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From the Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Stories Articles List |
 Related Titles
SAH --- Life gets better!
TAH - My new LIFE!
My New Life after my Hysterectomy
TAH/BSO - New year, new life?
TAH - Quality of life better after only 13 days
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Ask A Doctor
If you search the boards you will find my whole story. I'll tell only part of it here.
I was born with multiple birth defects. We knew about some of them from birth, but I only found out that I had a GYN malformation when I was 15 years old. Imagine finding out at that age that you will probably never be able to bear children (to the point that a pregnancy could have killed me.)
I had severe pain with my periods and a doctor did remove a part of the malformation when I was 15, thinking that by opening up the space I would not have as much pain. This only helped a little. Ten years later I was having extremely heavy periods. If I took Aleve (prescription strength naproxen), I had less pain but I bled worse. If I piggybacked Tylenol on the naproxen, I could have some pain-free hours.
Fifteen years after the discovery, I finally decided it was time to try hormone pills (aka the pill), but my body quickly developed resistance, and it became clear that I was not having the desired effect. I stayed on the pills and, twenty years after the discovery I decided to have a hysterectomy.
I did not go to my GYN for the surgery. I am very close to a nationally-recognized hospital and I went for my surgical evaluation there. The first doc, who I selected from the book Best Doctors in America, only does vaginal hysterectomies so he referred me to a colleague. His colleague did the surgery about eight months later.
The surgery was done laparoscopically because... it could be done that way. I couldn't have it done vaginally because of the preexisting condition. There was never any talk about doing it through an abdominal incision except if complications required it.
Some pre-surgical suggestions that I have:
- Tell everyone that you want to know about it, and ask them to help you in the post-op period. Create a schedule if necessary.
- Most surgeons will tell you to restrict lifting and carrying anything heavier than 5-10 lbs. in your immediate post-op period, regardless of how the surgery was done. Buy and store anything heavy that you regularly use, for example pet food, packs of soda, gallons of milk and water. Store these things where you can get them without carrying them up or down stairs.
- If you are in a faith community, you might want to put in a prayer request. You also might want to ask for clergy or a lay visitor to be with you before surgery. I strongly believe that the prayers of my fellows in faith are the reason why I did not go into this surgery crying my eyes out.
- Make sure you know the visitor policy at the hospital. I was fortunate that, even though I am well into adulthood, the hospital where I had my surgery allowed my parents to come into PACU (recovery)... especially because I was held there for about four hours waiting for a nursing unit bed. On the other hand, when a few friends expressed interest in visiting, I asked that they not come because I didn't want them seeing me in an immodest situation.
- Pack your bag a few days before your surgery, so you aren't looking for things at the last minute. Make sure you leave most valuables at home. Some hospitals allow you to have a cell phone and others do not. I brought mine and I used the case to attach the phone to my bed rail where I could reach it.
Day of surgery recommendations:
- If you have a Durable Power of Attorney, Living Will, Advanced Directives, etc., do bring a copy to the hospital with you. Make sure the person(s) specified in the documents also have a copy before your surgery.
- Make sure all of your questions are answered before surgery. Once you are in pre-op, things will go very quickly and you may lose your opportunity to ask. On the other hand, if you have anything to say to the anesthesiologist before surgery, don't let them give you any medication until you see him or her. The anesthesiologists both spoke with me before I was medicated, and they also respected my right to pray for everyone in the operating room before they medicated me.
- If you have allergies, tell everyone you see.
When I woke up in recovery I had three questions: "Am I in recovery?" Yes. "Did they do it laparoscopically?" Yes. "Did I need any blood?" No.
The docs were literally just bringing me to the PACU (recovery) and I was awake and alert there. I had the PCA (patient-controlled analgesia) morphine button and I pulled down the sheets to find my swollen and slightly bruised abdomen with three gauze dressings over the incisions (my navel only had steri-strips.) I had a catheter in and my pain was controlled fairly well by the morphine. I didn't sleep as much as I have done after past surgeries and I was well-oriented from the start of my recovery time.
The next day (Post-op day 1) a nursing assistant took me on a walk, then had me sit in a bedside chair. The nurse came in and removed my catheter. She also discontinued the PCA morphine and gave me my first dose of Percocet. Four hours later (almost exactly) I was asking for my next dose of medication. Within another hour I felt like my insides were on fire. The resident doctor was ready to discharge me and had written the orders, but the nurse told her that I needed to get my pain under control. They piggybacked a dose of prescription-strength naproxen (Aleve) and that got things under control. Just to be sure, the doc also took a urine sample and ran blood work. I was free of infection but I stayed the second night to make sure the pain medication started working. Later on that evening I was up and walking around the nursing unit under my own power. I went home the next morning.
Walking was very important because it helped relieve my gas pain. Gas-X became my friend and I took it every day along with Colace until my post-op appointment in the sixth week after surgery. I was walking around my apartment complex on post-op day 2. Another thing this helped with was the edema from them pumping three liters of fluid into me during surgery. I was swollen all over for a week, and my ankles swelled for another few weeks. The routine was to go to the bathroom, take a walk, and go to the bathroom again.
I was able to get off the Percocet on post-op day 12. I kept taking prescription naproxen until it was all gone. The naproxen helped me with a burning sensation that the Percocet did not control very well. Remember that when they do the surgery laparoscopically, they may use a cautery which does essentially cause internal burns. I think that was the cause of my pain on post-op day 1. The Percocet controlled aching sensations.
I also used a heating pad on my belly for about four weeks. This seemed to help with the aching. While I was on morphine and Percocet I also used an ice pack on the back of my neck and my lower back, since the narcotics made me feel hot, flushed, and sweaty.
My recovery, by most standards, went off without a hitch. I also had minor infections in two of the four small incisions but we got these under control quickly with oral antibiotics. I also spoke on the phone with a nurse a couple of times, after going home. I did have a reaction to the narcotics, which made me twitch and increased my reflexes. This is part of the reason that I gave up the Percocet early. Some of the articles I read said that I was more vulnerable to this neuro-excitatory side effect because I was also taking naproxen.
HysterSisters helped me gauge my progress as I healed. Note that I did not join until after my surgery. It was worth reading other sisters' stories and sharing information about individual progress. Sometimes it was just a virtual pat on the back, and other times it was expressions of concern. A few times our cohort helped sisters know what/when they should talk with their doctors. I basically dropped off the board after five weeks, but put on a few updates after that. One thing I would suggest is that you go into your preferences and make sure that you are only going to get thread updates on the ones you really want to hear about... Otherwise your inbox will get really full, really fast!
Best wishes to all sisters who read this!
Related Titles
SAH --- Life gets better!
TAH - My new LIFE!
My New Life after my Hysterectomy
TAH/BSO - New year, new life?
TAH - Quality of life better after only 13 days
Recommended for Hysterectomy Recovery
The HysterSisters Store has gathered products made specifically for your recovery from surgery. Here are the best sellers we can recommend to help you:
- The Great Binder Set - We have made it very easy for you and combined the two best binders and the Silky Sac into a great set to save you money! Our favorite is the Perfect Pocket binder with cold/hot packs!
- Deluxe Hyst Prep Set - As you plan, we've gathered the best products into one set for special pricing.
- Post-Op Panty - These great panties speed recovery, and reduces scarring. They contain a medical-grade silicone panel over incision to reduce scar's apperance while they provide support to weakened muscles and tissues from surgery. Excellent!
- Softest Bra Ever - When you want to wear something, but feel nothing. This is the softest bra ever, in microfiber with no hardware or tags to chafe or dig! The comfort-ribbed underband stays in place gently, so it is perfect for sleeping and lounging.
- HysterSisters Accessory Kit - Are you a HysterSisters fan? This set has a fun collection of HysterSisters items.
- Very Private Moisture - Once your doctor gives you the green light for intimacy, this is the stuff! This is a best selling product with a high rate of permanent, satisfied, repeat customers! Relieves vaginal dryness instantly, protects tissue & enhances intimacy.
"Buy it for the problem, use it for the pleasure."
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Hysterectomy News
June 20,2013
WEBSITE NEWS
Checking In June NewsletterThe HysterSisters June newsletter has been published and can be accessed on the website here: June 2013 HysterSisters Ch [ More]...
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