Four weeks ago, I had surgery that one in three women will have by age 60. I was lucky to have a few women in my life who’d been through it and generously shared their experiences with me beforehand, so I had some idea of what to expect.
But, everyone is different.
You can’t fully prepare for how it feels — especially the recovery. Plus, this is the first surgery I have ever had. So my naivety about surgery was real. As someone who’s wired to stay busy and productive, being forced to slow down for this long has been its own challenge.
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know this isn’t typically the kind of content I share here. Beth is usually the one who gets personal, and I’ve always admired how openly she connects with you all. But sitting here in my fourth week of recovery, wearing the same soft pants I’ve lived in for a month, I realized I needed to share this. Because if even one of you is going through this—or about to—maybe my experience can add to the chorus of voices that helped me.
So let’s talk about hysterectomies.
What You’ll Find in Today’s Post
Why I Made This Decision
For 35 years, I dealt with periods that were unpredictable at best and debilitating at worst. Heavy. Irregular. The kind where you’re constantly anxious about whether you’re prepared, whether you’ll make it through a meeting (or a photo shoot), whether you packed enough supplies for a trip. Not to mention how expensive feminine products are…
As I approach my 50th birthday, I had a moment of clarity: I’m done.
Done planning my life around my cycle. Done with the anxiety. And so done with three decades of looking forward to menopause and hoping things would somehow get better on their own. After conversations with my doctor and weighing my options, a hysterectomy felt like the right choice for me—and honestly, it felt like freedom.
What I Know Now: The Facts
One thing that surprised me was just how common this surgery is—and yet how rarely we talk about it openly. Here are some facts I found helpful:
It’s incredibly common. About 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. each year, making it the most common non-pregnancy-related surgery for women. By age 60, roughly one-third of all women will have had one.
Most are for non-cancerous conditions. About 90% of hysterectomies are performed for benign (non-cancerous) reasons like fibroids, heavy bleeding, endometriosis, and uterine prolapse. Cancer accounts for only about 10%.
Recovery is no joke. Depending on the type of surgery, full recovery takes anywhere from 2-8 weeks. I had a vaginal hysterectomy, and at four weeks in, I still have at least another week or two before I feel fully myself.
It’s the second most common surgery for women after C-sections. Let that sink in. This is something so many of us go through, yet it’s rarely discussed openly.
What I Learned About Recovery
I talked to women who’d been through this and I read articles. I thought I was prepared. But there’s a difference between knowing something intellectually and living it. Here’s what caught me off guard:
The recovery is long, and you can’t rush it. This has been the hardest part for me. I’m a productive person. I like to do things. And for weeks now, my job has been to rest, heal, and not push myself. That sounds simple until you’re living it. The urge to “just quickly” do laundry or catch up on work is real — and you have to fight it. Your body needs this time, even when your brain is screaming to get back to normal.
You won’t be wearing real pants for a while. And I mean a while. Anything with a waistband that hits your lower abdomen? Forget it. I basically lived in loose pajamas and soft workout pants for the first few weeks, and I’m only now starting to ease back into actual clothing – but only when I have work out of my home.
The bloating is real. Your abdomen goes through a lot during this surgery, and the swelling takes time to go down. My body hasn’t looked or felt like my body for weeks. This is normal, but it can be emotionally challenging.
Fatigue hits differently. I expected to be tired, but I didn’t expect how your energy just… disappears. Your body is doing so much work to heal that even simple tasks feel exhausting. For someone used to powering through a full day, this was humbling (but also frustrating).
The emotional ups and downs. One day you feel great; the next day you’re a little blue. Between the healing process and any hormonal shifts, your emotions are on their own journey. This is normal.
You need more help than you think. No lifting, or driving (for a bit). No pushing yourself. Accept help. Ask for help. This is not the time to be a hero — something I’m still reminding myself. Thankfully, I have my husband, my mom, and Beth all here close by to help.
After a week of time off, I started back at Style at a Certain Age slowly. I have done a couple of photo shoots with our photographer, Jess. One that I was especially happy about was my outfit last week: The Petite Dress Hack No One Talks About. Additionally, we have been keeping up with Fridays with Oscar. Since my surgery, we have done:
- Blood Orange Whiskey Sour & Cheese Crisps
- Aplos Mocktails & Whipped Feta with Roasted Garlic
- Salted Caramel Espresso Martinis & Spiced Almonds
My Recovery Must-Haves
Okay, let’s get practical. Because if there’s one thing I can offer from this experience, it’s telling you what got me through.
My Heating Pad is still my best friend. I cannot even explain how much it provides comfort; it calms the dull aches and cramps and helps me relax.
I have a lower back issue (which could be a whole other post), and cannot lie flat for long periods of time. In the first couple of weeks, even lying on my side created too much uncomfortable pressure on my lower abdomen. The solution? My Leg Elevation Pillow. This wedge-shaped pillow lets me adjust my position to take pressure off of my lower back while still laying flat. A game-changer!
In the first few weeks, leaning up to sip water was challenging. So, a Water Bottle With a Long Straw really helped to keep unintended core flexing to a minimum, so that staying hydrated wasn’t a discouraging proposition. Definitely not the coolest-looking water bottles, but they’re lightweight and easy to maneuver.
It’s true that I have never been so happy to have worn-in cotton pajama pants! The elastic waistbands of workout pants, and even my newer cotton pajama pants, have been way too tight and uncomfortable. I was gifted a pair of Soft Waistband Lounge Pants by our photographer, Jess, and these pants are one of the three pairs of pants I have been able to comfortably wear.
Another item in the care package from our photographer Jess was this Hysterectomy Pillow. It has pockets for hot or cold packs. This super soft pillow is comforting and it is great for keeping a seatbelt from cutting into your abdomen.
Your Questions, Answered – A Personal FAQ
I had a vaginal hysterectomy, which removed my uterus and cervix, leaving my ovaries intact. This means I have no external surgical incisions.
I spent the night of the surgery in the hospital, though I could have gone home if I wanted to. I elected to stay overnight in the hospital because I wanted the help from the nurses with pain medication. Also, I have three dogs that I was not prepared to be around (they like to climb all over me, LOL).
That first evening and night in the hospital were pretty uncomfortable. My pain was mostly at a 5, but it did creep up into 9-10 territory. Thankfully, the nurses were able to help get it back down to 5 and below. Since being home, the pain waxes and wanes; it feels like mild to moderate period cramps that are mostly calmed with ibuprofen.
For the first few days, my activity was only to walk to the bathroom, rinse off in the shower, and I would get up every couple of hours just to walk into the kitchen (thankfully, no stairs) and back to bed. At week 4, I am still not supposed to do anything strenuous, so no real exercising or stretching. Standing for long periods of time gets uncomfortable.
The fatigue. And my digestive system is still not back to normal. I expected spotting, but it can sneak up on you, and that can feel a bit scary. At week 4, I work on SAACA in the mornings, and I usually begin to fade around 1:00 PM. I’m adding a little more “out of bed” time each day — small wins that feel like real victories.
I am very excited to begin light stretching in about 1-2 weeks. In another 2-3 weeks, I can be back to my light weight training, yoga, and bike rides. I will know more about that after my 7-week post-op check-up with my OB/GYN.
I really am! Despite being on basic bed rest for weeks, the freedom and relief I feel are practically indescribable!
Closing Thoughts
Hysterectomy Recovery
I’m still healing. I still have days where I’m more tired than I’d like, and my body still doesn’t quite feel like mine yet. But I’m getting there.
If I’m being honest, one of the unexpected gifts of this experience has been the forced slowdown. I’ve spent most of my life in motion — always busy, always productive, always onto the next thing. These past four weeks have required me to just… stop. To let other people help. To trust that the world won’t fall apart if I rest. That’s not a lesson I would have chosen, but it’s one I probably needed.
And I’m already so relieved to know that all the years of unpredictable, painful periods are behind me. That freedom was worth the wait — and worth the recovery.
If you’re considering this surgery, facing it soon, or recovering right now — I see you. It’s okay to feel nervous, relieved, emotional, or all of the above. Give yourself grace. Stock up on soft pants. Let people take care of you. And know that you’re not alone.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Have you been through this? Are you considering it? What questions do you have? Let’s keep this conversation going — because if one in three of us will have this surgery, we should be talking about it a whole lot more.
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