This week, Michelle Heaton, former Liberty X band member, opened up about having a double mastectomy and then later a hysterectomy at age 35.
Telling the Mirror, Heaton said: “Hugh my husband really could see me go from a young woman into a shadow of myself. He had already supported me through the double mastectomy and it was a dark time for us.”
In the UK it’s estimated that one in five women and people assigned female at birth will have a hysterectomy at some point in their lives. Reasons can differ from person to person, but often they are related to chronic pain caused by menstruation, cancer, fibroids and prolapsed wombs.
It’s an extreme operation which isn’t dished out willy-nilly. They can be quite hard to have and are only recommended by doctors who have exhausted all other options.
In many ways, they’re life-saving procedures to have, alleviating pain, removing cancer and providing a better quality of life for those suffering chronically from pain and sickness.
Heaton told the Mirror she would have done anything to save her life, but that she wasn’t prepared for what followed. “Nothing could prepare me,” she said.
Like many other women, Heaton went into menopause. She describes her symptoms as “horrendous” and “crippling”, saying, “I really struggled even getting out of bed.”
Dr Shirin Lakhani, of Elite Aesthetics and speaker at Pause Live! 2023, an event dedicated to menopause education, support and awareness, tells HuffPost UK that it’s important to understand the impact a hysterectomy can have on both your physical and mental health,
“If your ovaries are removed at the time of your hysterectomy then your oestrogen production will end and so you will start menopause,” she says.
“Once your uterus is removed, if your ovaries are left then there is a high probability that they will fail in the next five years and so you tend to go into menopause within five years (even if the ovaries have been spared).”
Dr Lakhani explains that menopause is hard enough if the change is gradual, but the sudden changes that come from a hysterectomy can be harder to adjust to. “It can result in a whole range of symptoms which include mood swings, depression, sleep changes, irritability, brain fog, lack of libido and many more,” she says.
Kendra Capalbo, who suffered tremendously from endometriosis, tells HuffPost UK that she really wishes someone had spoken to her about the emotional impact the procedure would have on her. “Perhaps because I made the choice to proceed with it for medical reasons, it never crossed my mind that I might have a significant emotional response,” she says.
Continuing, she says. “I experienced inner turmoil, grappling with the notion of whether I could still define myself as a woman without the physiological element that is often regarded as the most important one for us. It was an incredibly difficult experience for me.”
Capablo strongly believes that it is crucial to have conversations about the potential emotional effects that can accompany life-changing procedures like hysterectomies. “It would have been extremely helpful for me, at the very least, to have had that discussion.”
“I had my first hot flush in the recovery room and it was very intense. Even the staff were taken by surprise by it.”
She’s not alone in this. Roberta, who had ovarian cancer, tells HuffPost UK that she wished someone would have told her how painful spinal anaesthetic is when it’s administered, and how to alleviate the pain from having air pumped – which is part of the procedure.
But, surgery aside, Roberta says that the biggest surprise for her is that almost 8 years on, she’s still having hot flushes,
“I had my first hot flush in the recovery room and it was very intense. Even the staff were taken by surprise by it. For me, it feels like it comes and goes. I can go for quite some time without any symptoms and then have hot flushes for a few weeks.”
Dr Lakhani advises that post-op, there are a number of things patients should have access to, from physical to emotional support. “They may be coming to terms with a range of symptoms and emotions. Some may be mourning the loss of their womb and the implications this has, others may be struggling with the sudden onset of a huge range of menopause symptoms. Offering physical and emotional support is invaluable.
“Also, helping them to access the expert support they need which is specific to their symptoms, and events such as Pause Live! are ideal as they bring together a range of experts all in one place to help educate and support,” she says.
It can be hard to know what’s normal and what’s not after a hysterectomy, as people can react in very different ways. Some have little physical side effects, others have huge emotional burdens to carry.
“Physically, if the vaginal bleeding and discharge lasts more than six weeks or is heavy, has clots or strong smelling you should seek medical advice,” says Dr Lakhani.
“Emotionally, if you are struggling to cope with the symptoms or feelings that you are experiencing then it’s vital that you seek medical help in order for an appropriate treatment plan to be put in place.”
For more support and information on life post-hysterectomy, The Menopause Charity has brilliant resources. If you’re looking for support with a hysterectomy as cancer care, you can call Macmillan for guidance and advice on 0808 808 00 00.