Off for surgery on Thursday

[Anabrock]

So I've had my pre-op checks - massive haematoma where they took blood, for reasons I have no idea about. Bad luck? But ECG was fine and I'm assuming bloods are fine as I had them checked recently anyway. My surgery booked for Thursday is a total, abdominal hysterectomy and I'm having my ovaries taken out too, as I've had breast cancer. I've got crazy huge fibroids due to the side-effects of my cancer meds. They're putting pressure on all of my internal organs and upsetting my balance and breathing, so it'll be a relief to be free of them.

My fibro has been flaring so everything hurts, especially my upper body and hands. My feet too. Actually, its only the bit in the middle which doesn't hurt, except when I've got IBS! TMI sorry. The biggest problem was trying to get on beds for tests and sitting down, standing up, go here, go there... all very trying. I'm exhausted now! Trying to focus on the up side, which is a body free of this bowling ball in my belly. Maybe I'll lose instant weight too - it feels like it weighs a ton.

I'm hoping to wake up with a small, horizontal incision as the vertical incision is much more difficult to heal from, but what will be will be. We won't really know until the surgeon gets in there and pokes about. It's a small, local hospital so it should be a much nicer environment than the big, teaching hospital where I had my cancer surgery. Plus, I don't have cancer so that's a big plus. Trying to focus on the positives and not catastrophise!

 

[sunkacola]

Wishing you all the best of luck, @Anabrock !!

 

[Sibergirl]

Praying for you, @Anabrock for the best outcome and that you feel loads feeling better.

 

[SBee]

Best wishes to you @Anabrock I hope all goes according to plan for you. Take care

 

[SBee]

Hi @Anabrock just wanted to know how you are feeling?. I am aware you will face a long time healing, I hope the fibro doesn't kick off in a major way as a result of the additional stresses on your body. So just to say people are thinking of you.

 

[Anabrock]

Hi SB,
I wanted to post an update following my surgery.

Well, it happened. My anaesthetist said there was no way he wanted to do a GA on someone with my history of getting post op pneumonia, post op gastroparesis, not waking up etc. So he did a spinal. I was terrified but took his advice as he knows what he's talking about and I think they must have given me rohypnol because I had zero memory of the operation. Wish I could tell you more but its a complete blank. The spinal was supposed to keep me pain free for another 4-8 hours after surgery, but I kicked it off in 2 (damn!).

My surgeon removed a 2kg (4.2lb) fibroid, plus its friends, to a total of 4.1kg of nonsense - my uterus was the size of a 6 month pregnancy, but absolutely solid, so a lot heavier. She said the fibroids were pressing on important blood vessels to my legs and bowel, as well as impairing my kidneys and diaphragm, so it was much worse than she feared. Time will tell but we suspect some of my alleged fibro symptoms were actually caused by blood supply issues to my legs and various nerves being compressed. She removed my womb and ovaries, as I've had cancer and my oncologist advised it, to reduce my risk of recurrence. So it was a huge operation with a 25cm incision (about 10 inches). I lost 1.7 litres of blood (over 3.5 pints) which was about 30% of my blood volume, but my doctor was confident I could make that up myself without a blood transfusion.

I went home four days later, but unfortunately was readmitted 12 hours after that with suspected sepsis. So another day in critical care and two on the ward, getting IV antibiotics before I came home. The worst of it was I just kept vomiting all the time and had to run to the toilet every 20 minutes, day and night. And I was so hot with a fever and lying on a plastic mattress. We still don't know if it was sepsis, as they did everything they were supposed to do to treat it, but I definitely had some kind of systemic infection. So very scary but I'm home now and doing well - albeit healing more slowly than hoped.

[As a side note, self-satisfied posts on YouTube with people saying hysterectomy is a breeze, and alternatively that no one should ever have one as they are unnecessary, have driven me mad. I felt really down about my complications at first]

I'm still very sore and anaemic, but moving around now. I have to rest a lot but hey, with fibro I know how to handle that. Positive effects so far are that I no longer have reflux, my breathing is much improved, my balance is improved and my feet don't hurt for the first time in forever. Over the next few months we hope to discover which of my health problems were caused by the evil fibroids pressing on things, rather than fibro or hypermobility or whatever, and maybe it's more than I thought.

As you know I was worried this might cause a fibro flare and I felt bad before the surgery, but at the moment I feel fine. I wonder if the fibro was bad because my body was generally struggling and it sort of snuck in when I was weak. Thank you so much for all the messages of encouragement - it really cheered me up, especially at my lowest point.

 

[Sibergirl]

@Anabrock

Thank you for the update. I am so glad you’re doing well and wow that suspected sepsis situation sounds pretty scary and horrific with going to the bathroom every 20 minutes.

I have never had fibroids I’ve never had endometriosis or any of those things, but I’ve known friends who have and my heart is always gone out to them. I can’t believe you dealt with this for so many years. God bless you. And the size of your fibroids and the fact that your uterus was solid and the size of a six month pregnancy oh my goodness!! I hope in a few weeks you positively feel fantastic! My uterus prolapsed when I was 46 and I didn’t want to lose any of my parts so took two years to try to figure out if there was a way I could make it go back up on its own, but it would not, and I had a vag hysterectomy. I kept my ovaries, but I had not had cancer like you did, so your doctor suggesting that everything being taken out was absolutely the right move.

I was actually elated for you to hear that your feet don’t hurt and that quite possibly some of your fibro symptoms were because of those horrible fibroids and your solid uterus pressing on blood vessels. I am just so happy you had the surgery. What a relief!! Your poor body was really struggling.

I know what it’s like to recover from major abdominal surgery because my first baby was my only C-section. It was really hard to be postpartum at 23, caring for and nursing my newborn son, after being cut open. That’s why I worked so hard to make sure that my next two kids were born the “normal way”. It sure made postpartum with them a whole lot easier it was practically a piece of cake.

I’m so glad you’re back. I’ll be looking forward to more of your awesome posts on the forum now that you’re resting at home.

-Rachel

 

[SBee]

@Anabrock whilst I am pleased for you the original procedure got the much needed fibroid (s) removal out the way at long last, but that was obviously a long hard operation to go through. For a surgeon to say it was worse than expected it quite something. Did you get on a better pain relief after the spinal wore off?
It will be a long time healing but be interesting and i hope reassuring that some of the knock on symptoms from the fibroid weight may be alleviated. But sepsis too? Thats kicking someone when they are already down. I think you are Cambridgeshire? Was this at the Rosie?
My experiences there vary,but generally the actual staffing and care have been good to me. surgery

I know you know this but you will have to go slower than you may like. This is obviously major surgery. I know your fear was the fibromyalgia kicking off, I definitely know that for me, when one condition flares everything else does. Maybe the body needing to go into almost emergency energy saving mode?? Thankfully you seem free of that possible complication.

as for YouTubers suggesting hysterectomy is not needed? I remain raging after reading this. I was even asking about a hysterectomy when pmdd was out of control. Seriously I am furious at such postings. How dare anyone think they have the right to dismiss the pain and potential serious further health complications and deem the only solution as being unnecessary? I am sure you were seeking advice or reassurance when reading such things, but maybe stick to reputable sites and any attached forums? I am certain you were in a vulnerable state when you read this and must have just knocked you down further.

Go slowly and kindly to yourself. Glad to hear you are in recovery.

 

[Sibergirl]

@SBee

Well said!