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6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
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02-17-2021, 09:45 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 4
Hysterectomy: January 7th, 2021
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6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
Hi everyone
I am new to this forum and found it existed only a few days ago!
I had a Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy (kept ovaries) 6 weeks ago today.
The recovery period has been tough especially those first 2-3 weeks! I only had slight spotting for a few days post op. I was really constipated and the first time going to the toilet was an absolute challenge that i had thought for sure i would have done some internal damage!!!
I started spotting again around the 2 week mark again but was told all normal.
I had my surgeon check up around the 4.5 week mark and he said go back to doing everything you were doing beforehand just take it easy with the heavy lifting.
I am in a fairly new relationship (with another female) where leading up to the OP we were very sexually active. During the recovery period at about 2.5 weeks, i had that libido surge that i have read that occurs here and proceeded to have external sexual stimulation and the orgasm was great!
The next one a day or 2 later, great again, but then i started to notice that feeling outside started to twindle, it started getting harder to orgasm and the feeling of the clitoris started to feel pretty much numb and then the orgasms were kind of starting but then fizzling out around the 4-4.5 week mark. I was starting to get frustrated because they were fine to start with and then this led me to feeling quite depressed because not even vibrators were making much difference.
In saying that, prior to the surgery, i did find that i needed some sort of internal stimulation, not all the time depending on cycles etc... (g-spot, not deep penetration due to issues because this would feel uncomfortable) to be able to orgasm if not using a vibrator but this feeling was different, this felt more numb. I also used my muscles a lot previously and not sure if they were uterine contractions or not?
As the surgeon cleared me for all activities, my partner did hit the g-spot which did feel good, but again externally was still not feeling it, but there was no touching of the cervical area (cervix this was removed). This was Friday last week and no issues that i noticed in the few days after that.
I spoke with my GP who thought that this might be due to the healing process but prescribed me estrogen cream to use externally (have been using it for 2 nights now) and said to let her know if there is no improvement after 2 weeks of use. This issue has made me feel quite depressed and sad.
Since the Surgeon has said i can return to all activities, i have been doing that. I am back at work, but i do find sitting for long periods (as i work a desk job) i can feel quite sore at the end of the day. I mowed the lawns last weekend, started played the drums (only 1-2 songs at a time because then i would feel that fatigue) and pretty much doing everything i was doing before beside lifting anything super heavy.
A couple of days i was feeling twinges in my left ovary. (i had had a lot of adehesions but surgeon said he tidied these up and ovary should be all ok). Yesterday i felt like i had period pain and was feeling emotional. Like 1 min i was ok and the next i wanted to cry.
I rang surgeon's rooms and spoke with the nurse about it and she said i could be ovulating and that this was normal and not to worry about it.
Today i am feeling better emotionally, but i did notice some watery discharge today. Not sure if i should be concerned about this?
I have a deep belly button unfortunately and I also think this might be started to get infected but have been using salt water to try to get this under control before an actual infection starts!
I do hope the sex issue resolves, the watery discharge isn't an issue and that i can keep my belly button from actually getting an infection and requiring antibiotics as my GP is not available until Monday now!
Has anyone experienced the above with sex and then things returned to normal? This was the one thing i asked both surgeon and GP prior to the procedure and they both assured me that there would be no issues post the hysterectomy.
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02-18-2021, 06:20 AM
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Posts: 18,968
Hysterectomy: May 16th, 2016
Surgery Type: LSH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Re: 6 weeks post TLH (kept ovaries) - some concerns
and
One of the hardest things to wrap our brains around is just how long this recovery takes, and there's nothing magical about our release dates or 6 or 8 weeks. Full healing takes 4 months, 6 months, and a bit longer for others. I didn't fully buy into it either, until I had a few more months in the rear view mirror.
The short version: Everything you're describing sounds on track for being 6 weeks post-op. Everything. I'll explain a little more with each issue, but a heads up that you might have to adjust your expectations about the timeline. The one thing this surgery and recovery taught me was patience, yet even so Patience had to chase me down and hit me with a 2x4 a few times before I got it.
Even though you kept your ovaries, for many of us the blood supply was compromised when the uterine artery was cut. That, combined with the trauma of all the internal incisions and inflammation nearby, can have the ovaries "off line" for a number of weeks. That hormone imbalance can cause a libido surge in the first weeks before it dwindles when the ovaries remain off line. Happens to a LOT of us. We may also experience other hormonal imbalance symptoms from hot flashes to mood swings (including being very weepy over anything and everything) to vaginal dryness and not feeling it sexually. From the various imbalance symptoms I experienced, I figured it took somewhere between 12-16 weeks before my ovaries got back to full throttle.
So, in returning to activities you're noticing you can sit for prolonged periods at your desk. Quite normal. It's eye-opening how much we use our core in seemingly simple things like sitting upright or standing more. I have a part time desk job, and when I returned (too early, but that's another story), it got to me. The best thing to do is to take breaks from whatever position you are in. My favorite break was to go to my car, lean the seat back and just let my back and core relax - if my had been sitting in the sun, the warmth of the seatback felt like a spa treatment. I'd also take a quick 1-2 minute break to lie on the floor. At home, I'd take 30-45 minutes just to recline after sitting at my job. Oh, and I kept ibuprofen on hand. Even as I got better, long days could make me swell and cramp. I took my daughter and her friends to an outdoor concert at 2 months - it was an 18-hour day counting work, and by the time we got home, I was pretty sore.
Regarding not lifting anything heavy, keep in mind that pushing-pulling motions fall into that category. That includes vacuuming (most vacuum cleaners are around 15 pounds), shoveling snow in the winter, or mowing the lawn in the summer. It's possible that the twinges you're feeling could be ovulation... but it could also be your body giving you feedback about mowing the lawn! Your doctor is spot on about getting back into activities gradually, and part of that is listening to your body. When you get twinges or cramps or swelling, it's telling you that might have been more than it's ready to handle. My telltale signs of pushing ahead too soon were dull cramps and swelling. Sometimes it was activity specific, like power washing the front porch at 8 weeks or shoving a 24-pack of soda over my head on a high shelf at 12 weeks. That concert did it to me. Last time at the mat with those symptoms was after kicking up the intensity of a core routine, and that happened at 5 months.
The watery discharge is probably where you are in healing or from the increased activity (some women notice additional spotting with increased activity). A discharge is normal anyway, even without a cervix, since the vagina is self-cleaning. It may not be what you're used to because of the hormonal imbalance I mentioned above.
Estrogen cream may be used to promote healing and help restore some balance, but if you're expecting results in two days, yeah, you'll be disappointed . We've come to expect near-instant reprieve with any prescription, but hormones don't work that way. HRT often has to be monitored for 4-6 weeks to see if that dose is doing what you'd hoped. Even OTC supplements like Estroven have a blurb on the label about taking for 60 days to see improvement. So the cream you're using may help in healing over the next two weeks, but if it hasn't evened out your emotions or restored your libido in that short a time frame, that's not unusual at all.
I retained my cervix and was cleared for all activities at 4 weeks, including sex. We waited an additional two weeks, and even then it ended up being to see if the parts worked. They did, but that was about it - no orgasm, fireworks or rainbows. For 3 days afterwards I dealt with burning, itching and irritation, most likely due to vaginal dryness from that darned hormone imbalance. Subsequent use of lubrication helped with that that until my ovaries were back up to speed.
With sex, re-reading your statement on how vibrators didn't make a difference at 4.5 weeks, I think once again you're expecting more than your body is capable of giving right now. Your body is setting the pace, no matter what your head is telling you! Here it's also important to have realistic expectations that it'll take longer to get back to where you were pre-op, and so for a while it might not be the way it was. Several more weeks to several more months is pretty average - for me it was that 12-16 weeks, and yeah, more normal sex sensations were how I knew my ovaries were back up to speed. I've always needed more clitoral stimulation for arousal and orgasm, and that became more evident after surgery. Orgasms may feel different or take longer to get there, especially if you're accustomed to uterine spasms, but they can still be achieved. Don't underestimate what more foreplay, outer stimulation and setting the atmosphere can do to help with orgasm - things you and your partner can do together. Just like many other things about this recovery, even sex takes time to get back on track. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Give it time, reset your expectations and settle in with recovering a bit longer. While this process seems to be going on forever right now, this recovery is about 2/10ths to 6/10ths of ONE percent of your lifespan. Yep. If you live to 80, these 12 weeks or 6 months are that minor. Finally, be kind to and patient with your body - it's been through a lot.
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02-18-2021, 02:05 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 4
Hysterectomy: January 7th, 2021
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Re: 6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
@Cussette - thank you so much for your reply!! You have made me feel soooo much better!
I really wish there was more information given from surgeons about what to expect in the recovery phase. I was just told to rest and not to overdo it, but how did i know if i over did it? The was no information about the emotional side effects, the bloating at the end of the day, how the ovaries are affected post-op or sex, so the automatic response is, is something wrong with me? Am i broken now post surgery?
I am glad to hear the bloating is normal. I was worried i wasn't healing properly because i was sure it would have passed by 6 weeks!
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02-18-2021, 07:17 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 4
Hysterectomy: January 7th, 2021
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Re: 6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
In addition to the above, i am worried that i overdid it mowing the lawn. I did spread it out over 2 days and did lie down after for a bit, but i do feel like i have slightly gone backwards in my recovery, but it may be a combination of that and being my first full week back at work which means sitting for long periods.
I think what concerns me about the watery discharge, which started yesterday, so 4 days past lawn mowing (but is not enough to soak through underwear though make them slightly damp and feel uncomfortable), is what feels like ovary discomfort on my left side. I had also started on the estrogen cream (only externally not internally) so I wasn't sure if this was a contributing factor either!
I really hope i haven't caused a tear in the vaginal cuff! I didnt even know that a vaginal cuff existed at the time of mowing the lawns, its only be on these forums that i have learnt this and you get told a 4-6 week recovery and at just over 5 weeks was feeling OK.
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02-19-2021, 06:39 AM
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Posts: 18,968
Hysterectomy: May 16th, 2016
Surgery Type: LSH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Re: 6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
Well, most doctors have never had the very surgery that they perform. Not just male doctors, but female doctors, too. The doctors who "get it" and say recovery goes on longer have listened to their past patients and assessed their healing and concerns about what turns out to be normal. My doctor was one who got it - he'd been performing these surgeries for nearly 40 years and had adapted to the newer minimally invasive procedures. He's always had great bedside manner in communicating with his patients and passing along years of wisdom.
If you tore your cuff, you'd know it. With a cuff tear, the barrier between the outside world and your abdominal cavity has come apart. It's pretty rare for this to happen, but if it does, it comes with heavy bleeding - the emergency kind which fills a maxi-pad in an hour - and quite a few report excruciating pain. The slight dampness that you're experiencing... doesn't come close. I'd suggest a panty-liner for a while.
You might have overdone it mowing the lawn, but as you mentioned, you also went back to work - you're more active anyway as many of us are by week 6. One of my favorite lines from a member here who had her surgery 3 years before me is Everyone at some point in their recovery learns that the body still cannot handle what the mind thinks it can! Chalk it up to experience, get someone else to mow for a while (there are usually high school kids looking to make a buck), and if you do find you've overdone it a bit, pull back and put your feet up in your down time. Meanwhile, try walking more and add "intensity" gradually. Try it again in another month, and you might be in a much better place.
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02-21-2021, 12:42 AM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 73
Hysterectomy: March 22nd, 2019
Surgery Type: LAVH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Re: 6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
This site is the only thing that saved my sanity. Yes, the dr’s don’t talk about the possible issues with sex unfortunately. I’m almost 2 years out and well, while I thank god can still orgasm, it, and sex, just isn’t the same as it was. You need to give yourself MUCH more time for all of it to heal and the nerves to find new paths and regenerate. You are still very early into recovery!
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02-22-2021, 11:26 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 4
Hysterectomy: January 7th, 2021
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Re: 6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
I thought i would post an update since the original post.
Things have been better since my original post. I tried to use the weekend to rest as much as possible. I also took an anti-anxiety pill which helped a lot and it helped my body relax! I didnt realise how tense i was before having it.
My partner and have had sex daily over the last 3 days and things have been great!! I find that things overall feel better than before the surgery as there is no more pleasure mixed with pain/discomfort. I am not sure if the Estrogen Cream has helped with this or not and what it will be like once i cut back/stop using the cream daily but I had used it for 5 days leading up to the event.
The watery discharge was there for 2 days but I think resting resolved this as well or it could have been part of my 'cycles'? I guess if the same thing happens next month, i will know the 2 are related or it could have just been my body saying i need to slow down.
I had significant Adenomyosis so my uterus was enlarged and it had attached to my bladder which meant I constantly had pelvic discomfort which was worse on some days more than others so this would affect how sex felt depending on that level of pain/discomfort.
I still get abdominal swelling after doing activites or even for sitting for long periods which makes wearing pants uncomforable still. Hopefully not too long til that passes?
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02-23-2021, 06:28 AM
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Posts: 18,968
Hysterectomy: May 16th, 2016
Surgery Type: LSH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Re: 6 weeks post total laparoscopic hysterectomy (kept ovaries) - some concerns
How good to read your update! Even one week has made a difference for you. It'll be like that... two weeks from now you'll realize that what was once hampering you is no longer an issue.
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Originally Posted by ausie2021
I still get abdominal swelling after doing activites or even for sitting for long periods which makes wearing pants uncomforable still. Hopefully not too long til that passes?
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It varies with everyone. I got swelling daily through 8 weeks - the last two weeks it was in the evenings. Beyond that, as I mentioned in my first post to you (lengthy, I know - lots to say), I'd get it whenever I did more than my body was ready for. Power-washing the porch, a long day where I worked until mid-day and went to a concert at night (2 months), shoving a 24-pack of soda over my head (12 weeks), and kicking up the intensity of a core routine at 5 months. Each time that happened, I was undoing the button of my pants or skirt, sometimes unzipping, and changing into something with an e-x-p-a-n-d-o waistband when I got home.
Best thing to do is accept it and know that it will abate as you continue healing. Otherwise, frustration can get the best of any of us!
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