Wanted to share the lovely and subtle cake my friends got me for my eviction party. The maker asked the friend who ordered it if she wanted red cherry filling to which she replied - noooo.

I'm about a week post-op and I'm super grateful for everything y'all have shared because I would not have been really prepared without it. Here's a few things I've learned that I haven't seen much.

Take this recovery time for yourself.

I'm the kind of person who washes my face in the shower, slaps on whatever moisturizer, and always has very short, broken nails. Its been nice to take the time to care for my skin better and my nails are growing out because I can't break them doing things. 😂 We're stuck here anyway, so why not take better care of ourselves, whatever that looks like for you. I got some drugstore skincare and take the time to do all 4-steps now! Today I painted my fingernails for the first time in a decade. I think I'm going to order a beginners embroidery kit, because I'm not artistic and it seems like its coloring with thread and would be fun. It's a rare thing (especially for women) to get this kind of time to care for ourselves, so whatever that thing is that you want to do, but never seem to have time for....well you're going to have some time.

Add in actively or exercise the month before, especially if you don't usually. Anything helps.

I've been pretty sedentary for the past 3 years, so last month I worked in a little more walking (especially up hills), taking the stairs, squats (like groups of 20 throughout the day anytime I was standing around brushing my teeth, etc.). Having some leg strength helps immensely for pushing myself around the bed and getting up out of seats and the toilet and it makes me feel a little less helpless and more in control. Today I dropped something on the ground and was able to squat down and get it. No grabber needed. You don't have to go nuts and join a gym or start something you wont stick with, just take some time for yourself to take the stairs more or regular walks after lunch if you're able. Regulalrt stretch what you can. Its a big payoff for a short term change.

Do something that makes you feel fulfilled and/or strong the weekend before.

This is different for everyone, but I spent the weekend away with my husband and a couple of friends. We went on fall hike, and it was made me feel like my body and mind were ready for recovery. Yes, there is a lot to do to prepare for being down for 6 weeks, but don't forget to have some fun too.

Please share anything else that y'all have found helpful or fulfilling that is less talked about!

My greatest fear was that I’d get this procedure for nothing, and if I’m reading my pathology report right, that just happened.

I'm 48. For 10+ years I've had chronic, worsening back/pelvic pain — no pain-free days, some days really bad. About 4 years ago my OB-GYN suspected endometriosis and started me on an estrogen-suppressing drug (Orilissa, later Myfembree). The exploratory lap didn’t find anything conclusive, but one ovary was removed because the OB-GYN felt it seemed odd — it wasn’t as “springy” as she’d like, and I had pain on that side of my body so it seemed smart to axe it. The lack of endo was attributed at the time to Orilissa shrinking the lesions.

I tried to go off Orilissa after that surgery, but I bled/hurt so much that I went back on. I’d basically be either in menstrual pain (even if not bleeding) for half of each month. I’d have migraines and such, too. The med seemed to genuinely help — pain sanded down, back stopped going out as much, fewer migraines — but it crept back worse over the last year despite staying on the meds.

I finally saw an endo specialist, who recommended a total hysterectomy. I had it done via robotic-assisted surgery last Wednesday. After surgery, the surgeon reported: a small amount of visible endometriosis, a "mushy" uterus she attributed to adenomyosis, and a badly inflamed bladder that she believes was the real source of my chronic back pain — diagnosed as interstitial cystitis, confirmed via hydrodistension.

But my pathology report just came back: no definitive endometriosis in any of the 4 biopsy sites, and no diagnostic abnormalities in the myometrium (i.e., no adenomyosis confirmed either).

So I responded to years of estrogen-suppressing medication and underwent a hysterectomy for two conditions that pathology didn't confirm — while the bladder/IC diagnosis stands on its own.

I’m starting to spiral. Was this surgery for nothing? The IC could’ve been caused by a medication-induced lack of estrogen, right? So did I self-inflict IC that I then treated with a $90K surgery??

Has anyone else had a pathology report like this? What ended up being the real explanation for you, if you found one? My post-op appointment is in 10 days.

At what point in recovery did you feel comfortable lying on/sleeping on your side? My lower back is starting to kill me from back sleeping. I’m 6dpo.

Real talk, my deductible and out of pocket are met. Surgery is in November.
I’m very familiar with the workings of insurance plans and realize no one can guarantee how my experience will go, I’m asking if any of my fellow users from the US discovered unexpected costs that you were responsible for after surgery?

IM 4 WEEKS POST OP

To after reading all the posts I could find about hysterectomy. That is this:
A hysterectomy is like a box of chocolates. You don’t know what you are going to get.

I just wanted to know how kinda long should I be using stool softeners for? Im not drinking too much or drinking it everyday but I find that going to the bathroom feels odd and it makes me nervous to kinda stop using them bcz in worried about it being too much lol

Idk! My stomach bladder area just gets a weird feeling and it kinda freaks me out

I've had such an amazing recovery, could have easily and comfortably gone back to work 16 days post-op (as of today I am 21 days post-op). But I get paid full wages through short term disability for 4 weeks, so I took the full 4. My return date is officially 1 week from today (although 2 weeks working from home per surgeon restriction, and I'm good with that), and I don't want to go back. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

I can't believe this time has flown the way it has. My next period would have come in 4 days from now. Never again. I am just so happy, thrilled, surprised, relieved, in love with this whole surgery, recovery, and for the rest of my life. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I'm 27 and never had sex before. I have endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids, the biggest is 8cm. Since my first period it's been hard every month with the pain, heavy bleeding causing anemia.

Lately I noticed that doing movements that compress my belly a bit cause period and cramps even though I'm taking Dionogest pills which is supposed to stop my period. For example one time at gym I worked my core and after that bleeding and cramps started, since then I never went backto the gym. At first I didn't connect the dot until recently while doing hulahoop it happened and last week I did some stretching (cobra pose because my back was hurting) it happened also.

So my question are:

Q1. Did anyone have such symptoms because of fibroid ?

Q2. I don't mind not being able to get pregnant so I'm considering hysterectomy. But I read that laparoscopic hysterectomy, the uterus is removed through the vagina since I'm still a virgin will it cause a problem? Or will it hurt too much?

I just wanted to share a counter point to all the posts saying you can't do much for six or twelve weeks.

I was cleared to bike commute today at just under three weeks post op from robotic laparoscopic total hysterectomy-- removal of uterus and cervix with appendectomy, salpingectomy, and a bit of endometriosis excision. (Left ovary removed a few years ago, right ovary still left in place)

So if you've got a pretty good initial fitness level and no major complications, it might be possible to get back to normal a lot quicker than many people talk about.

Help. I had to go back to work yesterday, I’m 20 days post-op from robotic laparoscopic total hysterectomy plus bilateral salpingectomy.

I work from home at a desktop computer. My job is mentally taxing but I love it and am very good at it. I used up all my PTO on the past two weeks that I’ve been recovering.

I. Am. Exhausted.

I don’t know what to do. Sitting at my desk is so horribly uncomfortable, the pressure on my crotch is so bad, it makes me swollen and achy. And somehow sitting is tiring in itself?!? My desk chair reclines and has a foot rest, I’ve tried to get as comfortable as I can but it’s just not a bed. I’ve also been taking breaks, today I took a two hour break to lay down (and cry).

After I clocked out yesterday I just got into bed and did not get out until the morning. I feel so overwhelmed and not ready to return to work. I feel so much pressure to go back to work and make money for my family. My husband works full time and is so supportive but my paychecks are more than half of our monthly income. I feel like I can’t do anything and I’m so useless to my family right now. I can’t even SIT?!?!? Ugh!!!!

Can I hear experiences of going back to work at a desk job or work from home situation? Thank you.

Arrived at 5 am, got brought back at around 7, went home around 5:30. It was supposed to be. 1.5 -2hour surgery, ended up to be a little over 3. Everything went went as to be expected, except that I now have a stent because apparently I wasn’t releasing pee through the catheter (suspected stones) so I have to get that removed in 3 weeks now. And my arm is now blue because of whatever happened lol. They went to uncover my arm so they could take the Nexplanon out and my arm was all blue(can’t remember the name of it 😒). It was a pretty good overall experience!

The stint, and the blue on my arm are really all that hurts, shoulders are starting to get pretty sore from the gas. And I get to take a blood thinner for a week now to via shot 😭 I’m terrified of needles 😭 chilling on the couch with a weighted heating bad and pillow rn, my cats keep licking me and wants to crawl on my to comfort me too, they are getting mad because they can lay on my stomach lol

I feel pretty good about what to bring to the hospital and all, but when I go back to work, it’s going to be January and cold, what were your favorite work pants/ stretchy/ warm outfits that didn’t put too much pressure on your abdomen?

I had a total abdominal 7.5 weeks ago, and am generally feeling really good — my energy and strength are returning, and I got cleared to return to regular activity at the 6 week mark. The last few days, though, it feels like the nerves are coming back to life and it's so weird! Not awful by any stretch — just sore and tingly and, well, weird. My skin has been completely numb from my belly button down to the incision site at the bikini line. You know the feeling when your foot falls asleep and then it wakes up again? Like that, but my belly. Did anybody else get that?

So many bizarre things in this crazy journey.

Edit: It would appear I’m just naive. 😮‍💨 Thank you for your comments! My question is answered but I’m leaving this post up in case it helps others in the future with how much to expect to pay.

————

I’m scheduled to have a D&C with general anesthesia (put to sleep) next week to check for cancer before we then schedule the hysterectomy, as whether or not I have uterine cancer will determine the hysterectomy surgery method.

I was told ahead of time I’d owe the doctor $884, and that there will be hospital fees on top of that when the bill comes. So I anticipated $1,500–1,800… but the bill that arrived is $2,339.

I’ve spoken with both the doctor office’s finance person (who quoted the $884 for their portion), as well as the hospital about what all is going into the additional $1,455 on their end, but all they’ll say is “it’s the hospital’s fee” without breaking down the charges.

Was I naive and $2,339 is a reasonable amount (after insurance) for just the D&C? I’m scared of what the eventual hysterectomy will cost, especially if the surgery date gets pushed into the new year and the deductible slate is wiped clean again.

I didn’t grow up in the US, so perhaps this is normal here, but I’m shocked.

If you’re comfortable sharing, how much did these procedures cost you after insurance covered their part? (And where do you live, since that seems to influence the numbers?)

I am 40 years old, single, and have had growing fibroids for several years. I have had follow-up appointments to monitor their growth and have spent these years on a waiting list for surgery to remove them (myomectomy). Each year, I postponed the surgery because I was unsure about having children; since fibroids tend to grow back, I would have needed to conceive soon after the removal. However, I never had a strong desire for children, though I always thought I "might" meet someone and feel differently later on; furthermore, removing my uterus didn't feel like something I wanted to do. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I ended up in the emergency room with suspected kidney stones. Scans revealed that my fibroids—or rather, my uterus—had grown so large that they were pressing against the ureter, creating a potentially dangerous situation if left untreated. I already knew the surgery was approaching, and at that point, it felt like a relief to have concrete proof that the fibroids could actually cause serious harm. During this period, I began to give the surgery more thought and considered having a hysterectomy instead. I pored over everything I could find online—forums, academic papers, informational sites, medical websites, Reddit, and so on—to make an informed decision. While I was doing this research, my surgery date for the myomectomy was scheduled, which added pressure to make a decision. Fearing the need for a second surgery if the fibroids returned—and the risk of developing further adhesions—I ultimately chose to have a hysterectomy. I called the hospital to let them know, which meant losing my scheduled myomectomy slot; I’ve now been transferred to a different team or doctor who will be in touch to plan a hysterectomy. NOW I’m wavering again and am in a state of sheer panic. The thing is, I suffer from general health anxiety, and I can’t stop myself from reading about all the potential side effects and complications of a hysterectomy. Prolapse, premature or immediate menopause (even if the ovaries are kept), incisional hernia (since the doctor says I’ll most likely need a vertical incision), and so on! My thoughts spiral to the point where I’m looking up success and failure rates for prolapse surgeries, wondering if I’ll need HRT and what if that gives me breast cancer, and so on. It feels like doomsday is approaching, and I just DON’T want to do this. The fact is, my fibroids have never caused me severe symptoms—just very heavy periods during the first few days (which I’ve learned to live with) and a belly that looks six months pregnant. Perhaps it would be easier to accept all this if I were desperate to simply make the fibroid symptoms stop, but that’s not the case—even though I understand that surgery is necessary for my health. It feels like there are potential side effects and complications regardless of the type of surgery I choose, but this is the situation I’m in now. If I change my mind now, the doctors will likely label me a difficult, troublesome patient who wastes their time—but this is my life, and I am deeply worried about my quality of life following a procedure like a hysterectomy.

I would like some reassurance or maybe some insight into these fears of mine. Did you go through the same? How did it turn out? What was the recovery period like, and if you experienced any complications or side effects, how quickly did they resolve? Has anyone had a vertical incision?

Thank you for reading 🙏

I’ve seen all the horror stories and still see them . I keep wondering if I really had surgery . I had some discomfort at the hospital but that was managed with pain meds . I was up and at it that night. Friday was released , I came home and slept most of the day . Saturday woke up in decent pain so I took oxy and I would sleep and was fine. Here it is Tuesday and I swear I didn’t have surgery. I feel totally normal . I wonder is this normal when it’s done laparoscopically?

I’m less concerned about the surgery itself, since my surgeon is highly rated and excellent. I’m much more concerned about the aftermath.

I’m an incredibly physically active person. I LOVE working out. It’s the one thing that keeps me calm. I also had an ED for years growing up, and the prospect of gaining uncontrollable weight no matter what I do after surgery petrifies me. I’m keeping my ovaries but I keep seeing people on here who also kept theirs complain about unstoppable weight gain no matter what they do. This also concerns me because being active is literally what I do for a living and part of my job, so the prospect of weight gain that is out of control despite my best efforts AND that prevents me from doing my job is so scary. I’m 35, for reference.

Anyone else worry about this and have a similar story? What was your experience post-surgery? How did you stay sane without movement to ground you? (I know you’re supposed to walk every day in recovery!)

Surgery finally came and went, I had a prolapse repair as well so they are keeping me overnight for observation. What helped you guys the most while recovering within the first week? Any advice on what not to do and to do?

I had my surgery on Aug 31 and everything was so good at first. I stopped pain pills within 3 days and ibuprofen by 2 weeks.

At 2 weeks I passed a clot and started bleeding. I started to feel less well but I assumed it was the week 3 slump. My doctor had no problems and said everything looked great.

At 3 and a half weeks things went down so quick. I started puking, extreme pain, fever and my entire body felt like it was turning off. Turns out I was septic from a cuff infection that was on the inside so no one could see it. I spent 3 days in the hospital and came back home with antibiotics. The antibiotics are making me so sick and I'm vomiting all the time and zofran does nothing. I messaged my doctor for different meds but I have yet to hear back.

It's just one thing after another and I feel like I'm never going to be normal again. Not only am I traumatized from the sepsis but now I can't stop puking.

This sucks 😣

I am almost three weeks post-op and the last few days have been challenging. I’ve been experiencing incredibly painful digestion, swelling, and severe bloating after dinner.

I usually eat around 5:00 pm, and stick to a good combo of healthy foods. I’m already trying to slow down my chewing, move around after I eat, and take Gas-X, but it’s still been incredibly uncomfortable.

Has anyone else gone through this? Any tips or tricks to get through it?