Da Vinci scheduled 8/21

My surgery was just scheduled for da Vinci I'm petrified never been put to sleep don't know what to expect how long to be off work how long should husband be off work it's 8 weeks away and I feel like I need to be doing stuff to prepare and I am afraid if this will change me hormonally after the surgery sometimes now I feel like I'm a nut I'm 47 and probably pre menopausal I have fibroids adenomyosis and uterine polyps have had terrible back pain heavy periods pre menstrual migraines anyway thanks for this website and letting me share

I had my daVinci hysterectomy two weeks ago (June 11) and am doing better than I thought I would! My surgery was due to a polyp containing atypical complex hyperplasia (which is a pre-cancerous condition), enlarged uterus, and a fibroid. I'll be 57 years old next month, am post-menopausal (barely - I had regular periods until age 55), and in good health.

First and foremost, if you have ANY questions or concerns, no matter how insignificant you think they are, you should talk to your doctor about them. Believe me, they have heard every question in the book and will be more than happy to answer them for you.

While it's good to research your condition and the procedure, only go to reputable sites and do NOT dwell on them! Each person/procedure is different and you will drive yourself crazy if you spend hours and hours on the computer!

If you're feeling overly anxious in the days prior to your surgery, call you doctor and ask for a prescription that will help relax you. It's normal to be scared and apprehensive and there is medication that will get you through that.

Your anesthesiologist will most likely contact you the day prior to your surgery and will visit you again in the hospital prior to your procedure. That is the time to again ask any questions you have - it's good to keep a list by the phone so you don't forget your questions. I have had several surgeries and have found that the anesthesiologists are more than happy to help alleviate any fears you may have. It's also important to answer their questions truthfully and accurately!!

Once you're admitted, you will be taken good care of. Again, if you're feeling any apprehension whatsoever, tell your nurse so they can give you a mild sedative. Don't feel embarrassed to ask - you'll be glad you did. When you're ready to go into surgery, your anesthesiologist will put what I call "happy juice" into your IV line and you won't have a care in the world after that! :-)

I spent a least a month getting everything in order - mostly yard work and gardening as I have a husband who refuses to help me with that. The week prior to my surgery, I spent most of my time cleaning, grocery shopping, doing laundry, setting out the clothing I would be wearing once I got home (I kept it on top of the dresser the first two weeks so I wouldn't have to bend to get things out of drawers), etc. I also took time for my regular walks - it helps keep your mind calm! I also made sure my bedroom was nice and tidy and freshened up with clean sheets and duvet cover. I put a vase of cut roses in my nightstand the day prior to surgery so they'd be there for me when I got home.

I bought a few new pairs of PJs and a new nightie, some nicely scented shower gel, a new "poof", and loaded up my Kindle with books. I also bought two pairs of shapeware panties to help support my tummy in the days and weeks after surgery, but found my normal ones to be more comfortable, and I was able to get them on, too! :-)

I had difficulty with severe nausea and vomiting after my surgery, but that was the worst part of it! My pain level never reached a 10 - it hovered around a 7 or 8 the first night, but my nurses were wonderful about keeping it under control. My catheter came out the following morning and despite my worries over bladder issues, I've had absolutely no trouble peeing. I was able to reduce my narcotic pain meds within days of being home and am completely off of them now.

My main concern was constipation, so be SURE to take your stool softeners and drink lots of water, even if you don't feel like it!!! I can't stress that enough! I made two batches of lowfat bran raspberry muffins before my surgery and popped them in the freezer so I could start my morning off with some tasty fiber. Going No. 2 in the first week or so can be quite painful, but try not to stress about it. If you find you're uncomfortable and not going, be sure to call you doctor, especially if a weekend is looming. I also drank a hot mug of 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 prune juice at least twice a day!

My sister helped me at home for the first few days, but I'm a very independent person and once I knew I could get myself out of bed or off the couch on my own, and get to the bathroom, I sent her home. My husband only took a total of 1 1/2 days off! (Which is good as he doesn't have the patience to be a caretaker!!)

Today is two weeks since my surgery and I'm happy with my progress. I'm going up and down stairs, walking to the mailbox, walking around the house on rainy days (I live in Oregon so there's be a lot of those lately!), doing light housework and cooking, have done a few very light loads of laundry, and am able to clean the kitty box. I'm used to be very active so these last two weeks have been a challenge, but I decided early on that this was MY time to take care of myself so I haven't let myself stress out over not being able to do the things I normally would be doing this time of year. I do tire easily, but when the feeling hits, I take a nap and enjoy every minute of it!!

Your surgery will go better than you think! Ask questions, DON'T FREAK YOURSELF YOU BY READING TOO MANY HYSTERECTOMY WEBSITES (other than this one which I think is excellent), ask for help at home, and spend some time getting ready to pamper yourself once you get home with little things like new shower gel, PJs and/or nighties, a new book or magazines, or anything that makes YOU feel happy! Don't overdue it, but it's good to give yourself a little push now and then to get out of bed or off the couch, even if it's only to take a few laps around the living room. You'll be back to normal before you know it!! ((HUGS)) ~ Julie ~

P.S. - I've had absolutely NO hormonal-type symptoms since my surgery, most likely because I was post-menopausal. I hope the same is true for you!

Thank you so so much for sharing it does make me feel so much better to hear other sisters stories and I will definitely take your advice on everything HUGS😊

If you're not squeamish, there's a wonderful video of an actual daVinci hysterectomy surgery (not an animation) that you might be interested in viewing.

I found it very interesting as I'm one who likes to be completely informed about procedures and/or conditions, and I actually felt better about the procedure after I watched the video. I sent it to a few friends and my sister, and everyone said they thought it was informative and interesting as well. Again, it's an ACTUAL surgery so be forewarned!

I am scheduled a few days after you (8/26) for a davinci due to VERY large fibroids... I plan to freeze meals, surgery is a Monday, DH will be off totally Mon/Tues and on work from home Weds, Thurs, and Fri if they can reschedule the client he already had booked for on site that day... DD is working as normal. I am hoping to be back at work within 3.5 weeks of surgery since thats the most I could clear my calendar completely (Medical world- I can only shift annual assessment's by 15 days or we fall out of compliance) and if I'm not back by then they'll have to bring in coverage. I plan to line someone up in case.. but hope we won't need them. Same with my other job- I am going to only take telephone patients for the homecare agency- the ones who need to be seen in person I have found a friend who is willing to cover short term but doesn't want to do it long term... for 8 weeks... so I will have plenty of extra recovery before I am back to full time.

I also plan on leaving a clean house and laundry on my way to the hospital.. even though I'll have help if I need it around here...

I had my DaVinci surgery almost two weeks ago, spent just an overnight in the hospital, and have had a very uncomplicated recovery. It's two steps forward, one backward, but the pain was never unbearable.

After the third day, I was off the prescript meds and using only Motrin. Even that's been faded out now, and I haven't taken anything for pain in several days. Follow your body's signals. You want to keep ahead of any pain and not stress your body any more than it is already. It's working hard enough just to heal.

Before surgery, I researched a bunch. YouTube vids of the surgery, medical sites (the "good ones"), and support message boards like this. (This is the best one, by the way!) I still had the pre-op nerves, but at least they were educated nerves. (Though I couldn't shake the picture of R2D2 slapping a scalpel in C3PO's hand - heh.)

Write down any and all questions for your surgeon, and don't be embarrassed that any question is too silly. One that I asked my surgeon was, "What happens if you sneeze?" The look on her face was priceless. She told me after surgery that she's repeated that story a bunch of times to her colleagues. (She said nothing would happen, by the way.)

Oh yeah...for me, the fear of post-op bowel problems was a biggie, so I followed the sage advice of those on this forum who have been there, and I kept Gas-X and stool softeners handy. Those, and plenty of water, fruits (especially apples), prune juice, high fiber cereal, and walking have kept things running smoothly.

The mind can play some awful games with you in the wait before your surgery date. I hope that the experiences you are reading here are comforting. Those of us who are on the healing side have all been in your shoes and we're here for you. Just take it all a day at a time and you'll do fine.

Nyssariley has the right idea. I had surgery June 4th, and what kept me sane was trying to get everything taken care of that I could think of... fresh sheets, clean house, groceries etc. I felt like I was helping my recovery that way, and didn't have to ask too many favors while I was "out of commission" No driving afterwards for 2 weeks drove me buggy.

I'm now past the three week mark and back at work part time.

Hope your surgery goes well.