Emergency Hysterectomy

I was going to have a hysterectomy sometime later in the year, but Monday ended up being the day. I had some pain and went to my OB, who did an u/s, and found that a tumor was lodged on my left ovary and I had some internal bleeding. I'm 29 years old and have four chidlren. I went from breastfeeding to menopause in five hours. Kinda' sad.

Straight to the OR I went.

Just wanted to say "hey".

that's pretty rough! at least you missed all the anticipatory anxiety. thank god you have four children! did you keep your ovaries? you are so young to be dealing with all of this! i had a dr. tell me at 28 I needed the hyst-had one DS at 33, hyst at 44. maybe you saved yourself so much grief? you must be rocked-was everything benign? pm me if you need help-be brave and be well, your sister, acpd

I guess I should've provided more detail, but I'm still kind of "out of it".

Because of the ovarian mass, which- btw- came back as benign, they took both ovaries. My ovaries were full of cysts and had stuck themselves to other organs. My bladder and uterine wall have apparently been fused together for a very long time (there were several large veins connecting the two). It took them 45 minutes just to free my bladder.

I'm in a wierd kind of place with all of this. On one hand, I'm glad that I won't have to deal with all of the discomfort any more. On the other, I feel like my breastfeeding experience was cut short (nine months) and sudden. I realize some people would say I breastfed for a long time, but neither baby nor I were ready to give it up yet. I still have some milk, but not enough to do more than comfort him. Plus, with this swelly belly, it's kind of tough to hold him on my lap to nurse.

THanks for the words of kindness.

Oh wow that is rough!

I can feel for you, as my children were also breast fed and to have to stop before you and the little guy were ready to stop is tough.
Recovering from this surgery on top,oh boy, what can I do for you!

Well at least the baby can take solids at 9 months so there is that and you can cuddle him in bed and comfort him with your breast if it isn't uncomfortable for you.

You could have a sippy cup nearby with something yummy for him or a bottle if he takes one as an alternative when he doesn't get what he expects or you need a break from his tug.
Just keep something like a small pillow between the baby and you so he doesn't inadvertantly bump your tummy.

The waiting time for a hyst.is sometimes difficult as many will attest to on this website however it is also a blessing in that by the time the day does finally come you are ready for it.
You didn't have that. It's a lot to integrate on the flip side.

You did know it would be an eventual occurance just not quite so soon. But with all the internal work it sounds like you couldn't have done it soon enough.
Recover quickly and keep in touch,

Judy

Hi jhawkwife,

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear that your appointment turned into an emergency hysterectomy. I am glad that the mass came back benign. That is good news and I'm sure you are relieved by that.

I'm glad you have found hystersisters and I know you will find all the information and support you need here!

Many gentle s for you!

Deb

Hello!

What a rough time you've had! I understand what you are going through, with no time to prepare for major surgery, you have to adjust to the hyst After it occurs...I think this can extend your recovery time.

I had an emergency hyst 10 days after my baby boy was born. I awoke from a 3 day coma, to be told about the hyst and that I could no longer breastfeed. It is very upsetting to have to stop feeding your baby, that is one of our main functions as a mother...I felt like I had failed him, and even 5 months on, I still feel like that.

However, my baby is thriving on formula milk, and I'm just glad I'm alive to be here with him, so it's for the best, in the long run. I hope you start to feel alittle better real soon!

big hugs!