r/hysterectomy

Hello all, my beautiful wife would like a hysterectomy. I would really like to support her, but unfortunately we live in America where it would cost more than I can afford. I'll provide some context below, but my main question is what is the best way to afford such expense? Could we go to a different country and get it done?

For background, I am an active duty service member (Airforce) and Tricare does not cover a hysterectomy unless it is medically necessary, I believe. She has not talked to her doctor about it yet.

Would it be best to go to a different country such as Mexico or Europe to get this done? We have to save up the money and we plan to save for 5 years to get enough money, maybe take out a loan if we determine it's worth it to do it sooner.

Thank you for your help.

It's been about 8 years since my hysterectomy and I haven't had any medical complications whatsoever; however, my new partner has noticed mood swings and I'm wondering if it's hormone/period related (I've been single most of the time since my surgery, so it wasn't a factor before). I'd like to be able to find when I'm "on my period" and wondering if anyone had a reliable way to track it? Most products I saw tend to be geared towards ovulation and peeing on the stick daily, so wondering if someone here has found something easier.

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks post op. Laparoscopic turned open abdominal, left the ovaries. My bladder pain is really bad. I did two rounds of antibiotics, at first they suspected a bladder infection then they didn’t know after that but whatever I took the second time finally got rid of the extreme fever and chills.

A few days ago I couldn’t get out of bed because the pain was so bad and had to have my husband carry me to the toilet. I don’t ever feel the urge to pee anymore, I just feel pain. Then when I pee I feel minimal relief and like my bladder is still full.
When I’m walking I really have to support my abdomen because I feel like my insides are trying to bounce out with every step and it hurts.

This really sucks!

I have my follow up appointment with my surgeon this week.

Hey all, just wondering if anyone may have had a similar experience post-hysterectomy?

Had total hysterectomy is 2013 at 30 for cervical adenocarcinoma in situ. I also had a lengthy history of stage 4 endometriosis so the hysterectomy made most sense for me. They left my ovaries but in 2014 I had my left ovary removed due to a mass (non-cancerous).

I am confirmed post menopausal and have been on estrogen only HRT patch since 2020. Had tried adding progesterone but it made me feel very mentally unwell.

I saw my GP last month who strongly suggested I try progesterone again because I had been spotting over the last 8 months. Not bright red but very light usually and what looks like flecks of old tissue and usually brownish.

I am on 75 Estradot patch, one spray of lenzetto estrogen spray, vaginal estrogen gel insert, and started duphaston progesterone last month.

Wondering if anyone has ever had spotting years after a hysterectomy? My gp wasn’t too concerned it was something sinister given my history of endo and my taking unopposed estrogen for so long, but I’m just curious if this can be common when there is no cervix or uterus. OR, if anyone has ever been through anything similar with a similar back/endo diagnosis.

I did email my doctor last week and I’m waiting for a response but thought I’d ask here in the meantime.

Thanks!

I’m a little concerned about the lack of physical movement I’ll be doing for 6-8 weeks.

I exercise daily. It’s either walking or cardio. I try to get a good sweat at least four days of the week. I recently got back into jogging. I’m sad I’ll have to stop that for at least a few months.

I work out not only for fitness & physical well-being, But also for my mental health.

I’ve had multiple c sections and I walked a lot during that time. But I feel like my body will be more delicate during the hysterectomy recovery.

Of course, I will be doing exactly what my physician recommends but I am curious how things are going for others who are typically very active .

I love power walking (I don't run anymore, for joint health preservation) and I lift weights. When would I be able to do both after surgery if everything goes smoothly? Thanks a lot.

Hi! I’m going to have a hysterectomy where they will remove my uterus and fallopian tubes, keeping my ovaries.Will I need HRT or anything like that after the operation?
I’m a bit worried because I have migraine with aura, which I know can increase the risk of stroke if combined with certain types of HRT. From what I’ve read, low-dose or standard-dose transdermal HRT, like patches or gel/cream, is usually considered safer.
For those of you who have had this type of surgery: did you need HRT afterwards? And if so, did you have to take pills or a higher dose, or was a low-dose patch/gel enough?

I found it so helpful to read about other people's experiences healing after going through this surgery. I was so nervous making the decision to move forward, but knowing what to expect helped me prepare in so many ways. I just thought I'd share how things are going so far, in hopes it can help someone else. I'll try to keep updating along the way.

Day of surgery:

Anxiety started to hit hard while I was in preop. Was wanting to change my mind, but knew I'd just have to go through all of this again. Surgery went well, but they did end up taking one of my ovaries due to bleeding, and I needed a little more repair work than originally planned. Had hysterectomy, sacrocolpopexy, bladder sling, and rectocele repair.

I could not stay awake after surgery. I was absolutely exhausted. Thankfully, I opted to stay the night, I don't know how I would've come home.

Surgery was at 9 am, and I slept continuously until 2am except to swallow pills the nurses were bringing me. Pain was well managed with tylenol and ibuprofen. I had a catheter, so I never got out of bed.

1DPO thankfully passed the void trial and got to have the catheter removed. I found the catheter slightly uncomfortable and felt a constant need to pee. happy to be going home to my own bed today. I was much more alert but still slept a considerable amount. Pain was a little more noticeable due to me moving around more. Still not terrible pain, but GasX has been great for relieving some of the pressure.

2DPO took short walks down my hallway just to move my legs. My legs get tired very easily, so I don't get too much walking in yet. Felt good to take a shower today and removed the bandaids covering the steri strips. Incisions don't look bad. minimal to no bruising as of yet. Belly might be a little swollen. I use ice on my stomach often. I've been lucky enough to be able to sleep on my side since the first night home from the hospital. I find it helps to take off some more pressure if I can be on my side some of the time.

3DPO been awake much more today. Appetite still way down. Pain is tolerable, but I can tell when it's about time for my next dose of meds. Sat down for a while in the morning, but I learned that sitting down causes too much pressure. For now, I'll stick to walking or laying down. Petrified to have a bowel movement, but also know I need to have one at some point. Still taking Stool softener and miralax. Appetite is still down, but I'm trying to increase so I have enough calories for healing. Food does not seem appealing. I'm happy to have protein shakes to help with that. Feels like a big day because I had a shower and a visitor and managed to stay awake much longer today.

I'm probably having a laparoscopic hysterectomy for fibroids in a few weeks. The plan is for my ovaries to remain, I'm not sure yet about my cervix. I'm expecting a call from my gynecologist in the next few says in which we will confirm everything.

I'm not super nervous about the surgery but sort of dreading the recovery time. I'm always an over-planner so my brain has just been spooling.

I have a few questions for the community:

- What are some things you wish you'd asked your doctor before surgery?

- What are some things about recovery that surprised you?

- What are some things you'd recommend preparing or purchasing ahead of time? (I'm thinking comfort items, OTC meds, things to make daily life easier.)

When I had my hysterectomy they said I genetic defect and it causes certain cancers and I’m at a higher risk….
Looking for advice on anyone who has this and how you can best help your health

Did anyone else go through a depressive phase around this time? I’m trying to get back to normal and work out etc but the depression is just absolutely terrible. I don’t want to go on antidepressants just yet (have been on them for almost 15yrs and finally tapered off successfully this Jan). Is this just a hormonal thing? Will it pass soon? Experience and advice deeply appreciated 🙏🏾

Edit: total hysterectomy, kept both ovaries. Should’ve added that

Hey there. A week ago I had a hysterectomy, for grade 1 endometrial carcinoma. Still waiting for the results of the pathology. I would like to know what recommendations you could give me about what is normal during this postoperative time and I would also like to know how long it took for you with the vaginal discharge to dissappear after the surgery. If you could give me any advice for the future, I’d be very thankful.

My bride had a hysterectomy with endo excision almost a week ago. She's had significant pain since and is still taking heavy painkillers. I've of course been doing all the cooking, cleaning, etc. But from your experience, what things might I not think of that that would help her or make things easier?

Hi all… I have a 4cm submuscosal and am going to schedule a myomectomy via hysteroscopy at end of the month. If it is not successful I will most likely move forward with removing the uterus. Wondering what your experiences are with this? I am considering just jumping straight to removing uterus but have a work trip in mid August and I have heard energy levels can be down after uterus removal. How down were you? Ive been bleeding heavily for going on 4 months and anemic for months… is it worse than that? Being that I take care of dogs and work for myself I don’t have the option of medical leave. So…. thinking of trying myomectomy to see if we can get it out then going from there (totally trust surgeon as she is very experienced and willing to try). Thanks for your thoughts!

I'm a writer. I write. I love writing. My brain has never felt slower in my life, and it's breaking my heart. I know I'm only 2 weeks out from my surgery, but does this get better soon? And if it doesn't...can you lie to me? I had the memory loss and focus issues at the very beginning, but I thought by now I'd be mentally back together if not physically. Physically, I actually feel fine! Tired, but off pain meds. My poor brain.

I have longer posts about why I chose surgery and my immediate recovery, but here's the short version.

I had absolutely heinous periods for a few years. A transvaginal ultrasound found fibroids, so I decided to yeet my uterus. During surgery they also found adenomyosis and Stage IV endometriosis, and were able to excise some of the endo.

I never questioned whether surgery was the right choice for me, but now, 7 months later, I can confidently say it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I'm pain-free.

The other day I was cleaning my bathroom and realized I could throw away my pain meds and Tums because I don't need them anymore. That really hit me.

The surgery also explained a lot of other health issues I'd been dealing with. My fibroids (and probably the adenomyosis) caused such heavy bleeding that my ferritin dropped to 11. I needed four iron infusions, and I felt noticeably better after the first one. My ferritin is finally in a healthy range.

I was also still having digestive issues after surgery, so I took a Trio-Smart breath test and was diagnosed with SIBO, which can be associated with endometriosis. I completed Rx treatment, made some dietary changes, and I feel dramatically better than I did before.

If I hadn't had the hysterectomy, I probably never would have known I had endometriosis. I also wouldn't have been able to correct my iron deficiency without stopping the constant blood loss. And while SIBO can recur, I feel like I finally understand what's been happening in my body and have a much better chance of managing it.

Right now my focus is on long-term management of endometriosis. There's no cure, but having the disease diagnosed and partially excised has given me a much better starting point.

As for sex, I'm a queer woman and penetrative sex wasn't something I rushed back into. When I finally did, months later, I used plenty of lube and everything was completely fine.

I also healed really well. I only have four tiny scars that are barely visible now. I didn't use scar tape, although a lot of people recommend it.

One thing I do recommend is pelvic floor physical therapy. No one automatically referred me, but it has been incredibly helpful, and I wish it had been part of my standard post-op care.

I went from actively dealing with fibroids, adenomyosis, endometriosis, iron deficiency, and SIBO to mostly focusing on managing endometriosis and keeping my gut healthy. That feels really good.

I completely agree that we need better options. We need earlier diagnosis, better research, better surgery, and doctors who actually listen to women. Surgery and antibiotics were essential parts of my treatment, but nutrition, supplements, pelvic floor therapy, and lifestyle changes have also been important pieces of my recovery.

I hope this helps someone who's trying to decide what to do.

I'm in perimenopause and because I had crazy night sweats, insufferable insomnia, skyrocketing anxiety, whiplash mood swings and overwhelming bouts of rage, my confidence plummeted so deep that I quit what had been my "dream job" because I was crying daily. In my distress, my gyno prescribed me HRT (transdermal estradiol patches + progesterone), even though I still had regular periods. Bless her. It helped so much - I feel capable again.

I have a hysterectomy scheduled in 10 days (uterus, cervix, tubes, and maybe left ovary, TBD during surgery). I'm nervous about ovarian failure and being thrown into surgical menopause. I'm already pretty close (I'm 5 years into peri with 3 years to go to hit when my mom went into menopause) already so maybe the transition wouldn't be too bad. My gyno did say the the HRT should help smooth the transition if it does happen, but I just can't go back to where I was. I absolutely lost myself and it was debilitating. Has anyone else in peri had a hysterectomy while already on HRT and did it help? Especially if you either had your ovaries removed or experienced ovarian failure? TBH this is one of my biggest fears around it. Peri has been monstrous - I'm also ADHD which may be why it's been particularly bad for me. I'd love to hear stories/ experiences.

Hello all,

Officially 4 days post surgery and already bored. What all did or does one do while in recovery?!? 6 weeks is feeling extra long right now, but want to continue to listen to my body. Soooo, what all did you do? Any tips/tricks welcomed.

Edit: added question, how many days did you cycle through Tylenol and Ibuprofen?