TAH in 11 days and counting

Hi everyone. I am really new here. My sister had her hyster last year and told me I should come on here to read and talk. I am beginning to get to that "I know I need it but want to throw up because I am scared to death" phase or basically "wigging out".

My doctor has been really good about everything but I have been bleeding since June and medicine didn't help so this is where I am. I go in on November 27th @ noon for my TAH at 2. I have one almost 9 year-old, he'll be 9 2 weeks post op.

I have no idea what to expect afterward. I never have had a surgery this big and to complicate things I also have Lupus. How long until some of you were able to do your "Normal" stuff? I am really independent and like to help other and now I am already worried about them.

Okay thanks for listening to me babbble this early.

Hi Jeckyll. I'm new here too, my TAH is 12/12. Your sister is right, though. I've only posted a few times, and have recieved lots of support. I haven't had a scheduled surgery this large, but did have an emergency C-section with my son 9 yrs. ago, and had a fairly quick and easy recovery from that. I have noticed though, that almost everyone here says "it's not the same thing", so I can only hope that my TAH goes half as well. I am starting to plan (a little more realistically?) for a true 6 wk recovery, and will just have to take things as they come. If you're like most of us women, maybe it's time to let others help us for a while. Keep your spirits up!
Bulldoggrl

i'm 3 weeks post-op i was so nervous too, but you know, waiting really is the hardest part you'll be fine.. dont be scared.. i was terrified, its easy for me to say now thats its over, but i know what your going thru. the first week at home was hard, thank god for my family they helped out alot, and still are, its gets easy.. i'm able to a little, your body will let you know when you have done too much. make sure you have a pillow for your stomach, i wish that i would have gotten the swelly belly, it would have been a god send, but the pillow will become your best friend.. i never had surgery before this either. but the whole really wasnt as bad as i thought. for me the first 24 hours were the worst, pain wise.. but the next day i took my shower and felt so much better. but dont worry.. you'll be fine!

((( jeckyll )))

The ladies are right, listening to your dr and your own body during recovery is the way to go The norm for initial recovery is 6 - 8 weeks. Some heal a bit quicker, some take longer.

Check out the Pre-op Articles:
https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/view_pre.htm
You will find a lot of helpful info and hints there.

The Pre-op Checkpoints are packed with helpful info also:
https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/view_preop.htm

Best wishes.

S

Aaron1,

Thanks so much for replying. I have been so worried. My recovery time is going to balance on on how my Lupus reacts to the surgery. Well...that's the what the doctor's say. I am so pig headed that I think I am going to be up and walking around like nothing hapenned in a few days.

I hope that I heal up fast enough because my son's birthday party is on 12/8. Yeah I know I can see this already! LOL...me and my pillow playing with Thomas the Tank Engine, Transformers AND Star Wars....

You all are going to be my best friends.

Thanks so Much,
Josie Kay

You'll definitely want your Lupus doc on board throughout the entire procedure. Major surgery can definitely wreak havoc with how effectively your meds work, and you might require some fine-tuning. Now is not the time to be thinking of what you can do for others; it's time to do what you need to do to recover in as healthy and safe a manner as you can.

Good luck with your surgery and recovery!

Hi Jeckyll--- My SAH is scheduled for the same day. I too am nervous, but I was supposed to have this done Oct. 23rd and the day before surgery, it was cancelled because of the San Diego fires... we were evacuated. Finally I am trying to prepare myself again.

We'll all be fine and maybe we can keep in touch while we're recovering.

I did want you to know what I have heard. If you do too much too quickly, there can be severe risks. I have a friend who had to go back in for surgery because of the build up of scar tissue which wrapped around her bowel (lovely huh?) -- she was very active and it was difficult for her to rest when necessary. Obviously it was very serious. I guess when your body is working too hard too quickly, it tries to compensate with the build up of this scar tissue. So take care of yourself!

Wow,

Did you all make it through the fires ok? My husband is from San Diego and my in-laws still all live there. Marines and Navy. There houses were ok but Dad had to go on Oxygen because his lungs.

The date of your original surgery was my great gramma's 86th Birthday. I hope we can keep in touch while we are recovering.

I am scared spitless though and I can admit it. My son is here so he keeps me busy but I still think about it.

I hope to talk to you again soon.
Take Care of yourself!!

Jeckyll - I completely sympathise on the bleeding point. I had a period that started in early June and ended about a week before my surgery.

I had a SAH a week ago today. My uterus was at about 30 weeks (the largest my surgeon she said she has ever seen) and my incision (vertical) is about 9 inches long.

I'm not lifting weights and running marathons but I am doing great. I keep up on the schedule for taking my meds so pain management has not been an issue. Since I got out of the hospital on Sunday I have gone grocery shopping, met a friend for lunch at the local mall, even had a job interview today. Since I do computer design and have no lifting or such involved I think I will probably be able to go back to work part time after Thanksgiving.

Here is the best part.... I don't have cramping. I don't have back pain. I don't have to go to the bathroom 20 times a day and for the first time in a year I actually am able to sleep 6-8 hours a night without waking up 4, 5, 6 or more times during that period because I need to urinate. The alien baby that took over my life is now sitting in a path lab somewhere and even with the swelling, the jiggly jelly feeling where it once resided and the sore incision site, I feel so much better it's just ridiculous. The only regret I have is that I pushed the surgery back a month from it's originally scheduled date in October but that was for financial reasons.

You live your life for so long around the symptoms of these problems and then you live it around the treatment and then you live it aound the plans for the upcoming surgery and the fears you have about the recovery but if you are anything like me, the feeling of relief that comes when you wake up from surgery and realize that you finally get to live your life for yourself again is so overwhelming that it overshadows any of the discomfort that comes with the process.

You are going to do great!

Jeckyll-- Yes we and our home made it through the fires ok--Whew! Also, I am a Navy brat too-- That's how we came to San Diego.

You know I go through moments of insanity these days. I sometimes think I'm not nervous, but my husband would say otherwise and that's why I am being so difficult. I can't seem to get my things in order before the surgery, and it's driving me nuts. I think I've just been thinking about it all too intensely.

I look forward to recovering! Here's to us all recovering!