Post-Hysterectomy Recovery for a Transguy

It’s been over five weeks since I had my hysterectomy and I wanted to share my experience. I know that not every transgender man wants, or even needs, to have a hysterectomy. The decision is a deeply personal one for most people, but if you’ve read my past articles, you’d know I’m more of an open book than most people. All kidding aside, my hysterectomy journey is my own. I can’t speak for other transguys, as we each have our own reason whether to have a hysterectomy.

Why I Chose to Have a Hysterectomy

I have wanted a hysterectomy for at least the past two decades, if not longer. The idea of bearing children always felt wrong for me and my body. I have long wanted to tear out the entire inner workings that would make that possible. The last thing I wanted was to get pregnant on accident as my own mother had (that’s another story).

Besides never wanting to become pregnant, my body clearly hated me as much as I hated it. My reproductive system has had numerous health problems since I hit puberty in my early teens. It began with painful cramps and ovulations. Later I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and I had to have my right ovary removed due to a dermoid cyst.

That was the first time I begged for a hysterectomy. I figured, if they had to open me up anyway, why not just take it all out? As any woman who has asked for this procedure in her twenties will tell you, most doctors will refuse. All I was able to do was talk my gynecologist into giving me a tubal ligation. I was lucky that I even got that much, being only twenty-eight and unmarried at the time.

My medical issues didn’t end there. I’ve gone through numerous treatments and procedures to try to lessen the amount of pain I was constantly experiencing. I was asked to try anything and everything except for a hysterectomy. You can imagine my surprise when my gynecologist was the first one to suggest I have a hysterectomy after I came out as trans. I’ll admit, I laughed when she suggested it, after refusing me for so long. I think that was my first time experiencing male privilege as a transguy.

My Surgery Experience

I have heard my share of horror stories about how some people in the medical…