my experience

I just wanted to post my experience in hopes I could calm some fears for those of you ready to head for the castle. Just like everyone says the waiting is the worst the next worst for me was the surgical waiting area. It was full of pre-op patients and a little overwhelming, but all the nurses and anesthetist (sp) were very nice and very calming. I had a general because he told me it was all I could have for an abdominal, I was nervous because I'm prone to panic attacks but he said no worries he could take care of that, and he did. The next thing I knew I was in recovery withy my Dr. checking on my incision telling me my fibroid was as big as a cantaloupe! I already felt more normal. I had some trouble with pain medicine but that's just because I have allergic reactions to most medication. I did have one panic attack but zanax took care of that. I came home on Ibuprofin and so far have had a good recovery. I'm following all restictions and mostly resting trying to have the best recovery I can. Today is the first day I have really felt like typing is the only reason I waited so long to pass along any help I could. This website is the reason I felt as calm and optomistic as I was before surgery and I hope this helps. Sorry it's so long. TediB

Thanks for your post. I am so afraid of what will happen in the hospital while I wait for my surgery! Right now, it's scarier to me than the actual surgery. I am so fearful of panicking. It's good to know that someone has already been through what I am fearful of....and made it! Good luck on your recovery!

Thank you so much for your post Tedib, it's such a comfort to hear from the ladies who have had the op and it does make the countdown days easier to bear. I'm so glad you're on the mend and doing ok and wish you a lovely, restful and uneventful recovery

Andromeda

My biggest fear was the general anesthesia, and allergic reactions to medication. I knew that I was second-guessing the pros on it, but it didn't make me stop fearing it. I put the info on all my pre-op forms, and told everyone in the pre-op area that I was very concerned about reacting to anesthesia, having nausia or vomiting afterward, panic attacks, asthma attacks, etc. They took me seriously, and gave me everything they thought would help with it, and I had NO problems. I did have a headache and nausea that kept recurring after about 24 hours, and when I mentioned this to my nurse, (first she asked me if I thought coffeee might help with that) then she snuck me in a coffee, and viola! No more headache and nausea... forgot I was a caffeine addict! I also tried to keep a positive attitude, and took an extra day off work BEFORE the surgery, to get my head together, and (for me) get some alone time with God. Many people will find that if they get strength from their spritual relationship with GOd, they need to take a little time out, and focus there, instead of on all the "what-if's" Hope this helps! I am feeling wonderful after... let me see... oh yeah, 2 weeks today!

Thanks for the boost of comfort. I am sure many of us in waiting are feeling a little anxious. I have a high tolerance for pain and give blood frequently, but this procedure does have me a little frazzled. This website has helped me get a handle on what is happening with my body and great tips to make this experince as pleasant as possible. Again, thanks for the recovery update. It really does help us all who are in waiting.

Congrats to the two that have posted above with their experiences and I hope that I have that kind of experience with mine. Right now what you two have said is exactly what I needed to hear. I am so scared. At first I was so confident, on another post I had said that I had told my doctor that I wanted to go back to work in two weeks and that he had laughed...well he told me that it was alot different than my c-sections and that I should expect a recovery that would be different since of course they were removing organs that used to belong, and not a little foreign body. My cycle has stopped today but My left ovary still hurts severly but there was no cyst on Wednesday, I am shaking and almost crying as I type because now instead of being confident thinking..yes..finally getting all of this pain out, I suddenly don't know what is going to happen once my doc gets in, My Uterus has fallen, I have chronic pelvic pain (Lap for endo in '99), and I also have a menstral cycle that will last anywhere from 9-15 days on a good month and the next month start around the first and last the whole month with the exception of a day or so until it begins again. I had done so well in the past with other surgeries and my c-secs but this is totally different and from what I have read and I am scared to death! I have had nightmares, not been able to sleep since Wednesday night, and have cried. My Hyst will be around the last week of July, enough time for me to really dwell on the situation and really be a nervous wreck or maybe become comfortable enough to get through this without a breakdown to go with it. So thank you again, your words really made me feel a little better. Oh, and I really don't expect to be back at work in two weeks, he (doc wonderful) made that understandable for me that I would not feel like it!

Hey jenbugs73 just a side note... I had never known the extent of my monthly pain. I had severe endo, but it was only ever suspected until surgery. My post-op pain was only as bad as my worst periods. I'm not saying everyone will have this, but if you have long, crampy, painful, heavy clotting periods, you may truly find that this (post-op)pain is really not the thing to fear. The recovery process is simply long and slow. For me, mostly because of the A & T repairs (recetocele & cystocele) and the internal stitches associated with that. I think that's what slows people down. You simply can not bend, lift, or strain for a really long time, and we have no idea until we're in this situation exactly how much we do this. I understand the fear, because I was also afraid, but now I'm very thankful to have had this all done. I had a prolapsed uterus along with the rectocele, cystocele, endo, and adhesions.

First let me say that I am 12 weeks out from surgery and feeling great. I am back to doing everything I was before surgery, including working out 5-6 times a week. The only thing I can't do like I used to yet are abdominal exercises...but I'm getting there. I was scared to death to have this surgery, but the waiting was truly the worst part. Once it was over and the recovery period started, everything went smoothly. I am very fortunate that I had such an uneventful recovery. I hope those of you in waiting also have an eventfulful recovery too.

I loaded my iPod with my favorite songs (lots of Bob Marley for me). It was the one thing that helped to calm me before my surgery. My husband was with me, but I had that music on and my eyes closed and just tried to relax. My iPod also was a life saver during my hospital stay. I think I had it on all night long at a very low volume. It helped drown out any noise from the hospital and helped me relax and sleep. Just thought I'd pass this along.

I'm so glad this has helped some of you, one big thing I forgot to say was that I went by the printed list of things to take to the hospital, but the very best thing I got and it was only because I happened onto it was a squishy headrest (of all things) that I found on sale at Target, it has been my best friend from day 1. It has a belt on the back which makes it easy to cary around and it is the perfect size, mine is vey colorful lavender, pink, and lime and I adore it. I'm using it right now. Keep your spirits up and know good days are around the corner. All my best!