Tina’s Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

Laparoscopic Hysterectomy
Age at Surgery 56
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Started menopause in mid 40s, due to lack of sleep from hot flushes during night, went onto HRT several years later and remained on HRT until the operation. In the last 2 years I developed monthly bleeding and PMS was all the time. I was having bad cramps and severe pain near the groin area. It was thought I had severe menopause and I had no problem deciding that the best course of action was to have the ‘lot’ taken out and see what happens. My professional life and personal life were both suffering from the ‘fallout’.

General anesthesia and stayed in hospital 2 nights. I was in the ward just after 5 pm as the operation was late afternoon. I did not feel much pain until about 6 hours later, at which time I had a bad reaction to the morphine and the gas. It took several hours for this to settle down.

As I lived alone, I was a little scared when bleeding started and became heavy. Later determined I had developed an infection which was cleared up with a course of antibiotics.

Besides the bleeding, my recovery was pretty easy considering.

I did not have much time to think about life after a hysterestomy as my operation occurred within a week of going on the waiting list at the hospital.

My greatest challenge was restricting myself to not lifting more than a kilo or stretching etc. I did both and that is why I started bleeding. Living alone and trying to do normal things was challenging. Not understanding where internal stitches were located as I had some bruising develop and I was not sure if I had ‘ripped’ any of them or if I had serious internal bleeding.

6 weeks after the operation I saw the specialist early December and started moving around as normal as I could. The adjustment into menopause again has been difficult and the specialist has increased my medication. I took time off work throughout the entire period and at this stage will return to work shortly. I just need to get the ‘heat’ under control first.

I have put on weight and I am now slowly exercising.

My morale or if you like, my mental health had been low since the time I went home after the operation to just after Christmas. I am grappling with the diseases the biopsy found and the future ramifications.

I am very glad I had the hysterectomy. The diseases would not have been found and may have eventually caused cancers.

From my military service, I have several conditions impacting my entire spine and subsequent muscle groups. I have found slowly yet surely, that as the tension caused by the ‘severe menopause’ is easing and the pain / discomfort is lessening. I don’t get the migraines / headaches as much.

If you have any existing health / medical conditions which would require treatment whilst you are in hospital and recovering at home, make sure you organise assistance before you go into hospital. I thought I would be able to get physiotherapy on my neck and shoulders whilst in hospital and the physio would not do anything without a referral. I did not have time to arrange for any care at home or for home visits by a physio. I thought that the hospital would arrange this for me.

I also had an operation years ago which stopped acid from rising from my stomach. This means that nothing can rise from ny stomach i.e. vomit. Heaving is pretty awful and is very painful. The canula did not allow for anything to be added to it and was not able to have immediate relief from anti nausea medication. I did not make this clear to the medical staff when I arrived at the hospital.

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