help I need answers

I am going to have a hysterectomy next month and I was just wondering, Is it true that you will bleed up to 6 weeks and can not drive, lift or do much of anything? I will know in a few weeks about what kind of hysterctomy I am going to have, but I been hearing alot of things about it.
Tammy

[Twilight_Princess]

I am going in for one on the 25th of January. Are you having the ovaries and uterus taken out? The procedure my doctor is doing is called a LAVH - laproscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy. Could you tell me why they want to do a hysterectomy? Mine is because of cysts and endometriosis.

[Twilight_Princess]

Ooops sorry, I just now read one of your posts on why you have to have it done :-)

[trh01]

I am not sure yet, but I go back the 28th of this month and I will find out more on what kind of hysterectomy will be performed. I have fibroids and cysts.  several cysts on both ovaries and and firbroid tumors in  my uterus. Keep me posted, and I will keep you posted on what we are going thru.

[jml1986]

Nope if you have it Laproscopic you will not have bleeding. I had mine in July and I stayed in the hospital one night and was back in my office the following day. All that even bothered me was the bloating from the air they pump in you to do it. It settles in your stomach and shoulders for a few days. Other then that, it is breeze. I highly recommended it.

[trh01]

thanks for the info. I hope that is what I will have done.

[Twilight_Princess]

Well they moved my surgery to another week, so now the surgery is scheduled for February 1st. Of course I will keep you posted :-)

[madgeOwens]

Mine is Feb 5th.......Good Luck to you!

[trh01]

Good luck to you too. Keep me posted and let me know how it went.

[madgeOwens]

My Dr said I can't drive for two weeks.  I have prolapse uterus thats why I am having hysto.  My ovaries are really painful, I could hardly walk yesterday, I thought it was from this thing falling out but the Dr didnt think that was the reason, he indicated cancer, but I still think its the prolapse pulling on the tubes which is attached to the ovaries, just common sense...of course I could be in denial too.

[prettyinpink400]

i had a hyster 2 yrs ago no u dont bleed

[trh01]

madge and pretty in pink thanks for the info. I just want to get it over with. I hate that you are in pain Madge. I know the feeling, I have cysts on both ovaries and fibroid tumors in my uterus, I have got to get a hysterectomy soon I am tired of bleeding, and in pain.

[katta]

I had my hysterectomy in 2003 I was only 23 years old, the reason is because i was born with a rudimentary horn and i had developed several tumors and endometriosis and also because i suffer from crohn's disease and end up having a complete abdominal hysterectomy(like a c-section) i spend a week in the hospital but i did not bleed much when i came home i was not able to drive for 6 weeks or lift anything i was on bed rest must of the day it was hard to get over it but i don't regret it, the pain went away as well the bleeding and the bloating.
so go for it, is not easy but you will get thru it and at the end you will feel so much better that is worth it.

ps. IF YOU ARE GETTING A VAGINAL HYSTERECTOMY MAKE SURE THAT THE DOCTOR DOES A GOOD JOB BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY MESS UP YOUR BLADDER AND END UP HAVING A BLADDER TUCK SO BE CAREFUL AND TALK TO OTHER PTS OF YOUR DOCTOR THAT HAVE HAD SAME SURGERY, ONE OF MY FRIENDS HAD THIS HAPPEN TO HER, I AM NOT TRYING TO SCARE YOU BUT MAKE SURE THIS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO, THAT IS WHY I HAD AN ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR

GOOD LUCK
KATHY

[Twilight_Princess]

I have heard about the bladder part. This could happen, but yet it could not happen. What are the chances? A LAVH gives you the advantage of healing faster. I think I trust my GYN doctor enough to do this type of surgery on me - he's done several :-)

[madgeOwens]

My problem is, I don't even know my doctor..........you know......you get sent to specialist at med center and you get whoever.....he said vaginal would be easier on me..........but I think also you can get bad things abdominal also...........so this is why I wanted a spinal so I could keep an eye on things hahaha.they said nope.

[presto]

I am having cycst problems, on and in my ovaries looking like endometriosis too but my question to anyone out there ..have you had problems with anxiety? I mean to tell you, i am losing my hair, i am having bad mood swings, iam breaking out in hives at the slightest stress . i have had my hormones checked a couple of times and the tests come back at normal levels, but about 2 weeks before I start a period, i can just tell, something is definatly out of wack !! I have severe lower back pain, mood swings, crying just for thinking of something upsetting,I have bad dreams, I have very bad clotting with my periods, my breast get so sore I cant stand to touch them the list goes on ...and so does my misery!

[trh01]

Yes, I have problems with anxiety, mood swings. I am 47 and I am scheduled to have a hysterctomy next month. I have had hot flashes, mood swings, heavy heavy bleeding, you name it's the pits.
trh

[Twilight_Princess]

I thought you were posting my symptoms! LOL! I go through the same thing too. Lately the anxiety has been really crazy. I also did go through about 5 months of hair loss! That scared the you know what out of me! Thank god I have thick hair! The hair loss has decreased for about a month now. Stress and anxiety will do that to the hair, so maybe thats what is causing yours. I too have bad dreams and yes my breasts will hurt too. I know it is really hard going through these problems. I wish it were so much easier :-)

[madgeOwens]

Your date is getting close Twilight.  Are'nt you glad? The waiting is hard I think.
Good Luck......be sure and let us know how you are doing after you are up to it....I heard sitting at computer is a no no too.

[bigwinn]

Did anyone lose weight with their hysterectomy, I gained about 25 lbs after surgery. I was told because there was no bleeding,I didn't lose much weight. I want to know.

[DeDee18]

I am not trying to scare anyone when I tell you all this, but I wish someone had told me ahead of time.  There are so many women out there who do not have problems following a hysterectomy but I have found so many who do.  Me, for one.  It wasn't mandatory for me to have the hysterectomy but I was told by my doc it would solve all my problems I had been having.  He never really gave me any negatives to it at all and I didn't ask, thinking so many women have it done, that it can only help!  I had the vaginal hysterectomy 6 months ago and had what is called an enterocele and rectocele occur because of it.  This is where your bowel and rectum both bulge into your vaginal wall from top and bottom (a hernia or so) and if bad enough, will begin to bulge out.  It is very uncomfortable and your vaginal opening pretty much no longer exists if you try to find it! It isn't normal at all.  I went to my doc about this. He told me he didn't think it had anything to do with hysterectomy, but he was just telling me that, I have found out more info. about it all since!   I had the vaginal surgery 5 weeks ago to repair the two problems and the recovery has been worse than the hysterectomy recovery was.  Now, it has come back.  I go in for my 6 week checkup next Tuesday and I don't know what he is going to tell me.  I have followed his instructions to the word....no standing on my feet for any period of time, no lifting, basically nothing and it has come back. So girls if you have any doubts about your surgery and if you have a choice to make on this, please talk to your doctor first.  I only wish I could go back again and I would have never had the hysterectomy to begin with.  I would much rather have kept the extensive uterine prolapse and the irregular bleeding than what I have to deal with now.  Please don't be scared.  I am only trying to inform others of what wasn't informed to me in the beginning so that you all can make an intelligent decision with what you may deal with in the future.  Take care and good luck to you all.

[madgeOwens]

My uterus is prolapsed so that my cervix(opening orifice to uterus) is touching undies by the end of day.  It causes back pain pelvic pain and pressure, and feels gross when you walk.  I think pessaries are disgusting.  I don;t want to have hysterectomy, but I can't out up with this either, so you have no real choice.  I am worried about further prolapse later, but I do know if I don't have it take care of thenI will also have cystocel and rectocel to deal with later. Maybe you need a different surgeon. You have succeeded in scaring me to death!

[trh01]

Now I am scared. I am set to have one in the next few weeks. I have cysts and firoid tumors and I will find out Monday more about my procedure. I am nervous about it. But I just hope and pray everything will be ok. Did you bleed alot after the surgery and how long did you bleed?

[madgeOwens]

trh01

I heard from others who said it wasn't too bad and they didnt bleed. Your not alone mine is the 5th...........we will be ok.....lets take a deep breath together...........ahhhh better

[madgeOwens]

that was suppose to be "take time to heal" not tale

[madgeOwens]

Feb 1st getting here fast..............its gonna be a breeze..........can't be as bad a labor right?  Don't worry!!!!! You have a new friend who will be saying prayers for a great surgery and swift recovery.  Take care and be the princess..........tale time to heal...don't over do to fast...........and you will be super!                hugs!!!!

[trh01]

thank you, you made me feel alot better. I hope the best for you also. We can do it! just think after it is all done and over with and we heal up we will feel alot better.
trh

[trh01]

Tomorrow I go for my ppst op appt. I assume that is when I will find out more about my surgery and what to expect. any suggestions?

[Twilight_Princess]

Thanks so much for your comments. I DO feel better knowing I have friends here that will be thinking and praying for me. I sent you a PM :-)

[Twilight_Princess]

Hearing about weight gain after a hysterectomy doesn't sound good. Gosh! it wouldn't be pretty if I gained weight after this! Say it ain't so?

I was worried about weight gain and asked at another forum and the majority of the women said they LOST weight. I only hope I'm one of them that loses weight.

[Twilight_Princess]

Gee, you succeeded in scaring me too!!

Did you have your cervix removed? I was wondering if keeping the cervix will prevent this from happening.

[Twilight_Princess]

I go for my pre-op appointment tomorrow too, so I guess we will both find this out.

I don't think I can post links on these boards, but I'll send you a link in a PM to a site that has a lot of info.

[madgeOwens]

I think it might be true if you lay around eating Big Macs all day.  Otherwise I think you don't need to worry....I hear you to darn skinny Princess anyway LOL....is us fatties who have to worry. Personally I am taping my mouth shut!

[Twilight_Princess]

LOL! Me skinny? Now that's a laugh! I'm average size and weight - now. Two years ago I got to be the biggest I've ever gotten. I mean I was bigger than when I was pregnant!

I'm with you on taping the mouth shut! That's what I'll be doing! ;-)

[trh01]

well I went to my pre-op and I go in for my hysterctomy Tues. the 5th. they are going to do a total (abdominal) hyst. I am dreading it. they said they would give me hormone therapy because I will go straight into menopause, cause they are taking everything. yuk!
Tammy

[trh01]

just went to pre-op and going to do a total hst. abdominally. yuk. getting it done feb. 5th. I dread it.

[Tjoyce]

I was told to have a hysterectomy by my gyno and found the HERS website and so far, 2 years later, I am still intact and no problems.  I would suggest that before you take any chances of experiences any of these post hysterectomy issues, check out the HERS website, it's easy to find, www.HERS.org and you can schedule a consultation to get a second opinion.  Especially after reading all of your posts claiming all sorts of problems post hysterectomy, I am very glad I call the Hers foundation first.  Good luck, but don't say I didn't tell you so.  

[Twilight_Princess]

OK of course by reading that one post it isn't changing our minds. I've read the pros and cons of Hysterectomies and I am still going to go through with it.

Tjoyce - I've been in pain and had painful heavy bleeding periods for years and I am finished with this once and for all. I have problems with cysts and Endo. This surgery needs to be done so I can finally live pain free and worry free. The majority of the women I have talked to that has had hysterectomies tell me that they don't regret it. I've heard more positive than negative :-)

[madgeOwens]

I too bellieve more people said they were so happy they had their hysterectomies..personally I have found no one who had anything bad to report.

I have a bad prolapse and I have to have bladder repair.and I won't know about OC or cysts or whatever with ovaries until I wake up after surgery,

I too am on the 5th....we will be great..........the three musketeer sisters!
all for one and one dang uterus outta there !LOL

[madgeOwens]

One more thing.my doctor says it won't make you gain weight.......
Princess you must be much younger than I...I went thru menopause 6 years ago....
well I think you continue thru until your 100 hahahaha...........anyway...I ate chocolate to get me thru it for mood swings......just don't over do or you will gain weight....remember they want us to walk lots....don't do too much too soon....keep in touch....I can't sleep LOL this is about the sixth night with little to no sleep.

[murphlib]

Overall, hyster has been a positive thing for me.  My 6 wk checkup is this afternoon.  I was so tired of "hygiene issues" for years before having the rectocele/cystocele repair done at the same time.  Fibroids were the main reason for the hyster.  Plus cyst on right ovary... it all added up to getting it done and over with, and I am glad I did. I have one ovary left intact.  I feel like a burden has been lifted off my body and the rectocele repair has been a tremendous change for the better.  Recovery is easier for me since dr was able to do surgery vaginally.  I had a couple days of being teary-eyed after about 2 wks and they changed my HRT from .01 to .1 mg Vivelle and that went away.  I was a little crabby but everyone is crabby in Michigan in January.

I did not experience "bleeding" after the surgery, just a light discharge that lasted 3-4 weeks.  Panty liners took care of it.  You need to be off work 3-4 weeks depending on whether it is vaginal or abdominal.  Rest is essential!  But you will be able to move around and do a few things after one week.  It isn't good to lie on the couch all the time, either, but you have to have a lot of patience in settling for doing just a "little" or you will get really tired.  Standing still is the worst... it was uncomfortable and I was better off moving around a bit.   I went back to work half days after 3 weeks, which was ok, but I took it easy.  Then full days the 4th week.  No lifting or straining.  I had no problem driving a car after 3 weeks.  

It requires patience, taking care of yourself, eating right, and knowing life will return to some semblance of normal.  I gained two pounds, but that's just from inactivity and I will slowly increase moving around more.  Brownies also look good in January...

Murphlib

[trh01]

thanks for the advise. yes twilight and madge we will survive. I can relate on not sleeping good, i have been the same way. I will be glad to get it over with and get back to normal. I am ready! Good luck to all of us next week.

[jml1986]

Good luck tomorrow. Let us know how it goes.

[madgeOwens]

You are the same day as me? Tuesday? We will do great, I know it.
My ultrasound was ok I think so only uterus and bladder repair as far as I know.
Good Luck.. Do NNOT over do! XXXXX take care Princess XXXXXXXtoo LOL

[Twilight_Princess]

Thanks so much for wishing me luck and the well wishes :-) All of you are my angels!

See you soon! XXXXXXXXXXX

[madgeOwens]

I will be thinking of you Friday.  Be a good girl...get well soon!
Madge

[dfosnight]

I had an abdominable hysterectomy done 10 years ago at the age of 36 because I had cervical cancer. I always had pap smear done every year and they always came back good and when they had changed the test it came back that I had something wrong. They did the biopsy and it came back that I had stage 1 cancer.  
Make sure that they keep your ovaries if they can so you don't have to take hormones. I had no bleeding after the surgery. The only problem I had was muscle spasms and numbmess in the area of the incision  I was also very tired  and week for about 3 weeks after the surgery.
The good side is that you have no more periods.
Good Luck
Dfosnight

[Treebee]

Wanted to wish all of you the best of luck with you surgeries. I'm 4 weeks out and feel pretty good! Remember to give yourselves time to heal and don't over do. Ask for ear plugs if you happen to get a room mate in the hospital (mine snored bad) or maybe a sleeping pill :) I was very nervous before hand but once I actually got to the hospital I didn't seem to have time to be nervous and everyone was so kind and I'm sure you guys will do great.
God Bless,
Teresa

[shortymoma86]

I'm new to this thing....I had a laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy 5 weeks ago...it was a day surgery(went home that same day)I had absalutally no bleeding!!about a week and a half later I felt great!!  I'd do it again if I had to!!

[trh01]

well I go in tomorrow for an inpatient abdomial (abdominal) complete hysterectomy. I was told I will go straight into menopause. Unfortunately, I will have to take hormones. I am nervous.
Tammy

[Twilight_Princess]

Good luck you two! I'll be thinking and praying for you both. It will be okay. I promise. If I can do it, anyone can ;-)

I'll send you both a PM. *HUGS*

[Twilight_Princess]

They let you go home on the same day? You were lucky, but I would rather have been watched - what good it did anyway - the nurses weren't much help to me. I had a bad experience where I was. I hope I didn't offend any nurses here - it's just the hospital I went to is known for not having very good service. Out of all the nurses that took care of me - only two I would give credit to. They were wonderful!

shortymoma86 - you had no bleeding whatsoever? I have bleeding, but it's very light. I hope this is normal.

[dc465]

i had abdominal hysterectomy 3 years ago and i was led o believe it was no big deal. one nite in hospital and back to work in 4 to 6 weeks. that was not the case i ended up in the hospital for a week and unable to return to work for six monthes. so just beware there are risks and dangers that u dont know about until they happen. i had internal bleeding became very anemic, couldnt stand up without passing out an ended up developing a very large hematoma in my abdominal wall and it was extremely painful and took monthes t go away.i almost died from the internal bleeding before they figured out what was going on so just dont take it too lightly. also they have very affective other treatmens for fibroids