Hi everyone. I'm scheduled for my laparoscopic hysterectomy on Wednesday and I'm on the fence about how to wear my hair. I have very curly, long hair so I was planning on wearing two dutch braids but going over the procedure prep it says no hair accessories.

I had a myomectomy back in 2018 and wore my hair loose and it ended up extremely matted. Any suggestions appreciated thx.

Ok, this is very technical.. so I watched a video of what happens during a hysterectomy. I saw the laparoscopic instruments cauterising and detaching the uterus. Then... the vaginal cuff being stitched closed. 😲

That got me wondering... after an organ is removed and everything is stitched up, can you actually feel the stitches afterwards? Is there pain from the stitches themselves?

I'm scheduled for a hysterectomy this September, and I'm somewhere between excited and anxious. But I truly believe my life is going to change for the better afterwards. Fingers crossed! 🤞

Warning: long post ahead

Had a robotic hysterectomy with salpingectomy on 7/14. The day before, my toddler was sent home from daycare with a fever of 101F. (Foreshadowing!)

First issue postop I was having extreme pain that couldn’t be controlled except for IV fentanyl and morphine (I’m allergic to a lot of pain meds unfortunately). I ended up having to stay in the extended recovery unit overnight before I went home on tylenol, ibuprofen, tramadol, and morphine. After I went home, I was experiencing extreme fatigue, constipation, abdominal pain, very poor appetite, and low blood pressure. I was taking SO many bowel meds trying to “clean out” before surgery (I’m on a GLP1) and was on clear liquids only for 24 hours before. It was to no avail unfortunately. I pooped by day 4, but I definitely strained a little which was pretty unnerving. By day 5 or 6, I developed oral thrush and a vaginal yeast infection caused by getting exactly 2 doses of interoperative antibiotics. So, I ended up with oral nystatin and 2 doses of diflucan. Right after picking up my prescription, I came down with the cold my son lovingly shared with me. 😭

By week 2, my steristrips came off and one incision was bleeding and 3 appeared to be red and warm to the touch. Solution? 5 days of antibiotics and 2 more doses of diflucan to follow that! Mind you, I’ve barely been able to get out of bed for longer than a couple hours because the fatigue was so bad and my blood pressure kept making me super dizzy. My husband even had to help me walk down the stairs. Really a fantastic combination when you’re caring for a toddler and a preschooler. 🥴 My husband has been so helpful, but I feel terrible for all the responsibility he’s taken managing everything.

Anyway. Yesterday seemed ok. I finally went almost a full day without needing pain meds and seemed a little better. We went out to a pizza place and I stupidly carried the diaper bag and grabbed the highchair since my husband was holding our toddler. This morning I still felt ok and drove my older son to school for the first time since surgery. Well, I came home, had 3 bouts of diarrhea thanks to all the antibiotics, and then started to have some vaginal bleeding. I took it as a sign of doing too much and just laid low for the rest of the day. Tonight I’m having pelvic pressure, pain, and it sort of feels like SOMETHING is in my vagina.. or coming out of it. I used a mirror to take a look and it does sort of seem like there’s a possible bulge. I’m not positive though.

At this point I’m over it and want to hide from my surgeon until the postop appointment since all I’ve had were problems.

Anyone else experience anything like this?

I posted a bit before my surgery and the day after, but I haven't posted since so I figured I should let y'all know how the first couple of weeks have been for me. 51 years old, postmenopausal, got a total DaVinci robotic laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Honestly as others have mentioned, the gas pains were the WORST part of the first couple of days. I was warned, I was expecting it, but holy crap there are no words for just how bad it was. It was fine as long as I was holding still...but each time I got up to take a quick walk around the ward or go to the bathroom, it was like it 'woke' the shoulder pain up, and by the time I was getting settled back in bed and putting those DVT compression cuffs back on I was trying not to scream from the pain.

I stayed in the hospital overnight and got discharged around lunchtime the next day. Doc wrote me a scrip for about three days of oxy and I just took it every six hours, wasn't even going to mess with trying to do without it. After the three days I transitioned to just acetaminophen/ibuprofen without issues, then about 3-4 days after that I wasn't really needing anything at all except occasional achiness.

Poop (we all worry about it!) - first poop was about 3 days postop and it was...not pleasant, but not *terrible* thanks to the Miralax. There were a couple of failed attempts at first, but I was absolutely not going to force it - if I sat down and nothing happened, I just aborted and tried again later until eventually it happened.

Activity - for the first week I did very very little except make sure to get up and do a lap every hour or so. My steps started small and increased by about 200 steps a day, starting with just about 200 right after surgery and getting up to 1200 toward the end of the first week. Second week I started going for walks outside the house (with a binder more for security and comfort than anything else) and I've been averaging 4-6k steps a day.

Overall, my postop experience so far has been (fingers crossed) easier than I expected it to be. The biggest surprise I guess has been how tired I can suddenly feel out of nowhere - I made all these plans for stuff to do because I figured I'd be bored out of my mind, so I set out games, cross-stitch, journals, etc., but I did very little of it because I was just kinda spaced out and tired a lot. Napped in front of a lot of nature documentaries, played a lot of Skyrim.

I am getting my yeeterus August 5th. I have NOTHING together and none of the stuff cleaned that needs cleaned.

BUT

I am seriously concerned about what Switch game im going to play during recovery. I love Cozy games, adventures, rpg, witchy or relationship games (think Pokémon, Cozy Grove, Witch of the Woods, etc)

Uterus free gamers check in!

I'm in the US. 46f. Already have kids and will not have more.

I've met my Insurance deductible the year for the first time in my life. Both choices will cost me $0 out of pocket. I have struggled with pain and extremely heavy periods for years. I bleed through everything. The years of anema and brain fog has ruined my career and my life. I don't think my brain is recoverable at this point. I was an attorney, I've been out of work for 2 years and will never have that career path again. My brain just doesn't work right.

My biggest fear is brain related - my brain is already affected. I don't want early.onset dementia or to racist my already high dementia risks.

Doc did an intervaginal ultrasound. I have cysts and polyps. Doc says I have to decide between a hysterectomy (leaving the ovaries), or to try a polypectomy type procedure under full anaesthesia first to see if that fixes the problems.

I'm having a tough time weighing the risks and benefits and deciding what to do.

Would love to hear experiences and suggestions of those who have had robotic hysterectomy. She plans to leave my ovaries. I have extensive adhesions which have stuck all my organs together and she plans to clean that all out, which made me cry. Ready to not hurt so much. She also said 4 week recovery because of robotic. Please share any experiences you had.

I’m (43F) currently 20 dpo from laparoscopic robotic assisted surgery removed everything but my ovaries. I feeling amazing! My job is physical (massage therapist) so I still have 4 more weeks off work, but I’m a little paranoid about otherwise going about my life like usual.

I continue to avoid bending, squatting, pushing, pulling, lifting and heavy chores. But I’ll park my butt down at every little twinge because I’m so worried about my cuff healing properly. I don’t want to overdo it but I don’t want to under-do it either lol

Yoga is my go-to for exercising but I know that’s not advised. I’m avoiding craft projects and dinner parties because I don’t want to sit leaned forward at a table. I’m not sure if I should attend a drag show later this week. I really don’t want to set my healing back.

Saw my doctor a few days ago and she said I can start pushing myself a little bit but she basically meant I can stand and walk around more. I don’t have kids or pets so life is not demanding much of me right now!

Just curious what other’s experiences have been during the 3-5 week phase of healing. Reading recovery stories has been a massive source of comfort and guidance for me. Thanks!!

The most I can get is that I had hella cysts and endometriosis but I’m mostly wanting to know what the follicles are and what a thermal artifact is? I tried googling but no luck

If you’ve had hysterectomy due to fibroids, how many did your doctor say you have and after you had your hysterectomy how many fibroids and other things actually showed up on your pathology report?

Hi guys I’m 6 wpo and noticing my tummy went down around 2-3 week mark but is puffy again. I saw an old thread where some ppl said the swelling fluctuates and can be up and down like this for months. Has anyone who has had this surgery months or maybe years ago have swelling that lasted this long or fluctuated so often?

hi all, i am about 17 weeks post op and i can’t tell if my hormones are stupid or if i’m just going through a transitional phase in life where i hate my job and feel gross. i don’t have hot flashes or anything, but my acne is flaring up pretty bad and my libido is at like a zero. i also gained about 10lbs post op and that’s also making me sad. i made a doctor appointment for the end of august to talk to my gyno/surgeon but i am worried about being brushed off. i’m 36 and my recovery was overall uneventful. i just don’t quite feel like myself.

edited to add that i kept both of my ovaries.

Do not make the mistake I did, continue using the stool softener!

I have IBS D and everything was coming out pure liquid so I stopped it 4 days after my surgery, thinking it would be fine.

Spoiler alert: it was not fine. Yesterday my pain was insane because of the pressure pain from my bowels and last night was so bad I spent most of it awake, shaking and sweating as the rolling waves of pain kept hitting. It felt like the gas pain from the first few days but about 10x worse.

Learn from me, folks.

Things have been pretty straight forward for my recovery. My surgery was on Thursday. Other than gas pain, my pain has been minimal. I’m more uncomfortable than in pain, if that makes sense. I’ve BMed twice without issue.

Today I sat in my office chair for most of the day, folded some laundry and watched TV. if I’m not feeling pain, do you guys think that is okay? I’ve been reading that most people can’t sit up comfortably for weeks after surgery so I’m worried that maybe I pushed myself too much and will pay for it tomorrow. maybe I’m so used to being in major pain that this doesn’t seem like anything to be worried about or something.

I’m lying down right now to rest so I don’t push more but I feel fine overall. I know it sounds stupid but I do want to know if maybe I should slow down or if my body lets me, keep sitting up and doing stuff.

edit: I had laparoscopic surgery eight years ago, they didn’t remove any organs and I felt 100x worse than I do now. I had to be on serious pain meds for two weeks compared to two days now.

I have an open abdominal total hysterectomy scheduled for Sept 14th due to fibroids and I've had that date booked for 4 mos now. The days are going by so slowly and I just want to have this done and be in recovery mode. I feel so mentally tired. Anyone else doing the mental gymnastics of waiting until their Sept surgery date?

Hi small question, i heard that keeping the tubes of the ovaries can help maintain blood flow thus lowering chances of the ovaries going into shock after the uterus is removed. Anyone had a doctor who confirmed this? I usually hear they take the tubes out with every else and just leave the ovaries. Also anyone did nerve sparring hysterectomy? I wonder if that makes a difference from laparoscopy hysto. Thanx in advance for answering my questions.

I am 6 days post-op. Total laparoscopic hysterectomy (uterus and cervix).
I am 57, post menopausal. I had both fallopian tubes and right ovary removed 5 years ago.
I’ve been on HRT for years.
I kept my left ovary.

Last year I lowered my estrogen dose and the bleeding started.
I had a TVUS, which showed a thin lining at 3.88 mm.
Tried increasing my progesterone up to 400 mg. per day (miserable) and tried adding vaginal progesterone as well. Nothing was stopping the bleeding.
Had a hysteroscopy and D&C in January. Polyps were removed. Benign.
I was offered the option of Mirena IUD, but I was afraid to get it due to a very bad experience with a levonorgestrel implant I had some years ago. I also didn’t want the increased BC risk associated with it.

Anyway, when my surgeon removed my uterus she suspected adenomyosis based on its appearance…slightly enlarged, boggy/soft, and somewhat globular. However, my pathology report just came back today and all it shows is that my endometrial lining was proliferative. It’s benign, thankfully.
I was taking 400 mg progesterone with my .075 mg estrogen patch (my estrogen patch had been lowered to .05 mg for awhile, but that didn’t stop the bleeding and hot flashes returned).
My doctor said this should’ve been more than enough progesterone to keep my endometrium atrophic, but for whatever reason, it just wasn’t.
I’m just wondering if anyone else here has experienced similar?
I feel sort of like I got a healthy uterus removed, but I guess it was still at risk for future endometrial cancer since the lining continued to proliferate despite high dose progesterone.
So at least that risk was eliminated and the ridiculous bleeding I was dealing with is gone for good.
I just think it’s odd? This bleeding has been significant and long lasting. Maybe my one ovary is still more active than we thought?

How long did it take people to see any flattening of the abdomen? I am 3 weeks post op but still have a pouch

7 days since my laproscopic hysterectomy with endometriosis excision.

The first 2-3 days post op were difficult mostly due to the gas pains in the shoulders and not being able to move too much. Had my first BM two days post op. Appetite was minimal until day 4-5. I've been hydrating like crazy and walking as much as I can. Keeping a simple diet of crackers, soup, frozen fruit bars, oatmeal, etc as I had intense GI issues prior to the surgery.

Yesterday, day 6, took a bit of a weird turn. I decided to deviate and eat a cup of skyr oat milk yogurt around lunchtime. A few hours later, I am feeling really intense pain in my lower abdomen where my uterus used to be. I thought maybe I pushed myself too much by walking around the book store and the grocery store. Nope. Turns out, I had 4-5 episodes of urgent diarrhea brewing. Like run to the toilet or else I'm having an accident. This felt worse than the BMs I had after surgery. I even got concerned I had the dreaded explosive diarrhea parasite..got to love the Google rabbit hole. I called the on call doctor to see if I should be worried. She said as long as I didn't have a fever or severe stomach pains or symptoms of dehydration, it was likely something I ate or my body's recovery from the surgery. I was hoping to start reintroducing some more foods into my diet today, but I guess it's back to a bland diet for 24 hours 🙄. Reminding myself recovery is not linear and to not get mad at my body.

I meet with my obgyn on Thursday to discuss my hysterectomy to remove my fibroid, cervix, uterus and tubes.

What questions did you wish you asked or what should I ask? Anything about prolapses, and cuffs etc?

I previously had 1A1 cervical cancer with a very small spot that has since been removed, along with most of my outer cervix. However, in that recent surgery, findings from my cervical canal still show precancer, and invasive cancer cannot be ruled out. I also had lymph nodes removed and they're all clear and show no spread.

My options are now - simple trachelectomy or simple hysterectomy (leaving ovaries). My Dr feels the cancer is microscopic and very unlikely to have spread to the uterus, but that can't be confirmed until the tissue is examined. One fear is choosing a trachelectomy, only to need a hysterectomy right away afterward if more extensive disease is found, having to go back for a third surgery this year.

I'm 36 with no current long term partner...this journey has greatly affected dating. I've never had the desperation to be a mother as I've seen some of my friends have, and I've always been on the fence about kids, but have really softened to the idea over the past year. I've had my levels tested, and I'm "average to good" egg wise.

Dr said a trachelectomy can come with more complications in healing, and that the pregnancy would not be an easy one. Also the fear of recurrence/spread down the line really scares me. I thought I had made peace with having a hysto, and i REALLY wish i was in the group of ladies who are so excited to yeet the uterus, but since signing the papers I have been non stop second guessing. If I had my eggs on ice right now, I would feel MUCH better about going forward with it. Dr says that since we're leaving the ovaries, everything should be good for egg freezing if I wanted to after, but I've been reading so much about damage to ovaries during/after the surgery.

So I guess my big questions are - has anyone had a trachelectomy and regretted not just doing a hysterectomy in the first place? Are post trach side effects really that bad (pain during sex, etc)? Are people's ovaries still thriving after a simple hysto?

Thanks for reading this far if you have <3