| Abdominal Hysterectomy - TAH/WWO/REY - Patti's Story |
Date : 04-12-2003 - 12:24 PM - Readers : 2949 |
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Princess Patti's Story
I had my TAH on 10-9-98. My 13th surgery... and I was terrified of going under the knife yet again!! The first surgery I had was a laparoscopy, which disclosed: PID un-discovered for 5 years, tons of adhesions, endometriosis, my right tube was blocked, filled with fluid from a hysterosalpingogram and 5 times normal size...and ready to burst. My uterus, bladder, and rectum were all bound together with adhesions. They couldn't find my ovaries; they too, were covered with adhesions. My left tube was kinked at a 90-degree angle in 2 places, kind of looked like a "z".
There was endo everywhere. A pretty grim site I was told, and by the time I was transferred to recovery I was only in "fair condition".
After many more looks (laparoscopies) and more laser surgery to remove more adhesions, and more endo. I had 2 beautiful little girls by c-sections, after 11 1/2 years of trying. I had endo developed in the abdomen, in the skin, which swelled each month and bled when my period started. Another surgery to remove that. In the mean time my periods kept getting worse and worse, I was passing huge clots, and just sitting on the toilet caused me to loose tampons. I thought about a hysterectomy, but wasn't totally sure of the decision. I was still trying for another baby, until my Dr. told me, he didn't think I was ovulating anymore. Still it would take me another year and 4 more sets of sheets, to make the final decision. I would have the hysterectomy.
I was scheduled for 10-9-1998. That gave me 6 weeks to think about it, which was way too long for me!! So I put it out of my head and volunteered at school and kept myself very busy, until 2 weeks prior when I needed to think about it. That is when I got very scared.... past scared...past terror...I was inconsolable!! I was convinced I was going to die during this 13th surgery. I was put on Xanax for the 10 days prior to surgery to try and help me calm down.
I had to be at the hospital at 6 am for a 7:15 surgery. Thank God it would be early, nothing to drink after midnight the night before, so no coffee to wake me fully!!! Since I had pre-registered, and had all pre-ops done about 5 days earlier, I was sent up to the 2nd floor, pre-surgical area. My Dr. had told me to take a xanax in the morning, and also tell the nurses that I was very terrified, and I wanted "my shot" to calm me down. Instead I got: an IVstarted, a talk with a nurse anesthetist, I signed all paperwork, put on one of those cute little back-less gowns, and kept my socks on, but nothing else. No nail polish, no make up, and no jewelry. My wedding ring was covered with a band-aid. And without my shot, I was wheeled down to the surgery staging area to wait. My husband was there with me, holding my hand and trying to calm me down. All I wanted was my shot!!! Something to help me calm down. They were going to have to scrape me off the ceiling if someone didn't get there soon!!!
The anesthesiologist (sp) finally came and put something in my IV! I waited...and waited, asking my husband if he put anything in!! He said he did, but it wasn't working!!! There was no drugged feeling, like I had with prior surgeries. No drooling. No calming, no nothing. I started to cry. I kissed my husband good-bye, and told him where the letters I had written to my girls and him were. Along with a list of my jewelry and who would get what, as a gift from their dead Mother, on their wedding day.
I was wheeled into the OR, where there was no usual hustle and bustle! There was no one in there but the anesthesiologist. I was helped over to the operating table, and he hooked up the leads for the EKG that would run during the surgery. Then in walked my Wonderful Dr., he was in his scrubs, but hadn't scrubbed yet. He walked over to me and took my hand, stroking my arm and telling me that I would be ok; he would take care of me, and make sure nothing happened. One final tear ran down my cheek as I gently drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up I was already in my room! I don't remember waking up in recovery, or the trip back to my room. Although I do remember clinking sounds and someone counting, must have been the needle and sponge count, during surgery!!!
I woke to the nurse putting the button to the morphine pump in my hand (push, push, push,) and telling me I needed to push the button when I was in pain...push, push, push. The next time I woke up hubby was there to feed me ice chips, and I realized it was over, and I WAS ALIVE!!! THANK GOD!!! I had a catheter draining into a cup, not very sterile I thought!! Silently I was thanking all my new Hyster Sisters for prayers said on my behalf!!
The pain wasn't that bad, after all the surgeries I had been thru, this was nothing new to me. My roommate had surgery on her tailbone and it had abscessed, she had 2 pumps for pain meds, was getting shots every 2 hours, and still spent most of her time banging on the mattress, and repeating over and over, "Help me Jesus, Oh Help me please, Help me Jesus, Oh Help me please..." Constantly. I hit the button on my pump and went back to sleep.
When I woke it was time for hubby to get the kids off the school bus, and time for me to hit the button and go back to sleep!!
The next day was Saturday. I woke to find my soft diet breakfast of Jell-O, chicken broth, de-caff coffee, and juice. The nurse came and removed the cath, and my pump. I got up by myself and went to the bathroom. Amazingly there was no dizziness (the nurse would have had my head if she knew I got up alone!!) and I could walk just fine, hunched over, of course!! Success!! Ok now I was getting pumped, the bladder was working, now to get the gas moving. I made a VERY short trip across the hall, probably no more than 20 ft. or so, but it felt so good to get up and move!!
Sunday morning at 4 am the roommate was still at it. Her TV. Had been on all night long, and I had enough!! I went into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, washed my face and hair, did a quick sponge bath, and into my own jammies!!! Woo Hoo!!! Now I was ready, I started walking behind a wheelchair that was in the hall. That way when I got tired, all I had to do was sit and rest. The pain meds came by mouth and intramuscular injections (2) in my right thigh. I was ready to go home and recover, in my bed, with my candles, and flowers. By the time my Dr. came in Sunday around 11:30 am, I had been walking the halls repeatedly, and finally passed gas!! More success!!! He walked in and asked my how I felt, I said Great, and I want to go home!!! They started the paperwork while I called hubby and my girls to come and get me. While I was waiting for them to get there, I had this brilliant idea...I would pack my stuff so we could get out of there quickly!! I grabbed my "duffle" and threw it in the middle of the bed and started packing. The heaviest thing I lifted was my bathroom bag, but when you put it all together it was heavy...and smack in the middle of my bed.... now that I was pooped from all that packing, I had no where to lay down!!! Ladies make sure if you pack your own stuff at the hospital, put your bag at the foot of the bed BEFORE you pack it!!!! One of the wonderful nurses came in a moved it for me to the foot of the bed so I could lie down and rest.
I felt like dancing (Snoopy dancing for sure!! ) It was over and I was going home!!! I made sure I got pain pills right before we left, because I was 45 minutes from the hospital. I used my bed pillow between the seatbelt and me. I have a Pathfinder SUV so I had to climb into it, which was another thing I worried about. No problem there, there is a step rail, and a handle in the roof to grab on to. I didn't even need anyone’s help to get in!!
That was about 5 weeks ago, I am a new woman!!! I haven't had PMS, daily headaches, monthly migraines, I couldn't even tell you when I should have had a period, all I know is they are gone. :-D
Patti
P.S. I had a TAH/BOLS??? Bilateral Oopherectomy Left Salpinectomy?
My Dr, had on the bottom of his bill TAH/WWO, I found out that stood for: With or Without...and my Dr. popped in and said "removal of everything yucky"
That's why my signature on the board says TAH/WWO/REY!
I forgot to mention in my path report, I had a tumor on my right ovary that was a little bit bigger than my uterus, and weighed almost twice as much.
Pathology reports can be very informative if you can decipher all the big words. I was so busy looking at the big words, I never looked at sizes of things...he told my husband he took out a "pretty big" tumor. But I never realized how big, until it was compared to my uterus!
You could name it Princess Patti AKA Chicken Little ;-)
Blessings from The Capital of Hot Flashes!
Patti
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