24 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before A Hysterectomy
I love diving into a rabbit hole. When I find a topic interesting, I will read every article under the sun to learn as much as I can about the topic. My cervical cancer diagnosis was no different.
I quickly felt out of control of my body, so asking questions was my way of trying to tame the beast that was my anxiety. I’m so thankful for my doctor’s patience and willingness to answer every single question I asked.
The people-pleaser in me felt like I was annoying her, but at the end of the day, it’s my body and I deserved to know what was going to happen. If you’re reading this, I empower you to harness that energy as well and ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable, no matter how annoying you feel.
For context, I had an open, modified radical hysterectomy. This means my doctor sliced me open as if I were having a c-section and removed my uterus and fallopian tubes. I still have my ovaries. My doctor also took samples of the lymph nodes directly next to my uterus to ensure that the cancer had not spread outside my cervix. (Luckily — spoiler alert — it hadn’t.)
I wish I could answer all of these questions for you, but the truth is, everyone is different, so what is true for me may not be true for you, so your doctor is your bestie right now.
That being said, these were some of the questions I had written in my Notes app. Hopefully they will spark some ideas of things to ask your doctor to gain some clarity on what to expect in the coming months.
The Questions:
What will be removed during my surgery?
What type of incision/scars should I expect?
What is the recovery time like?
Will my body shape change?
Where will the eggs from my ovaries go if I no longer have a uterus?
How and when can I schedule an egg retrieval?
How can I avoid bowel issues and have regular poops after surgery?
Does this effect my hormones at all?
Will it be harder to lose weight?
Should I wear an abdominal binder after surgery?
How long will I have to stay in the hospital?
When can I drive again?
When can I take my normal vitamins and probiotics?
Does HPV live inside of me forever?
What is the chance of recurring issues?
Can I still spread this to partners?
Are the other lymph nodes in my pelvis working properly?
When can I take a bath/swim?
When can I work out?
Will sex be different?
How can I track my hormones and cycle sync without a period?
Will I regain feeling around my scar?
How can I minimize scar tissue?
How can I lose weight with my stomach being so sensitive?
There are truly an infinite number of questions to be asked in regards to your health, mentally and physically. Leave a comment and let me know what questions you would add to this list.