My operation was on the 25th, and went something like this.
It was two hours before the surgery when I arrived. I wasn't really nervous, I had just finished changing into my hospital gown and wondering round to the back room where I stared at a television almost on mute, repeatedly going over the same depressing storys. Eventually I was hooked up to my IV and was receiving anti-biotics. It was at this point that fear started to settle in. Then came the walk to the area where surgeries were done, and then I sat their waiting, to be interviewed by nurses and my surgeon.
After nodding my head repeatedly to answer every single question I'd already heard, because prior to this surgery I had done my research, I was walking again, this time into the OR. I took off my underwear and laid down on the operating table. They talked to me a bit, repeating everything that was about to be done. Finally I had an oxygen mask over my face and they were pumping the anesthesia into my IV. I remember getting dizzy, but that's it, I can't even recall if I had a dream.
The operation was booked for 2.5 hours, but I was done after just 1 hour. I guess my mom was really worried because they came out so soon. When I woke up I was dizzy, fading in and out of conciousness. I have a memory of being given an orange popsicle, but I'm not 100% sure if that was real. The catheder was put in after I was asleep, so I didn't notice it. Once I was awake though I felt wet down there and when I put my hand down to check, my finger came up covered in blood. It didn't really shock me since I was fully aware that this would happen. I just mumbled to the nurse and waited to get my drugs.
After the operation I was moved into a ward, since my semi-private room wasn't ready from the rather short time spent in the OR. I was still in a lot of pain. They had to wait until I was fully awake to discuss what type of drugs I'd be going on since I get so easily nauseated by so many drugs. Eventually they settled on Hydromorphone, although I wish they would have just gone with morphine. I was sick for a while after surgery, vomited a few times and was in a lot of pain. I remember yelling for my mom who I could hear on the phone because I needed something to puke in. It was freaking agony.
Eventually I was in my own private room - despite only being covered for semi-private, because of my 'situation' - this is the first time being trans has given me such benefits! After starting on the drugs I could still feel the pain, unfortantly my body doesn't take well to drugs, and I was still very sick. The first night I was not able to sleep, mainly because every hour a nurse came in to check my blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. They often checked the incision as well, and despite the fact I wasn't wearing any underwear this didn't bother me in the least. Having nurse after nurse staring at my lower half did not freak me out, probably because of how much pain I was in, I was to concerned with that to worry about dysphoria.
When the catheder was taken out it didn't hurt in the least. It was hard to learn how to pee again and it hurt to sit on the toilet, thankfully in the hospital they had handle bars on them, so there was something to help me sit up straight. After using the washroom for the first time I was up every hour to use it, which meant a lot of getting up. And rolling to one specific side caused a lot of pain, so I had to learn how to get up again, and what was most comfortable.
I had to do exercises in bed the first two days because I wasn't moving so much, and it was a real pain in the ass, or rather, in the crotch. The pain from the abdominal incision I had which is probably 4"-6" horizontal, felt like I was being ripped into to. The incision when rolling to my right, felt like my groin was about to be ripped into two. It was ->-bleeped-<-.
I didn't get much sleep the second night as I had puked again from eating fruit, which is not a bad warning. Beware of fruit right after surgery, it could make you very sick. I stuck to bland food like plain toast and found it filling and less nauesating that any other. It was good to have the tv because I was supposed to be staying there 3-4 days, and I'm not sure how I would of managed without it. I was so incredibly bored, all the time. Television also helped keep my mind off the pain. Although if I could do it over I wouldn't have watched the Ellen Show, she made me laugh a bit and it hurt a lot! I've hardly laughed since the surgery and have been refraining from doing so.
On my second night there I had a shower and removed the bandages from the incision. There is a lot of bruising, and my stomach is rather puffed up over top of it, so I haven't been able to take any pictures. Although I will once it's healed a bit more. By 7am Friday I was ready to leave. I had done everything on the list: urinating, eating, passing gas, taking meds by mouth - so I made it my mission to get out and within the hour I had left the hospital. I stupidly had not taken my meds at 6am that were given to me so when they were taken away, I had nothing to help reduce the pain I was in. I also would advise that anyone on their way home from surgery, to map out the roads they take, the road I was on had a LOT of pot holes, and this made one very unpleasant ride!
I didn't get my prescriptions filled until 10am, which meant I was in a lot of pain before then. But the moment I had taken them I was back asleep in my own bed, and this time I slept for hours without interuption, without my own body waking me up for some stupid reason like in the hospital.
The healing process is tiresome, and it's only been 3 days since I've had it done. I never knew how painful it would be, which can be different for everyone, but this is not something I would want to do again. Honestly it has me very worried about getting top surgery in the future. I'm sorry if there are a lot of spelling errors and such in this. I'm still on drugs and still very tired while writing this. I just figured I'd share what my experience was like. Not sugar coat it like it felt like some people did. "It wasn't that bad." makes me wonder if the people really felt it wasn't that bad, or are just saying that now that it's over and are having trouble recalling just how much pain they were in. Also abdominal incision may be the best thing to avoid if you decide to get a hysterectomy.
I may not find out until March if I did have endometriosis, since that`s when I go to see my doctor - who was also my surgeon.
Also all my bleeding stopped after the first day, which is awesome. However I still wear those time of the month products just incase because there has been some when I go to the washroom. It`s not the most pleasant thing to have to go through after a year of no periods, but it`s well worth it if this gets rid of my pain, not to mention makes it so once I have top surgery I can finally change my sex.
I am too tired to go on about anything else that happened. Feel free to ask questions about it if you have any.
