Young Nurse Shares Candid Experience with Hysterectomy at 23

Caroline Dillon, a 23-year-old registered nurse, recently shared her experience undergoing a hysterectomy due to severe endometriosis and adenomyosis. For Dillon, the surgery was a last resort after exhausting other treatment options, including excision surgery and medically induced menopause.

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Dillon’s debilitating symptoms, including constant pain, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and severe nausea, significantly impacted her daily life. Even graduating from college was a struggle. “I was in my bed all day every day if I wasn’t at clinical,” she shared. “It just was not a sustainable way for me to live.”

Despite undergoing two prior surgeries and enduring seven months of medically induced menopause at just 18, Dillon’s symptoms persisted. Knowing her condition would worsen, she requested a hysterectomy in January 2024.

The decision to undergo such a significant procedure at a young age was incredibly isolating, Dillon explained. “Everyone that I knew that had had a hysterectomy prior was several decades older than me, and they had it after they were done having kids,” she said. “It was like more of a choice where mine was not really a choice.”

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Dillon turned to TikTok to share her journey, detailing the realities of hysterectomy and the emotional toll it took. Her most popular video, outlining seven things she wished she had known beforehand, garnered millions of views and sparked a much-needed conversation. In the video, she described the constant feeling of a “bowling ball sitting in my pelvis” and the relief experienced post-surgery. “It has been life-changing,” she affirmed. “Definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

While the hysterectomy alleviated her physical symptoms, Dillon openly discussed the grief associated with losing the ability to have children. “I wanted to have a baby. I did not want to have this done,” she confessed. The grieving process, she explained, is often overlooked in discussions about hysterectomies, especially for younger women. “Grieving a child that you never even had and never will have is just — it’s been awful,” she said. “And nobody in my life really understands what that’s like.” The permanence of the decision, even for women who don’t want children, carries a significant emotional weight.

Dillon expressed gratitude for her supportive surgeon and the ability to access the procedure in a state without restrictive laws. She emphasizes the importance of open dialogue surrounding hysterectomies and chronic illnesses. “I’m glad people are talking about it because it needs to be talked about,” she stated.

By sharing her story, Dillon hopes to break the isolation often experienced by individuals with chronic illnesses and disabilities. She encourages others to start conversations and find support in shared experiences. “Once the conversation is started, people will talk,” she said.