Hysterectomy

[HappyFun Ball]

It was a walk in the park* compared to what I had played it up to be in my head.

Uneventful birth, they had the OR prepped and waiting for me. I was still a bit stoned from the pain meds that gave me for the delivery, the nurse anestethist (Christ, I can't spell) gave me some Versed on the way to the OR.. So I became even more loopy.

When they got me one the operating table, they put an oxygen mask on me.. I was about to doze off (They didn't give me the anesthesia yet). I popped up, yanked the mask off and said "Ya'll aren't going to take funny pictures of my cunny hanging out are you?". The nurse looked appaled and answered "No". "Oh, ok.. Well you can you know, just as long as you keep my face out of them" I said.

The bad part:

When I woke up, I moaned and they immediately pumped me full of Dilaudid. I still whined, they asked me what was wrong

"I have to potty!" I said
"You have a catheter in." nurse 1 replied
"Nooooooo! I have to poo!" I said
"You can't strain right now" nurse 1 said

*30 seconds later*

" I really need to go!"
"But you have a catheter in" nurse 1
"I have to poop!"
"But you can't strain right now"
*I mewl pathetically for a minute*

Nurse 2 leans close to my ear:
"Your colon is having spasms from the surgery, it will stop soon, ok?"

Well, that's all I needed to hear to shut up

Post surgery pain was controlled by laying the Hell still (I don't know if the Dilaudid drip helped with the pain or just kept me asleep so I didn't move).. I had a lab person come draw blood and I whined and begged her to hurry because I was hurting from having to lay in the position for her the draw blood.

I was released the next day with some Percocet and 800 MG Ibuprofin. I go to the drug store to get the meds, this young bitch zooms around my pathetic shuffleing to the pharmacy counter (I swear I will viciously murder whose sadistic idea it was to put it in the back). Young Bitch is trying to get routine meds that are even due to be filled, filled.. She argues, inquires about the prices, I'm gripping the counter next to her whining aimlessly, she ignores me. When she turns to leave I give her the double middle finger (Hey, I was hurting, tired and in no freaking mood for bull shit)

I get my meds, go home and go to bed, expecting to be confined there for a few weeks. No, I was in bed for a day before I was up walking around some, I was able to do light house work and even cook some. Well, the next day I was hurting really badly, felt like a horrendous menstral cramp, so at my GYN's advice, I went to the ER.. I was backed up and had a UTI.

Pooping was a scream fest for a couple of weeks and peeing tingled like crazy for a while.

But I was expecting to be in bed for a month just moaning with misery.

I had a laproscopic, vaginal hysterectomy.

* Your experience may vary

[AnaKhouri]

That sounds pretty good for a major surgery. They let you go the next day (after giving birth no less?)? Amazing. My mom had a hysterectomy 30+ years ago and she described it as Hell. Glad it went well for you.

[Luna Baby]

I had mine done a few years ago, probably about 4-5 (can't remember-thinks I'm getting old). Mine was done outpatient, although I do think I was there much longer than 23 hours. The pain I had during the ride from the recovery room to the regular room was the very worst of it. I took one look at my surgeon and my words were, "I don't like you very much right now!"

I actually had the hysterectomy, a cystocele repair and a rectocele repair. I was only in the bed the day/night of, the following day and that night after coming home. After that, I was up and around, doing light stuff. I was off work 7 weeks, but only because of having 3 surgeries in 1. I still attending my karate classes 3 times a week, just to maintain going and catch anything by listening.

After coming home, I only took ibuprofen OTC and that was pretty much it.

**The versed is absolutely awesome. Made me forget every care in the world!

[Draper Mel]

I had spinal surgery almost 2 years ago and they took out my catheter and had me up the evening of my surgery. But then they had to put the catheter back because they needed me to lie flat for a day; the surgeons ripped my dura slightly because the tumor (benign) was adhered to it. The loss of pressure in the spinal fluid can give you a nasty headache. THEN I started vomiting because my intestines weren't waking up properly. They were moving, just veeerrry slllooowwlly.

After I was released, though, I noticed an improvement every day. That was very helpful mentally during my recovery, let me tell you.

Never had Versed. Just morphine in the hospital, then Percoset, then hydrocodone for a few weeks. I was so fuzzy brained the first week or so I had to write down every time I took pain meds so I'd know when I could take more.

Glad you're on the mend.

[LillFilly]

My mom had a complete hysterectomy, or as her DR called it, 'taking the toys and leaving the playpen!' She was up in about a week feeling better than ever. The surgery and the stigma has really improved recently; I think they can do it through the belly button now, can't they?

[Food Lady]

I could've used some Versed the last month and a half. Hydrocodone is like I took a Tic Tac.

[DeltaSierra]

OH you poor thing. I had my hyster done 6 years ago and it was the best thing I have had done. I suffered absolutely horrendous endometriosis, and up to the surgery, had been bleeding for 27 days straight and was in so much pain I'd been bedridden for 10 days prior. The day after my surgery, I was up and about and walking etc -freaked out the nurses. I was in 100x LESS pain after surgery than I'd been going in - healing was a walk in the park compared to what I'd been dealing with for years prior. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, I just wish I'd had it done 10 years previously!!!

[HappyFun Ball]

My doctor called it "Taking the basket but leaving the candy."

I had 3 very small incisions, 1 through my belly button, 1 right above my pubic area and one to the left of my belly button.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

What an awful experience! Its not something I'd be happy to go through personally!



My mum has a 12 and half centimetre fibroid on her womb (his name is Bob) and next week she's seeing the consultant to decide what will be done about it. She's absolutely crapping herself about having a hysterectomy...from what we know, a hysterectomy is the absolute last resort, and we know of someone who had a 15-cm one lasered off without removal of the uterus, so we're hoping that maybe a possibility. When she first heard it might be a fibroid, she was so upset...about 30 years ago my nan had one and had a full hysterectomy and went on HRT, but the hormonal changes in her turned her really nasty and bitchy. Mum is terrified of having that happen to her. She's only slightly comforted by the fact that in this scenario she'd be allowed to keep her ovaries and won't require HRT.

She is, however, freaking out about surgery. She wasn't too bad when she thought it was going to be local hospital that deals with gyno-stuff/births/etc but due to cut backs, its in the Shitsville Hospital...it has a bad reputation for being dirty and was also where her father died 10 years ago (of liver cancer...on a ear/nose/throat ward -_- ).

The only thing that will make her feel better is letting her take her own supply of Dettol into hospital with her. In fact, she maybe happier if they let her clean her own surgery with Dettol beforehand <.<

I'm thinking of fashioning her a double holster so she can carry the Dettol bottles like two guns :P but the only problem is any doctor or nurse who comes near her will probably get a dousing XD

[trailerparkmedic]

I think they can do it through the belly button now, can't they?

One of the doctors at work said they can do it through the vagina now, with just a few little incisions in the vagina. How cool is that?

[the_std]

I go to the drug store to get the meds, this young bitch zooms around my pathetic shuffleing to the pharmacy counter (I swear I will viciously murder whose sadistic idea it was to put it in the back).

Just as an aside here, the pharmacy counter is generally placed at the back of the store for three reasons - robbery prevention (the robbers can't just get in and out quickly, there's more of a maze to traverse), confidentiality (less people are likely to be hanging around at the back of a store) and improved sales potential (if they pharmacy is at the back, you have to walk past more shelves full of product on the way in and the way out, therefore you're more likely to buy something). I can promise you that they don't put them at the back to try to inconvenience people, although I understand and have been through how much it sucks trying to hobble back there when you're in pain like that.

[Luna Baby]

Mine was done vaginally, but I also had to have all the other repairs done as well. I did have 2 tiny incisions on either side of the pubic bone where the doc went in laproscopocly (sp???) to attach the sling for the cystocele repair.

Little Retail rabbit, mine was done just removing the uterus, tubes, and cervix. I still have my ovaries. Not sure what the surgeon's recommendation for your mom would be, but that *might* be an option so that she could have removed what needs to be removed but not go on HRT. I take no hormones whatsoever. Nature is taking it's course as it normally would!

[HappyFun Ball]

That's how mine was done, it was shipped loose and yanked out of my vagina (after they removed my cervix)

It really wasn't that bad, I mean not as bad as horror stories I heard (Mind you, these stories came from ladies who had theirs done 20+ years ago)

If you are done having babies and periods, it's a good route to go IMO.

I went through and threw away all my blood stained undies, I even bought some nice, sexy ones.

[Akasa]

I had a full hysterectomy several years ago. Best thing I ever did. Recovery took about a month, but to be pain free afterwards and not worry about my girly issues it was definitly worth it.
I'm sorry you didn't have someone taking care of you who could pick up your medications for you. I know I had issues walking for about a week.

[IamEmancipated]

I recently signed paperwork to get a laproscopic tubal ligation after I have my second kid this July; asking about the procedure at my OB was like pulling teeth without meds, no one wanted to tell me anything, not even when I could sign the paperwork to begin with. I ended up having to pick out a pamphlet on laproscopy and read the paperwork as my main sources of information. Very upsetting for me. (I know there's a reason they don't want you to decide on it until a certain time, baby might pass away, etc, I just wanted to talk, though.)

Though I did laugh out loud when I read, "By signing this you agree and understand that the procedure described means you CANNOT HAVE CHILDREN anymore..."

The only comparative experience has been my mom, who had a laproscopy back in 1991 when my youngest sister was born and they did hers immediately after the birth. My doc says they only do that if I have a C-section at the birth, otherwise it's an in-office thing with minimal anesthestic. I know I'm done after this; various reasons but number one being that I am happy with two kids (or one, should something happen) and do not wish to continue to reproduce. My mom says it's very liberating.