and try to process them and most of all, have a support system. And it sounds like she's got at least one person, for sure, who will be there for her.
I'll keep you both in my thoughts.

Oh my -- it was the BEST decision...have your friend ask her doc if an epidural is an option instead of hte general...I did it and felt great after the procedure... contact me at ____@____.com if you wish more details...
S.

Hi L.,

I had one several years ago at 43 due to fibroids. I was not happy about losing a part of my body, but I knew I had to do it to be healthy. Make sure your friend keeps her ovaries (as long as this is not the reason for her hysterectomy). Many MDs still say let's take them out, but that puts a woman immediately into menopause. Unless there is a compelling medical reason (and the one about protecting in case of ovarian cancer later doesn't fly), the hormones produced even after menopause are important for women's health. I am a medical psychologist and studied hormones and behavior and I still had to convince my doctor that I wanted my ovaries left. Otherwise, there is pain, but it goes away pretty fast. If she is having an abdominal incision, then the first week is tough, but get up as soon as possible and try not to take a lot of pain medication if possible as that interferes with moving around and getting the anesthesia metabolized out of the body.

Let her know she needs to give herself time to recover and not to plan to do too much the first month. I would find I felt strong and go to walk and in 5-10 minutes I needed to rest. Be moderate and have family understand the changes in energy that happen that first month. After that, it is good. I did miss having my period in a way, but with the ovaries intact I still had all the changes in the body without the period. At 55 now I am just starting to have any menopausal hot flashes and they are not heavy duty.

Best wishes,

L.

I had my hysterectomy in 2001 due to a prolapsed uterus. Having a positive outlook prior to surgery (up to the point where they wheel you into OR) is very helpful. Have your friend speak to her OB and the anesthesiologist before the scheduled surgery. She can express her fears and get answers that help ahead of time. My fear was that anesthesia usually makes me very sick. I was also afraid of post surgical pain, but didn't want to stay on morphine any longer than necessary. My doctors addressed both issues before surgery and explained exactly what I would experience when I woke up. There were no surprises and I was able to relax, even look forward to the procedure. My surgery was done vaginally, so no abdominal incisions. I was taken off morphine in the AM the day after surgery and given something that contained aspirin and a muscle relaxant combo. According to the nurse it was a combo that had been around for many years, but worked well. I admit I was a little aprehensive, but it worked like a charm. I never felt any pain and was totally off all pain killers by the end of week one. My bladder function was back in a day and a half. I went home the second day after surgery feeling like a million bucks, albeit a little tired! Two weeks later I was cleared to go back to work up to 30 hours per week, though warned I'd want and need daily naps for awhile. My doctor had already filed Disability paperwork on my behalf, and since my employer was a difficult person to work with, I wisely chose to work from home the remaining 6 weeks, only going into the office after hours for short periods of time.
I hope this helps your friend. I wish I had been approved for this surgery at 40 instead of 50. After a lifetime of "female problems" I am finally free!

I am 47 and very glad I had one. My recovery was good I got too ambitious and had to stay down longer. I had to have a hysterectomy and afterwords I felt great. My scare is no longer visible and my health got better. Granted I was sore but follow the docs instructions and there will be no problems. Keep a pillow close, it's to put over your abdomen for protection.

I had one when I was 39 and it was the best thing ....I felt so much better afterwards. I was freaked because I didn't know how they were going to go about the procedure, nobody talked about these things then until I found out that another mother I knew had had one too.

What helped me outside of this mother telling me it was the best thing too was talking with the obgyn who was going to do the procedure and having her answer all the questions I had. Using the medical library at the facility where it was going to be done wasn't much help as it talked more about horror stories.

Another thing that freaked me out was remembering how my mother had taken hormones when it had happened to her and how emotional she had been. I thought that possibly hormones would be required. Not the case.

As far as the anesthesia, mine was local and I watched the whole thing. It was like being in some bizarre dream cracking jokes with the nurses, etc.

What I was worried about was the home stuff, who would be taking care of my boys, household chores, being gone from work for 6 weeks, and the other things I was involved in then.

Irrationally, I also thought that perhaps I'd be less of a woman to my husband. Underline irrational. BS. I could now go on about my business without the added stress of what was happening to my "insides".

In the end it was the best decision I could have made because it freed me from alot of physical pain. I could finally run, jump, and participate in physical activities that in the past were not an option. (My obgyn said my uterus was like that of an 80 year old woman - I had had very difficult labors and had been precancerous....)

In closing, it is stressful to be going through this but have your friend get answers to all her questions. Thanks for taking the time to "hold" her hand.

I had a hysterectomy in 1999 and it was a breeze for me. I was scared as well but everything went extremely well, I was ready to leave the hospital the very next day. My doctor told me I would just have to wait a little longer.Depending upon what type of surgery she is having (a full or partial) she will have to make a decision regarding hormones. That is the tricky part for most women, I think. You just keep trying different ones until the right one works for you. Don't get frustrated, it all works out, really. Once that gets into place everything else will as well. Be patient, get lots of rest and surround yourself with supportive friends.
To this day, I think it was the best thing I ever did...especially on a month to month basis:)
Good Luck to your friend. p.s. i had to have the surgery due to severe fibroids, monthly bleeding and anemia. i had a full hysterectomy. it was a positive experience. i also suggest talking to your surgeon/doctor and anest. before hand. i did and they really put my fears at ease. i was off work about 6 weeks. other than all that, rest, rest, rest and let yourself be spoiled while recuperating!

Another big recommendation for hystersisters website! IMO, it is a MUST for women facing hysterectomy.

I had my surgery 4 month ago. Total (ovaries and all) due to severe endometriosis throughout my whole abdominal area - fun, fun, fun! Surgery and coming out of the anesthesia was fine - talked to the anesthes. about anti nausea meds prior to the surgery. Was in the hospital for 5 days & lost 11 pounds due to everything they removed. I did come home looking 4-6 months pregnant (a side effect I was not warned about before hand), so in my exhausted state I had to shop for XL sweats to wear during recovery. Took pain meds for about 6 weeks after surgery (every 4-6 hours for the first 2 weeks), and slept a lot - body was just wiped out, and I was pretty fit going into the surgery (doing TKD and running). I stayed off work for 8 weeks & returned back part time for a couple of weeks, and that was perfect! Some women recover more quickly - depends on why the surgery is needed. I've had VERY MINIMAL menopause symptoms, and any of them are MUCH better than the pain I was in prior to the surgery. Long and short of it is, it was the hardest thing I've ever gone through, but it was SOOO worth it. It is such an emotional journey - I never wanted to have to have it done (in fact I wanted another child), so the emotional ups and downs she may be going through right now are normal.

As a friend, be with her. Visit her in the hospital - it can be a lonely place & you are too tired to read-it is great to have a friend just sit with you. Bring her dinners after she comes home - she will be too tired to cook and shop for at least a couple of weeks. Bring her lunch and hang out with her while she's at home recovering, or take her out to lunch - she will enjoy the company and the "field trip" away from home while she is still unable to drive.

I had a hysterectomy three weeks ago and I am doing fine. My husband and parents have been very supportvie and have been helping out. I got up and walked the same day as my surgery. The more you walk, the faster you heal. They give you pain medication in your IV the first few days and then paing killers to take home. I quit taking the pain meds after a week and I quit taking Motirn earlier this week. My best recomendation would be to follow the doctors instructions - don't lift anythng, get lots of rest, and walk.

I had mine in 1993 and do not regret it. It was painful however after the surgery but after you heal up it is so nice not to live in pain or take medicine all the time for the pain. It is much better after about a week or so.
Good luck.
C.

I had a hysteectomy a few years ago. It was the best decision I've ever made. No more cancer worries, no periods, no migraines, no more hormonal mood swings--all gone. My quality of life is so much better.

If your friend is really worried about the anesthesia, she can speak with the anesthesiologist ahead of time. She just has to ask her doctor. I had a previous minor problem with anesthesia so this happened without me really requesting it but was worth it to find out other options.

I would also caution your friend not to get up too soon. Like another poster said, the pain meds can make you think you are ready to do laundry and vacuum (two of the no nos) but it is best to wait. I had some minor problems with my incision re opening due to this. That said, it helps to walk around asm uch and as soon as she is ready for. That will help to heal faster when she is ready.

Hi. I had a hysterectomy years ago. All I remember is I woke up and hurt like hell... but I am one of these people who hates bedpans so was up and around asap. Back then you stayed in the hospital for a week. I forced myself to be up and about and I did heal quickly. So, you want positive stuff. No period forever... I loved it! I had the hysterectomy during exploratory surgery... I had entremetrosis and no one knew until they got in there. They removed my uterus and a tube and ovary. Let's say I have never been sorry I had it. I believe these days they probably are less invasive and the pain is not as intense. The only thing I was told was that I couldn't drive for a week or two, couldn't vacuum or do laundry.

There is a wonderful website called hystersisters. I had one last year and I found this website to be informative and full of encouraging stories. You can google it to get the website. I highly recommend this.

Dealing with a hysterectomy is hard, but it is definitely do-able--especially with such a supportive friend on your side! I had cervical cancer, and the hysterectomy completely did away with it--including a bit of hidden cancer that my previous procedure hadn't dealt with. My main advice--take time to RELAX (feet up!) and connect with your community for emotional and physical support (dinners, errands, cleaning, etc.). Also, check out www.hystersisters.com for ideas, answers to questions, and an online community.

Best of luck to your friend!
-C.