TVH - My Story - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

		HysterSisters > Vaginal Hysterectomy Stories Articles
TVH - My Story

TVH - My Story

From the Vaginal Hysterectomy Stories Articles List

HysterSisters Articles

Options to Hysterectomy
Pre-Op Hysterectomy
Post-Op Hysterectomy
Hormone and Menopause
Intimacy after Hysterectomy
Fitness after Hysterectomy
GYN Cancer
Hysterectomy Stories
Ask A Doctor

I had my TVH on June 18, 2002. I was a wreck the weeks right before the surgery, but made it though and here I am!
The night before I had to do an Enema and a special Douche. I have never done either of these, and was so scared (and disgusted) that I had to do them. I managed to do both and went to bed shortly before 1 am. Not too smart considering I had to be at the hospital at 5:45!
The alarm went off and I got into the shower. I really wanted to shave really, really good since I didn't know how well I'd feel afterwards. I woke up my husband, got the babysitter situated and we left for the hospital.
It was really a bittersweet ride, because we had traveled the very same roads 3 times before en route for having our babies. I wasn't as scared as I thought I was going to be. I remember being very hungry because I wasn't allowed anything after midnight the night before.
We finally got there and they admitted me, put the lovely plastic wrist band on and off to the pre-surgery floor we went.
Right away a nurse came in to get my vitals, go over paper work and draw some blood. Well, that was by far my worst experience! She ended up blowing out a vein and I was getting very dizzy and sick to my stomache. She said she was sorry and said she'd get a person from the Lab to get the blood. In the meantime, I'm about ready to faint and I'm crying because it hurt! Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of pain, two of my kids were born natural. At this point my husband is mad at the nurse and is doing everything he could to get me to feel better. He did the cold wash cloth thing, and even suggested we get up and go home and forget about the surgery. I of course said," No way! I've come this far, I want to get it over with!" Then a nice man came from the Lab and took the blood and I started feeling better.
At about 6:45 a lady came to take us downstairs to the patient holding area. Once there, I met my anateiologists and my doctor also came in to check on me. They started the IV, with no problem and I asked them to give me something to make me feel "loopey". He took it out of his pocket and said,"This is what your looking for!". He put it in my IV and I guess I started acting pretty goofy. They then took me to the OR. I remember complaining to my doctor how cold it was in there and he said,"Well that's because we have to wear all of this!" and pointed to his surgical gear. They moved me to the skinny little table and it was so warm! I seen the yellow stir-ups and remember they started to hike up my hospital gown, I asked them why they were doing that, and then I said, "Well I guess you'd have to, to get this surgery going". They came up to me with a mask, and that is the last thing I remember.
I woke up in the recovery at about 10:15am. The surgery had started at 8, and took about 1 1/2 hours, so I was only in recovery for 45 minutes! I woke up and started pulling on a tube that was in my nose. They nurse took my hand and pulled it out. That was kind of a yucky feeling!
They took me to my room and got me in bed. I told them that I had to pee and the nurse helped me into the bathroom and I went pretty much by myself. I remember her giving me a pad for my lovely fish-net underwear they gave me and I was like, "A pad...no way I'm done with those forever!" She told me I might need them for a couple of weeks.
I got out of the hospital the next day and felt pretty good. I walked while I was there and it wasn't bad at all. For the first 2 days I had what I called, "A constant contraction" it really felt like back labor. The pain meds helped. I was really afraid of having that first BM. It did take a few days for everthing "down there" to start working, but now 7 days post op, I feel wonderful.
The best part was yesterday, my husband took my over to see a good friend of mine and I gave her my HUGE stash of pads and tampons! Yippee! I only bleed for 1 day too. That was really cool.
If I had to do it over again I would in a heartbeat!
~Jodie

Related Titles

Printer Friendly Version

TVH - My Story

Find A Doctor Near You

Bruce Pierce, M.D. 2 Princess Road Lawrenceville NJ 08648 609-896-0777	Steven McCarus, M.D. 400 Celebration Place Suite310 Celebration FL 34747 4073034190	Susan Carter, M.D. North Colorado Medical Center/ MCR 1800 15th Street, Suite 220 Greeley CO 80631 970 353 1335
Albert Odom, M.D. 1301 taylor st suite 6j columbia SC 29201 803-254-3230	Mark Richey, M.D. 1200 Airport Heights Ste 205 Anchorage AK 99508 9072724443	David Shifrin, M.D. 3001 Coral Hills Dr., Suite 300 Coral Springs FL 33065 954-341-2916
Mini Somasundaram, M.D. 4845 Knightsbridge Boulevard Suite 220 Columbus OH 43214 (614) 583-5552	Patrick Jr. Yeung, M.D. 1031 Bellevue Ave, Suite 400 St. Louis MO 63117 314-977-7455	Gretchen Makai, M.D. 4735 Ogletown Stanton Rd MAP II, Ste 2103 Christiana Care Health System Newark DE 19713 302-623-4410

Receive support and resources for your hysterectomy related needs: