TAH - Cervical cancer, kept ovaries..good story - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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TAH - Cervical cancer, kept ovaries..good story

TAH - Cervical cancer, kept ovaries..good story

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Hystersisters is a God Send! My recovery woudl not be near as good had I not had this place to soak up all the stories adn tips and prepare myself for the main event.

I was scared, just like so many of you. My story is cervical cancer...in hopes this is my cure.
I dont have pathology reports yet, but my doctor came out after the 3 1/2 hour long surgery and was beaming to my husband that everything looked good thus far.

I had the typical, go in at 4 am..surgery at 7:30 routine.
Probably better for me that way so I was not going crazy all morning.
I had to do bowel prep and 2 enemas before going to the hospital. It was not bad.
When they called me back they put on my stockings and leg blow up things. Put in my IV and she said she thought it was going against a wall. (she was right..this later posed a problem)
They drew some blood for screening. Dh and pastor came in to be with me before pre op area.
Once they were going to wheel me off, dh had to go and we kissed and I got a wee bit teary. Knowing I would be drugged soon helped. (thank you for the stories here)
Went to the pre op and met my anesthesiologist. Nice guy with a deep voice.
Also met a couple nurses and saw my doctor. He told me that we were going to have to do an up and down incision since there was a lymph node in question that was high up. And that if all looked good my ovaries would remain.
Then the anesthesiologist came back in. I got a bit nervous becuase I figured it was about show time if he was back.
He asked me if I had ever had a margarita. I said of course. He said, you are about to have 3 of them now.
He gave me meds and nausea meds and that is all I remember.
Recovery room, I woke up and saw that it was aobut 11:30..so I was back there maybe 20 minutes.
I was pretty tired...I said help me. A nurse asked if I was in pain..I said between 5-7. I was just afraid it would get worse so I wanted them to know. I had an oxygen mask on as well but I must have been awake for less than a minute becuase that is all I remember.
I could feel myself being wheeled somewhere and I thought in my mind I was going to my room and how on earth would I be able to scoot onto my own bed. But I dont remember anything after that so they must have done it for me.
I would wake up every few minutes wondering where dh was, but then fall back asleep.
It took dh a couple hours to get to my room becuase they kept showing that I had no room yet.
He finally came in and the phone kept ringing and another lady came in to talk to me about something. It was all to much for me and I began to cry so we unplugged the phone. Not painwise...just emotionally too much was happening for me to understand.
I got a room mate that night at 1:30 and for 3 days I got very little rest because of her. Day 3 night my dh insisted I get moved to a private room because I got no rest. They were gracious and pampered me. I had no idea til the next day that dh had that done for me.
My doc likes women with this type of hysterectomy remain in the hospital for 5 days. So I was not scheduled to be released until Saturday.
On the 2nd day, my iv line began to hurt me so they had to reinstall. It took 5 tries and was very hard for me.
My veins were not helping anyone. They were drawing blood in the am and the last day those did not want to give either. It could be becuase my iron counts were quite low after surgery even though they were good before. So please work on that iron before surgery, ladies. That would be my hint to you to make life easier.
I was up and walking pretty well day 2. I knew I woudl have to so throughout the night after surgery when I woudl wake up I would try to get up. Finally I did and sat over the bed some. And it is true that after you get up the first time, it is easier each and every time.
The third day I did 20 laps around the wing..many of those by myself pushing my IV. I got clears that day and was determined to pass gas so I could go home ASAP. Walking does help. I also sat in a chair doing crossword puzzles as often as possible to help the gas and to excercise my brain.

That night they moved me to a private room (thank you hunny) and I walked to another wing with the nurses.
Because I was so active, regardless of the low iron count, I was able to go home on day 4 if I could tolerate food. So yesterday I ate just a littel bit and took very littel pain med so I would not get sick.
I did use the PCA all the days I was there, but not nearly as much as others. I just never got to severe pain. I am so thankful.
Yesterday they gave me percocet for the ride home and script to fill. Those made me feel sick so I take tums with them too. But it does help to have pain med before the ride home I think.
I came home and have been camping mostly on the recliner. Easy to get in and out of. My stepmom flew out to help me and my family so msot everything is being prepared and taken good care of.
I did take a little walk in my yard today and walking around the house. I took a shower myself with dh in the room just in case.
I get my catheter and staples out on Tuesday.

I wish you all an easier time than I had. The IV part was the worst of it. I also had to have a shot in the tummy the second day, but they bring up your skin so it does not hurt.
Big hugs to you all. It is a hard thing to walk through and try to understand the unknown. The anxiety before was worse than recovery for me though.
I am now 5 days post op...I feel pretty good and I and hoping adn praying this will be my healing. Thank you

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Find A Doctor Near You

Aram Bonni, M.D. 25108 Marguerite Parkway Suite A-259 Mission Viejo CA 92692 949-916-2100	Francisco Garcini, M.D. 1870 Silver Cross Blvd Suite 210 New Lenox IL 60451 815-463-3000	Arnold Advincula, M.D. Florida Hospital Celebration Health 400 Celebration Place Celebration FL 34747 (407) 303-4573
Aileen Caceres, M.D. Center for Specialized Gynecology/Florida Hospital 410 Celebration Place, Suite 302 Celebration FL 34747 (407) 303-4573	Mini Somasundaram, M.D. 4845 Knightsbridge Boulevard Suite 220 Columbus OH 43214 (614) 583-5552	Steven McCarus, M.D. 400 Celebration Place Suite310 Celebration FL 34747 4073034190
Christopher Stroud, M.D. 11123 Parkivew Plaza Drive Suite 101 Fort Wayne IN 46845 2609695071	Jack Ayoub, M.D. 44035 Riverside Parkway Suite 435 Leesburg VA 20176 703.858.5599	Robert Furr, M.D. Women's Surgery Center 1604 Gunbarrel Road Chattanooga TN 37421 4238996511

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