Thanks again for your encouraging words and also a big thanks to Marian who is a good friend. She looks after dogs, takes them for walks when their owners can’t and just generally is their best friend when mum and dad go on holiday. We met when she had to look after our precious Ruud and he told us what a good person she was so we took his advise and have never regretted it.
I am doing a bit of washing up and have changed the water in the flower vases… I have emptied bins and made drinks all with rests in between . I am at that stage when I think I will never have energy again.
Geordie Girl that is something to aim for walking is not too much of a problem.
May I just say to all you ladies that I found that I had cancerous cells completely by accident.
Five years ago after I had not had a period for about a year I started to bleed again. I didn’t think much of it but mentioned it to my GP who made a gynae appointment. The doctor at the hospital found that I had polyps and she removed them right there and then. When the results of the biopsy came back it was all clear.
I started to bleed again at the end of July and thought that it was those bloomin polyps again. Another Gynae appointment but no signs of the size polyp which would cause such heavy bleeding.
The biopsy came back that I had cancerous cells, and by September it was all taken away.
We all know our bodies by now we have worn them long enough, so I must beg all of you if you feel that there is something wrong particularly bleeding after menopause see you doctor. Please don’t ignore it remember even if a smear test is clear it only means that your cervix is ok not all the other bits and pieces that you have hidden away in your tum.
Many ladies say that after a hysterectomy they feel great as often the doctor will put right other bits and pieces which over time have gone wrong. A prolapsed bladder or bowl can be put right. Also your womb might be pressing on your bladder causing water work problems.
I believe that we should be talking about this. After all most of us have had babies so we don’t have much dignity left anyway. (Remember chatting to the doctor while he sat ladies bits telling you to push)
Many of us would prefer to ignore and hope it goes away but please don’t and if a friend tells you about something unusual happening to her body tell her to see her doctor, he won’t mind her wasting his time and it could be something quite simple. This hysterectomy will be forgotten this time next year and I hope that because of it I shall be around to tell the tale for a long long time/.
Hi Cate, thank you so much for your kind words!! You’ve made my day and it works both ways as you’ve also been a good friend to me and helped me out when I’ve needed it :-) Glad to see you back where you belong and that you are gradually starting to feel better. Thanks for the advice as well which we all need to be aware of. See you soon btw I really like this forum so because of you have gone from being a lurker to a participater
Well said Cate,never ever ignore any bleeding post.menopausal,Iwas very lucky too,the time between going to see my GP ans having my op was less than 5weeks.I think Cate and I have a lot of notes to compare:-)
I am so glad that you will be one of us Marian, these guys and gals cheer you up when you are down and listen to your rantings when you want to rant. I have just done a Tesco shop on line and I feel as if I lifted every package, bottle and tin into and out of the trolley this feeling tired malarky is all very well but I can’t wait for it to wear off.
Patience, patience Cate at least you are trying to do small jobs and the feeling you are getting is a sure sign that you are starting to recover and the tiredness is a warning to take things slowly and not over do it
The feeling of being so tired is surprising Cate, it was one of the things I wasn’t prepared for. I am pleased that you are back on the forum, but don’t try to do too much - it is so important to rest up. I did too much too soon and ended up back in hospital, which prolonged my recovery.
You are right, Cate, nobody should ignore symptoms like unexplained bleeding. I think we should all talk about these things more freely. If experiences can be sensibly shared it can help people such a lot. Take care.
So sorry that you ended up back in hospital. I may be wrong and speaking out of line here but some of the nurses on the gynae ward were experienced angels. I told one of these that the only way I could explain myself to her was that when I saw her or a couple of others on duty, I felt I would be safe and well looked after.
Some of the nurses on the ward seemed to just read a script so that on the day after your op they wanted you up and in the shower, the second day up showered and sitting up after a brief walk around the ward.
One lady was very nervous and begged to be allowed to stay in bed as she said she wasn’t feeling well enough to shower she was a very large lady and very scared that her stitches would come open when she moved. The nurses all assurred her that this just didn’t happen. She gingerly got up and went into the shower, all hell broke lose when she pulled the alarm because her stitches had come undone, she had to go back into theatre as an emergency, and she had eaten breakfast which complicated things.
All hysterectomy patients are not the same if six ladies have the op there will be six different problems or no problems at all.
I know the shorter time we are in hospital the less likely we are to get infections but sometimes I felt as if I were on a conveyor belt.
Please don’t get me wrong the NHS is the bees knees as far as I am concerned I just think some of the managers are more worried about number crunching than patients.
I think we have bean counters on both sides of the Pond. When I was born, ladies stayed in the hospital for about a week.Now, it’s getting like the woman in Pearl Buck’s book who stopped plowing, went under a tree and had the baby, then got up and finished plowing …
But you’re spot on about hospital infections being more likely the longer you’re in, I was so relieved to get out unscathed!
Although I would not directly say anything to someone who was being admitted, I do think it is quite frightening to be in hospital undergoing surgery Cate and you are right it often does seem a bit like a conveyor belt - and in a way I suppose it is. Hospital stays seem to get shorter and shorter which is generally a good thing, but it is all rush, rush, rush and the nurses don’t get as much time to spend with patients as they should.
In my case, because my favourite flatcoated retriever was old and dying, I was desperate to get home for him, so I pestered my surgeon and came out after 4 nights, insisting I felt better than I actually did, but it was a mistake. I did too much and I thought I could kneel down washing the floor and my wound opened up so I had to go back in. It was very silly of me and I worried my husband Brian, my family and frightened myself. I don’t think it was all my own fault though because they said I had a wound infection (which does sometimes happen after surgery and cause problems). If I had stayed in I would still have had the infection and had difficulties with my wound, but it did make me realise I’d been very foolish. I didn’t regret spending a bit more time with my dear old Zac and doing right by him though.
My husband’s Aunt did, she never married and was a very private lady. I didn’t know till after she had died the full measure of her problem believing it to have been cancer of the bowel.
Although I would not directly say anything to someone who was being admitted, I do think it is quite frightening to be in hospital undergoing surgery
Rena darlin’ - have been in hospital 5 times for surgery in the last 7 years, wasn’t scared at all - had my knees and hips replaced, (was even conscious on the operating table for every operation). I know my surgeon and have every trust in him - he’s a lovely man, and his wife is my G.P.
I had to go in to have a growth removed from my arm last year and admit to being apprehensive but not frightened at all. BUT… if I had to go in for a hysterectomy to have ‘bits’ removed like a few of our brave ladies here have, I would be inwardly terrified … that is a huge operation to cope with, both mentally and physically.
I think you must be quite brave to go through all that Uncle Joe - I have always been full of aprehension every time I’ve had surgery. I should have confidence and trust, but I think it is the lack of control and being in someone else’s hands that I don’t like. I am a very bad patient.
Aerolor, my heart goes out to you. Iwas fortunate and have no wound but because of that I have other complications. All in all I have to say that if I must have another operation (knees) I shall ask more questions, I don’t know if I could be brave enough to be awake, the great thing is to go to sleep and wake up and it is all over.
Yes, the lack of control is a definite element in the fear; especially if it’s the very first time you’ve been in hospital and having surgery. I was quite terrified at the prospect of colon surgery. I did have faith in my surgeon, and she said I did well, and they got all of the tumor which had NOT metastasized. It’s been six months but I don’t feel I still have 100% of my strength back; maybe never will, bit I’m not complaining, just glad to be here!
Glad to see you back where you belong 
and that you are gradually starting to feel better. Thanks for the advice as well which we all need to be aware of. See you soon 
