This is a one off, more detailed day by day account of my full laparoscopic hysterectomy on the 11th of October 2025, at St Anthony’s Hospital in Cheam, Surrey, in the hope that it may be useful to some people. It’s in response to requests.
PLEASE NOTE THIS INCLUDES A PHOTOGRAPH OF WHAT WAS REMOVED. PLEASE DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU’RE PREPARED TO SEE IT.
I’ve never had regular periods. All my life having started when I was 15, they would be weeks apart. Towards the end of my 30s, I had to take mefenamic acid to help combat the terrible heaviness I used to feel at period time. But in 2013 they stopped, hot sweats ensued, better or worse very much depending on what I was eating, funnily enough.
Having had two kids, in 1987 and 1989, normal delivery, I wasn’t bothered with my period stops in 2013 aged 51. And I felt pretty much okay until menopause properly kicked in with brain fog and losing a sense of self, rescued by HRT patches just before lockdown. Hallelujah, I felt like my old self within weeks, the hot flushes dissipated, and still haven’t really returned, and I don’t ever wanna stop them LOL. (I know I’m one of the lucky ones because some people cannot take HRT. More of that later.)
However, within a few months on Evorel Conti patches (oestrogen with a bit of progesterone), I had a very light period for the first time in years and had to go and buy tampons. The doctor said this was quite normal and should settle down. But it didn’t. It continued, on and off, never enough to really worry about, until in 2024/25, the bleeding started becoming closer together and a bit heavier – so after my annual 360 well woman health check with Nuffield Health, I got referred to a gynaecologist.
Miss Christine Ding initially suggested an exploratory because she saw something there on the ultrasound, explaining it was probably an inflammation of the womb lining, called adenomyosis. The hysteroscopy (more minor investigation type of surgery, but still a general) was in March which found a polyp that they removed in the hope it would stop the problem. But when the bleeding didn’t stop, the choice was: come off HRT, (which was no guarantee, as it might continue, still.) Or just go for a full-blown Hysterectomy.
I’ve always been practical and pragmatic, and whilst some people are bothered more by the psychological effects of losing women’s bits, they hadn’t been active in any way, shape or form for so long (in more ways than one! LOL), that I just thought it was a great idea to just take it all out. My consultant Miss Ding, who had been highly recommended to me, said “well at 63 it’s not doing anything! And if we remove the ovaries now as well, then in 10 years you don’t have to worry about ovarian cancer.” Since my dad’s mum died of that, when he was just nine, I thought ‘what the heck, let’s do it.’
The hysterectomy was on Saturday 11th, and having done my last QVC shift on Friday afternoon, & tidied up and covered up my dressing room paraphernalia ready for my month away from QVC while I recuperate, I got up really early, ready for my son Brad to get me and drop me off. I went into Saint Anthony’s in Cheam, got admitted, settled into the room, changed into the gown ready for business and… it all went very well.
The most amazing thing about general anaesthetic for me, having had four operations now in my life, (a TVT, a loose cartilage in my knee operation, and the hysteroscopy) is how once you walk down to the anaesthetic room, get on the bed, they plug in the paraphernalia, and you count a little bit then all of a sudden you’re off to dreamland. Then before you know it you’re waking up and it’s all over! And generally speaking in the past I have felt more relaxed and comfortable afterwards, and had the best sleep. It was my third time in Saint Anthony’s and I knew I would be looked after very well, so none of that was going to bother me, and I was gonna be in overnight so I settled myself in and was all prepared to feel okay when I woke up.
I ended up with three little keyhole wounds which were stitched up, and obviously internal stitching where the neck of the cervix was, as everything above it has been removed.
What they took out is in the pictures at the bottom of this blog – be prepared! It’s not a pretty sight!
The issue was when I woke up and started coming round, for some reason this time I did feel sick. And then I felt really sick. And they had to give me an injection of some anti-sickness stuff. My lovely lovely lovely sister Linda came to be with me for a few hours at around teatime. But I hadn’t really eaten much. They did bring supper in (for some reason because the operation had been delayed I missed the light meal of sandwiches which I’d ordered, and they just bought dinner. I couldn’t really face much of it, and put it on the side for later.
My poor sister kept passing me things I needed and I’d have the odd cup of tea, obviously lots of water, I had a catheter in so I didn’t really have to move around too much although I exercised my lower calves with the strong compression stockings on – they’re very worried about DVT nowadays more than they ever have been I think. Including measuring the amount of water you’re supposed to drink before you go in (unusually, having had nothing since midnight to eat, and nothing since 6 am to drink, at around 9 am I got given a 170 mil cup to be drunk far enough before the operation).
Linda came and made me feel a lot better, passing things, rubbing my arms and hands and generally making me feel hugged. (Although I was away with the fairies for some of it!)
I was still struggling a little bit, with the sickness, when Miss Ding came in, and proffered the photographs you’ll see below under my nose. I promptly threw up into one of those little cardboard holders! Bless her. She came back later when I was feeling better and explained it all. She said it had gone very well, there were no problems and no complications and everything was removed perfectly fine. They didn’t see anything that was of any concern. So that was all good then!
Then I slept and my sis went home… I did wake up hungry, around 10pm, but sadly no sooner had I eaten my lovely delicious salmon dinner with lots of vegetables and salad, that I threw it all up again! Anyway…
Had a pleasant overnight in the hospital eventually – once the throwing up stopped, caused by the anaesthetic. I’d been given morphine I think and that was half the problem.
Obviously felt very wobbly in my middle, e.g. when I got up to go to the bathroom et cetera, once they removed the catheter when I was woken up at around 6:30 in the morning. They measure your wee so I had to do that several times across the next six hours, and I was checked on regularly, brought in coffee, had a delicious breakfast and watched some QVC!
And by about 1:30 pm mum and her partner David had kindly come to get me and I was on the way home.
Having been given painkillers and anti-sickness and anti-constipation medication et cetera, in a “goodie bag!” I was interested to see what I thought I would need. Less than might have been predicted, as it turned out. And apart from the first 24 hours, I didn’t really feel what I would describe as pain. Later in these early stages, the pains I felt were more like that dull ache you have when you’re on a period, if you know what I mean.
One of the worst things which often you don’t hear about but I knew about because of watching some YouTube videos beforehand (like this one) was the fact that you get a terrible shoulder pain afterwards. Why would you get a shoulder pain I hear you ask. Well, because of the carbon dioxide that they used to inflate your stomach during the operation. They try to get rid of most of it afterwards, but some of it stays in your body and all it can do is make its way through your body to try to escape, and it ends up in the shoulder area. It can create some of the most excruciating pain and one of the best things for it was a hot water bottle. That was lovely. So be prepared with a wheat bag and bendy hot water bottles if you can. It actually started on the Saturday night and on the Sunday night it was the worst. So when I took painkillers it was mainly for that! But it had dissipated by about the end of day two, a tiny bit left in day three.
I couldn’t really move around very easily, getting in and out of armchairs, because I didn’t feel very strong in my middle. In fact some of the days I added a bit of variety by moving around and sitting in different armchairs! Because my arms are strong I could lever myself up in order to walk slowly to the toilet et cetera.
Another important topic was a different kind of motion. It became of paramount importance – to avoid any straining – to not have constipation. Some of the stronger medicines they had given me were designed for anti-pain or anti-sickness but could make you feel constipated. So I got given constipation solutions to take as well. I also ordered some prune products which was another recommendation on YouTube.
But apart from for the shoulder pain, I ended up mainly just needing the paracetamol and ibuprofen, and by the Tuesday I’d taken my last ones. I know this comparative lack of pain medication may be run of the mill for some people, or it may be completely unusual for others. Remember everyone is different I’m just telling you what my experience was.
For the rest of the week I gradually felt stronger but I knew I had to not do anything or go anywhere, not lift anything, just “potter around the house“ and make sure I walked a bit every so often – but all indoors, for the first week. And then the second week I could start to walk about a bit more. After two weeks, nowadays the advice is generally that you should be able to start on a little bit of exercise after you’ve had the all clear and your two week checkup, you can drive again as long as you feel okay and you’re not on narcotic meds or anything like that. And start doing what you’re doing every day life as long as you’re not doing anything strenuous.
Onto the visible effects on my body…
A laparoscopy, or keyhole ectomy, is done using two robotic arms that enter the abdomen on the left and right of your belly button, a few inches further down. The tube with the camera and the gas goes through the actual bellybutton. The surgeon controls it remotely and snips where it needs to snip, and magically and marvellously does internal stitches – how amazing is that – and the part of the reproductive system is removed through the vagina. Then they sew up what’s above it.
Again I found out a lot about this on YouTube here.
The keyhole apertures were sewn up, and little areas to the side of the holes, on my tummy, were left terribly bruised. The purple and black and pink bruises didn’t really go down much over 10 days. They only started to clear up around two weeks. They also paint some kind of waterproof coating over the actual stitched up area (and also in my belly button) and it’s supposed to be there to protect the area for two weeks – it worked really effectively! No problems with infections or swelling or anything. I’m sure being sedentary helped a lot as well! Some of the early days I only did about 600 steps (well probably more than that because I wasn’t carrying my devices around with me the whole time.) You’re only supposed to shower not bath, obviously, and after two weeks the waterproof coating peels away and drops off so I’m waiting for that to happen because now it itches. Obviously that means it’s healing, mum said.
My ‘fresh wipes’ came in very very handy indeed because I could just wipe myself over if I didn’t feel like getting in the shower, I must admit, the first full shower and hair wash after the operation left me wiped out! So it was lovely to use this brand of very dense, large, antibacterial infused but gentle lotion coated wipes. Godsend really, if I’m honest. (search them on qvcuk.com).
Energy wise, what amazed me was how exhausted everything made me and I mean everything.
By Wednesday I decided to write my blog having spent most of Sunday and Monday sleeping, watching TV, or idly looking at cats on Instagram or doing some socials. My goodness, after I’d written my blog I needed to sleep! One day I had a little bit more energy in the morning, and decided to clear out my under-sink cupboard and tidy it up again, without lifting anything much but just because I was looking for something that was at the back so I ended up doing it very slowly and very carefully. After which I accompanied my neighbour for my first walk outside out to the bin store whilst he helped me by taking my recycling for me, then I walked back in again. And I had to go to sleep for an hour!
The brain fog and inability to think or do anything was very marked. And very unlike me. Happily this gradually dissipated. I had lots of lovely phone calls and a couple of visits from family. Then on Saturday 18th, nearly a week into recovery, my son came over with my grandson, and we had a lovely lunch which he bought me, and Kaleb had drawn me a little card, it was lovely to see them for a couple of hours, and when they left I needed to sit down but it wasn’t as bad by that stage.
Naturally I was lucky enough to get some smashing flowers and cards from different people including family and friends, and mum bought me and some delicious food from next door. So I was well looked after and didn’t need to exert myself in anyway. For more info and pictures have a look at my blogs with more details, here.
There has been no discharge, no discomfort down below, I’ve carefully kept everything clean and dry, and I specifically asked the surgeon if she could make the insertions above the folds of skin so that the healing process would be easier than if it was within the creases if you see what I mean. So I think that helped. I’ve slept really well. Got into some kind of a routine with sleep et cetera, and gradually got back to being very active mentally with lots of stuff online, newsletters and stuff for my business, my writing retreat in Devon, retreatsforyou.co.uk, setting up new dates and doing posts and newsletters. Not every day but just enough. I also had to finalise some ticket sales for an event that’s coming up in Devon so that kept me busy. In fact, some days I ran out of time to do everything! So whilst I was stir crazy I couldn’t say I was bored.
Breaks to talk to friends for awhile on the phone were really important to me, thanks all of you who rang up. And I had so many messages from everybody which was lovely.
One thing that definitely made a difference I think was going for my first venture outside during the second week, when I left home to go to Westcroft in Carshton, to the Surrey osteopaths clinic, where they have a health and beauty spa, and the reflexologist called Denise, gave me some Reiki and some reflexology. I felt like a new woman afterwards! I slept for much of it, felt totally relaxed, and afterwards was rejuvenated. The next day I felt so much more balanced and more solid if that makes any sense. I’d been quite unbalanced and wobbly before I went in there. But the day after felt like an extra two or three days had gone by in terms of my recovery. It may be a coincidence but I really think it helped, so I’ve booked again for another couple of weeks time. I don’t go back to work till early November. Thank you, QVC.
The feedback from people has been reassuring and heartwarming and interesting, to different degrees.
One person said to me “I don’t think I’d like that, I’d be worried that I’m losing my womanhood”. My brain doesn’t work that way; rather, I am happy to be free of the nuisance it was creating. And knowing our family history, I was happy to consent.
One person said they’d only heard negative feedback after people they knew had had a hysterectomy, but I didn’t really hear any of that. In fact, the vast majority who had had the same as me, said “the best thing I’ve ever done“. There was a lot of concern from people e.g. who had taken a long time to recover after theirs, and quite rightly told me to take it easy – which I have been. And a lot of nice sharing and kindred spirits which was heartwarming.
I watched some flipping good television! Riot Women being the best of the bunch I think! (Very pertinent – a group of mostly menopausal women want to start a rock band…!) read my blogs for more recommendations!
But I’ve also had a couple of little eye openers along the way.
The first one is valuing being able to do stuff for just me. For me and my body, and my own benefit, and having time to fit it all into my routine. Rather than doing stuff for other people the whole time, or filling every day and living at 1,000,000 miles an hour. So I took time and explored my cupboards full of lotions and potions. Including those face masks and gommages and the shark anti-aging LED cryo-mask, that I sometimes forget to do!
I also found myself doing a little bit of introspection, and realising I quite like this new more relaxed way of being, of having more of a regular routine without filling every day with stuff. I’ve liked having a banter with mum several times a day as well, she’s so bloody funny. One day I made brownies, (you’ll see the boo-boo I made, whilst making them, on one of my blogs!) But when she took her brownie away and turned back to face me, she had done this – she’s a riot!
And I’ve got a solid two weeks of having had really good sleep. My magnesium supplements, magnesium body butter, and the occasional melatonin gummy which I brought back from France, have really helped. But just knowing I could go to sleep and not have to do anything the next day has been very restful. And not part of my regular routine at all. Maybe it needs to be.
The HRT they gave me when I came away from the hospital was not patches, I was told to stop taking them because you only take progesterone if there’s a chance of endometriosis and now the womb has gone, there’s no chance of that – so all I need is oestrogen. So they gave me some gel instead. Which took forever to rub in. I like the convenience of a twice weekly patch and how little thinking time I have to spend on them. Although sometimes they leave a sticky patch and sometimes it’s no good if I go swimming. So maybe I’ll continue with this oestrogen gel stuff, it depends what my consultant says when I go for my checkup.
UPDATE:
Postop checkup with Christina Ding at Saint Anthony’s, all good. Hate to say it but I quite enjoyed her picking off the protective glue around the three wounds, the bellybutton was healing nicely, one of the other wounds was a bit pink so I’ve got antibiotics and it should go in a few days. I can drive, walk, etc; another week when the other wound is cleared up I can start my yoga stretches again which I’ve missed terribly! Had an osteopathy appointment with Rob at Westcroft Surrey osteopaths in Carshalton, which really helped sort out some tight muscles especially around my lower back (so much sitting!) I highly recommend him if you are in the area.
This is a picture of the wound that’s a bit pink. And my jelly belly ha ha. But apart from sending her a photograph of the wound as it gets better over the next few days, once the antibiotics kick in, that’s it, done with the checkups!
And since I’ve been sharing so much, this was the pathology report afterwards. With the technical descriptions of what they took out, on what they found, basically a little fibroid, and adenomyosis (womb lining swelling) as she suspected, but no other signs of anything suspicious which is great news.
(end of update)
I’m looking forward to not buying tampons anymore. Or having to be concerned that suddenly there might be a leak of some kind, brown or red or otherwise, and not being sure when it would start again. One of the detrimental things to some people may be that you can’t do certain things for six weeks like lift heavy weights at the gym or have sex. But to be honest that’s not been a problem for me for quite some time! Ha ha. After 6 to 8 weeks they say that you should be getting more back to normal. Which for me will be early December, so we’ll see how it goes.
Anyway, I hope this has helped some of you who wondered about all of this. Obviously different peoples’ experiences may vary from mine. Keep in touch with me via my socials. And sign up for my weekly newsletter on my blog (click on the newsletter icon at the bottom of this page – I send a weekly email to your inbox whenever I’ve done a new blog.)
Finally, here’s that picture of what they took out. You can see the shape of the womb with the tubes and the white bits, the ovaries at the side, and then the bit of the bottom is the cervix. As per this diagram
Diagram courtesy of…
And then one of the pictures shows the stitches at the top of the vagina where the cervix would’ve been. So now there’s just what they call a cuff there because there’s nothing above it to connect. There’s also some internal stitches which you can’t see, but you can see where they put the carbon dioxide in to my body.
Don’t suffer in silence, always get checked out if you have bleeding and you’re on HRT, if you’re lucky like me and your work pays for health insurance, it’s a blessing knowing you’re less of a burden on the NHS, and I can highly recommend the 360 well woman or some other kind of annual health check, whatever suits you. A massive thank you to Saint Anthony’s in Cheam and the high standard of care there. And of course to my consultant Miss Ding. I highly recommend her.
Hope this has helped, and wishing you all the best if you’re having something similar done.
(And don’t forget to tune into our regular menopause your way shows on QVC – I often do the first Monday in the month show. On qvcuk.com.)
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So glad you sound so upbeat, debs. You’re doing really well. Hope recovery is smooth, speedy and complete. My hysterectomy changed my life so much for the better, I’m sure your’s will too. Enjoy this ‘you’ time. Lots of love xxxx