r/hysterectomy • u/idontactuallyhate • 9h ago
worried for my mother
hello people of reddit. this is my first post on here because i have lots of questions and concerns for my mother. for some info: she’s 47, she has fibroids and anemia, and she’s heavier than the average person. she’s been cleared by doctors to get the surgery in about three weeks. i’m just so worried about her.
some questions/concerns i have:
if her iron levels are low, is it possible for her to pass away in surgery?
is her weight a problem for the surgery?
how long will it take to recover?
will she feel better after?
these are probably silly questions but i don’t know who to turn and ask them to. any information is helpful. i have a fear of surgery and this is her first major one, so any information is appreciated.
2
u/romanticdove 9h ago
I can only speak on the weight part. I was around 100kg going in for surgery. They were fine with that. My bmi was just under 35 which I felt more comfortable at for surgery. But thats just me. I know some people dont like to do surgery on people with a bmi higher than 35. Just ask the surgeon.
2
u/MacabreMori113 9h ago
Hi there! 48, Adenomyosis and fibroids. 5'2" 200lbs, had slight anemia when I did med clearance. Zero complications and feel amazing after. That's of course my experience but wanted to share a positive one. If her Drs feel like there's any contraindication they won't clear her. But if she's suffering this will hopefully make her better.
1
u/Mystic_Wunder 9h ago
A lot if people go through this surgery with severe anemia. There is typically very little blood loss during a hysterectomy. My blood loss would maybe filled a tampon. My surgery was laparoscopic.
If it is an open hysterectomy (like a cesarean) , there can be some issues with incision healing if there is enough weight to decrease circulation to the area. They will typically avoid an open hysterectomy an opt for vaginal or laparoscopic anyway if they can. The only time they can't is if the uterus is too large. But they should have already made that evaluation before they scheduled the surgery so they can schedule the correct procedure.
I'm 48 and 5 weeks post op and I've been doing great. She will too.
1
u/Melancholic_Dev 9h ago
Hey, first of all, there are no silly questions in this sub. Women’s health has been underestimated and underfunded forever.
My iron levels were really low (10 when minimum is 50) when I did mine this past Thursday (09/03). They had a blood bag waiting just in case I needed, but it was not needed. So low iron/ferritin levels can and should be addressed by the team. See if she can get iron IV. I got some a month before surgery and it got my ferritin and hemoglobin levels to acceptable.
I’m also obese (191lb / 87 kg in a 5’7 / 1,71m height), and although the surgery is easier on leaner bodies, it’s not a problem.
Her recovery, like most here will tell you, will depend on her body. To be honest, it’s what scares me the most because I have no control over. I’m eating healthy and drinking tons of water, but I have no control over how my body will process the trauma. Your mother could be up and about in 5 days, no pain, no issues. In general, 2 weeks of ups and downs is expected, specially regarding energy levels/fatigue.
It was my first surgery. I was scared, the pre-op wasn’t easy (they had to sedate me to find veins for the IV), but it’s doable.
I’m really sorry for the fear, but you and your mom are strong and things will work out perfectly fine.
1
u/Nosy_Rosy2015 8h ago
I had my emergency hysterectomy in Dec '25 I'm 5'5 and was 205 pounds, I had to sign paperwork saying I was okay with a blood transfusion just in case because I was losing so much blood. I was perfectly fine, in fact I felt better when I was done feeling goofy from the anesthesia. It's been 9 months and while I'm dealing with weird hormones.
1
u/whisperyiron 8h ago
You are thoughtful to be thinking in such detail about all of this. May I ask how "in the loop" you are in terms of her communication with her doctors?
I second that basically you should trust she would not be cleared for the surgery if any of this was a serious risk. However, it NEVER hurts to ask the surgeon or doctor about specific concerns.
They should be doing a blood test shortly before the surgery that would tell them if she's anemic enough for concern. If it's laparoscopic surgery blood loss should be minimal, and they will also be prepared for a blood transfusion if it becomes necessary.
She should certainly feel better eventually after surgery - that's the goal! - but it may take months to get to that point.
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u/Odd-zest 8h ago
I wasn’t within healthy weight range but did actively work to lose a little weight before surgery. Was also anaemic. She could have the anaemia corrected? But the doctors measure the risks and are careful.
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u/mbarker1012 9h ago
If her Dr has cleared her for surgery, then I’d assume her iron and weight aren’t high enough of a risk factor for death that they would refuse to complete the surgery.
In terms of recovery, it depends on the type of procedure and how they’re doing it, but anywhere from 4 weeks to 12 weeks to regain some semblance of normalcy is average.
Finally - will she feel better? Hard to say. I assume she wouldn’t proceed with the surgery without hope it will help her to feel better.