Hysterectomy Surgery

To all of my loyal readers, I apologize it's been so long since I've updated.  Things have been very busy, and I just haven't had a moment to blog much.  So much has happened since my last update in late November.

Since I am BRCA1 positive, I had to have a total hysterectomy, which included my ovaries.  I wasn't thrilled about having this surgery.  In fact, I was dreading it.  I have suffered through years of female issues and various other surgeries in an effort to combat issues that would have easily been "fixed" by having a hysterectomy; but I refused to do it.  I watched my mom and sister deal with various issues associated with having a hysterectomy, and I didn't want to go down that road.  After dealing with early menopause symptoms while on chemo, I was really dreading the hot flashes.  But, I was at high risk for ovarian cancer since I'm BRCA1 positive.  As much as I wanted to put it off, I was afraid to wait any longer.  Since chemo ended, my ovaries had come back to life, and I was having issues with cysts on my ovaries (again), which were routinely bursting.  I also had several fibroid tumors in my uterus, which were quite painful.  It was time to stop fighting the inevitable and do what had to be done.  

On December 15, 2014, I had a robotic hysterectomy.  My surgery was done at the Ohio State Medical Center in Columbus Ohio by a doctor who specializes in this surgery for women with a history of cancer or at-risk cancer.  I have had three children, and they were all born naturally.  I was very fortunate in that I had got through three pregnancies with no scars or stretch marks, so as silly as it sounds, I was angry that THIS would lead to scars on my stomach.  But, I came out of surgery pleasantly surprised to find that the scars weren't really that big.  I had five small incisions.  My doctor did a fabulous job, and he made the largest incision below my bikini line.  

My doctor warned me that the surgery would be painful, but I honestly didn't feel it was too bad.  Yes, I was in pain; but compared to what I've been through over the past year, it wasn't that bad comparatively.  My doctor left my cervix in place, which made the surgery a littler easier, or so I'm told.  The lab results were returned a week after my surgery 100% clear of any type of cancer, so I was able to breath a huge sigh of relief.  In a sense, it made me feel like I had made the right choice to do the surgery when I did.   I beat cancer on this round!

I was off work for a week, then my office was closed for a week for the holidays, so I was home for two weeks.  I could have went back to work after a week, but I did move slowly after that first week.  It was nice to have the second week to heal, so for anyone facing this, I would recommend at least a week and maybe two depending on what type of work you do.  Stretchy pants and leggings were my best friend for a couple of weeks.  I was prescribed Vicodin for pain, but I didn't take it after the first day after the surgery.  I just took Tylenol.  

I've posted photos below documenting the incisions and the healing process up until now.  For any women out there who have this hanging over their head, it's not so bad, and I highly recommend a robotic surgery.  My scars are barely visible now, and I have no lasting side effects other than the fact that I'm adjusting to the fact that I no longer have estrogen in my body.  Yes, I have hot flashes; but they really aren't as bad as they were while on chemo.  These are manageable.  Of course, if you ask my daughter, I keep the house cold now.  I was always cold before, so this change isn't necessarily a bad thing!  Estrogen replacement isn't an option for me since I've had breast cancer, so I just have to deal with the symptoms.  

Here's to bikini season 2015--I'm ready!