Well Tuesday is the big day and I am much more settled. I have had many of the questions answered that I needed to. I am now settling down to look forward to getting it over with. My husband is being wonderful but I know it it scaring him to death to. He will have to look after me when I come out of hospital and poor love the whole cooking/housekeeping malarky is daunting. He is looking forward to it and I have filled the freezer with ready cooked pizza, pies to fall back on but there are beefburgers, sausages and steaks to bbq if he feels like it.
I discovered something on the hysterectomy help site which was really interesting. It said that a lot of women get UTI’s after surgery (urine infections) and that cranberries had some sort of enzime that would not allow the ecoli bacteria to stick to the wall of the bladder.
I am now taking cranberry supplements with cranberry juice which is actually quite nice.
Well as soon as I can I will let you know how things went and how I am. Thank you all for your kind encouragement you really are a very good bunch to have on my team.
Cate I am glad to hear you are more settled now .
I will be thinking of you on Tuesday and wish you a speedy recovery.xx
Re the UTI, each person is different so it may not be something which troubles you , let’s hope not anyway
It is something I had a problem with for many years and I must have drunk gallons of cranberry juice and potassium citrate (which makes he urine less acidic) .
You’ll be in my thoughts too come Tuesday; fingers crossed all will go well and you’ll be home recovering! Sounds as if you have the food situation well under control, and don’t worry hubby about things like vacuuming or dusting, that can be put on hold for a bit.
When I was working in the doctors office, one of them always recommended cranberry juice for a UTI, apparently it does work.
All good wishes for Tuesday
I’m sure it will be OK but it’s only natural to be as apprehensive as you are. I think I understand what you are saying about your body letting you down; as a generally very healthy soul I think I might feel the same. But it’s not, is it? Just needs a bit of care and attention from the medics, a bit of positive thought and positive recuperation from you - et voila Good for another 40 years!
Cate, I’ll be thinking of you on Tuesday, I hope everything goes well and you are back home again soon.
Give yourself time to heal, that is very important even if you think you ready to do a few jobs around the house … think stop
Wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery hugs
Sorry I have only just seen this and thought ah ha…I know where you are coming from I had a Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at 46 last year
On 21/04/2010 basicaly that is a hysterectomy with ovaries, cervix basicaly everything removed, went in hospital the day before because I was anaemic (for a top up) and came out on the Saturday. I had a vertical cut from pubic bone to belly button and then a bit and abit outwards too but I was told this before hand so no shock.
What cut are you having?
One thing I must say the gynae ward I was in was fantastic because everyone is in the same boat or has been or will be. Real moral boosting.
Had staples and other than a little sickness following no problems at all.
Yes I was tired that I have to admit, bone tired and I thought that the info of not being able to do anything was a little OTT but its not, I could not lift a 4 litre of milk…
If you have any questions then please PM me you will be fine and you have to rest and then rest then rest more, although daily showering and a little walk even round the house it advisable…even recomended.
Honestly the good side, I am off on holiday on Monday to Spain and brought white trousers… I feel brilliant, I was told 6 weeks healing, 6 strength building which is right but honestly when people say it takes 6 months to feel back to normal I disagree in 6 months I felt as I had before the reason for the hysterectomy and 12 months on I felt better than I remember and now 17 months post op I am on top of the world. Have had no major issues with menopause either although I was thrown into it, just a little warm at times. I take nothing no HRT due to having had breast cancer.
Honestly any questions worries PM me I am here till Sunday night. Then off to Spain but I will be back and feel free.
Honestly it is life changing however I found it changed my life for the better. Although according to my consultant I had no idea how ill I was as I had “adapted” and he was right after the first 3 months I started to feel weller than I had in ages, and still do.
Please try not to worry Cate I am the same age as you I had a hysterectomy about ten years ago its not like years ago I had fibroids on my womb I could not pass water properly an was in terrible pain, I was cut to have mine done and was in hospital 5 days, bit painful and sore for a couple of days after but they give you morphine for the pain which is great woo woo:-D you have to take it easy for six weeks after I mean you are bound to feel weak after that I was back at work no problems, When you have had it done you will think why did I worry so much;-)
I havn’t read through all the posts but wanted to say please do not worry.
I had a hysterectomy about 14 years ago. I had my 4 year old grandaughter to look after (I have custody of her), no husband or anyone to help. I had the op and came home a few days later and the same night had to cook a meal for my little grandaughter.
From the next day I was caring for her doing our cooking, cleaning and washing. Luckily I had enough food in to last a week. I couldn’t drive for about 4 weeks as the seatbelt was uncomfortable to wear so after a week I got on my bike and cycled to the supermarket to do shopping and come home weighed down on the handlebars.
It would have been nice to have someone to help a bit but I didn’t and we managed and I had and never have had any ill effects from the operation, in fact I can remember on my check up and when I had my stitches out the doctors being amazed at how quickly I had recovered and how good everything was looking.
It was a case of having to and having a positive mind and not thinking I must sit around resting all of the time.
Cycling to the shops for the first 3 weeks did tire me but a 30 min rest on the sofa when I got back helped enormously.
I honestly believe looking back, being on my own helped me and if I had, had people running round after me my recovery would have been slower.
I wish you all the best for Tuesday and a speedy recovery.
Kazz, I am so grateful for your story it is not babble and I appreciate your open honesty and generosity very much…
Treacle, Thanks for the reassurance. I must admit to being scared of the cut and the fact that I am not very good at getting around now makes me worry that I will take ages to get well again.
I cannot get over your story, I mean I have been told that you can’t even lift a kettle, leave alone cook a meal. I would have been scared that I would pop my stitches, they say even laughing or coughing is uncomfortable.
If they had known at the hospital that you were not going to rest I bet they would never have let you go home, but in other countries women don’t get the chance to rest after childbirth and surgery and they seem to get over things really quickly. I think poitive thinking knowing that you have to get well as there is no other way must have a bearing on your recovery. Thank you for telling us your brave and in some ways sad story. I hope you are happy now.
Thanks all, I am still settled but shaky settled. Putting some bits in a bag, don’t really know what to take would love to fill a bag full of good books, hand lotions, and just sit in bed, read and pamper my paws.
I will probably be in hospital, they tell me for ten days as I am a large lady who will need time to heal, I am drinking loads of vitamin C and eating plenty of fruit so that my system will remain regular…
I hope hubs is ok, he will be alright with the dog and hopefully our neighbours will see that he is alright. I hope so he has had such a lot of things to worry about that this seems so unfair for us.
Anyway before I start being maudling again. See you all soon. Love Cate and thank you for your friendship.
Hope all goes well, i’ll be thinking of you Chin up & dont be worrying, you’re not the one doing the surgery & those that are know what they’re doing Look forward to reading your ‘Im out’ thread telling us it was all a doddle xx
Thinking of you Cate :-), go ahead, fill that bag with books and hand lotion and pamper yourself a little , why not .
Those scented wipes are good too for freshening up when you can’t get out and about .
Brilliant idea I will put some in my bag. The nurse from the ward rang this morning a courtesy call to find out if I am going to turn up. She said not to worry too much about the size of the bag as some people bring in suit cases!!!
Any hoooo, I have bunged in the Oil of Olay, hand cream, wipes (both bum and face) several books that you don’t have to think too hard about.
Just waiting around now as I have arranged for some cleaners to come in tomorrow and clean up a bit and do some bed stripping and laundry.
Thinking of having a curry tonight, I wonder if that is appropriate???
