Karen’s Total Abdominal Hysterectomy

Type of Hysterectomy: Complete

Age at surgery: 65

Location: Oak Ridge, TN.

I started bleeding, which I knew was not right at my age, so I went to my NP. She sent me to a OB GYN in Oak Ridge. He did a pap smear, and internal scan which showed possible cancer. He scheduled a D & C which showed up bad, so he scheduled a complete hysterectomy. Everything really moved fast. I first saw Dr. Peters on April 13, and had the surgery on May 13.

Everyone was very friendly and efficient at getting me checked into the hospital. I was there for one night. I know I was put under for the surgery, but don’t know the exact anesthesia used. I’m very lucky to have a daughter-in-law as a best friend, so she went and stayed with me, taking me to her house the next where I was well taken care of.

I stayed tired and sore longer than I thought I would, but I also have health issues which might have had something to do with it; fibro, asthma, hypothyroidism, etc. I was also very sore and my upper stomach hurt a lot for about four months afterward. I asked the doctor about it, and was told that he worked on me down there and not up around my stomach area. I looked it up on line at several sites and found out that a lot of women have the same pain after a hysterectomy. For me, the greatest challenge was getting my energy back and discovering what the pain in my stomach was. I was released on June 29, to do whatever I wanted to. And was cancer free!! I was concerned about whether I would need hormones or not and if I would notice a difference in my life, but I have not.

I don’t have any worries about the cancer anymore, and it runs huge in my family. The only thing I noticed was having a period at 65 years of age and now that’s it’s behind, I’m very glad about it.

Trust your doctors and know why you need the surgery. Prepare for healing, some pain, getting energy back and don’t rush it. My doctor thought I would be ready for anything in a week, but it took me longer than that.