Heavy bleeding was causing fatigue, discomfort and low iron levels for Jo Eason and affecting her ability to enjoy the things she loved. After being put on a one-year waiting list for gynaecology, Jo booked to see our Consultant Gynaecologist, Mr Rowan Connell. Discover how Mr Connell helped to treat all Jo’s symptoms and how her journey to a private hysterectomy changed her life.
What symptoms were you suffering from?
“I was having problems with heavy bleeding, extreme tiredness and there was a lot of discomfort and difficulty for the nurse when I’d had my last smear test done, where they had never been problematic before. Having gone to my GP, in summer 2021, when I had really struggled to get out of bed one morning, after really heavy bleeding in the night, she did blood tests and sent me for a scan. The blood tests came back saying my iron levels were really low, so I started a course of strong iron tablets.
“The scan showed large fibroids but because my ovaries looked fine I wasn’t progressed to a gynaecologist. I was also given tranexamic acid to help reduce the bleeding, which had very little effect. My iron levels did come up after a few months but then after speaking with a different GP as the heavy bleeding continued, she decided I was perimenopausal and I was put on the progestogen-only pill. This made me bleed continuously, which meant I was back to iron level problems.”
At what point did you decide to come to Benenden Hospital?
“It was really impacting my life at this point. The bleeding was sudden and heavy so I would have to just drop what I was doing, which was incompatible with my job and hobbies. I was constantly tired, which was hard when I was trying to do things with my children and husband and help care for in-laws with dementia. I couldn’t exercise the way I wanted to and I just felt down most of the time.
“I asked my GP to refer me to Benenden Hospital because I had been referred to an NHS Gynaecologist, but my appointment had been cancelled at the last minute and then I was told that they could not provide me with another appointment or a timescale of how long it might be.
“I knew the hospital was really modern, clean, really efficient and surgery and treatment that my parents had received there had been successful.”
Can you give an overview of your hysteroscopy journey?
“I received a letter from Benenden Hospital after my referral and was told that an appointment had been booked for me with Consultant Gynaecologist Mr Rowan Connell. Mr Connell was great; he put me at ease straight away and he asked me lots of questions. He explained that there were multiple things going on and that we needed to deal first with the bleeding. He wrote to my GP to ask them to carry out further blood tests and do the Zoladex treatment and then I would go back to Benenden Hospital for a hysteroscopy a couple of months later, to investigate the issues.
“On the day of my hysteroscopy, Mr Connell went over everything we’d agreed at our previous consultation: we had discussed that he would fit a Mirena coil, to reduce bleeding, after the procedure. The Anaesthetist came to speak to me and answer any questions beforehand, and came again after the procedure to let me know how it had gone.”
Why were you recommended a hysterectomy?
“I spoke again with Mr Connell later that afternoon and he told me then that the only way to solve the issue of the fibroids would be a hysterectomy, because they were outside the uterus. He said that I should take time to let everything settle down and think about whether I was ready for a hysterectomy (I was 45 at the time) and suggested that we spoke again in a few months.”
What happened when you returned to our hospital to discuss a hysterectomy?
“I had an appointment with Mr Connell in the autumn where we discussed how things were going. The fibroids were continuing to grow so I was having more issues with urinating, because they were pressing down on my bladder, making it difficult to pee sometimes, causing a lot of discomfort around my waist and also digestive problems.
“He spoke to me about how the hysterectomy could be done (laparoscopic or abdominal), dependent on what he found when he began the procedure. He advised me of all the options – subtotal and total – and the reasons why subtotal would be better for me.
“I was then booked in for my pre-op assessment, where the nurse went through everything with me. She gave me very detailed information about the procedures (laparoscopic and abdominal), with leaflets to take away with me, and a full recovery plan.
“Once my pre-operative assessment was done, I was able to speak to the theatre bookings team and ask about dates for surgery. My husband and I have our own business, so recovery time needed to be fitted in with projects we were working on. I received a phone call from them several weeks later offering me an earlier date – a month earlier than planned!”
What happened on the day of your hysterectomy?
“I was scheduled in for afternoon surgery, so I was able to take my son to school as usual and not have to get to the hospital in a rush. I had my own private room to get ready and settled in. The nurses did all the checks, the Anaesthetist came to see me, and then Mr Connell came.
“He reaffirmed that he would try to carry out the procedure laparoscopically but checked with me that I consented to him changing to abdominal surgery if needed. I was a bit nervous about having major surgery but I felt that I was in really good hands.”
On waking from surgery
“When I woke up, I immediately had one of the ward nurses with me. She got me a cup of tea, asked me how I was feeling, made sure I was comfortable etc. It was very reassuring to wake up to. She kept dropping in to check on me, brought me some snacks in case I was hungry. The Anaesthetist then came to see me and explained how the operation had gone.
“She told me that they had started laparoscopically but had changed to abdominal to ensure that it happened safely and without damage (the fibroids were very large and adhering to other organs). She explained what pain relief she had been able to give and consequently what pain relief I would have ongoing. I was very tired so she told me that Mr Connell would come and speak to me about the whole procedure the next day.”
Staying overnight
“I was looked after so well throughout the evening and night. My blood pressure had gone quite low so one of the nurses came and checked me every hour throughout the night, getting me to drink and eat a little bit each time, checking my blood pressure, giving me pain relief and just checking how I was doing. It was very reassuring and I felt so well cared-for.
“This continued in the morning, with different nurses helping me to get up to wash, encouraging me to move around, establishing a pain relief schedule and just generally checking on me - and I got a lovely breakfast brought to my room, which I wish I could have eaten more of! The nurses were all lovely and caring but also very informative, telling me what I needed to prepare for, what I must not do, making sure I knew how to do pelvic floor exercises, etc.”
Returning home
“Mr Connell came in to see me in the afternoon when I was more relaxed and talked me through how the procedure had gone, how to look after myself going forward, things to be aware of, etc. He told me that follow-up consultation would be arranged for about seven weeks’ time but let me know that I could get in touch if I had any concerns or questions.”
Follow-up phone call
“I had a follow-up phone call scheduled in two days after I got home. I was very happy with the phone consultation though, the nurse who I’d seen previously spent a lot of time asking me how I was getting on with all parts of recovery and answering all my questions.”
How is life for you now after your hysterectomy?
“It is now two years since my surgery and it has literally changed my life. All the things I wanted to be able to do I can now do again without restriction. I can exercise as much as I want; I can work and travel without the concerns about always needing toilet facilities nearby; the associated bladder and digestive issues have gone; and intimacy had been a real problem because of the high level of discomfort I had, and that is now resolved too. Mentally, I feel so well – no longer burdened with worry about whether the issues could be resolved and in what timeframe.”
Jo's advice to other women
“I would – and do – highly recommend Benenden Hospital, its staff, diagnostic services and surgery to many of my friends. There is often a feeling with women that when they go to doctors about gynaecological issues that they should be apologetic and that they may be wasting the doctors’ time. My experiences at Benenden Hospital are that the staff have time for you, that they feel your concerns are important, that your health is important and that they will try their best to help you resolve the issues.
“Women carry a lot of the burden of care for other people and frequently put others’ needs and health before their own. I would say to them that your needs are just as important and that you cannot carry out all these extra responsibilities and chores if you are not in good health yourself. If you’re not feeling great, you don’t have to put up with it or prevent yourself from trying to get it sorted out. Benenden Hospital is a great place to start getting answers to concerns and to pursue treatment options.”
Speak to our experts
If heavy, painful periods, endometriosis or another women’s health problem is affecting your quality of life, help is available. We offer a range of private gynaecology treatments in a discreet, comfortable environment so you can finally feel heard. Contact our Private Patient team by completing our online enquiry form, contacting us via Livechat or by calling 01580 363158.
Published on 14 April 2025