Menstruating when due for surgery - problems?

[kurvykaren]

One for the girls I think!
Was going to label this 'decorators in' or 'monthly fiend' but thought I'd get straight to the point!
My surgery is booked to take place in the last day or so of my period and I'm a bit worried, to put it bluntly, that during surgery I'm guessing you only wear a nice hospital gown fully open at the back and no knickers - so how can I wear a sanitary towel? (Can't do tampons!) I hope it'll only be light by then but I'm still a bit concerned. (I've had tons of probs with periods which I won't bore you with but I have 2 lovely (if you can ever call them that) ones then a really bad, heavy one - and you can guess which one is due when it's my op!)
Any advice would be great, I will ask, if I remember, at my pre-surgery check on Friday.
Thank guys x x

 

[dottychic]

Dont worry about it, lots of women get their period when they have surgery and it wont affect your op. Surgery can actually make your period start even when its not due. XX

 

[dawny]

dont worry karen, most surgeons let you wear knickers as long as theyre cotton, and some hospitals even give you paper ones to wear, so rest assured youll be ok, just check though, an d let them know about your period. youd be surprised at the number of women who come on just before, during, or just after surgery, like dotty said, the surgery for some reason, makes ppl come on even if theyre not due.

 

[Zionaka]

It was my TOM when I had my surgery also, day of OP was day 2. They gave me paper knickers, which must have been a size 8, so no use to me. I kept my own undies on and was warned that they might be soiled during surgery but that was the least of my worries. It was no problem at Homerton.

The worst bit was getting up drowsy and pained afterwards because I desperatly needed the loo, they wanted to give me a bed pan... that would have been most unplesant so I insisted on hobbling to the toilets to sort myself out.

You'll be fine hun x

 

[daftmoo]

my surgery made me come on when I wasn't due

 

[dawny]

i wonder if the surgeons etc know why this happens such a lot, there has to be a reason hasnt there, i wonder what it is that makes women come on their period, even when it isnt due, even down to women who havent had a period for ages due to pcos coming on. any ideas anyone? sorry to hijack your thread karen, but it would be good to know wouldnt it. good luck huni, and see u on the bench soon xx

 

[Pookiedoodle]

It was my TOTM when I had my surgery.

Please make sure you mention it to your surgeon. I didn't - I thought the sanitary towel would be enough for them to figure it out, but clearly not.

When I woke up, they had taken my knickers off, thrown them away & I was covered in blood (TMI, sorry)

I then had to spend the next day in this state, as I couldn't get out of bed.

Oh my, I have never been so pleased to get in the shower let me tell you!!

xxx

 

[goingtobehappy]

I've been asked to make sure that I'm not bleeding for my operation so I've had to get hormones from the doctors to stop it.

Andrea

 

[karenlouisemee]

I had some very fetching paper type pants they really are the stuff lol.

 

[angie790]

Your TOTM won't affect your surgery in any way, just let your team know you will be on so you can make sure you can wear knickers & a pad. Many women have irregular (as in too frequent) bleeding while they are on their pre-op diet & also seem to have more frequent periods in the first few months after surgery. This is due to the fast-release of eostrodial which is stored in adipose (fat) cells due to the strict dietary intake of calories while on the pre-op diet & after surgery. Eostradial has many functions in the body but basically it has a big role in ovulation, hence why it sends our bodies haywire when levels increase dramatically. It's perfectly normal & will eventually settle down when weight loss levels out xxxx

 

[novamay]

do you have to wear a pad, can you not wear a tampon during the surgery? I'd rather, cos I hate pads they don't fit me properly...

something else related to 'down there' - does everyone have to have a cathater (spelling?) inserted for the op?

 

[zns]

No you shouldnt wear a tampon during surgery x

 

[Emma Louise]

I was told not to have my period during surgery and my gp prescribed me a pill that i had to take 3 times a day to prevent my period from coming. xxx

 

[BandyEmm]

i was on rag week when being banded all was fine, xx

 

[Simisola1]

I was 'really heavy' on the day of my surgery. The cotton panties which they offered me to wear didn't fit me, so i had to take off my undies when i got to the operating room. On the first day after the operation, i couldn't get out of bed 'cause of all the drips/cathether attached to me to clean myself up. So, the lovely nurse had to come and give me a hand in cleaning me up, which was uncomfortable for me, although she made me feel at ease.

 

[Zionaka]

oh the joys of being a woman!

 

[kurvykaren]

Thanks girls! I must admit it's strange how different hospitals/consultants instruct people differently, and not just with this! lol
I'm praying for a light one so it'll pretty much be done and dusted, but I guess they've seen it all a hundred times before lol.
OMG - that must have been awful waking up to find your knickers and any sort of pad/protection gone.
I've had the tablets to stop a period before and will ask about these on Friday - it's just a choice do I risk it as it usually starts on 15/16th and hope it'll be almost over by 21st, or take the tablets and come on 2 days after when I'll be in pain. Dilemmas!
Take care all - and thanks again!! x

 

[kateyloo]

Hi Karen - I am a couple of days post op now and I had the dreaded TOTM when I had my surgery - and still do - I was given some paper knickers (which were HUGE) and I just put one of my good ole faithful 'always' in - when I was a little more in the land of the living the 1st thing i worried about was whether I still had the knickers on but I was in too much pain to try and check - eventually the nurse managed to help me and it turned out that they had put a nappy type thing on me - it had done the job though and as soon as I was ready I was back in my own knick knacks with my own towels

Good luck with you op! xx

 

[Rebirth]

Hi Karen, I was given some paper knickers to wear, they were very big. I am sure if you let them know there won't be a problem. If you're really heavy you could always put a disposable nappy in your knickers for extra protection. It would be uncomfortable, but no leakage.

Rebirthx

 

[gaelic girl]

My surgery brought on my totm for the first time in 7 months but there was no problem as I was told that abdominal surgery in a woman often brings on totm even if like me you haven't had one for ages xxx