Holly’s Robotic Hysterectomy

daVinci Robotic Hysterectomy
Age at Surgery 43
Location: Easton, PA, USA

After seeing my doctor about problems with my period being long and heavy, he suggested doing the Novasure endometrial ablation. So we went ahead and did that in September of 2012. During that procedure, he found fibroids and polyps, so he removed them.
Everything was going great after having the ablation. I had NO periods for over 3 years.
Then it hit me! I started having such pain in my lower right abdomen, it felt like I was in labor! The first time this happened was a weekend, so I went to the ER because I didn’t know what was wrong. It was dismissed as a urinary tract infection. So they sent me home with a prescription for Cipro. I called my gynecologist the following Monday and explained what happened, and was told to just wait until my scheduled appointment (routine yearly pap test) which was about 8 days away. So I waited in pain, taking Advil every few hours for a couple of days, the the pain went away in about 3 days.

On the day of my appointment, I told my doctor everything that had happened to me that weekend, (he wasnt happy with his receptionist for making me wait) he sent me for an ultrasound. The results presented with signs of Adenomyosis. He told me he would like to do a hysterectomy, but it was up to me to decide. He also said it would not get better, it would only get worse. Well, I decided I didn’t want the hysterectomy, I’d just deal with the pain when it came, because at that time it was only periodic, lasted a few days, and Advil helped. BIG MISTAKE! Fast forward a year… I was now getting the pain EVERY MONTH! And every month it got worse! I decided to speak to him again at my yearly exam in March of this year, 2016. I told him I was ready, that I couldn’t take it anymore, and I wanted it out! So off I go for another ultrasound to see if it had changed at all. It did, not much, but enough to cause worsening of symptoms. So we went ahead and scheduled the surgery.

I had the DaVinci hysterectomy under general anesthesia, with the removal of my cervix and tubes, but kept my ovaries so I could go through natural menopause. When I woke up in recovery, the nurse asked me if I was in pain, and when I said yes, she gave me Dilaudid through my IV.
Now normally, after any other surgery I’ve had, I was able to go home within a few hours. But NOT that day!

I had a bad reaction to the Dilaudid, and was vomitting ALL DAY! I couldn’t keep anything down, and I was vomiting so hard, I actually peed myself 3 times! I was so embarassed, but the nurse said “honey, you’re not the only one this has happened to, trust me. Don’t worry about it!” I did go home the same day, but it wasn’t until after 9:00 p.m., and I was wheeled in for my surgery at 6:30 that morning. So I ended up being at the hospital for 15 hours!

I got home from the hospital around 10:00 p.m. and laid down for a while because I vomited again right before I got in the car to go home. I was so sick that day! Finally I decided my stomach felt a bit better, so I managed to eat a piece of peanut butter toast, which I was able to keep down. I made my recovery area and sleeping arrangements on the couch and recliner in my living room, because the Dr. didn’t want me to climb the stairs unless I had to for the first 2 weeks, plus I have a half bath on the first floor that’s in close proximity to the couch. I only went up the stairs once a day to shower.

My recovery went smooth. I listened to everything the doctor told me, no vacuuming or other housework until I saw him for my two week check up. I was then released to do the vacuuming but I was still not allowed to pick up anything heavy. I had to wait until my 6 week check up so he could check internally to see how I was healing. The internal exam was painless, he said my cuff healed “beautifully”, and I was released for everything, including intercourse. He told me to just take it slow and easy for a few weeks. The only problem I had, was after the 5th time we had sex, there was a little spotting and cramping, so my Dr. told me no sex for a week, and come see him if it happens again. Well… to be on the safe side, I told hubby he said TWO weeks. So we waited, and everything has been fine.

As far as health goes… I still get tired sometimes, and I still get a little crampy around the time of ovulation because I kept my ovaries, but overall I feel pretty good. I also lost about 15 pounds since my surgery, so that’s a plus.

I’m just so happy to FINALLY have no more pain! This was probably the best decision I could’ve made for my health, because not only was the Adenomyosis confirmed, but I also had Endometriosis starting on the outside of my uterus, and there were more fibroids and polyps in there again. Thank God all the tests came back ok!

Advice I would give to anyone considering a hysterectomy… Don’t be afraid! Most of the stories you read on the Internet are horror stories. Remember… not many people post about positive experiences, except for this site. This was the ONLY site I found that was extremely informative, and positive. It actually helped me make the ultimate decision to have it done, and I don’t regret it for one second!

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