new - pre op

Hi, I'm new here...but I have alot I need to say. First, I don't think it is healthy at all to post/read negative experiences for post hysterectomy. All it has done is scare me to death on my upcoming surgery 8/26! Next...Yes, always be well informed on decisions for surgery, but hysterectomies are performed everyday and I have talked to a b'zillion post hyst patients who have had absolutely NO problems. So let's just stick with that!

Ovaries, keep, or take??? Ovarian Cancer is a silent killer. Take the puppies. Slap a Estriadol patch on and don't worry! If you feel hormonally unbalanced, get out and exercise. Eat right and quit dwelling on the hormone thing! But what about nature and hormones? Cancer is nature??? Sometimes nature is out of kilter. So modern science is good.

Let's be a support board,nix the negs! P.S. Doesn't mean I'm not still anxious about surgery! But soon it will be behind me!

Hi hope,

About the posts, well, this is what I think.

I think there are two types of people - one group wants to know only what they have to know about their medical conditions, and the other group wants to know everything. For either group, they are doing what works for them to minimize their stress. I count myself amongst the latter group, and I can tell you that it gives me wayyyy more stress to imagine what could go wrong than to actually read about what has really happened to some people. My imagination will not stop and I imagine far worse things than the reality.

That being said, I do avoid the forums that are not appropriate for me. I don't look at the post-op forum, or the bladder forum, for example. I'm not post-op and I don't and probably won't have bladder complications from my sling.

I'm actually in the wanting to know everything, but feel positives are what support forums should be. Bad experiences don't mean you will have a bad experience, and alot of people are stronger than others. I just have never seen anything good out of telling people negative outcomes to anything!

I'm the kind of person who likes to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I've learned a lot from reading other people's negative experiences, and I think it's important for women who are having a rough time with their healing to know they aren't alone. Women who are having bad experiences need support, too. Probably more than women who aren't.

In my experience, the medical community tends to gloss over a lot of the less pleasant aspects of medical treatment (or, even worse, make you feel like any problems you're experiencing are all in your head), so it's important for people who have experience with the process to tell the truth about those experiences. Sometimes that truth isn't always comfortable.

So true! I'm just an extreme optimist! Also from being in the medical field, I guess just feel best to hear support, not horror stories when I too am facing a total hysterectomy in three weeks. Actually, I'm scared to death. I wasn't this scared before my masectomy three months ago. It went fine, except for almost bleeding to death post-op! No cancer! Just small breast, and too many benign tumors! I look much better now, but wasn't prepared for a total hysterectomy so soon after just having that done in February!

That's why I feel, having support, positives is what I need, so anyone post hysterectomy with no problems feel free to pour it on!!! I'll deal with all of the other stuff as it happens, if it does.
Not that I'm not supportive of anyone who has had issues! I just need reassurance now!!! Please!!

Hi Girls,
I had a smooth surgury & recovery no complications,& everything works fine,better than fine out of this world as far as sex goes & I wouldn't lie to you. I kept one ovary.
It can be different for everyone,everyone is scared.I was & read everything to prepare myself.The only bad effect it had was I was scared & put up with my problems way to long because I listened to the stories of negative sex lives,& complications. So I post once in a while to newbies to encourage you.Rest enjoy you're break follow you're Drs directions.And may you all live well & prosper without complications

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!! They are going to take both ovaries, so I'm worried about the hormone thing, even though I have been reassured, I still need reassurance!!! Thanks so much!!

I'm seven weeks post-op and have just been cleared to gradually return to my normal activities. The best part about my hysterectomy has been no more periods. That alone has been worth the price of admission.

I was terrified before my surgery, too. I think that's perfectly normal. But in spite of the pain during healing (which is unavoidable) and the frustration at the limitations on movement, it's been worth it. One of the things that worked for me was staying focused on what life would be like after I was healed - happy, healed and period-free - and not so much on what the recovery would be like.

I need to be informed, the good, the bad and the ugly it, doesn't make a difference to me. I am no more worried or scared by reading bad experiences as I am the good ones. For me reading all the happy goo goo perfect stories only gives you a false hope that things will be perfectly normal only to possibly have a HUGE let down later.

Thankful there are posts from women who do in fact have bad experiences so I know what could happen, not to mention they need as much if not more support than those that sail through with no complications.

Besides, in these forums the good far outweigh the bad over all. It goes to show us new comers that this is as routine as it gets for a major surgery, but to also be aware there are sometimes complications.

I have learned so much in less than a week on these forums, that I never would have known otherwise and I feel blessed for these gals that run this site and those that continue to stick around to show others support, comfort and nurturing be it good or bad.

Thats just me and we all handle things differently. Maybe just avoid any and everything but what you need at the moment.

Thanks so much! I can handle to pain part. Like I said just had a double mastectomy in February due to recurrent benign, thank God, tumors. Don't remember much pain, thanks to Percocet! But have totally recovered from that with no regrets, no problems, and look and feel much better. Less worries!!
I'm still wigged out over losing my ovaries. I don't want to wake up feeling post partum or anything because I don't have them, but the majority reason for having the hysterectomy besides constant bleeding, is the major hormone roller coaster and right ovarian cyst that hasn't gone away in the past fifteen years.

So please keep sending me support, I'm really a nervous wreck!