Hysterectomy at 22

Hello, I am scheduled for a TVH on april 28,2011 at 7 am. I am keeping my ovaries, and am having this done voluntarily. I have two wonderful children, but suffered very severe Postpartum (PPD) after both of them and ended up in the hospital being treated for my PPD for about a month. I have a 90% chance of getting PPD (and worse) if i were to get pregnant again, after a lot of thought and discussion with my psychiatrist and OBGYN we decided that this procedure was the only 100% preventative measure for me and have decided to go through with it. The surgery is on a thursday and I am hoping to return to work Monday... am I completely out of my mind? haha ... unfortunately I am not a full time employee and I am living check to check so I really have no other choice... I am hoping the fact that I am young and in otherwise perfect health that this wont be an issue... any one have any advice for me? thanks so much!

Wow, I can't even imagine going back to work three days after a hysterectomy.... but I had a total abdominal hysterectomy not a TVH. Still.... from what I have read here on the boards, the first week or so is pretty draining!

Could you see about taking at least one week off? That way you won't get SO far behind on bills, but you will give your body a chance to rest and heal.

Shapawho - Let me get this straight. You are having a hysterectomy so that you don't get pregnant again? Please do some research and realize what taking an organ out of you entails. This major surgery that can have a ton of side effects and some of those are permanent. There are many other ways of ensuring that you don't have another pregnancy without going through a hysterectomy. As well, those procedures are not going to put you out of commission for several weeks. And yes, you are out of your mind if you think you are going to go back to work 3 days later. Sorry to be so blunt but it is the reality of a hysterectomy.

I'm 22 as well, haven't had my surgery yet but hopefully scheduling in the next month Just wanted to say good luck!!!! And really go through here and see what women have experienced in their first week. I was planning to return to school ASAP in my wheelchair but after reading through many posts on here I've now given myself a few weeks to heal with approval of my teachers. The risk of tearing sutures etc is SO high and if that happens you have to have more surgeries. So goodluck and be careful

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Originally Posted by Danni3ll3 Shapawho - Let me get this straight. You are having a hysterectomy so that you don't get pregnant again? Please do some research and realize what taking an organ out of you entails. This major surgery that can have a ton of side effects and some of those are permanent. There are many other ways of ensuring that you don't have another pregnancy without going through a hysterectomy. As well, those procedures are not going to put you out of commission for several weeks. And yes, you are out of your mind if you think you are going to go back to work 3 days later. Sorry to be so blunt but it is the reality of a hysterectomy.

Second this opinion and advice!!!

I'm not sure you realize how involved this really is. Your talking about going back to work in 3 days, I was still in the hospital then! I wasn't permitted to drive until 14 days later and then it was very painful.

Please take some more time here to read more, especially on the post op forum.

You're young so theoretically you should heal fast, but a hysterectomy still takes a lot more recovery time than 3 days. The uterus is a relatively large, blood-rich organ. Removing it is a big deal with a lot of risks. Some of the possible side effects can last a lifetime.

Even with da Vinci robot assisted laparoscopy (organs were dissected internally and removed through the small incisions rather than vaginally), I was dead tired the first week. I've had a very easy recovery compare to most women. I'll work from home part-time starting Monday. (Day 17 post-op).

I truly appreciate the desire to be certain that pregnancy does not occur. I had tubal ligation via laparoscopy at 22. The recovery time was in line with what you want. I never got pregnant.

The 1% failure rate isn't perfect, but it's a lot lower than the risks associated with a hysterectomy. Using a condom in addition to a tubal knocks the risk down even more.

Please do more research so that you fully understand the ramifications of any procedure that you consider.

i appreciate the concern, and I probably should have made this clear in the first place... I have been researching and thinking on this for over a year and have been in discussion with my doctors both my obgyn and psychiatrist for a few months... i want to make it clear this is not a decision I am making at all lightly... I know what this means and how major it is. This is the only procedure 100% preventative for me, and that is the only thing I can accept... it's not just about getting pregnant again... it is about everything that comes with it .... for me that means the PPD. If I hadn't of gone into the hospital the day I did I can pretty much guarantee that I would have killed myself that afternoon. This situation completely broke who I was and turned me into nothing...... I am aware of all my options and have made a well thought out decision to do this... I know that I am young... but I also know what I have been through in the past and I am taking the measures necessary to make sure that does not happen again so that I can properly care for my kids as a single mother and give all of us the best life possible

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Originally Posted by shapawho12 i appreciate the concern, and I probably should have made this clear in the first place... I have been researching and thinking on this for over a year and have been in discussion with my doctors both my obgyn and psychiatrist for a few months... i want to make it clear this is not a decision I am making at all lightly... I know what this means and how major it is. This is the only procedure 100% preventative for me, and that is the only thing I can accept... it's not just about getting pregnant again... it is about everything that comes with it .... for me that means the PPD. If I hadn't of gone into the hospital the day I did I can pretty much guarantee that I would have killed myself that afternoon. This situation completely broke who I was and turned me into nothing...... I am aware of all my options and have made a well thought out decision to do this... I know that I am young... but I also know what I have been through in the past and I am taking the measures necessary to make sure that does not happen again so that I can properly care for my kids as a single mother and give all of us the best life possible

Hey there! I know somewhat what you're going through I'm 24 (became a princess at 23) and also have two children. I also suffered severe PPD after both of my children. After my second I also required hospitilization for a week because I was at the brink. It's not fun, at all, for me to be pregnant. I can gaurantee you that if I had not had a hysterectomy already I most likely would have given it serious consideration because of the PPD alone.

That said, I cannot imagine going back to work 3 days post op. I was still in the hospital then and on HEAVY pain killers for a few weeks after. I went back after seven weeks and I still was in some pain. Give yourself a week if you can at the very least. I will tell you that my hysterectomy was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced, even worse than childbirth.

Wow - at 22 you're coping with a lot. Oh, Lord, I've just sounded like my mother!

Okay, let's put the "should you be having a hysterectomy" to one side for the moment. We'll deal with the "going back to work after 3 days" NOT...GOING...TO...HAPPEN.

I know the money is majorly important but so is being healthy enough to look after your children which I know is THE most important thing. If you were to return to work that quickly, you really could cause yourself serious damage which could prolong your absence and jeopardise your future health and, in turn, your ability to care for you children in a way you'd be happy with.

You've shown a maturity beyond your years by discussing this with professionals and coming up with a solution that, although extreme, will be the solution you are looking for. Please don't ruin that solution by causing more problems..........

Now I REALLY sound like my mother.............geez............!!!!

I am with Danni on this 100% percent. I am a little concerned about your doctor- Hysterectomy is not something to take lightly. And I have never heard of someone returning to work after a Vag Hyst in less than a week. YOu will need a few to several weeks to heal and recover. A hysterectomy is not to be done for sterilization. It is for medical problems. If you are desiring permanent sterilization, there is tubal ligations. YOu really need to talk to other women.. and I would get a second opinion form another GYN. I work in OB/GYN and out of 7 surgeons I work with I have never heard of any of them performing a HYST for sterilization! especially on a 22 year old. PLease re-think your decision, at least get a second opinion...... and don't count on returning to work so soon, or you may end up doing more harm than good.