It took me a little while to write this, but I had a good excuse — I was recovering from surgery. This is the story of my hysterectomy at age 29. (I’ll be 30 this Friday!)
If you’re new here, you can begin with my earlier post “Girl Talk in Too Much Detail” and follow the rest of my experience under the Hysterectomy tag on my blog.
Friday, September 14th: The Big Day
My surgery was scheduled for 11:45, and we were instructed to arrive at 10:00. It felt strange not to have my morning coffee — I kept reaching for it and stopping myself because of the fasting rules. Technically I could have had coffee until 6:00 a.m., but that wasn’t practical when I didn’t have to get up that early.
My mother-in-law had flown in the day before to care for the kids. It was a huge relief to know they were in good hands.
Pre-Op
When Nate and I arrived, they brought me back and handed me the customary hospital gown. Then we waited. You know that “hurry up and wait” feeling? That was it. My nerves rose and I felt like crying. Nate stayed close, but those minutes before surgery are always scary. My mom had sent a gift for the hospital — a soft purple hippo she’d hugged for me to hug when I needed a hug from her. It was perfect. I held it a lot.
Our pastor stopped by to pray with us, and that brought a calm I desperately needed. Hearing his prayer reminded me I was in the Lord’s hands. As he left he asked, “So are you going to blog about this?” Absolutely — I couldn’t not share it.
Things picked up quickly after that: IV placement, the doctor’s final review, a short talk with the anesthesiologist. Once the IV was in, I asked about the “happy juice” I’d heard of. The nurse gave me a dose and said if I needed more to ask. It relaxed me and erased much of my short-term memory — a blessing for that anxious time.
I remember being wheeled back with Nate walking beside me some of the way and, reportedly, insisting on one last kiss. After transferring to the operating table everything went black for me. The Versed had already put me in la-la land; I don’t recall the usual counting down — I was out.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up.
Recovery
Waking felt dreamy rather than abrupt. It took me a few minutes to place myself and remember the surgery. I noticed a pinching sensation in my side and saw the clock — it read 3:00 p.m. I whispered to the nurse that I was in pain, and she administered medication through my IV.
I asked whether the surgery had been laparoscopic and if my cervix and ovaries had been preserved. The nurse reassured me it was laparoscopic and that my cervix and ovaries were intact. My doctor had apparently spoken to me, but I have no memory of that conversation — a strange consequence of the meds.
The post-op nurse kindly brought Nate back even though policy typically didn’t allow it; I’d been asking for him and seeing his face made me feel secure and truly okay.
The Roommate
Around 4:30 they took me to a room — with a roommate. Anesthesia left me a bit grumpy, and the small space with a constantly beeping monitor frustrated me. I sat up and, relieved that movement didn’t hurt nearly as much as my previous four C-sections, declared I wouldn’t stay in that noisy room. I wanted a private room on the maternity floor where there was more space and quieter surroundings. The nursing supervisor listened, promised to move me when a room opened, and set things in motion.
Finally, Some Rest
An hour later I was in a private room and finally able to relax. I needed oral pain meds but had to eat something first because I felt a bit nauseous. Soup and saltines arrived; it took me a long time to nibble a little because my mouth was so dry from the anesthesia.
After that I mostly rested and slept, sipping soup when I could. I even sat up and walked to a chair within half an hour of being settled, grateful that the pain was mild compared to my C-sections.
The next morning they removed my catheter and IV and my doctor visited. She confirmed everything went well and expected a quick recovery, even saying I could probably pick up my little one after a few days if I used good judgment. That eased my mind. She gave me photos taken during the surgery — images of my uterus, an ovary, and my appendix — which my nine-year-old found fascinating.
Home
I was discharged about 24 hours after arriving at the hospital. It felt wonderful to return home and see my children and my mother-in-law. I slept most of the afternoon and through the night; I had never felt so tired.
The first night I became nauseated after removing the anti-nausea patch behind my ear because it irritated my skin. We couldn’t get a pharmacy prescription until morning, so I took some leftover Zofran from a previous pregnancy and that finally helped me sleep.
Continued Recovery
The first few days I rested and slept a lot. On Monday I noticed thrush in my mouth from the antibiotics given during surgery; the doctor promptly prescribed treatment and it cleared up. I supplemented with plain yogurt and probiotics to help my gut recover.
I stayed on stronger pain meds only for a day or two. Having learned from my C-section recoveries that there’s no need to be a hero, I used the medication to rest comfortably and sleep. By the following Saturday I was off all medications, including Motrin.
God has been so good — I’m amazed at how well the recovery has gone. I tried to balance hoping for a quick recovery with listening to my body and not overdoing things. Reading too much about other, more invasive hysterectomies can be discouraging, so I focused on my own laparoscopic supracervical procedure and on healing.
Now
I’m about two and a half weeks post-op and feeling well. My energy isn’t fully back yet — bloodwork showed I was anemic, so I’ve been eating iron-rich foods and taking supplements — but my pain is minimal. My four small incisions are healed and barely noticeable unless you look closely. It still amazes me that this kind of procedure can be done with just tiny incisions: the largest about an inch and the others a third to half an inch each.
For a while we held off on new commitments because the recovery timeline was uncertain. Now I’m ready to get back to normal activities, accept a few projects, and enjoy the season with my family.
I’m so glad to have this behind me. I planned to resume my regular blogging schedule this week, but I’m prioritizing family a bit longer and taking it easy. I appreciate your understanding and your continued support. I also have a few guest posts lined up to keep things moving on the blog.
Flowers from Nate
Read My Complete Hysterectomy Story here:
- Girl Talk in Too Much Detail
- Hysterectomy at Age 30?
- A Surgery Date – Hysterectomy
- I’m Afraid
- Two Days
- Home and Resting
- On the Mend
- My Story: Hysterectomy at Age 29
- Healing
- 7 Weeks Post Hysterectomy
- 6 Months Later…After My Hysterectomy
- 5 Years After a Hysterectomy [2018 Update]
Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at erika at livingwellmom . com (remove spaces). I’ve heard from many women with similar stories, and I always appreciate hearing from you.