It has been a little over one week since I said good-bye to my hard-working girls- my uterus, fallopian tubes, and one ovary.  I had a hysterectomy and salpingectomy.  It was all scheduled in less than a week.   It was very overwhelming, and I was a huge jumble of emotions, to say the least.

I Googled other Blog posts to try to find ideas about the procedure and recovery, and I did not really find the answers I needed, so I wrote my own story as a gift to my friends, cousins, sisters, and loved ones who may one day face a hysterectomy.

Interestingly, according to Medscape, hysterectomies are one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the US, with over 600,000 performed annually.

Warning, as in the pre-surgery Post, my delicate readers may desire to skip this one and join us next week.  Specifically, if you feel uncomfortable discussing gynecological issues or cringe at the following words: periods, uterus, ovaries, bleeding, etc., it is okay, so there is no pressure here to read this one through.

Once again, I want this Blog to be a gift for women who need a little more information (from a personal standpoint) and support about a hysterectomy.  Also, over the next week or two, I have invited my dear friend, Diane (the only other friend my age whom I am aware has also had a recent hysterectomy) to share her amazing story.  So, be on the lookout.

My Top 5 Tips:

1.  Let yourself feel all of those emotions. As women, we experience a wide variety of emotions, and surgery escalated those emotions.  Facing a hysterectomy stirs us to a greater depth- depending on our age; whether or not we have had children; whether or not we want more children or are undecided; and whether or not we face health concerns, such as fibroids, ovarian cancer, or breast cancer.  We are amazing and intricate creatures, and God designed us so uniquely in that we have the power to nurture and grow tiny human beings within ourselves.

   

2. So, whether you are feeling sentimental and sad, angry, or plain relieved, it is okay.  Please experience your emotions at your level and don’t feel like you have to feel the same emotions as your mother, sister, friend, etc.  Your emotions are unique to you!
3. Buy your Hysterectomy mugs, shirts, or whatever it is to mark this occasion in your own way.   

   

4.  A lot of people leave out this part, but I will warn you…the post-surgical GAS is BAD (painful for approximately 1-4 days).  This is not typical gas pain, rather it from your surgical procedure.  During a hysterectomy, your abdomen and pelvis are inflated for better visualization of organs during the surgery.  Subsequently, you may spend the first night feeling the aftermath of the gas.  The pain is typically referred to the shoulders or neck.  In my case, I had extreme shoulder pain.
5. Realize that Anesthesia Brain is real.  Don’t make major decisions during your recovery period.  I might even should consider if it’s prudent to write a Blog at this stage in my recovery.  Lol.  For that reason, I am putting my husband and daughters to extreme Proofreading for this one.  So, on that note, I actually had a conversation with my mother and completely forgot that she had a hysterectomy.  It was very entertaining to her.
6. Be Prepared with Support: Your favorite puppy, Pillows, and Post-Partum Girdles.

I’ve relied upon several products.  I may later leave the links below.

Thank you again for joining us.

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Be Blessed,

Dr. K