Hey everyone…
I’ve chosen to have a hysterectomy rather than further lletz treatments following a stage 1 cc diagnosis. Hospital have agreed to early October so I can enjoy my planned holiday first.
For those who have been through this, what’s the best way to prepare, what should I pack etc and any personal experiences?
Hi HannahBlonde
What kind of hysterectomy are you having ? simple ? radical ?open ?laparoscopic ?removal of lymph nodes. I had a laparoscopic radical hysterectomy including removal of lymph nodes so my experience might be different to what you are likely to encounter.
x
Laparoscopic…lymph nodes haven’t been mentioned. To be honest I’m still quite in the dark …
Thank you for your reply.
They arent taking my ovaries though.
All being well, laparoscopic surgery enables a relatively rapid recovery comapred to open surgery. I was only in hospital for one night following my surgery and, against medical advice, even managed to get home via public transport - accompanied by my husband.
You will wake up from the op with an indwelling catheter. I went home with my catheter in place - I took loose trousers so there was plenty of room to accommodate the catheter tube and leg bag. I had an outpatients appointment a week later to remove the catheter and assess my bladder function. My bladder took a very long time to work again but it seems I was particularly unlucky and it didn’t help that my tumour was very close to my bladder.
Personally I think it’s important to be clear about exactly what one’s surgery involves and possible side effects, so you can ask relevant questions before giving consent. For example if the plan is to remove your lymph nodes you will subsequently be at risk for lymphoedema which is as well to be aware of because you should seek prompt treatment if you were to develop it. I have lymphoedema and if I had my time again I would pushed for sentinel lymph node removal which reduces the risk of lymphoedema.
I hope what I’ve said isn’t too scarey. With hindsight I think my oncology team were a bit too casual about the risks and possible side effects of my hysterectomy and I subsequently wished I’d asked more questions. I went through a phase of feeling annoyed because I realised I wasn’t as well informed as I would have liked when I gave my consent for the surgery. However, I can understand that some may not wish to know too much because it could be unduly alarming given that most hysterectomies turn out fairly well.
x
