I Had a Hysterectomy on Monday.

[mvazul]

Sorry to be so blunt in the title, but this way anyone who doesn't want to read can pass right by.

Yes, I had a hysterectomy on the 21st - major surgery - four days before Christmas. It took me about 4 years to come to terms that I needed one. I was holding off, because my husband and I were talking about having another baby. But, now that I am 37 and my youngest will turn 8 on January 9th, I knew I couldn't/shouldn't put it off any longer. Especially with the problems I had been having and the very real threat of cancer.

From what I understand, my surgery went well. Once I got in there. I was prepped at 11:30 AM, was scheduled for 1:00 PM surgery and did not get in the OR until almost 3:30. My husband said the surgery took about 2 hours and I was in recovery for another 2 hours. I never got to my room until 7:30 that evening. I was home by 4:00 PM on the 22nd.

I feel like I am doing fairly well. I am trying very hard to take it easy. Our bedroom is upstairs and the bathrooms are downstairs, so I only try to go upstairs to go to bed. Apparently, I'm not supposed to be doing steps at all for the first two weeks. I'm also not supposed to drive at all or ride for longer than 2 hours. My ex-husband is having a fit about this part. He has no idea what kind of surgery I've had (because I feel it's none of his business), but he was insisting I drive all the way to Virginia to drop off my son - a 10 hour drive one way. Thankfully, I think my attorney has worked that one out. He knew the beginning of November that I was having surgery and wouldn't be able to drive. He offered to make the round trip, but now as it gets closer, he keeps changing times, dates and wants me to do all the driving. He has threatened to file charges against me if I don't do what he wants. Thankfully, I have my doctor's orders in writing.

On the other hand, my husband has been wonderful!! He has really made sure I don't have to worry about anything. My mother, her husband and my sister came for Christmas yesterday. My husband did all of the cooking for breakfast and dinner. And he was so sweet about my Christmas gifts. He gave me the two big things on my list - and MP3 player and a watch. The watch is beautiful - and expensive. It has aquamarines all around the outside of the face. The face is mother of pearl with 4 diamonds set into it. I would have been happy with a watch from Target, but I am certainly not complaining!

So, I have gone back to college and am a Freshman. I begin my spring semester on January 19th. I have been told I can't lift or carry anything over 10 pounds for 6 weeks. I am worried about this, because I am positive my books will weigh more than 10 pounds. Not sure how I'm going to get around campus with my bookbag. Thankfully, most of my classes are in two buildings that are adjoined. I have a locker in one of those buildings, so maybe I can work it out to leave most of my books there and just take the ones I absolutely need. I think I worked my schedule so I can do that.

A couple questions for those who have had a hysterectomy...

I had a ******l with a laproscopic assist. I have an incision on each side of my belly button and one on/in my belly button. My incisions are really starting to itch. I still have steri-strips on the two incisions and was told to not take them off. They will fall off. Is there anything I can use to keep them from itching so much and not get my incisions infected? I don't have a follow-up until the 7th. Also, I was sent home with oxycodone and prescription ibuprofen. I am feeling okay, so is it okay to stop taking these? I don't want to keep taking them, but I'm afraid of the pain coming back - and it was about a 9 1/2 out of 10 when I was in the hospital. It has been about a 1 1/2 to 2 since I've been home. But, I have been taking the meds consistently. However, they are making me really dizzy and I don't want to keep taking them if I don't have to.

Okay - sorry for rambling. I have alot in here. Thanks for reading.

Michelle

 

[figment52]

take recovery slowly.

A rolling backpack will help with school books.

 

[MiniGirl]

I can't answer your questions, but just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery and remind you to take it easy. I don't know if you have seen this site, but there is lots of great information there and is a wonderful resource and source for support. It is hystersisters dot com. Unfortunately, I think they are down for the holidays. I haven't been able to get on in a few days.

I wish you a speedy and uneventful recovery, and it is great that you have such a wonderful support system in place. It sounds like 2010 is going to be filled with new and exciting challenges for you, and I'm glad you'll be feeling well enough to enjoy them.

ETA: It's been decades ago and things may have changed. When I was a freshman though, I had many classes that I did not bring my books to. They were more or less lecture classes and all I really needed was something to take notes.

 

[m&m's mom]

I had Laproscopic Hysterectomy almost exactly a year ago.
I had an extremely easy time compared to you. I never took so much as an aspirin from when I left the hospital 24hours after surgery. I would certainly think it was fine to stop the pain meds whenever you feel you no longer need them.
I would not think books would weigh more than 10 pounds but about a month after surgery I would definitely think you would be ok- well at least I was.

 

[mhsjax]

HI, I had an abdominal hysterectomy on Dec 2nd. Fun aren't they. Please don't do any heavy lifting of the books, I think what the other pp suggested about a rolling backpack would be good. You don't want to over do it and set yourself back. As far as the pain meds. I would not throw them away, you never know when you might need one. I took one yesterday because I think I over did it with all of the cooking and stuff. They make me a little dizzy too, but as long as you aren't driving, if you are in pain, take one.

I don't have any advise on the itching, Hubby is laughing at me, I am actually itching on the inside, I guess I am healing in there, and I just can't scratch that itch and it is driving me crazy.

Good luck with school, take care of yourself.

 

[merrily]

There is a VERY helpful website called hystersisters. Go to the forum section and you can find out so much info and get support from others who have gone through this. I really recommend it.

 

[minniecarousel]

I think you can stop taking the oxycodone. You might want to keep up with the ibuprofen for a little while. Sometimes you don't know you need it until you stop taking it.

Wishing you the best in your recovery.

&, yes, a rolling backpack is a great idea.

 

[mvazul]

Thank you very much for all of your responses.

I will definitely need to check into that website. My husband weighed my books last semester and they were about 20 pounds that I was carrying around. I used the books for almost all of my classes. This semester I am only taking Gen Ed classes, so, hopefully, I won't need many of them for class. Maybe I could pay a kid to carry them around for an old lady like me!!

I will definitely not throw my meds away, but I think I need to stop them for now. I hate how I feel on them. I was feeling great when I woke up Christmas Eve morning and decided to bake a batch of cookies. My husband was going to do them, but he had so much to do with me down and how hard can it be to bake cookies??? Well, I decided to do some laundry, too. My son (15) did all the heavy lifting, but I filled the washer and did the folding. I paid for it the rest of the day. I have been trying to take it easy since then. It's hard, because I am really feeling pretty good - until I stand up and my legs feel like Jell-O!!

Thank you, again!

Michelle

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I can't tell you about this surgery but I can tell you what I tell my patients who have had orthopedic surgery. If your pain is under control you don't need the medication, but don't let the pain get ahead of you. Stop the meds, or lenghten the time in between taking them.

As far as the itching, I don't think you should put anything on the incisions, and the steri strips fall off with time. You can place an ice pack over the area and see if that numbs it. Just keep it dry.

Good luck with your recovery.

 

[mvazul]

I can't tell you about this surgery but I can tell you what I tell my patients who have had orthopedic surgery. If your pain is under control you don't need the medication, but don't let the pain get ahead of you. Stop the meds, or lenghten the time in between taking them.

As far as the itching, I don't think you should put anything on the incisions, and the steri strips fall off with time. You can place an ice pack over the area and see if that numbs it. Just keep it dry.

Good luck with your recovery.

Thank you very much! I will try the ice. The itching is getting unbearable. I feel like I need to do this.... I think maybe I will lengthen the time between my meds. I'm not a week out yet and I certainly don't want to get to a 9 1/2, again!

Michelle

 

[Best Aunt]

Could you be allergic to the steri-strips? I have two relatives who discovered they were allergic to the tape used during/after surgery.

 

[clovergirl5]

Just a for you!


I had the itching,tightness and burning from my c/s incision line...I agree with icing it. I also itched around it, but not to hard.

 

[mvazul]

Could you be allergic to the steri-strips? I have two relatives who discovered they were allergic to the tape used during/after surgery.

Just a for you!


I had the itching,tightness and burning from my c/s incision line...I agree with icing it. I also itched around it, but not to hard.

It's a very good possibility that I'm allergic. I'm allergic to latex. I noticed last night that I now have a rash exactly where the betadine was. It's across my entire abdomen. I wonder if that's causing the itching around my incisions, too? I just talked to the doctor on call and he said I can put some lotion on it. I forgot to ask him about the incisions.

Thank you!

Michelle

 

[minkydog]

It's a very good possibility that I'm allergic. I'm allergic to latex. I noticed last night that I now have a rash exactly where the betadine was. It's across my entire abdomen. I wonder if that's causing the itching around my incisions, too? I just talked to the doctor on call and he said I can put some lotion on it. I forgot to ask him about the incisions.

Thank you!

Michelle

It is entirely possible that you have an allergy. Of course, the betadine soap itself is pretty irritating and I find that they don't usually scrub it off, they just rinse at it. I have been allergic to betadine since my 20s(I used to work L&D, used betadine constantly.) If you're itching primarily at the puncture sites try placing a clean dry washcloth over it and lightly stroking. You don't want to disrupt the skin. If you're itching everywhere(your back, face, arms, legs) then you probably need to call your doctor for advice. That would not be a common side effect of a hyst.

My sister just had this same laparoscopic surgery Dec 9. She has done real well. I think she mostly takes Tylenol for pain now. In fact, Dec 24 she took my mother up to Hurricane Ridge(Olympic National Park) and did some snowshoeing. Her doctor released her to drive at the 14 day mark.

 

[focusondisney]

Hi! I'm an RN & had this surgery a few years ago. I think by Jan 19th you'll be surprized how good you'll feel. I was remodeling my kitchen while I was off work. 2 weeks after the surgery I was out shopping for tile & counters. BUT, I had no children at home & was able to do a few things & then rest. My MD had advised me to start gradually increasing my activities after about 2 weeks. Just space your activities with rest. Listen to your body. Some discomfort should be expected as you get back to your routine, but not PAIN. Pain may mean you're overdoing it.

You are now 7 days post op & should be able to use less narcotics. Maybe keep taking the ibuprofin but try to use less oxycodone. Use it at bedtime to help you sleep. I felt a big improvement by about day 7 to 10 post op. The bloating feeling I had in my abdomin went away & it got much easier to SIT!! Try some Benadryl cream for the rash & see if that helps. If it does, you are probably allergic to the betadine or steri strips.

I found I didn't take naps during the day (can't sleep that well at night if I do) but I had friends who had the surgery & felt they needed a nap right up til 6 weeks post op. Every body heals at a different pace, so again, listen to your body.

One thing you didn't ask but I want to mention is to watch out for post op depression. The finality of having a hysterectomy can trigger some depression over the fact that it means you'll never have another baby. And since you put off surgery while deciding on this can make you a little more vulnerable to this. It's normal but something to watch for. I was late 40's & well beyond wanting a baby so this wasn't an issue for me!

Good luck healing! Take advantage of that wonderful DH & the great care he's taking of you! Having this surgery was the best thing for me. My quality of life has improved so much, I can't begin to tell you. Hope it will be for you, too.

 

[mvazul]

It is entirely possible that you have an allergy. Of course, the betadine soap itself is pretty irritating and I find that they don't usually scrub it off, they just rinse at it. I have been allergic to betadine since my 20s(I used to work L&D, used betadine constantly.) If you're itching primarily at the puncture sites try placing a clean dry washcloth over it and lightly stroking. You don't want to disrupt the skin. If you're itching everywhere(your back, face, arms, legs) then you probably need to call your doctor for advice. That would not be a common side effect of a hyst.

My sister just had this same laparoscopic surgery Dec 9. She has done real well. I think she mostly takes Tylenol for pain now. In fact, Dec 24 she took my mother up to Hurricane Ridge(Olympic National Park) and did some snowshoeing. Her doctor released her to drive at the 14 day mark.

Thank you very much! I am itching just where the betadine was and at the incision sites. I did call the doctor on call and he said I could put some lotion on it. I have put some on (but not on the incisions - I forgot to ask about them) and it seems to have helped a bit. Hopefully my doctor will allow me to drive after my appointment on January 7th.

Thanks, again!
Michelle

 

[minkydog]

Thank you very much! I am itching just where the betadine was and at the incision sites. I did call the doctor on call and he said I could put some lotion on it. I have put some on (but not on the incisions - I forgot to ask about them) and it seems to have helped a bit. Hopefully my doctor will allow me to drive after my appointment on January 7th.

Thanks, again!
Michelle

I don't think I'd put anything on the incision sites. You kinda have to be careful about that. Even peroxide can cause some problems(new cell destruction.) Can you gently wash off some of the betadine with soapy water, keeping clear of the incisions, of course?

I had hand surgery 2 years ago and they prepped my hand with betadine( I was asleep.) Apparently one of the nurses noticed that I was allergic so they just "rinsed" it off with Hibiclens instead of thoroughly removing it. the itching was maddening. When I finally got the cast off guess what! I had 2nd degree chemical burns! The skin on my hand is now thin and crepey, like you see in someone who has suffered burns. I was furious, but there's no fixing it. I decided that the next time I have surgery I'm writing on the site ALLERGIC TO BETADINE in magic marker.

 

[mvazul]

I don't think I'd put anything on the incision sites. You kinda have to be careful about that. Even peroxide can cause some problems(new cell destruction.) Can you gently wash off some of the betadine with soapy water, keeping clear of the incisions, of course?

I had hand surgery 2 years ago and they prepped my hand with betadine( I was asleep.) Apparently one of the nurses noticed that I was allergic so they just "rinsed" it off with Hibiclens instead of thoroughly removing it. the itching was maddening. When I finally got the cast off guess what! I had 2nd degree chemical burns! The skin on my hand is now thin and crepey, like you see in someone who has suffered burns. I was furious, but there's no fixing it. I decided that the next time I have surgery I'm writing on the site ALLERGIC TO BETADINE in magic marker.

Oh no!! That is HORRIBLE!!! I am so sorry to hear that.

I washed all of the betadine off the night I got home from the hospital (Tuesday night). They had it all over my entire abdomen down my legs to my knees. I just noticed the rash last night and it was worse this morning. If it's worse tomorrow, I will definitely head to the doctor's office. There was one nurse who didn't pay attention to the fact that I am allergic to latex. She used a latex arm thingy to take my blood. I stopped her and she said, "Oh, it's okay. I will put it over your gown." This is a fairly new allergy to me, so I thought it would be okay. I ended up with hives on my arm. Thankfully, they went away fairly quick.

 

[quentina]

I had the same type. I had no issues, little pain. Since I had level 5 endio....I was so used to major cramps that I thought the incision felt better!


I did not change my life style as I did not need to. I was put off work for 6 weeks and I had no pain. I am not lying, when I woke up, I thought something happened and they didn't do it. Begged to leave hospital next day (I was supposed to stay 2 nights), shopped at target on the way home. Called a few days later and asked if I could go back to work, they said no, so....I did what every other dis'er of sound mine does, I went to WDW.

Good luck....I wish you can have it as easy as I did. Also, I have no menapausal symptoms, I do not take the hormones. I do take a calcium/vitamin D supplement.....that's it.

Hope you feel better!

 

[minkydog]

There was one nurse who didn't pay attention to the fact that I am allergic to latex. She used a latex arm thingy to take my blood. I stopped her and she said,"Oh, it's okay. I will put it over your gown." This is a fairly new allergy to me, so I thought it would be okay. I ended up with hives on my arm. Thankfully, they went away fairly quick.

Oy!*headsmack* That nurse was an idiot. Don't you EVER let someone do that again.