If you could change 1 thing about your surgery and or hospital stay...

I would have given the doc instructions to wake me up if he felt the need to remove major body parts.

They were only going in to removed some cycts......not my uterus.

The major change that I would make.....and did make!.... is the preop education from my surgeon, as well as the postop...........basically, all the things I learned here.

We can each make a difference in this obviously neglected area: Spread the word to your doc and his office nurse (She's the one who runs the show!) about Hystersisters. Let them know how informative this website is to you, and how beneficial. Help them see how necessary this info is for all women undergoing this surgery, and how appreciative their patients shall be with such great education.

I've made this my mission, after the fabulous help I received here. In spreading the word in my neck of the woods, I am still finding surprised, underinformed women postop hysterectomy. You can make a difference, too. Just make an appointment with your doc and office nurse.........and educate them.

You'll change lives..............s....Deb

I would change the hospital that I was in. They cut my bladder during surgery and were reluctant to admit it and to do anything about the subsequent pain. I went to another hospital for a bladder repair and the doctors and staff were amazing. In comparisaon I realized how poor my hysterectomy care was

For me the surgery was the only thing that went right. What would I have had happen differently?
1. The IV lady poked me 3 times, dig, dig, dig, complaining about my skin(!) before getting someone else to put in the line (the second lady was quick and easy). Maybe I should have asked for someone before that.
2. The same IV lady opened the curtain, exposing my breasts to the world prior to my EKG being finished. I asked to be covered up.
3. Every time I fell asleep the heart monitor alarm went off. Perhaps someone could have fixed that problem before 3am??
4. Maybe someone should have stayed with me. When the IV alarm went off at 3:30am, no one tended to it for 30 minutes. All in all, I didn't get more than a few minutes of sleep. Blood pressure tests at 4:45 and blood tests at 5:30.
5. Pain meds were not forthcoming, I was in serious pain and not getting relief and the nurses were not bringing me anything even after I had asked. I felt very alone and un-cared for. I should have had my husband stay with me to make the nurses care for me. Things only started looking up for me once he was there. Next time, I would not want to be left alone in the hospital. They even took my water away and never brought me more!

Other than that, surgery went well, so that is good. Home and constipated now...

I would of ran away as fast as I could from my dr and hospital!! My life has been nothing but one big ball of pain and complications since surgery!! I tell people now,never have a hysterectomy unless it is for cancer!

I guess I'll add my two cents. My doc, the hospital, nurses, and surgeon were superb. I mean excellent. The only thing I would change is the fact that they didn't tell me my meds was as needed. I thought they would come every 6 hours, but after the explained it to me, it went well. I had a private room and the nurses were so great. The surgery went great and recovery better than I had hoped.

My surgery went fine, but the hospital stay was a nightmare. I had my cervix removed for cervical cancer about 3wks before my TAH-BSO at a different hospital, so when they asked me what medications I was on during the last 30 days during the pre-op interview I told them: Zoloft daily (Depression) and Dilaudid 3 wks prior from my oncologist during the cervix surgery.

Well, the person filling out the computer got the timing backwards and put the Dilaudid as daily. The first 2 days of my hospital stay were fine, the nurse was great, but the nurse that took over after that decided I must have a drug problem after reading my record, and reading that I used dilaudid daily! and she was horrible for the next week and a half (There were complications so I was there longer than expected) She would barely respond to my calls if I needed something, she was rude to me and anyone that came to see me. She wouldn't give me hardly any pain medication so I was in extreme pain all the time. And because they put the Dilaudid as daily, they didn't put the Zoloft down at all so I was taken off my antidepressant suddenly. This nurse even spoke to every night nurse that came on. One night my IV came out in a way that I had blood all over my gown and bed. I woke up and called for the nurse. She fixed the IV and gave me a new gown, but when I asked for new sheets, she said that the people who change the bed sheets would not be in until morning and I would just have to sleep in it!

The next day, I called my therapist (This was my 16th abdominal surgery in 1 1/2 -2 yrs and I pretty severe anxiety) and she came in and called in the patient advocate, who said she would get my records straightened out and get the nurse changed, etc.

Well, she never did. I ended up asking my Dr to be released because I couldn't take being in there anymore, I was crying all the time and afraid to be left alone. The most unbelieveable part was when they gave me the discharge papers, they still said I was being release on Dilaudid!!

I continued to follow up with lodging complaints, and to this day will not step in that hospital for so much as a blood test.