How the Hysterectomy Went - Recovery Day 1

“It's sad I don't remember what Planet Disco was like, but they say if you remember Planet Disco, you weren't really there.” — Emily, 1 Day Since Uterus Eviction Day

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In This Episode:

• I got out! Let’s talk about the procedure!

• I start off the episode talking about the day of the hysterectomy and how I prepared to go to the hospital the morning of.

• I’m so glad I bought big roomy sweats for recovery. They’ve been great!

• There was a lot of waiting, a lot of annoying prep stuff, a lot of medical professionals, including a med student from Yale, who I hope still remembers the sparkly-haired lady with Adenomyosis.

• The Adenomyosis book I refer to is Maria Yeager’s Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder

• Growing up, going to a Christian school, the information about menstruation and reproduction was mixed, at best. That experience created a lot of needless shame, guilt, and embarrassment for years, which contributed to ongoing discomfort around doctors and medical staff. Luckily, pregnancy helped me overcome a lot of that and actually fosters my interest in the biological aspects.

• It’s so nice seeing medical professionals typing notes during exams when I’m talking about my condition and symptoms, rather than nodding along, brushing it off, or ignoring everything I saw. It wasn’t until I saw a medical professional who really listened that I felt seen, heard, and taken care of.

•  Chronic People-Pleasers, I’m talking to you – I know how hard it can be to advocate for yourself, especially to dismissive professionals who act like they know everything. I truly hope you can find the strength to keep going, keep pushing, let you voice be heard <3

• After the procedure, I’m in pain, but it’s a different kind of pain! I may even feel lighter, but I’m definitely taking it slow and easy.

• When I went under, I blasted off to Planet Disco!

• Warning: Coughing after a hysterectomy will feel like coughing after one of the most intense ab workouts! Holding a pillow against my abs helped.

• Guess what they found while I was under! “A little endo!” Actually, there was endometriosis in 3 spots that my doctor and another doctor were able to get out as much as they could.

• After the surgery, I was quickly escorted to the bathroom and was told to urinate, but not to strain or force it, which made me question if others usually do this and have to be told not to? Hmm.

• I don’t know why I expected my post-hysterectomy bleeding to be more like post-childbirth. 

• I can’t emphasize enough !! how important it is to keep on top of your pain meds schedule. I know it really helped my pain to stick to my every 4 hours/ibuprofen/tylenol cycle. That said, I had to get off the oxycodone ASAP because it made me extra ornery, especially around touchy subjects.

• I know I’ll miss driving, but I can already tell this healing period will be worth it.

• One thing the pains meds don’t help with is the gas pain after. They fill you with air during the surgery, but it’s painful when it’s still inside your body afterwards. Especially around the shoulders, for some weird reason!

• I’m so glad I didn’t throw away my breastfeeding pillow because I ended up using it for support and for sleeping.

• Do your breathing :) 

• I’m glad I did it! I’m glad my doctor listened to me and I got to go Planet Disco!

Note from Future-Emily:

I have a GP now! Don’t @ me :)

Additional Links and Resources:

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• Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic

• Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic

• Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager 

• Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook

• Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4

• HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories

• Tara Brach’s Podcast and Radical Acceptance Book

• Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed

• Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed

Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about.

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