Laparoscopically Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy for endometriosis and heavy bleeding

Hi all,

I had my LAVH two years ago and got so much help and support from the forums here, I wanted to give back and share my experience. I remember when I was waiting for my surgery how I would come here and pour over every detail of everyone's story, looking for clues on what to expect or how it might go for me, even though everyone is different.

I had my LAVH because I had endometriosis and heavy, heavy bleeding. I did not have fibroids or extremely awful endometriosis that had my insides all glued together or whatever, but it was bad nonetheless. For a few days a month (the beginning of my period) would bleed so heavily, I could not leave the house. I bled through tampons and soaked my clothes within minutes sometimes, even without straining myself in any way. For months leading up to surgery, during my periods, I had the most severe stabbing pains in my anal area, too. This baffled me but wow, were they crippling. They were so bad I could not stand up straight when they came on and they often made me crumple up and cry out when they hit. My dr. said it was part of the endometriosis. So my life was pretty much compromised every time I had a period, and it was awful. Sex was quite painful, too. At the time I was 43 years old so it seemed like something HAD to be done and it was time to end the suffering. I was also exhausted ALL THE TIME from the heavy periods each month.

Anyway...I had my LAVH in March. I kept my ovaries.

I went to the hospital early in the morning and was checked in. I was nervous but I was more than ready to get it over with. I'd read a lot on these forums about what to expect and what to pack, etc, so that helped me feel prepared.

I met with my dr. and nurses before the surgery and given plenty of time to express my concerns (nausea and vomiting after surgery) and given lots of encouragement.

I was wheeled into the operating room, helped get myself onto the operating table, and then was fixed up and positioned, etc. They had my IV all set to go and put something in it and I was out like a light.

I woke up as I was being wheeled to recovery. My DH was there and everyone told me I "did great."

I fell back asleep and woke up later in my hospital room. DH stayed with me and nurses popped in and out and my doctor came to fill me in on the procedure later. I dozed in and out the entire day and only barely took in what the doctor said, but she said there'd been no surprises and that all was well.

The rest of the day I just dozed in and out. We had the TV on and Dh had his laptop to keep him busy. My parents were home with the kids. I was quite dizzy and at times had nausea. They gave me meds for that when I asked, even though they'd already given me some during surgery.

By evening I was able to stay awake a bit longer at a time. I took some Gas X I had brought. I didn't want dinner (I don't think I was offered solid food anyway, but at this point I don't remember.)

I was too dizzy to do anything--look over my shoulder at DH, read a book, move around in bed. I just laid there and laid there, dozing in and out and staring blankly at the TV.

DH left that night to go home to the kids. We had an agreement that he woudl be back first thing in the morning. I had had visions of calling my kids to say good-night, but I felt too dizzy and out of it to do that, so I was glad I had not promised them I would.

I was glad to settle in that night and sleep, but every time I did, my breathing alarm would go off and wake me up and the nurses would come running in. This went on a few times and they went and got a specialist to examine me, even though it was the middle of the night. Apparantely, every time I fell asleep and started to sleep hard, my breathing dropped so low that the alarm went off.

The specialist had me blow into a tube with a ball in it, and ran a few tests. They were concerned, but not panicked. They told me that once I was better and recovered, I needed to go have a sleep study done. The rest of the night, they monitored me. I didn't get a lot of sleep.

The next day I was stronger and better and they removed the breathing alarm for a while. Then they decided to take out the catheter. That's not fun, but of course I was ready to get it out, so we did.

Let me just back up and say that I've had surgeries before and I always, always have problems with peeing afterwards. My bladder gets paralyzed with anesthesia...I don't know why, but it always happens. So...they took out the catheter. I had been drinking lots of water all morning in preparation for trying to get myself to pee. And finally I really, really had to go. And...I couldn't. I just couldn't. I got in the shower and tried pouring water over myself, I tried squatting, relaxing, deep breathing, you name it. I couldn't go. And by now I had to go SO BAD I was in total agony.

The nurse left to get someone. I was hobbling around the room, bent over and crying in distress at my about-to-burst bladder. Dh came in then and looked shocked. The nurse came in and to my horror, she began chatting with DH about whether or not he'd had breakfast and how she could go find him a coupon for a free one if he wanted.

I yelled that I was in PAIN and everything else could wait. The nurse seemed to think I was being a drama queen and exaggerating. And I have to say, that happens to me each and every single time I have surgery as well---I can't pee, I cry in distress, everyone thinks I'm over reacting, then they put the catheter back in and are SHOCKED when a gallon of pee comes out.

And that's what happened here, too. She got busy and put the catheter back in and yep, she was SHOCKED when a GALLON of pee came out.

But boy, did I feel better.

After that, DH came tiptoeing back into the room (he had to leave during the catheter thing because he's so squeamish.) We spent the rest of the day just chatting as I lay in the bed and relaxed. I felt much better but not great, of course, and I napped on and off. My dr. came and examined me and we disussed the catheter. I hated it, but I knew I was not ready to have it out. There was too much swelling down there around my bladder for me to pee on my own, and my dr. said it needed a few days to go down on its own and I needed to wear the catheter until then.

So I was cleared to go home but I had to wear the catheter. This was a Friday and we agreed I'd come back Monday and have it taken out.

I had a hot shower and washed my hair, put on some pajamas, and we left the hospital. I didn't feel great, but I felt well enough to make the ride home and the dizziness and nausea were all gone.

The next few days were hard, as I was sore, tired, and totally tied down by that stupid catheter. I hated it but knew it was necessary. I slept a lot. I drank a LOT, because being super-hydrated has always helped me get better quick after surgery. And with the catheter in, I didn't have to worry about running to the bathroom every five minutes! I took stool softeners, too, because i was worried about becoming constipated.

That Saturday night, my catheter broke as I was climbing into bed. I panicked. We went to the E.R. at daybreak to have it addressed. They went ahead and removed it. Then I had to stick around until I proved I could pee on my own. I drank a big bottle of water, watched TV in the waiting room, and did all the deep breathing and relaxation techniques I could think of. And soon, I had to pee. And...I did! And that was the end of that agony.

The next several weeks, I slept and slept, and laid around watching TV. I had hopes I would bounce back quickly, but I really didn't. I had days where I felt great and would so housework and stuff, then the next day I'd hurt a LOT. So I figured out pretty quickly to give myself the full six weeks of being quiet, being still, being calm and restful, without guilt. I napped while the kids were at school. I watched TV. I let DH fix dinner and handle chores. I slowly started doing odd and ends, but only one or two things a day. One day I'd do a load of laundry and straighten up the kitchen. The next day I'd clean a litter box and then unload the dishwasher. It was three or four weeks before I ventured to the grocery store. In this way, I slowly, slowly eased back into normal life.

I made sure to drink a lot of water. I ate extremely lightly for a while because I just wasn't hungry. I tried to keep it healthy. I was vigilant about fiber supplements and stool softeners and did not get constipated. I do remember having the most bizarre, vivid dreams for a long time afterwards. I had stockpiled books and magazines to read during recovery, and I watched a lot of TV.

I can say it took a full eight weeks before I felt good again, and a full twelve weeks before I truly felt like myself again. During this time, reading stuff on these forums helped me feel reassured that I was progressing normally and that all would be well.

I had been exhausted all the time before my surgery. I was told by tons of women that af they they had their surgery, they had "more energy than they knew what to do with." I can't say I"ve had that experience, but I can say that two years later and I DO have way more energy than I had back then, that's for sure. I'm not drained and tired all the time, and wow, is it SUPER to go to the grocery store and walk right past the tampon/maxipad aisle, time and again. Never again will I need THAT.

I love not having a period. And sex stopped being painful. And no longer do I have days or weeks a month every month where I am housebound due to heavy bleeding and fatigue.

It's not been all roses--I feel my libido took a dip after this and it still isn't quite what it was. Maybe it never will be. But I think that has more to do with aging than it does with having an hysterectomy.

So that is my story for now--I still have my ovaries and expect to go through menapause at any time. I am starting to have my very first hot flashes and am not looking forward to all that. But having the hysterectomy was absolultely a great decision and has definitely given me my life back. I am not a re-invented person, but I am the person I was back in my thirties, before I was so drained all the time by pain and bleeding. It was a good thing to do and I'm happy.

So...I hope that helps. Best of luck with your journey!