My LAVH/BSO (very long) - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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My LAVH/BSO (very long)

My LAVH/BSO (very long)

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I have had a history of ovarian cysts most of my adult life. I would start hurting; the docs would do an ultrasound and tell me I had cysts. Then after a while they would go away. This was repeated over and over and over. In addition to this I also had fibroids and recently began to bleed about 15 days out of every month. Then in April of this year I got nauseous and had diarrhea along with severe pain in my abdomen. Then I began to have bleeding from my rectum. One colonoscopy and several other tests later I was told I had ulcerative colitis. Around this time it was time for a pap smear so I went to the gyn. I told him what had been going on and that I hurt real bad on one side and had pain down my leg. He suggested an ultrasound and they found a cyst on my ovary the size of an orange. My gyn said to schedule another ultrasound and it would probably be gone. On July 20 I had the second ultrasound. It had not gone away. In fact, it was larger and they found 4 more smaller cysts. He was concerned and said it needed to be removed and biopsied. I had discussed hysterectomy before, and the decision was made to go ahead.

My surgery was scheduled for Aug. 1. I had 10 days to prepare and I was in a panic. I was frightened of cancer, frightened of dying, and frightened of all those other things that can go wrong during surgery. I did a lot of research on the internet about ovarian cancer and hysterectomy. My husband was so kind and understanding. He let me cry and whine and even looked at all the gory pictures I found on the internet. He was worried about me and knew this was serious. I cleaned and scrubbed the house. I made lists. I stocked the pantry. I called my daughter and my son and told them I loved them. The day before surgery, I paid all the bills and laid everything out so my husband could find things if I died. My husband had a trip to Chicago scheduled for Aug. 5 and had already purchased his airline tickets. He thought about canceling the trip but we decided to play it by ear and decide after the surgery. If I was doing okay, then he would go. If not, then we were only out the price of the ticket.

On the day of my surgery I got up and did that last load of laundry.

SURGERY DAY

The day of my surgery I woke up and told my husband I had changed my mind. I told him I didn’t hurt and I must have been miraculously cured. He laughed and held me and said “I’ll take your suitcase to the car.” I got to the hospital at 10:00 am. I was scheduled for noon. As soon as I changed into a hospital gown, my sister and my pastor appeared at the door. They came in and we had a nice prayer time. Well, actually, the preacher prayed and I squalled. Then my mom, dad, and son appeared. The preacher left. Nurses came in and out, asking lots of questions, taking blood, and starting an IV. The anesthesiologist came by and asked me if I had any problems in the past with anesthesia and did I have any questions. I told him to just make sure I woke up. He smiled, squeezed my arm and said not to worry. Then the doctor came by and said they would come to get me soon.

In a few minutes another nurse came in with a shot. She said it was Versed and would make me dizzy and relaxed. I have had Versed in the past with a colonoscopy and knew it was about to be “lights out”. I reached for my husbands hand as she injected the Versed into the IV. The next thing I knew I was in recovery and someone was standing on my stomach. Well, not really, but that is what it felt like. When they took me to my room I got a PCA pump. I pushed that little button many, many times.

No cancer was found. My entire family breathed a collective sigh of relief. I had several visitors that evening but don’t remember much about them. I am extremely nearsighted and didn’t have my contacts in so I couldn’t see well and I could barely open my eyes so mostly my guests visited with each other. Also, I knew from having had surgery in the past that I needed to turn and move. So I did. I had a private room so my husband was allowed to stay with me.

Next morning, I woke and sat up a little in bed. I had a liquid breakfast and then a nurse came to remove the catheter. I tried repeatedly to use the bathroom but to no avail. After a while I was hurting so badly that I started to cry. When I started to cry I got real bad pains up under my diaphragm and couldn’t breathe. About this time my doctor came by and told the nurse to put the catheter back in. Then he asked the stupidest question I had ever heard “Do you want to go home this morning???” Here I am, gasping for air, unable to pee, about to have a catheter reinserted and he asks that question. I told him NO. The nurse put the catheter back in and found that my bladder was FULL. I felt much better. After a while they took it out again and although I had bad bladder spasms, I was able to go to the bathroom.

At lunch I was given real food. Guess what they brought me?? Cabbage.... I did NOT eat it. For supper they brought me…….. Broccoli. I knew those food would give me gas and I was doing my best to avoid that. I ate the Jell-O. That day I walked a little and slept a lot.

RECOVERY AT HOME

The next day, Aug 3, I felt much better and went home with a script for antibiotics and pain pills. A few church members stopped by that day but no one stayed long. A couple of people brought casseroles. One lady brought me roses from her garden. I felt really good. I was getting around quite well, able to shower and tend to myself without assistance. My husband decided to go ahead with his trip to Chicago on the 5th. I decided to stay home alone. My husband made sure I had lots of microwavable food and plenty of juices and drinks. He even called a couple of ladies from the church and asked them to check on me. I relaxed from the 3rd to the 8th. I rested, watched TV, took my meds, rested, talked to my kitty cats, surfed the internet, ate, watched the birds in my yard, drank lots of water, walked around the house, and rested some more. I had minimal pain and in fact I felt so good that I made an appointment with my doctor to discuss when I could go back to work (I was off without pay). My son came over every other day to clean the kitty box and vacuum up the fur balls. Then he would fill up the bird feeders. My mom came over the other days and would do any laundry and run my dishwasher. It was wonderful !!

BACK TO THE CASTLE

Then….. It happened…..

On the 9th I woke up feeling really awful. I called my mom and told her to bring a thermometer when she came. I had 101.5 temp. I called the doctors office. The nurse said she would have the doctor call me. By the time he called my fever was 103.4. He told me to come straight to his office. He had to examine me internally and that was really uncomfortable. I started shaking uncontrollably. My vision went all wacky and it was difficult to understand what people were saying to me. I was put in a wheel chair and taken from the doctor’s office directly to a room at the castle. My fever was 105.3…..They put ice under my arms and between my legs. My doc ordered a CT scan. My mom called my husband in Chicago. He was on his way home as soon as he could get a flight to Beaumont.

A nurse came in and told me I had to drink 3 glasses of a red liquid before the CT scan. I didn’t want to. I told her I hurt all over and needed something for pain. She said that she wouldn’t give me anything until I drank the stuff. I drank it. Sometime around this time my sister showed up. I was given a huge pain shot then put in a wheel chair to be taken to the CT scan. My sister walked along with us. I was parked in a hallway outside the CT room along with 2 other patients. My pain medicine really kicked in and it was if I had no bones in my neck. I could not keep my head up and kept slipping down in the wheel chair. My sister asked for a gurney so I could lie down. One was brought almost immediately. I was not told before the CT scan that I would be given contrast solution by means of an enema. That bit of information came as a painful surprise !! Finally it was over and I was taken back to my room and started on IV antibiotics. The CT scan did not reveal anything that required additional surgery. They told me I just had an infection. I stayed in the hospital for 4 days and 3 nights. The IV antibiotics were real rough on my veins. The IV had to be moved several times and I now have hard knots in the veins in my arms.

BACK HOME

I was released from the hospital on Aug. 12th, when my fever approached normal, and sent home with more antibiotics. I came home and rested, watched the birds, drank a lot of water, took my medicine, talked to my kitty cats, snuggled with my husband, didn’t pick up anything heavier than a soda can, rested and rested some more. In a couple of days I felt pretty good again. I kept the appointment on the 16th and told my doctor I needed to go back to work on the 20th. He agreed but told me not to lift anything and to be careful.

I went to work on the 20th. I made it all day, came home and was in bed by 6:30. The next day I did the same thing, I put all my evening activities on hold for a few more weeks. I normally sing in the choir and in a praise team, play handbells and attend many functions at our church. I am now seven weeks post-op and have just started to add back in my night-time activities.

I am glad I had my hysterectomy. I feel better than I have felt in a long time.

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My LAVH,Salpingo-OophorectomyTransvaginal sling story

My Road to an LAVH....Happy Ending!

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Gregory Glover, M.D. 10810 Parkside Dr. Knoxville TN 37934 865-218-6690	Aileen Caceres, M.D. Center for Specialized Gynecology/Florida Hospital 410 Celebration Place, Suite 302 Celebration FL 34747 407.303.4190	Mark Richey, M.D. 1200 Airport Heights Ste 205 Anchorage AK 99508 9072724443
Casey Sprague, M.D. 3960 Coon Rapids Blvd. #101 Allina Women's Health Coon Rapids MN 55433 763-236-9236	Gretchen Makai, M.D. 4735 Ogletown Stanton Rd MAP II, Ste 2103 Christiana Care Health System Newark DE 19713 302-623-4410	Wilfredo R. Ramos, M.D. 5301 F Street, Suite 210 Sacramento CA 95819 (916) 453-3440
Albert Odom, M.D. 1301 taylor st suite 6j columbia SC 29201 803-254-3230	Nadia Mileo, M.D. 3001 Coral Hills Dr., Suite 300 Coral Springs FL 33065 954-341-2916	Charles Miller, M.D. 120 Osler Drive Suite 100 Naperville IL 60540 630-428-2229

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