Ahhh, getting nervous

Getting nervous about my surgery. I am having a lavh. I have a million questions spinning around in my head. Like what to expect before during and after surgery. I am very fortunate to have a friend that had a hyster. about 2 weeks ago. Will the doc. put me on hormones right away?

You should make a list of questions to ask your doctor before your surgery. I feel bad for those of you that have had so much time to think about your surgery. I was supposed to have had an ablation on the 11th of Dec, but on the 10th the decision was made to do the hyst. (infection in the uterus that had been treated unsuccessfully)

My doctor had them put a patch on me while I was in recovery. I have had no issues with it. I was starting to have hot flashes before the surgery, but now none (it's great)

Good luck and just make a list (lists help me)!!

elisha -

Check out the Hysterectomy Checkpoints and the Pre-Op page The articles and resources in these places may answer many of your questions.

As for your Dr. putting you on hormones right away it depends on your Dr.. Some do and some don't, some Dr's want to wait to see if and what type of symptoms you experience once your hormones have dropped.

Sending you for a successful surgery and uneventful recovery.

G.

I am with you Elisha! I have 3 weeks before my TAH and I keep checking for more information. Questioning if there isn't a way to do a less invasive surgery.

Elisha -

I had an LAVH/LSO on October 9th, and I can tell you that the worst part of the entire process was the WAITING!! Your mind races 100 mph in a million different directions! I had a month between the time I found out I was having a hysterectomy to the time I actually had it, so I almost made myself crazy in that time!

The good thing is that you have found this website - it helped me tremendously. There are so many wonderful ladies here that are ready to offer support, advice, and their experiences. So, whatever your questions or concerns are - trust me - you will find someone here who will be able to offer some insight!

Personally, I was extremely lucky with my surgery. With the exception of the length of my surgery (4 1/2 hours due to severe endo that neither myself or my GYN was aware that I had!) my entire experience was pretty uneventful. I did have to have a transfusion because I lost quite a bit of blood due to the surgery taking so long, but once we got that under control, the recovery was not nearly as painful as I expected, and everything healed up just like it should have.

The biggest thing that I was not prepared for was the fatigue afterwards!! Even the slightest activity totally exhausted me at first and I found myself sleeping A LOT! That is completely normal, so definitely rest when you feel like you need to!!!! I am the type of person that is constantly on the go, so it was difficult for me to be so tired all the time. I am now 10 weeks post-op, and I still find myself getting tired much quicker than I did prior to surgery. My doctor has assured me that it's normal, and could take 6-9 months before that goes away.

As far as hormones go - are you having your ovaries removed? I was able to keep my right ovary, so I didn't have to deal with HRT. I'm 41 years old, so my doctor and I both decided that the ovaries would stay if at all possible. The left one had to be taken, but I still have one. Discuss that with your doctor and find out what their thoughts are regarding HRT.

I hope that some of this info helps you out! Hang in there and best of luck with your surgery!! I hope you have a speedy, uneventful recovery like I did! I don't regret my surgery one bit.

Hi Elisha ~~

This site has a wealth of information. And where else could you go to find so many women who understand exactly how you are feeling??!! The support here is amazing!! I'm sure there will be plenty of gals who can answer your questions. And those of us still waiting for our visit to the castle will be here to help keep your spirits up.

Sending you smiles and star filled wishes ~~ StarryNite

Hi elisha. Make sure you write down all your questions to ask your dr so you won't forget them and you we who have had a LAVH can answer them too. Nerv ous is normal. Best of luck to you and remember we are here for you

I think the hormone issue is related to your age. My doc said the younger a woman is, the more drastic the side effects of losing the ovaries will be.

My doc said he was going to give me a shot of estrogen that is supposed to last a month, then we would discuss how to proceed from there.