Due to my medical reasons, my hysterectomy was a “blessing” – Karen’s Story

I have an enormous Thank you for “The Hysterectomy Association” who gave me a lot of useful and gratefully accepted information, support and advice and supplied me with a book – 101 Handy Hint for a Happy Hysterectomy, which was a fantastic help.

I am 47 and have a small frame, I am a size 8 so my periods even with taking contraceptives was very slight and some months they did not happen at all. In May 2009 I began having heavy periods which lasted for 14 days with 1 weeks break in between, this I was concerned about so I had a Doctors appointment who explained that the cause of this was that I had Fibroids.

I had a scan which showed I had 2 Fibroids of 6cm, I was prescribed Norethisterone to stop the bleeding which I had to take 3 times a day until my Hysterectomy. As a result of the Fibroids and Norethisterone I had to urinate quite frequently, my bladder capacity was reduced substantially, this was so very annoying and very disruptive in my daily routine! I also put on weight in my stomach area which was so frustrating.

I was requested by my Doctor to have a blood test on 30 October 2009 which showed that because of my long and heavy periods my blood count was low. That evening I was telephoned by my Doctor who told me that in the next hour and Ambulance was arriving to take me to Hospital as I was being admitted to be given blood that I was low on. My blood infusion took 2 days. I didn’t realise that I was low on blood and the effects it had given me, such as needing a lot more sleep and feeling weaker. After the blood transfusion my sleeping pattern etc was so much improved.

After being advised by my Doctor that I needed a Hysterectomy I had to stop taking contraceptives immediately. After various Hospital visits to check my health and ability for General Anaesthetic I was admitted to Hospital on 8 March 2011. I was obviously very concerned about the operation but really there was no need for me to be anxious in the slightest at all.

I had a Total Abdominal Hysterectomy leaving my Ovaries in that afternoon, obviously I was under General Anaesthetic and the operation took 2 hours. After I had woken up from the G.A. I was put back to the Ward where I had unpacked my belongings, I can honestly say that I felt so much better than I ever thought I would, it was so hard to believe that I’d had an operation to remove my womb. The only evidence to show that I’d had a Hysterectomy was a dressing over my stomach and a very minimal pain in my stomach. I was checked by the surgeon on Thursday 10 March and thankfully told that I was in a very fit state to be discharged. I always maintain that the best possible place to recover is in your own home so I was very pleased with that.

The thing that I found most difficult to handle after being given a General Anaesthetic was not being able to drive for 6 weeks after which took my freedom away and I had to rely on other people for taking me grocery shopping etc. I initially felt a bit tired but that soon resolved itself.

For the first week I had blood from my vagina and my stomach muscles felt very weak for a couple of weeks in a way that because of pain and weakness I could not bend over or kneel down and getting in and out of bed took a lot of time to do comfortably. I did the suggested stomach exercises which strengthened them and at three weeks after they were back to their original standard.

At 6 weeks after the operation I started driving again, I found this such a relief to be back to my normal way of living. I was overly panicking about the operation but from the absolute minimal suffering that I was caused I have to admit that the hysterectomy for me was a “blessing.”

Just below my Bikini line I have a very slight scar and I have so many advantages from it and have absolutely no disadvantages at all. If any lady needs a hysterectomy there are not any bad points whatsoever to relate to it at all, I feel like a revived woman now.

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in my own words book cover Now available on our online store and all other online book store’s. In My Own Words: Women’s Experience of Hysterectomy is full of many other real-life stories from women the world over.