6 weeks post op. Uterus, cervix, tubes and ovaries removed. Pathology showed adenomyosis, endometriosis and wait for it, the best most amazing part, no trace of cancer! No trace of cancer found after hysterectomy! 🥰🥹It seems D&C removed the cancerous polyp and lining. I am very lucky and thankful. ♥️🙏 My recovery has been challenging. The fatigue is ridiculous 🙄 😒 😑 🤦 I nap daily at 6 weeks post op. Can manage a morning & afternoon stroll/waddle for max 10 minutes each time. Belly still looks large, swollen and pregnant as it did before surgery. I try not to compare my recovery to others who seem all better at 2 weeks and back to work. I am tired, tired, tired. My body must be working so hard to get back to equilibrium. I need to focus on my journey without the comparison-trap that brings down my mood. I can't imagine going back to work anytime soon. Just needed to vent a bit.

I am one week post op today and recovery has been good so far!

Day of I slept a lot and peed a lot, the gas pain was the worst part, but managable.

Day 1 - 5 I was tender, but managed with Ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Yesterday and today I'm totally off of pain meds. Still moving slowly, but no pain, just a little tender and tired.

🎉🎉 So many only post when things go wrong, thought I'd give a snapshot of a so far easy recovery.

Welcoming myself to the club! My surgery (total) was yesterday (10/20) and I am grateful for the many stories and advice in this sub. My best friend was very surprised how prepared I was for the day and now recovery. I am very proud of myself for not letting my anxiety kick in.

The one thing of many that made me laugh (that hurts right now) is how I camped out in the “pre/post surgery meal” topic, planned it out, romanticized it even, only to have pickled yellow radish (pre) and pancakes (post). While I may have ate light before and after, I made sure to prep a lot of food (soups, broths, stews, lasagna).

My pre surgery was a hoot. While it was Tuesday my nurses were buzzing around like a Monday. Being a former hospital worker, I understood they probably hadn’t had enough coffee yet 🤭 (my check in was at 5:30a). They were kind and I was very grateful when my main nurse had meds and water for me to take a sip of (she encouraged me to take 2).

Post surgery, I don’t remember a lot of, except being very cold and being wrapped up in warm blankets, because of the meds. However, after not sleeping much the night before (3 hours), I had the best nap. I didn’t wake up until almost 2p (surgery was at 7:30a). They said everything went great. My biggest worry was my sleep apnea and they said it wasn’t a bother. My anesthesiologist was the sweetest and had the best bedside manner.

The important part: make sure you pee before you leave! It will be a little rough maneuvering things and the feeling of peeing will feel like a UTI or as I said “that was annoying!” Just take your time. If they offer you underwear, pads, chux, juice to take home, take it. Also if you have questions, ask or get clarification. Make sure they are updating your person. And don’t let them rush you to leave.

Now as I get ready for my morning stroll to the bathroom, I want to say: Thank you all so much much! To those who are waiting your turn, just breathe, prepare yourself and home for the day/recovery, and good luck.
(To be edited with updates)

Hello everyone, thank you for being a source of support and informative experiences throughout this process.

I wanted to share that today, at 9.5 weeks post op, (everything out but the ovaries, no cancer or endo) I am finally feeling back to somewhat normal functioning.

After weeks of fatigue, brain fog, hormonal fluctuations, etc etc I am doing great! Able to do chores other than the bare minimum. Not going right to bed after work. No more ice packs. No more constant ibuprofen.

The middle 5-7 weeks were probably the hardest with fatigue and brain fog and just being frustrated with lack of energy and inability to function normally.

But now it's good! I can run errands and rearrange furniture and put away all my post-surgery equipment. Hooray!!

1 week and five days post op.

Well all my incisions are infected, not sure from what (maybe surgical glue?) but the doctor who was filling in for mine is treating me for everything.

And of course today I instinctively picked up a vacuum from falling over and set it down 😭 I’m over it and scared I did something wrong and messed something up.
Ugh ugh ugh.

I’m so tired and everything I’ve done is wearing me out completely 🥲 please tell me it’s okay to relax!

Had my hysterectomy yesterday, removing the uterus, tubes and cervix.

After year long pain from my Adenomyosis/ Endometriosis I feel like I'm finally free. Still feels a bit sad as I'm 34 and now without a Uterus. But I'm looking forward to a new life with my husband and 2 children, where I can just be present.

Can you tell me your success stories after your hysterectomies?

How the hell am I supposed to go back to work in 1.5 weeks when I can barely handle doing groceries? 😭

Has anyone else had this? I had my hysterectomy done yesterday (lap, kept ovaries, everything else is gone) with removal of cysts and "a lot of endo" apparently but no one could tell me where they removed it or how much there was or what stage it was in. Nothing. My surgeon poked her head in the recovery room for a second to tell them to put a catheter in because I was unable to urinate and in a lot of pain. Then she took off. None of the nurses could answer my questions.

One nurse said that my surgeon will see me the next day to remove the catheter, so my surgeon will tell me more information then, and then they sent me home. Next thing I know is I have to go all the way to my surgeons office across the city this morning, while in pain, climbing up and down stairs, walking up and down long hallways, going from one waiting room chair to another, only to have another different doctor remove my catheter.

My surgeon was "in a rush to catch a flight" and took off once I arrived. I couldn't even see her for a second. No one once again had answers for me... no paperwork, records or anything. This is Canadian healthcare.

So, I think the surgery went well? I honestly have no idea. Having to be up and about all morning while in pain was not expected at all. I even got some weird looks from staff as I hobbled along the office. Surreal experience.

My post op appointment is in December, so I guess I will finally get answers then...

Hello!

I now have a date for my hysterectomy, Nov 12th so I am starting to get more prepared. For my period I normally use menstrual cups, and I know I can't use those post surgery. So I was looking at what pads to order. Then when I googled, I was seeing results that vaginal bleeding post hysterectomy is light. Was this your experience? Maybe I don't need as many products as I thought?

What types of products did you use? Heavy flow pads, liners, period underwear? 🤔 How long did your bleeding go on.

I know everyone can have a different experience but I was trying to get a ball park idea of how much I need.

Did not expect this at all today. Woke up middle of the night with abdominal pain, tried to push through and go to work but left after about two hours and went to ER.

Long story short I have a small bowel obstruction as a complication from scar tissue. Getting admitted to try to resolve it medically which is basically starving me then weaning me back onto food until I am
Pooping well. 😆

Not at all what I expected after a good 4 week checkup Monday.
Edit: typos

Hello all, I’m scheduled for robotic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingooophorrectomy on Nov 4th, and I’m really nervous! I’m intersex and a trans guy, this isn’t for gender affirming purposes though, it’s for severe pelvic pain and bleeding.
We discovered I have absolutely no endometrial lining and a condition that can cause cervical cancer so we decided that having everything removed is the best and safest course of action for me.

Has anyone else had laparascopic hysterectomy? How was your recovery?

Whenever I read posts here about reasonings for the surgery I just think my reasons aren’t as “legitimate”. I scheduled my supracervical hysterectomy, keeping ovaries and cervix for December. I am a pretty healthy 34 yo, diagnosed with fibroids in January this year. I had such bad pain for days I went to the ER. That pain lasted less than 2 weeks. Since then I haven’t had any pain. I skip my periods with the pill so I don’t have the heavy bleeding. If I do have a period it’s light. I have to pee more than I used to but it’s not waking me up at night. It’s just annoying; I’ll go many times before bed or if I drink too much water I’ll have to go more frequently. I am tired a lot but I also got diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism this year and that could cause that too.
My main reasons for the surgery are that I have 2 fibroids, my bloating is awful, low back pain, and I don’t want kids. With all the possible risks I am worried that I’m doing this surgery when my symptoms aren’t that bad. It also makes me feel bad that the symptom that bothers me most is the uncomfortable bloating (feels really vain sometimes). I would like perspectives on if having this huge surgery as a relatively healthy person is the best idea? My gut is also part of the reason the surgery is scheduled bc I feel deep down it’s the right thing /rational thing but I am so so worried if I have negative side affects or outcomes that are worse than anything I currently have.

I am having a full hysterectomy + ovaries and tubes at some point in the next 3-6 months. My meeting with my surgeon was about 3 minutes long. We talked about the chances of prolapse (only because I brought it up) but she didn't offer me any other information and just signed me up. My friend who had a hysterectomy years ago randomly mentioned she had a catheter for several days after her surgery. This made me realize that maybe I didn't know enough, despite having googled the procedure several times and reading through potential complications. I've called and made another appointment with my surgeon to answer more questions.

So I'd love to know, what caught you by surprise with your surgery? What do you wish they'd told you beforehand?

Thanks so much in advance. I appreciate you!

PS: I don't have any particular complications other than cervical pre cancer that they couldn't get all of. However, I no longer have working ovaries (I have POI), and we agreed we may as well take the whole lot out to prevent any future complications.

Hi all!

I’m having a bit of a pity party today and could maybe use some kind words and a little advice.

I had my laparoscopic hysterectomy on Thursday. Had a bit of an issue with my blood pressure dropping horribly low on and off during the first 24hrs afterwards but went home on Friday.
Saturday morning I started vomiting and my temperature was really high, then one of my incision sites started bleeding from the retching so I decided a trip to A&E (the ER) was in order. That meant 8 hours sat upright in a chair which was its own kind of torture.
They gave me hefty amounts of iv anti sickness medication, checked that I hadn’t fully opened the incision (I hadn’t) and discovered I’d caught gastroenteritis.
Stomach flu. Two days post op.

They sent me on my way with plenty of anti sickness medication, which has thankfully done the job. But I’ve still had a temperature and my stomach is angry! Having to move swiftly to use the bathroom is not so fun!
They also advised that the only pain relief I take is paracetamol as anything else may further the stomach troubles.
I’m eating very plain things, just little bits as I can.

I definitely feel less awful than I did, my temperature is improving, my stomach is not. And the pain! Every gurgle or bit of gas moving through and those few moments I get to dash to the bathroom are like every nerve in my abdomen lights up.
I don’t know if this is normal or exacerbated by the stomach flu? If it’s normal, when does it improve?!

I’m also finding that noticing when I need to pee feels different. It’s almost like I just get really uncomfortable rather than a definite “I need to pee” signal. Is that likely to go back to normal?

Final question, any recommendations for sleep positions? I’ve tried a million pillow/cushion combinations and my lower back is really starting to ache. I’ve been scared to actually lie flat because I’m not sure I’ll be speedy enough getting up when my stomach decides it’s necessary.

My surgery is coming up next week and I’m having doubts. It’s an elective surgery paid for by health insurance. Now I’m thinking do I really need this? I’m mid 40’s so menopause is coming (who knows when!), so can I put up with this for longer? Other than heavy periods which exhaust me & make me feel like crap I don’t have a medical reason for doing this. I guess it’s just nerves (I’ve never been in hospital before), scared something will go wrong & I’ll be worse off than I am now. Is this normal, did you have doubts before your surgery?

I am 2.5 months PO and I still cant do these without some pain afterwards.
It is not too painful. I can continue doing it, but I’m afraid I am undoing some healing? Or is the pain just part of the process? Pain level is 1, barely 2 sometimes.
I am so ready to get back to an exercise routine. So I appreciate all the feedback. Thank you so much.

Hey hyster sisters! 👋

I am about 9wpo from a total hysterectomy and endometriosis removal. At my doctor’s appointment, my surgeon suggested that I consider taking Aygestin because by keeping my ovaries, there’s a chance of my endometriosis growing back and that progesterone could help prevent that and any remaining pelvic pain.

Anyone have experience with this? After many [miserable] years of being on birth control prior to my hysterectomy, I’m hesitant to mess with my hormones.

I had a total hysterectomy 2 years ago and have PCOS and endo. My doc ordered a transvaginal ultrasound for pain I've been having (most likely from cysts on my ovaries); however, the ultrasound also noted that my vaginal cuff is prominent and that further imaging is needed.

I can't find much online about this other than it could be from the surgery itself or some kind of growth. Has anyone else had this finding?

Just anxious until I'm able to see my doc to discuss next steps.

Editing to add that the report also noted a small amount of fluid in addition to the prominent cuff.

I’m two weeks away from a TLH and excision, keeping my ovaries. It’s been such a long, painful journey to get here, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have an excellent surgeon.

I know many people celebrate this milestone with happy hysterectomy cakes, T-shirts, or other fun traditions, and I think that’s really sweet. I completely understand why those celebrations can feel meaningful and empowering. I almost feel guilty for not feeling that way.

For me, though, I don’t think I’ll want anything like that. I’d rather get in, process the surgery with the medical team, and unpack everything in my own way. It’s not happy for me, but it’s not necessarily sad either, it’s a necessary step for my health.

I have such weird, complicated feelings about it. It’s serious and scary. Has anyone else felt this way?

For my wife? 8 miscarriages, 1 stillbirth, 3 healthy children (all c section), uterine dehiscence with last pregnancy, always heavy periods.

Can anyone interpret these? We don’t meet the doctor for several more weeks for the post op.

Thanks.