My Hysterectomy Complications

Hey everyone,

Today I wanted to share with you all the story of my hysterectomy and the complications I had after. It was a rollercoaster of a journey, but I'm grateful to be here today to tell the tale.

Let's start from the beginning. I had what I always referred to as a c-hyst, which is when a hysterectomy is done during the same set of procedures as a c-section. In my case, I had a complicated case of accreta called increta. This meant that the placenta was growing outside of my uterus and had begun to attach to other organs like my cervix. It was a scary situation, but luckily it hadn't invaded any other organs yet.

Due to the complications, I had to be on hospital bed rest for about a month before the surgeries. It was tough being away from my 3-year-old daughter, but I knew it was the safest place for me to be. The risk of bleeding out at home was too great, so I understood the necessity of being in the hospital.

The hysterectomy itself was no walk in the park. Recovery typically takes about 6 weeks, but having a fully enlarged uterus made things even more complicated. To avoid cutting through the placenta, doctors had to make a large vertical incision. I was worried about the recovery, especially since I had a horizontal incision from a previous c-section.

Unfortunately, I did end up having complications with the vertical incision. I remember feeling a loud pop in my abdomen and later began hemorrhaging blood. It was a scary situation, and I had to go back to the Emergency Room. Leaving my baby in the NICU was heartbreaking, but my health had to come first.

After the initial complications, I continued to experience pain and discomfort in my abdomen. It took several months before a doctor finally discovered that I had a massive basketball-sized hernia that required another surgery. Insurance would only cover mesh, so I had to undergo yet another procedure to fix the issues with my abdomen. The surgeon had to use a 9" by 6" piece of mesh. Medical friends always correct me and say that I mean centimeters, but I assure you, it is in inches. A large piece of mesh like this is not going to last forever. I will most definitely need follow up surgeries; therefore, it's important that I take things like lifting, pushing, and pulling very easy.

After my hernia surgery follow up, the surgeon was very kind. He looked me in the eyes and told me that I need to take everything pretty easy for life. He put his hand on my shoulder and said "You need to be a princess now and let everyone take care of you. You've earned that status." There was something so healing about the way he comforted me and the struggle I felt I was going to face moving forward. I had a 6 year old and a three year old, so the idea of not being able to pick up my kids ever again was a devastating idea.

We've found ways to adapt. I leave a basket at the bottom of the stairs for others to carry up. My son and daughter know that I need to sit down to hold them. I've found new forms of exercise that I really enjoy like water aerobics. And I'm very honest with people when I need help lifting or carrying things.

It's been a long and challenging journey, but I'm grateful for the care I received and for the second chance at life. It's important to share these stories to raise awareness about the complexities of post c-section hysterectomies and the potential complications that can arise.

Thanks for listening to my story, and I hope it sheds some light on the realities of myprocedure. Stay healthy and take care of yourselves.

Until next time,

Alysa

Alysa on way to c-hyst surgery in 2019