Healing and Recovery from Hysterectomy?

[AppleTree]

Hysterversary, what a hoot... does Hallmark make a card for that one yet?

Chinook, thanks for sharing your story. I would be so tempted to overdo it myself. My cycling fitness thus far has been really hard won over the past few years, and I just hate the thought of losing it in a few months, but that's the way it goes. So far everyone's advice has been GO SLOW. I think I will take it.

To everything there is a season! A time to crank the pedals and a time to plant your butt on the couch and knit.

Thanks again TE sisters, for sharing your experiences with me.

[goldfinch]

I found my hysterectomy very freeing. No more birth control, no more bleeding. Nice

[AppleTree]

After reading a small selection of the hystersisters tales of recovery I am beginning to have 2nd thoughts about doing the surgery now. From what I've read it sounds like it will be at least six weeks and more like eight weeks to even begin any serious activity. And that is IF all goes well.

I am thinking of putting it off until October or so. At least then I'd have the summer to be active and achieve my cycling goals...and the winter to recover and slowly work my way back into shape.

There isn't a terrible urgency to have the surgery, my diagnosis was adenomyosis... nothing life threatening. The worst that could happen between now and then might be another horrible menstrual cycle, but I'm thinking there might be something the doctor could do to prevent that in the meanwhile? Hormone shots?

I feel like I am moving back from the brink, and I'm afraid my family might think I am crazy. Maybe I am??

[Catrin]

I had this, and it got quite painful before the end - and not just during my periods...my surgery was actually precipitated by an ovarian cancer scare, but in the end it turned out I had a bad case of adenomyosis and while my ovaries were quite scarred I didn't have cancer

It is your body and your decision to make, but it is only early Jan, if you have the surgery now you will be back on the bike by spring.

FWIW, my specialist told me that the only trustworthy way of diagnosing adenomyosis was after the uterus was removed. Now my surgery was in 2008 (and no one thought about adenomyosis at the time), so perhaps diagnostic tools have progressed since that time.

[AppleTree]

I had this, and it got quite painful before the end - and not just during my periods...my surgery was actually precipitated by an ovarian cancer scare, but in the end it turned out I had a bad case of adenomyosis and while my ovaries were quite scarred I didn't have cancer

It is your body and your decision to make, but it is only early Jan, if you have the surgery now you will be back on the bike by spring.

FWIW, my specialist told me that the only trustworthy way of diagnosing adenomyosis was after the uterus was removed. Now my surgery was in 2008 (and no one thought about adenomyosis at the time), so perhaps diagnostic tools have progressed since that time.

Catrin, I'm so glad that they found your issue wasn't cancer, that must have been extremely scary for you... what a relief to find out it was NOT.

My doctor also said about the same thing, he couldn't say with 100% certainty, until after the surgery, but from the ultrasound they did, and the symptoms it was fairly evident.

Yes, the menopause thing is scary in and of itself... ah well, we'll see how it goes. I'm calling the drs office tomorrow...

It's been so helpful to me to be able to vent here and get such helpful feedback.

[Catrin]

Yes, it is great to be able to vent and also get feedback from other women. I guess my only concern about your putting off the surgery until the end of 2012 is the possibility of things becoming as painful as it was for me...while I wasn't riding or active in any way at that time - I would not have been able to have done much without pain at the time. Now every woman is different, and your doctor will have thoughts on this and since your specialist is pretty sure what is going on there may be good options to prevent it from becoming much of a problem over the season.

Keep us posted, whatever you decide.

[limewave]

Swollen belly for sure. I laid around all day for several weeks. I was tired, depressed, lonely. None of my friends came to visit me and I couldn't drive anywhere I ate a lot of peanut butter from the jar. So initially, my tummy was swollen from the surgery, but by the end of 10 weeks, I had managed to swell my belly on my own . . .

[Melalvai]

I'm all for waiting. If it gets very painful you can always go through with it, but once you've done it you can't go back.

I don't exactly regret the surgery but since I discovered what a difference eliminating sugar from my diet made, I wish I could go back and try that before going through a major abdominal surgery. I mean, it was really scary for me. I'd never had a surgery before, and some "helpful" friend just couldn't wait to tell me about so-and-so's wife who died of a blood clot immediately after her hysterectomy. (I mentioned this to the doc afterwards...he said "Oh you heard about her? Well she smoked and was overweight.")

I had the cancer scare too, but now I know a little more, and one high CA125 doesn't actually mean much. I'd have been ok with a little more wait and see, and repeat that test to see which way it's going, so long as we were doing something to combat the repetitively rupturing ovarian cyst. I've done those tests myself in the lab, I know how they work, and sometimes you just get an aberrant result.

Anyway, whatever you decide, great. Like I said I don't regret it, it all turned out fine, I just in retrospect wish I'd tried one more thing, before having a major surgery. Just so I'd know.

[AppleTree]

Swollen belly for sure. I laid around all day for several weeks. I was tired, depressed, lonely. None of my friends came to visit me and I couldn't drive anywhere I ate a lot of peanut butter from the jar. So initially, my tummy was swollen from the surgery, but by the end of 10 weeks, I had managed to swell my belly on my own . . .

Oh Limewave, that is so sad.... I would have eaten peanut butter too... well, no I would have eaten chocolate. Lots and lots of it.

I talked to the nurse this morning and she agreed with me that no way I could be ready to ride like I want in July. So it's officially CANCELLED. I shudder to think of what I would have gone through, having the high expectations that I did, if I had not had the feedback from you guys. I feel like I've stepped back from the edge of a precipice. Truly.

Lots to look foward to!