TAH: Upcoming hysterectomy 7/19: Overwhelmed, scared, worried, need to organize my thoughts

I am new here, so I don't know if I am in the correct area. I just need to get some of this out.

I am 45. I have had bad periods for a long time. I had used birth control pills to keep them under control, but two years ago, I had an episode where my blood pressure sky rocketed and I couldn't feel my left foot. That led to all kinds of medical tests including an mri in which they saw a fibroid. I was referred to my gyn about the fibroid that she said was no big deal, but that I needed to stop taking the bc pills due to the high blood pressure. After stopping the bc, it was back to the bad periods-- pain, heavy bleeding, lasting for two weeks or more. It was like two weeks on, two weeks off, of course, never that regular. My gyn did not seem to think it was a big deal. She said that you always had a lot of bleeding after stopping bc pills. In order to keep me off hormones, she suggested a non-hormonal IUD. The bleeding just got worse and worse. My old gyn left the state and they assigned me to a new gyn. I told her everything that was going on-- since November, I have had an almost constant period-- a few weeks off here and there, but a pretty miserable time. The new gyn suggested an ablation. Of course that meant removing the IUD and tying my tubes in order to prevent pregnancy. They had originally scheduled it for April, but I started to worry about recovery time since I am a teacher and it was a bad time to miss school, so I put it off until June 7. Well, June 7 didn't go as planned. When I woke up from the surgery, the nurse told me that they were unable to complete the surgery. I had too much damage from endometriosis that they were unable to tie both my tubes. They said I would have to have a hysterectomy. They put me on the schedule for the next open surgery date-- July 19. Since June 7, the bleeding has continued, so I can understand that the hysterectomy is the right thing to do. The doctor has seen what is going on in there and has said that I need the abdominal surgery and a total hysterectomy removing ovaries, but that she would go in through my c-section scar (bikini line) so I wouldn't have another scar (not that I care about a scar-- my bikini days are long over). Since June 7, I have been trying to get information and prepare myself. My school starts back August 15. Four weeks will be August 16 and that is when the doctor says I will be able to return to work. I am worried about missing the first day of school and even more worried about missing more. My sister had a laparoscopic hysterectomy and ended up out of work for 10 weeks because she had problems with bleeding, having three additional surgeries. I want to return to work after four weeks, but I wonder if that is realistic because it took me a week to feel better after the June 7 outpatient laparoscopic tubal ligation that was only half completed. They had originally told me that I would only have to be off work two days for that procedure. It also doesn't help that my sister has said that she has no more sex life since her hysterectomy. I am scared. My sister and my doctor have both said that I will feel better after it is done. I don't know.

Hello, Ms. Blue! :-)

Returning to work as a teacher four weeks after a TAH is, in my humble opinion, not entirely realistic. I had a TAH myself and returned to a part-time desk job in a relaxed environment at four weeks, with restrictions against handling 30-40 lb boxes in the archives area. I would have taken more time if I'd been working full-time and/or in a more stressful environment or if my job had been more physically active.

As a teacher, you're on your feet a lot, yes? And if you teach younger grades, that often involves a lot of physical activity. It's usually easier to book off for more time than you need and then come back early than it is to try to extend your time off.

Why is your doctor saying she has to remove the ovaries? 45's young for that. If you don't understand clearly why she wants to do this, keep asking her until you get a clear explanation.

If she *does* remove your ovaries, then will you be able to take HRT afterwards? That's another question to ask your doc.

Senoraazul, please don't stress over what you can't control. While I can't answer most of your questions, I can tell you I felt similar apprehensions. I am a 3rd grade teacher starting back at the same time you are, so I scheduled my laparoscopic, robotic full hysterectomy for June 29th. I was told I'd have two weeks of fatigue and fairly intense discomfort, and 4 days post op, I am feeling that.

Pre op, if I had any questions, I called my surgeon's pre-op nurse and she was great! I cried, laughed and asked her the craziest questions until I felt better about the procedure. Please don't hesitate to do the same with your surgical nurse!

So many friends and acquaintances tried to help reduce my fears by sharing their own experiences with their hysterectomies, but sometimes they just made me more apprehensive.

Take each day as it comes.... Ask each question as it comes up, and write down each question as it pops into your brain.that's how you keep from stressing about the surgery. And follow your pre op instructions to the letter. I even practiced tummy tightening exercises, walking, deep breathing, and stair climbing in prep for my surgery.

As for work, if all goes according top,an, you should be okay to start in 4 weeks as long as you don't go crazy setting up your room, lifting and moving things.... Let your friends, family, and teammates help you!

And be kind to yourself! I am napping twice a day and still sleeping 7 hours at night! You will tire easily so plan your lessons ahead of surgery and easy ways to assess your students without intensive grading.

Best wishes to you! It will all be over before you know it!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by senoraazul I am new here, so I don't know if I am in the correct area. I just need to get some of this out. I am 45. I have had bad periods for a long time. I had used birth control pills to keep them under control, but two years ago, I had an episode where my blood pressure sky rocketed and I couldn't feel my left foot. That led to all kinds of medical tests including an mri in which they saw a fibroid. I was referred to my gyn about the fibroid that she said was no big deal, but that I needed to stop taking the bc pills due to the high blood pressure. After stopping the bc, it was back to the bad periods-- pain, heavy bleeding, lasting for two weeks or more. It was like two weeks on, two weeks off, of course, never that regular. My gyn did not seem to think it was a big deal. She said that you always had a lot of bleeding after stopping bc pills. In order to keep me off hormones, she suggested a non-hormonal IUD. The bleeding just got worse and worse. My old gyn left the state and they assigned me to a new gyn. I told her everything that was going on-- since November, I have had an almost constant period-- a few weeks off here and there, but a pretty miserable time. The new gyn suggested an ablation. Of course that meant removing the IUD and tying my tubes in order to prevent pregnancy. They had originally scheduled it for April, but I started to worry about recovery time since I am a teacher and it was a bad time to miss school, so I put it off until June 7. Well, June 7 didn't go as planned. When I woke up from the surgery, the nurse told me that they were unable to complete the surgery. I had too much damage from endometriosis that they were unable to tie both my tubes. They said I would have to have a hysterectomy. They put me on the schedule for the next open surgery date-- July 19. Since June 7, the bleeding has continued, so I can understand that the hysterectomy is the right thing to do. The doctor has seen what is going on in there and has said that I need the abdominal surgery and a total hysterectomy removing ovaries, but that she would go in through my c-section scar (bikini line) so I wouldn't have another scar (not that I care about a scar-- my bikini days are long over). Since June 7, I have been trying to get information and prepare myself. My school starts back August 15. Four weeks will be August 16 and that is when the doctor says I will be able to return to work. I am worried about missing the first day of school and even more worried about missing more. My sister had a laparoscopic hysterectomy and ended up out of work for 10 weeks because she had problems with bleeding, having three additional surgeries. I want to return to work after four weeks, but I wonder if that is realistic because it took me a week to feel better after the June 7 outpatient laparoscopic tubal ligation that was only half completed. They had originally told me that I would only have to be off work two days for that procedure. It also doesn't help that my sister has said that she has no more sex life since her hysterectomy. I am scared. My sister and my doctor have both said that I will feel better after it is done. I don't know.

I too am a teacher and I am worried about returning to school. I was bumped from my 5th grade spot down to third grade bc of the possibility of missing the beginning of school. I will have a DvH on the 8 th of July and we as teachers go back the 8 th of August and the kids come back the 17. My dr thinks I will be fine at the 2 week mark and not miss the start of school at the 4 week mark. I wish you all the luck in the world with yours. I am so nervous. I have cold feet that are now frozen. But for me there is no going back. We have already paid it is a go nerves or not

Blessings
Cheryl