Article: Waiting is the Hardest Part about Hysterectomy Surgery?

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Article: Waiting is the Hardest Part about Hysterectomy Surgery?
Is waiting for my scheduled hysterectomy the hardest part of this ordeal?

Over and over again, we see newly-crowed, happy Princesses posting to their sister Ladies-in-Waiting the message, “The waiting is the hardest part.” And while no one disputes that waiting for the surgery is difficult for most, especially if you have to wait a long time, is it truly “the hardest” thing of all, for everyone? Let’s give this question consideration here.

Statistically, a hysterectomy is a safe surgery compared to other major operations, with a low rate of serious complications and negative repercussions. On the related topic of HRT - theoretically, HRT “should” replace the hormones the body used to make and result in a woman feeling exactly the same as when she had functioning ovaries. While it’s true that the vast majority of women who have a hysterectomy (whether they retained their ovaries or not) recover wonderfully and ride off happily into the sunset to begin their new-and-improved life, we all know that there are no guarantees with any surgery, which is one of the reasons many of us agonize over making the decision to even have the surgery in the first place.

And, once we have made the decision to proceed, it is typical to fret about any and all aspects of the upcoming hysterectomy - the anesthesia and operation itself, the pain, the recovery, the post-op limitations and restrictions, hormonal upheaval, future sexual function, and countless other concerns. In part, due to all this worrying, the weeks or months waiting for the surgery date to arrive can seem like a torture! To make matters worse, many women are suffering with ever-increasing pain during this pre-op period…perhaps the worst pain they have ever experienced. For these reasons and others, everyone would likely agree that the “waiting” is most definitely not a “good time.”

But does the waiting always end up being the worst part for everyone? Are any of us really able to look into a crystal ball and assure a Lady-in-Waiting that the waiting will be the “worst part” for her? The sad fact of the matter is this: there are thousands of women who wish with every ounce of their being that the waiting would have been the worst part for them.

For those who suffer negative, life-altering complications as a result of having had a hysterectomy, their post-op life is not, and may never be, an improvement from what they experienced prior to having the operation. You will find a small fraction of these women posting in the Aching Hearts, Hormone Jungle, Sexual Dysfunction and Road Less Traveled forums. That relatively tiny percentage of the unfortunate are those that found this site and choose to posts their sagas here. Many times that number of women endure their compromised lives without sharing their story here on hystersisters.com.

In a “semi-perfect world,” both the decision to have a hysterectomy and the results from having it would always end up being a positive benefit for all and the pre-op waiting really would be the worst part for everyone. In a “perfect world,” there would never be a need for anyone to ever have a hysterectomy to begin with.

At the present time, however, there are many unknowns surrounding this surgery, unknowns that are not able to be forecast by anyone, including the happy, newly-crowned Princesses.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.