complete bilateral hysterectomy

HELLO, I am new to this site. I am sitting right now at obgyn waiting for my pre op. Scheduled for the hysterectomy thursday June 26th. Three weeks ago had an emergency D&C procedure due to uterine bleeding. Lost lots of blood and had a blood transfusion 4 units total. I am 44 years old. My greatest fear is just fear of the unknown after surgery. I've had other numerous surgeries and I did ok. Just recovery time was not fun. I don't want to dwell on the negative stories that I am hearing. I need positive support and I wish the same to everybody. More fear of the hormones. Want to ask my doc if I can go for the bio identical hormones. Scared of the hot flashes......any suggestions?

Is there a problem with your ovaries that you need to have them removed too? If not, leave them and you likely won't have to deal with HRT until menopause, and then only if you choose to. If the ovaries must go for a good reason, then there is no reason to be scared of hot flashes. I was too. No they aren't fun, but they aren't deadly. They are uncomfortable, but by now I have had hundreds and hundreds. Now I just sigh and let them pass or maybe fan myself. I won't lie and say hormone balancing is always easy, but some women have few problems finding the right balance with bioidenticals or whatever hormone they will use. Hopefully that will be you.

Your fear of the unknown is perfectly understandable. I think we all feel this while pre-op, which is why people say pre-op is the hardest time. All you can do is research, ask your questions, get your second opinion, and then trust in your doctor. It's a leap of faith. None of us know what exactly will be done during our surgery. I went in not knowing if my TVH would convert into an abdominal, or whether my ovaries would still be there when I woke up. Try not to dwell on the what-if's. See your doctor again and again if you need to, do whatever you need to have peace of mind.

Hi Estela. Having had everything taken out, I can tell you that the hot flashes are, as everyone said, uncomfortable, but fortunately they can be dealt with either hormonally (if no cancer) or herbally. Because I couldn't be on oral estrogen the Black Cohosh worked very well for them. So try not to worry about those symptoms, and instead get ready for the immediate postop things you'll need- someone to help you in the beginning, (at least for two weeks) things that you would need to lift put at counter height (like the cat food or dog food, this type of thing) and a handy-dandy grabber. Those things are lifesavers.

Hi estelacorona!

I lost everything, and for me surgical menopause at age 46 was no picnic. I was MISERABLE!!! I went to my GP and said please help. She put me on low dose oral bio-identical hormones (estradiol) and I got my life back. It is not the same as having my ovaries, but it is way better than without. It is also much better for my health, and I will be on this for the rest of my life. I was lucky in the first dose tried worked just fine. Some women can struggle with getting the right balance, though.

Discuss with your doctor your options given your situation. And do not let the negative press on HRT scare you. Every woman is different, and this needs to be addressed on an individual level.

Good luck to you.

I just had an abdominal hysterectomy 3 weeks ago, including having my ovaries removed and I'm feeling great. I'm sorry I can't help with the hormone question as I just had my surgery 3 weeks ago, but I can give you an encouraging word about the surgery itself. I felt fine afterwards, very little pain, went home the next day, and never needed pain meds after surgery day. I couldn't drive for a week am not allowed to do heavy lifting, high exertion etc, but could cook, do laundry, go shopping etc. my dr told me that I should be able to walk a mile within a week, and she was right. I had one of the more invasive surgeries and am more than 10 years older than you, hopefully you too will have a positive experience, hoping you will end up feeling as good as I do!

Thank you for sharing as I'm having a total hysterectomy July 8th abdominally and am very nervous. I always hear how rough recovery is. I have tix to a concert 3 1/2 weeks post op so am wondering if I might be able to go! I am not going to worry about biopsy results until I hear them since it's a 50/50 chance... Your post is very encouraging!

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Originally Posted by coughy16 I just had an abdominal hysterectomy 3 weeks ago, including having my ovaries removed and I'm feeling great. I'm sorry I can't help with the hormone question as I just had my surgery 3 weeks ago, but I can give you an encouraging word about the surgery itself. I felt fine afterwards, very little pain, went home the next day, and never needed pain meds after surgery day. I couldn't drive for a week am not allowed to do heavy lifting, high exertion etc, but could cook, do laundry, go shopping etc. my dr told me that I should be able to walk a mile within a week, and she was right. I had one of the more invasive surgeries and am more than 10 years older than you, hopefully you too will have a positive experience, hoping you will end up feeling as good as I do!