Hi

[color=Red]Hi
I hear the pain is pretty intense after surgery. Is this true? I have also heard that people gain alot of weight after a hysterectomy. Is this true?

Welcome to HysterSisters! We all have different experiences and the pain we have afterwards is unique to each of us. I had a TVH (no abdominal incision) and the pain I woke up to was like menstral cramps. Some women have more pain than others but it is usually managed well with medication. Be sure to talk to your doctor to see what type of pain management you will have.

I haven't gained weight since my surgery (almost 4 years ago). I continue to eat right (well, I try ), exercise when I can, and do what I can to take care of myself. Nothing has really changed for me weight or exercise wise.

I hope everything goes well for you! Hang in there and make yourself at home!

s, Deb

I had LSH and practically no pain. I am 9 days post-op and doing well. Everyone is different. I have heard of more people losing weight after hysterectomy than putting on. Almost all the people I know have said the surgery has improved the quality of their lives. My best friend said she had no idea how tired she always was till she had the surgery. Stick around and you will hear different points of view. My best to you. Welcome to the best support group in the word.

Hi! I had a TAH over 3 weeks ago, and I can't say that the pain bothered me too much...but then again, I was on morphine during the surgery. When the medicine did make it's way out of me, my pain was about a 2-3 on a scale to 10. Each person will react differently to the pain immediately after surgery, but rest assured that if you talk to your MD about pain management, the staff should be able to help you out.

Good luck to you for a successful surgery and recovery!

I am 9 days post-op from my TAH, and I can honestly say the pain was pretty bad on the actual day of the surgery, but the hospital staff helped me get that under control asap. After that, it has been getting better every day. I am actually surprised at how well I feel. Seems like the it's getting to the point where I am having to hold myself back from what I want to be doing, just because of the restrictions and how easily fatigued I get. As far as weight gain, I think it all depends on first what type of hysterectomy you get, if you keep the ovaries chances are you won't hit menopause. Also, it depends on the person, their life, their diet, and how well they take care of themselves. I have read alot of posts on here that say they either haven't gained weight at all, and MANY that have lost weight. All of this seems like a new beginning for me, and I can honestly say that after going through all of this, I want to take advantage and live my life to the fullest, meaning I will definitly be taking better care of myself now. So, I think it really depends on your state of mind post-op. Good luck!

Hi robertagriswold

I think that my most intense pain was right after surgery. My surgery was at 1:00pm. By 11:00pm, I think that I was ok (didn't come out of recovery until 8:00pm).

As for the weight, I think I have one of the rare stories of weight loss. I am 9 weeks post-op today and have lost 35 lbs.

Hi Roberta

I had a TAH and as the other women have mentioned the doctors and nurses do very well in helping with pain management in the hospital. The day of surgery I was sore enough to use the PCA pump but by the second day when they took my IV out I was down to single doses of percoset and only used it as needed. Everyone is different. Some people have lots of pain and are faithful with their medication every four hours, and others have none. I think it depends on what you have done and your level of pain tollerance. It certainly isn't unmanageable though.

As for weight gain, I have gained some, but mine is my own fault. I'm an emotional eater and I have a fair amount of stress in my life right now. (My college freshman son is giving me a run for my money ). If you eat right and exercise, which is what we should all do, you shouldn't have a problem.

Good luck. The waiting is the worst part.

I'm three weeks out. I had a TAH and had extensive endo. My doctor spent a couple of hours clearing my bladder, intestines and bowels from the adhesions from the endo.
The pain was pretty bad for the first 3 days (managed well with meds but when they wore off the pain was an 8 on a scale of 1 - 10). I learned that I needed to take the meds on schedule whether I thought I needed them or not for the first week. Once I took the pain meds on schedule my pain was a 3 or 4 most of the time.
After that first week I went off the narcotic pain meds and only used Tylenol occassionally and the pain was a 2 or 3 - more like an ache most of the time.
Given all that, I'm in so much LESS pain then I was pre-op that I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat ! My constant backache is gone, I missed my first period and can't say I miss the three days of agonizing cramps that normally went with it, my energy is returning and I feel better than I have in years.
As for the weight - I LOOK like I've gained weight but its only the swelly belly (which is temporary). If a weight gain is enough to give you doubts on whether you should have the surgery or not then you might want to look at alternatives to whatever issue(s) you're having and get another doctor's opinion. I KNEW that this surgery was necessary - there was no doubt in my mind; I knew the post op benefits would offset the "costs" of the surgery.

Thank you so much for your reply. I have endo and a very weak bladder. The doctor plans on removeing my uterus i am not sure about my ovaries.