It’s surgery week and I realized that I never shared the prep work I did for the last cyst removal surgery. To be honest, I didn’t do much but learned a lot over the years and this year, I have done a fair bit to prep for my upcoming hysterectomy.
Disclosure: I am in no shape or form a doctor. Please keep that in mind. What I am sharing is what I have been doing based on recommendations from my doctors and friends who have gone through the hysterectomy process in Ontario. Speak to your doctor before you engage in any of these practices. I know I did!
If you want to read my Journey to Health series click here!
How I am Preparing for my Hysterectomy
Wellness Prep Team
Each of the following professionals were recommended to me by my obstetrician and gynecology surgeon or family doctor because they know that my body would benefit from some TLC prior to the surgery. I will be meeting with most of them post surgery to help with the recovery as well (not all though).
Pelvic Floor Therapist : As expected this was at the top of the recommended list. I had seen a pelvic floor therapist many years ago but didn’t think I needed to see one annually (let alone on a regular basis). My surgeon recommended her Pelvic Floor Therapist to me and I saw her every two weeks in the 2 months leading to my hysterectomy. I was given exercises to help with my diastasis recti and prep my body for what was to take place. I will definitely be returning to her post surgery once I’ve been given the all-clear from my surgeon to start back with the abdominal and pelvic exercises. If there’s one person you’re going to have on your hysterectomy wellness team, a pelvic floor therapist should have that spot!
Chiropodist : I was starting to have major foot pain and while I wanted to blame the weight gain and lack of gym time, I knew I should get a professional to take a look at what the cause might be. Now this isn’t really linked to the hysterectomy or cysts (besides me not going to gym because of belly pains and shortness of breath due to the growths) but I have heard others mentioning foot pain with the onset of menopause. So I thought I should get ahead of things here. My visit with the Chiropodist was fine but I didn’t really get too many answers. I was told I had Plantar Fasciitis (great, another thing to add to that list!) and was given some exercises and told to purchase new slippers, insoles and shoes.
Osteopath : Honestly, I had no idea who or what an osteopath was. When I didn’t have much luck with the Chiropodist, an older neighbour mentioned that she swears by her osteopath and that I should see one for all the back and foot aches I was having. We never exchanged referrals but two months later, I realized that I have been going to her osteopath. Funny how the universe works huh? Not only that, I absolutely have seen an improvement in my aches and the simple stretches the Aches Away Osteopath has me doing has been extremely helpful in reducing my back and knee pain. He specializes in holistic management and therapy of diverse chronic pain conditions and explained that my cysts and endometriosis are quite possibly the cause of my knee and foot pain-which is why I was given a lower belly stretch to do daily. I even took Apollo to this Osteopath for his reoccurring cough and belly aches which other doctors haven’t been able to shed any light on. We’re still early into this journey so I don’t have many updates there. I have early onset of arthritis, endometriosis, psoriasis and these cysts but I never saw a correlation between my joint pain and these conditions I live with. Clearly there can be a connection!
Massage Therapy : There’s A LOT going on with our body and even though I have a high pain tolerance, I also know I need to listen to my body. If you have aches and pains that a massage can help with – go get that massage! I have been going to RMTs for years but two months ago, I went to an RMT who offers myofascial massages and it was a game changer for the back aches! According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Myofascial release therapy is a type of gentle, constant massage that releases tightness and pain throughout your myofascial tissues.” The RMT I went to at Aches Away focused on relaxing, lengthening and realigning my fascia. She was able to locate my trigger points and gently apply pressure until they felt the tension release. It did my back SO much good!
Hysterectomy Pre-Operation Anesthesiologist Appointment
Alright now that you know what I was having done “behind the scenes” let’s chat about the actual pre-opp procedures shall we? I went through this in 2022 before my cyst removal surgery and did it again this time too. I was given a date a few days before my surgery and told that it would take 2-5 hours to go through the various appointments. Last time it took 3.5 hours and this time it took two hours.
Upon arrival I met with the admin team who collects information about your emergency contact and health insurance etc. Next I met with a friendly nurse who weighed me and told me about what I can expect during the day’s pre-operation appointments.
Over the next two hours I had my blood pressure taken (it was crazy high!) and my heart rate monitored before having blood drawn. I then met with the anesthesiologist who went through my old records and asked me about my current medications (which I had brought with me to the appointment). This is your opportunity to ask all your questions so chat as much as you want. There’s no guarantee that the anesthesiologist you meet with during this pre-opp will be the same one you have on the actual day, but they can put plenty of notes in the system for you!
By time I met with everyone I had papers outlining the contact details they had on file, a sheet telling how to wash myself before surgery and sheet informing me when to stop eating/drinking and what NOT to bring with me on surgery day.
Before I was able to leave the hospital I was told to swing by the pharmacy and buy the skin cleanser I would need to prep my body the night before the surgery (it was under $10). And that was it!
My biggest tip is to bring a bottle of water and a snack with you. You don’t know how long this appointment is going to be so be ready with your essentials!
Tomorrow is surgery day! I have my overnight bag packed with the bare minimum- a change of clothes, phone and charger, health card and tooth brush and toothpaste. I may toss in some make up and a perfume because I don’t usually like the hospital smell!
