Hysterectomy

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Hello,

       I'm not sure where to start, but here goes,   some time ago I was diagnosed with stage one womb cancer, and was put on Praumatic rovera tablets, which I was on  for a couple of months, but I had some bad side effects, which I understand are quite common, such as visting the toilet daily, when I had been used to going every other day, all my life, I already have IBS, which is made worse with the tablets, I had a lot less energy, and feelings of passing out.

    More recently, I was taken off them, and advised to have a merina coil fitted, which I did, and ever since, I have had stomach cramps, and been feeling sick,  about six weeks ago I went through a biopsy, which has been one of the most  traumatic experiences of my life, I had been promised I would be given gas and air, for pain relief, but this did not happen, I also brought a carer with me, who I was told would be allowed to be with me at the procedure, but they refused to allow this, and she was sent out of the room,so I was left alone to go through all this, with no support, the pain was terrible, I was left literally screeming out in pain, I also lost a lot of blood, despite there being five members of staff present such as nurses and consultants, I felt I was not getting any help or support from any of them,and since all this, I have been left very traumatized, and now I am considering if  a suitable option might be to have a hysterectomy, but one of my main concerns is having a tube down my throat, as I already have problems swallowing, and in the past, I had a procedure, involving having more than one tube, being inserted into my backside,at the same time, which has caused me to suffer from occasional bleeding piles, for which I have to apply some anusol, to try to relieve it, I have received no support from the Gynae department, regarding all this, so, could someone get back to me to offer me some advice please, 

  • Dear Wog,

    Thank you for getting in touch. My name is Fiona and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists here on the Macmillan Support Line.

    I’m sorry to hear that you have stage 1 womb cancer, it must be a worrying time for you. I can see that you have joined the womb cancer forum, I do hope that are finding this a warm and supportive community. 

    It sounds like the biopsy procedure was very traumatic for you. This is done during a hysteroscopy. Some people find this mildly uncomfortable and others, like yourself, find it very painful and distressing. If you need this done in the future then please remember that it is perfectly reasonable to ask for sedation or an anaesthetic; either of which should be made available to you. If your local hospital can’t provide this for they should refer you to the nearest hospital that can.

    You don’t mention why you need your carer with you but no matter what your situation is the team should make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure that your needs are met and any distress minimised or avoided.

    A hysterectomy is thought to be the best treatment for stage 1 womb cancer and you will need to have some kind of anaesthetic for this. If you do have a general, tubes are not placed in your throat to help you breathe until you are fully sedated (you are given an injection in to the back of your hand to sedate you) and are removed before you’re fully awake, so any distress should be minimised.  You may have a sore throat for a day or so afterwards but this goes away quickly. The other option, which might suit you better, is to have a spinal block (also called an epidural) so won’t need a tube to help you breath. It is common to give you a light sedation during this but you will just be sleepy rather than unconscious.

    Please do tell your Consultant about your concerns and let them know what you would prefer. It might be helpful for you to contact the hospital Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). This page will help you find the contact details for your hospital team. They will also be able to support you with your concerns about having surgery and make sure that your team are able to support your needs.

    You might find it easier to give one of the nurses a call to talk through your worries. Were here every day and always happy to help.

    With warm wishes

    Fiona S

    Ref FS/HeP

     


    Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

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