Hysterectomy...any comments or tips welcome.?

i have a tummy lump & looks like a hysterectomy will be happening on 21/12/07 ....i am really, really worried...apart from anything...will be in hospital over christmas...first one without my children & hubby.

has anybody else out there had this operation & do you have any advice or tips that might help me...how bad is the after effects? will i be able to walk around?...i am 100% totally terrified at this moment in time!!

i'd really appreciate any serious anwers...thank you.

hi love,, i had my hysterectomy 2 years ago. like yourself i was really terrified, my biggest fear iwas i would not wake up after the anesetic, my next fear was they would not give me enongh and i would be in terrible pain but would not be able to tell them i was still awake, then there was the worry about how much pain i would be in after my operation. and what i could or couldent do and for how long .. well i lived 2 tell the tail,, i went to theatre and a needle was put in to the back of my hand i was told jokingly my vodka was going in then i woke up again, i was in some pain but it was not anyware near as bad as i expected, i had a drip.s in my arms, 1 for pain relief and 1 for antibiotics as i had a water infection at the time., i slept most of the day of surgery, next day i was washed and got out of bed, sore but ok, asked 4 the pain relief to be taken away, as morphine made my skin itchy,up and about 1 hr after my 1st wash, was told i could go home 3 days after surgery, at home it was great, no hoovering washing or lifting 4 about 6 weeks,now well no periods, no p,m,t life begins after hysterectom, you will be fine hope this helps you its normal to worry but you will be just fine.xxx

I've never had that done, but I'm sure you'll be fine!
Just follow the doctor's orders!

My sympathy is with you. I've never had a hysterectomy but I have had other abdominal operations and I found that I recovered quite quickly. I took some homeopathic remedies to encourage healing, and once the wounds have closed enough I used oil of comfrey to encourage rapid healing. I also used oil of st.johnswort to ease the pain.
I wish you all the best for this; my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Recovering from a hysterectomy takes time. You will stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days for postsurgery care. Some women stay in the hospital up to 4 days.

Abdominal hysterectomy. As soon as you feel strong enough, get up and around as much as you can. This helps prevent problems after surgery like blood clots, pneumonia, and gas pains. During the first 2 to 3 weeks it is important to also get plenty of rest. You will gradually be able to increase your activities. To help you heal well, avoid lifting more than 20 pounds during the first 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. For the same reason, this is also an important time to avoid vaginal intercourse.

As soon as you can move easily without pain or without using narcotic pain medicine, you can drive. Complete recovery usually takes 4 to 8 weeks. Your return to a work routine will depend on how quickly you get back your energy and strength, and how demanding your work is.

Recovery from a vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy takes much less time than from an abdominal surgery. After a routine laparoscopic surgery removing the uterus but not the cervix (laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, or LSH), most women are able to return to normal activity in 1 to 2 weeks. About 4 to 6 weeks after the hysterectomy, see your health professional for a follow-up examination

think of the many healthy christmas' you will have after this surgery

My mother had it done and I had a neighbour who had it done.

I can tell you that they were both much happier afterwards.

You need to trust the hospital staff. It is a vocation, not a job and they will absolutely try their best to make you feel well.

You can celebrate Christmas after you come out. Look forward to those celebrations and you can't go wrong.

a hysterectomy is nothing to be afraid of, it's been done so many times now that the risks are minimal. The best thing you can do for yourself is to follow the instructions of the nurses caring for you afterwards. Get out of bed and walk as soon as humanly possible, in spite of the fact that it will hurt the first couple of times. The sooner you get up and moving the quicker you will heal. Do a lot of coughing and deep breathing after the surgery, splint your tummy with a pillow to help with the discomfort, but coughing and deep breathing will prevent pnuemonia, a real risk after any surgery. Don't be in a hurry to eat, it takes a couple of days for the gut to wake up after surgery, and you will avoid alot of gas and discomfort from bloat if you stick with clear liquids for at least two or three days post op.
After I had my hysterectomy, I did all of the above, in fact was out of bed and walking within an hour of returning to my room from recovery...I went home in two days and healed really quickly.

I had mine age 36, as a single mum and 2 young girls to look after! But mine was carried out under key hole surgery and I was home the same day.
You will need plenty of rest - your body wont let you do more than u need! I was up and about the day after the op, but didnt do any heavy work such as hoovering for 4-6 weeks.
To be honest it took about 8 weeks til I was feeling strong, and 12 months to be fully fit.
Good luck with the op - you will be fine. Just do as the doctors order! XX

Hi, I had my hysterectomy on 24th September, don't worry about missing christmas at home, it all depends on your recovery. I was home on the 26th September. It was very scary before the op, but for me and a lot of other women I have spoken to, the op and the recovery is not as bad as people say.

Take a look at this site http://www.hysterectomy-association.org....

I signed up for the site and received daily emails of support before my op, and then emails of support after my op.

Also in the forums, look for a group which will be made up from ladies having their op this month. I joined a group called the september sistas. We have all kept in touch via the forum since September and we are a great help to each other.

Good Luck, and try to stop worrying. The most painful thing I have experienced since my op, was the 1st 24 hours when I had a drain in my stomach. Once it was taken out, the pain went and I have been fine.

Take care

Elaine

I have not had a hysterectomy nor do I know much about it. It is very intrusive surgery so it is going to set you back for some time, but you will recover, and probably feel better then you have in a long time. Hundreds of women have this surgery everyday so it is not like you are in some new unexplored territory. I do know it is important you get out of bad as soon as your doctor allows it. It will probably hurt, but do it anyway, and continue to get up and walk around as much as possible. The more you do the less side effects you will have. Talk to your doctor and have him answer your questions and do as he tells you even if you find it hard at first.

How old are you? Do you know what kind of surgery you're going to have? That is, will you just have your uterus removed, or your ovaries too? Don't get your ovaries removed if you don't have to.

karen h the first person you must talk to is your DOCTOR if not then ask a nurse at the hospital or better still telephone the NHS direct good luck good health to you