What Can I Expect After a Hysterectomy?

I had a complete hysterectomy years ago.. Gees daughter was in 1st grade and she's now quickly approaching 21. I was 40ish

BEST thing I ever did for myself. I've never felt better. I opted to take everything and go on HRT. I stopped HRT a few years ago. Still no issues whatsoever.

I think the better mindset and physical condition you are in when you do it... The better.

I found the website www.hystersisters.com to be very informative and helpful.

If I had to do it all again... I'd make the same choice I did. I'm so pleased with my decision!

Best wishes and if you want to PM, feel free to do so.

I had mine 8 years ago when I was 44...I had hemorrhaging fibroids (blick) and endometriosis. I just had uterus removed along with my appendix....yes, appendix......There was a question of removing my right ovary because of a super large endometrial growth on it according to the MRI but it was my appendix that was smothered in endometriosis ...I had been very uncomfortable prior to say the least.....and then the surgeon just cleaned off the ovary.

/it was the best thing I've done...never felt better.....

Mine was just done straight laparoscopically (not vaginally also) and just had 3 incisions. wasn't allowed to drive for 2 weeks and not allowed to do a heck of a lot for 6 weeks including not carrying/lifting anything more than 5 lbs and as a result wound up really cleaning out my purse -- lol. after about 10 days or so,maybe less, I turned a corner and really started feeling significantly better in the recovery process even tho I was still kind of sore which got increasingly better every day

Good luck

I had a hysterectomy last year. I was 39 at the time. I had adenomyosis. My uterus was basically like a wet sponge. It was very painful. The hysterectomy was the best thing I have ever done. I have never felt better. I did keep both my ovaries so I can't help you there. I'm glad I did. I have had no problems with hormones. The recovery was pretty easy for me. I was very uncomfortable the first few days. The gas pain from the surgery was the worst part. And getting up and down was very painful the first few days. I spent 2 days in the hospital and after about 2 or 3 days at home, I felt great. So great in fact, I got up and did housework. Big mistake. That set me back and caused a few days of pain and discomfort. So my advice to you is, if you are surprised by how good you feel after a few days, don't make the mistake of pushing yourself. Stay on the couch or in bed and rest. Let your body heal. You only get one chance to heal corectly.

Also, have books or movies on hand. Something to keep yourself busy. If you knit or crochet, have something handy to keep you busy. Something easy. Have some help lined up for the first week. Someone to cook the meals and vacuum the floors for you. Things of that nature. But if you follow all your surgeons instructions, you should heal nicely. I was able to resume most light household responsibilities by about 2 weeks after the surgery. I went back to work 6 weeks after. I couldn't lift anything over 50 lbs for like 8 or 12 weeks. I felt that I had an easy uneventful recovery. A year later, I am so happy I had the surgery. I have never felt better! I would do it all over again. Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions. Good luck! Just be careful to closely follow all your drs instructions and you should do just fine.

My mom just had hers out so keep in mind that she's a lot older than you (70). For her, the recovery took longer than she thought it would. Lots of gas pain, very sore for many days, and she developed a chronic UTI that is still an issue a few months later. A friend that is around the same age and general good health as her was up and around and back to normal in a few days. Both women's recoveries would be considered normal - there is such a wide range of experience that it's hard to predict if you'll be one of the women lucky enough to have this be quick and easy, or one of the ones who will have a lot of discomfort. I have heard that for those who have had a c-section, how quickly they recovered from that is a good indicator of hysterectomy recovery. For some of us, the reaction to pelvic/abdominal surgery in terms of bowel and bladder function is harder than it is for others. I can say that my mom is still glad she had it done, as she suffered from pelvic organ prolapse for decades and feels so much better now that her pelvic floor has a lot less to hold up!

ETA: I had a COMPLETE hysterectomy - uterus, tubes and ovaries. I have NOT had to go on ANY hormone therapy. Make sure you have blood tests done PRIOR to surgery and again 3 to 5 weeks after surgery IF you are having EVERYTHING out. Don't take meds if you don't have to. Watch how your body is reacting, etc. It CAN take a few months to get things under control - but over all? It will work itself out.
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I had my hysterectomy in Feb 2011. It was the best decision I made! No more troubles!! YAHOO!!!

I had the DiVinci method done - three 1.5" incisions on my lower abdomen and removed vaginally. I was in the hospital for 23 hours - yes - 23...LOL!! I had to be able to urinate and have a bowel movement before they would let me go.

My sister came to take are of me and my family. My surgery was Monday. I was home Tuesday morning. I did nothing for 2 days other than shower and go to the bathroom. I was out shopping on the 3rd day (Thursday). I was out for about 1.5 hours. That was almost too much. I couldn't drive for 2 weeks.

DO NOT walk up and down stairs - stay on ONE FLOOR.
FOLLOW THE DOCTOR'S ORDERS!!!
Drink plenty of water.
Get plenty of rest.
Make sure you have someone there to take care of things for you. If you aren't stressing over things needing to be done? You will recover faster.

I had MINOR pain - nothing that Advil and/or Tylenol didn't fix. I did have prescribed pain killers - however - never had to take them.

Good luck!! I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me!

Go for the complete hysterectomy. If you should leave an ovary this is the possibility of having a second surgery to remove it later in life. My doctor discussed this situation with me prior to my having mine.

You should feel a lot better after your heal. Just make sure you do not lift any heavy items or housework for the time that is suggested. If you carry a heavy purse, clean it out and take just what is needed like your DL and ID with a money card and car keys.

It was the greatest thing to happen to me. No more heavy periods with cramping, no more spotting in between periods and no more sanitary products to buy. I was ready to no worry about any babies and just wanted the daily spotting to stop.

May you have a successful outcome to your surgery. May you enjoy your life better especially the sexual side.

the other S.

Hi, I will say that I have NOT had a hysterectomy but do HAVE fibroids.. In fact, a very large one that when I lie down, eventually surfaces and I can feel this huge bump, about the size of a grapefruit. I am now 51, but I would say my periods were at their absolute worse (heavier like no other) when I was between ages 47-50.. particularly in the 40s.. Now at 51, my cycles are shorter and instead of five super super heavy days of bleeding, I have about two and half.. Although heavy, nothing like a few years ago. I mention this because while I know it's AWFUL to have to stay glued to the house until your cycle ends, If you think you can hang in there, your periods might become less severe. I am not a doctor, but just hate to have yet another woman have such surgery, especially because all too often, I think the western medical establishment would rather do surgeries than look at alternative means..
For what it's worth, I am started drinking FRESH raw ginger juice several times a day to see IF in a few months my fibroids might shrink. I have read several articles on the benefits of raw ginger and how they can shrink tumors, I figured, well it's worth a try. Just started taking the juice two days ago, I am going to try it for a few months..
Anyway, just wanted to put my two cents in .. whatever you decide, good luck and keep us posted!!

Have you started peri-menopause? That's pretty important. I think that you'll need to work on deciding that with your doctor, because it will throw you face-first into menopause if they remove your ovaries. I don't know if you've thought of that or not.

Talk to your doctor about that. You'll need to take into account the benefits/risks of having ovaries vs not having them. I'd really work hard on that decision, if it were me.

As far as your uterus is concerned, I'll leave that to the other ladies, since I still have mine.

I had a hysterectomy 5 years ago. It was one of the best things I have done. I still have my ovaries but no more horrible periods. I had clusters of fibroids throughout my uterus and I was iron deficient.

My doctor used the daVinci procedure and it went well. The only problem is they fill your abdomen with air so the gas is terrible for about 2-3 days. My uterus was large so she had to cut up my uterus and remove it vaginally. If your uterus is removed vaginally you will have some bleeding so don't be alarmed. Whatever you do take your pain meds as prescribed. You do want to make sure your pain is managed.

I had my hysterectomy at 10 am and was sent home at 9 that night. My doctor told me if I didn't have any complication she was sending me home. I did fine. Good luck and try not to worry. I know that's easier said than done.

I had mine when I was 23 and it was the best thing I've ever done! Mine was done vaginally so no scarring or painful, lengthy wound recovery. I didn't even really take many of the pain meds. Just take it easy for about 4 weeks and you should be fine.

I do not agree with Suzanne W. about taking your ovaries if it's not necessary. As long as you have ovaries, you continue to ovulate and you don't need hormones. I am now 56 years old, never had to take hormones and have had zero problems.

I had a complete hysterectomy in 2013. My uterus was so large that I could not have the laproscopic procedure so I have a vertical incision from my navel to the top of my pubic area. That's about the only downside to my surgery, but the scar has healed almost perfectly, just a faint line almost like the one you get when you're pregnant. I didn't do any hormone therapy because I was scared of the possible side effects but the only effect I have from not doing so is the hot flashes which I've now either gotten used to or learned to live with. I made one big mistake post op and that was not waiting to get the OK from my Dr to start having sex again. I waited the 6 weeks but I guess it wasn't really healed internally and I ended up in the ER needing surgery for a repair.

Good luck with your journey, lots of love and prayers of hope from me! Be sure to rest (seriously, REST!), drink lots of water, and receive lots of love from family members. Please do not let this operation make you feel like less of a woman or that you're "quitting", because medical issues, even if they're meant to help you, could take a toll on your body and cause depression. Remember to ask your doctor about everything you are curious about, my mother survived stage 3 breast cancer and she learned the importance of telling doctors everything. Plenty of sunshine, too! Nature's natural doctor...

I had a hysterectomy when I was 27. My uterus was basically falling out in chunks. I had mine done completely vaginally and I still have both my ovaries (although neither "worked" at the time of the hysterectomy and I had some trouble with ovarian cysts). The down side was that I was one of those "one in a million" people that got nearly all of the complications they tell you about prior to the surgery but almost never happen. The up side is that although those complications nearly cost me my life, I do not regret having my hysterectomy for one second! I can't speak much to what a typical recovery would be, but I do offer the advice that if something doesn't feel right after the surgery, speak up. I was ignored regarding my post-op complaints, and unfortunately by the time someone actually listened to me, it was almost too late. If you have a husband or other family member who can advocate for you with your doctors and at the hospital during the first part of your recovery, that would be great!

Good luck!