Hysterectomy Recovery For Runners: the phrase that is most searched that reaches my blog. I thought I'd take the time to complete a follow up on my hysterectomy related to running.
It’s been 4 years since my radical complete hysterectomy. Time has really moved along! I had it all removed vaginally: the uterus, the fallopian tubes, the ovaries, the cervix. I had surgery at Mayo in Rochester after my mother, grandmother and aunts were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. I had been having a vaginal ultrasound and CA125 (blood test) every 6 months since my Mother’s diagnosis, 9 years ago. Once the tumors on my ovaries began to grow and my CA125 began to increase, it was time to go under the knife.
It’s been 4 years since my radical complete hysterectomy. Time has really moved along! I had it all removed vaginally: the uterus, the fallopian tubes, the ovaries, the cervix. I had surgery at Mayo in Rochester after my mother, grandmother and aunts were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. I had been having a vaginal ultrasound and CA125 (blood test) every 6 months since my Mother’s diagnosis, 9 years ago. Once the tumors on my ovaries began to grow and my CA125 began to increase, it was time to go under the knife.
First of all, there is SO MUCH MISINFORMATION regarding
running and hysterectomy! Who
writes that shit? I was truly scared that I wouldn’t run again after all of the
garbage I read. I even read from multiple sources that women NEED high levels of estrogen to
run. Why? How? What? Ridiculous!
After I had decided to have the hysterectomy I began to look
up articles relating to women, hysterectomy and ultra running. There isn’t much
out there. I found a site called Hystersisters that had a few running articles
available from women but most were dismal, depressing and had the ‘why me’
syndrome. Give me a break.
(if you click on Hysterectomy on the left bar you will find all of my hysterectomy related
posts)
So, yes, I do run. I run many miles. I love running now just
as much as I did prior to hysterectomy.
If you are here researching running and hysterectomy let me tell you that
YOU WILL RUN again! Do not fear
that you will have to sit on the couch and become inactive other than the bon bons to the mouth syndrome. Not so. There are
changes, however.
I am 50 now. I had my surgery at 46. I hadn’t even started
menopause and I believe that banging full force into menopause via hysterectomy
is more difficult on one that mellowing up to it…naturally experiencing a reduction of hormones. I began hot flashes while in the hospital, the
day after the surgery. They are still constant and very intense but hey, I can
live with them. I no longer change my sheets during the middle of the night..I
just go back to sleep in a pile of wet sheets. I became very tired of changing
sheets every night. Forget it!
Due to the constant hot flashes I now keep the house at
67F. I’m never cold. I used to keep the house at 72F. No thanks!
At work I always froze. FROZE! I wore multiple layers and never removed them. I wore lots
of fleece. Now I wear 2 layers and always remove one during the day.
I run with many zippers! I sometimes feel like a hot sausage
running down the trail. Zippers allow me to let the steam escape and cool down.
Whew! Then I get cold and zip back up.
After the hysterectomy I incurred injury. I experienced a double-whammy. While recovering from
hysterectomy I laid upon the couch, looking at my iPhone and iPad, I watched TV with my neck to my chin..I guess. Apparently
that movement caused stress upon my spine. I didn’t know it until July, but I
herniated two discs in my upper spine-neck at this time. Painful as hell.
(if you click on
herniated discs on the left you will see my posts relating to the discs)
I began to walk slowly in the week following surgery and by week two I was walking 4-5 miles each day. Really!
At 6 weeks my surgeon released my restrictions and told me
to run freely! I did! I was feeling fabulous and began to
train for a March half marathon. It went great-other than a bit of dizziness.
click on Get Luck Half Marathon for the report
After a few months I was feeling a numbness in my right arm.
I thought it was due to reaching for the phone at work but eventually was in so
much fricken pain I couldn’t run. That is when I learned I had herniated discs. Ugh!
That recovery sucked big time – 4 months or so, but
eventually all was well in my world and I was running hundreds again and
completely forgot about the herniated discs that I had.
Fast forward a few years and I roll my ankle at Eugene
Curnow Trail Marathon. Fractured Ankle. Superior 100 a few months later. Broken Ankle.Same Ankle. I didn't let it heal.
While recovering from the broken ankle I became depressed. My mom had passed away from ovarian cancer, my nest was going
to become empty soon as Troy would be leaving for college, I was gaining weight
with the inactivity. I went to my doctor who I've had since 1991 and decided to go on an antidepressant. They help.
After the ankle healed I went off the antidepressant and
continued with my running goals. I thoroughly enjoyed last year. I had a great
year. Ran a few marathons, 50Ks, 50 milers and two hundreds. Love that. The depression lifted.
Then Morton’s Neuroma
reared its ugly head. I found myself depressed, went back on
the anti depressant and am now healing. Thank goodness! Now, men have broken
ankles and neuroma and this probably isn’t all due to hysterectomy. It’s just
ironic that I have rolled ankles before but never broke one! I had never worn Hokas with a roll
though, before, either. These
injuries are probably due to overuse, age, hysterectomy, a bit of everything.
But why aren't there many women in their 50s and 60s running 100s? That's my big question. I don't understand. In our 50s our children are grown and gone..I would think we have more time to spend to train and travel. Wouldn't it be a great time to run ultras?
After receiving the blood work,
blood pressure, cholesterol counts and scale weight at the clinic I had a long conversation with my
awesome doctor and we knew what I needed to do to change those results. We went through all of my data. We spoke of what is different now from when I had my healthiest test results. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer..it all runs rampant in my family. My numbers were best while I was eating a vegan diet 2008-2010. Interestingly enough I ran all my PRS from 50K to 100 mile during that time.
(If you click vegan on
the left bar you’ll see the related posts)
(if you click
Leanhorse you will see the vegan training/outcome)
Just know, you will run again after hysterectomy. It doesn’t have
to have any bearing upon your running at all. Don’t use it as a reason NOT to
have hysterectomy. Hysterectomy will affect other areas of your life- you may experience some depression, some weight gain, some injuries, some hot flashes, some memory loss..or you may not..but it
doesn’t have to change anything about your running! You will run again!
If you have ANY questions relating to running and
hysterectomy or anything else, please ask! Drop me a comment, let me know how you are dealing with hysterectomy and running or what your fears may be.
