Very Nervous!!!

Okay...so I go in for post op tomorrow...my TVH is on Monday, October 14th. I am very nervous...I do not like being poked and proded. I know this is for the best, but, I am afraid of the "after" effects. I do not know anyone who has gone through a TVH..okay..maybe afew people I know had the OLD way-back-in-the-day, cut ya from chin to toe. The horror stories I have heard. I can tolerate pain, but, not the stupid IV sticking in my hand. Can anyone give me some advice. I really do not know what to expect. Thanks for listening!

Hi Karen!

I know it is nervewracking waiting for surgery. I was a wreck during that time leading up to my surgery. It was not nearly as bad as my imagination made it up to be. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it all went. Keep in mind that surgery and anesthesia procedures have come a long long way with vast improvements. I'm sorry you have heard horror stories that are scaring you. There are thousands and thousands of woman who have had TVH very successfully. The good cases far outweigh the complicated ones.

One suggestion regarding the I.V. Ask them to numb the area before they insert the I.V. into the vein. They did that for me and I could barely feel it. Also, a nice nurse who knew I was nervous about it said "Think of the I.V. as something that is here to support you and help you through your surgery, not to hurt you."

The waiting truly is the hardest part. Read and post here as much as you need to. You are not alone!

's and Blessings,

it's true that waiting is the hardest part. the surgery really wasn't that bad. i did have any bad complications like you read about on this site. pretty uneventful. pain management is the key. check with your nurses when you wake up enough. some of my pain meds i had to ask for. they gave me toradol through the iv every 6 hours IF I ASKED FOR IT. it is an anti-imflamatory (sp?) and it worked really good. it was like instant relief. gas pains were the worst pain and if you need help, they will probably give it to you. they gave me chewable pills which i assume were like gas-x, then they gave me a suppository and it got my bowels working about an hour later. much relief after that! i had had several iv's prior to this one and they always hurt more than the surgery or the birth of a child did. i was lucky that my vein was hard to find the nurse waited and let the "a man" do the iv. he numbed it before he started and he is a doctor and a specialist at it. i never had any pain from the iv site at all. i was really surprised. you might ask at your pre-op appointment about how your iv will be handled and what kind of pain management you'll have. some people have a pump where they can push the button themselves, some have epidurals, some just take oral pills. doesn't hurt to ask what to expect. good luck and rest and drink lots of water afterwards and don't worry too much, it's not as bad as your imagination can make it seem.

SAH scheduled for Oct. 10. I am TERRIFIED of needles, it is ridiculous but I can't control myself. They will be giving me tranquilizers to say the least beforehand, also my gyn explained there is a procedure they do for children which is kind of a "pre-sedation" so I will be asking the anesthesiologist about that - otherwise I am most likely to leap off the gurney and take off like you know what.

Good luck!

Hi,

I had not had an IV for over 20 years - remembered it as being fairly uncomfortable. But, to my surprise, it was pretty much of a breeze. They numbed the area before inserting the IV & once it was in the nurse taped it in such a way that I did not have any trouble moving around the whole time I had it in. It was pretty much painless when they removed it also.

I had to ask for my pain meds as well. One thing I would advise is for you to be clear on the meds your dr has prescribed, how many & how often you can have them, & what time you get your first dose. I found that I was left pretty much in charge of my pain management without being able to see a clock, not knowing when I had the last or when I should get the next. They would just ask me from time to time how I would rate my pain. But, I was never offered meds til I asked for them. I was advised by my gyn that I would have much more control over that once I got back home. When we have been taught for years not to let the pain get ahead of you I don't understand what has happened in the hospitals that has made them seem not to care. Anybody have any input?

I was regularly checked on for the first 24 hours & after was basically left in my own care or that of my family. Just be prepared.

I had a tah/bso with a vertical incision so my gyn could get a better look around (cancer concerns) & so far (11 days post) I have had an uneventful recovery.

Keep reading & posting & hang in there. Waiting definitely is the worst part.

Mongie

Okay, tomorrow is the big day. I am a little nervous now. Not as bad as before. Thanks for the help. I will be checking out this site alot. Maybe I too can help another person who was just as frightened as I was.

Thanks alot! This site rocks!!!!

Good luck, Karen! We'll watch for you on the post-op side! You will be fine!

Mongie

Good luck tomorrow and know that my ers are with you. Stand proud in your new crown. You will be beautiful in it. Come and see us soon when you get home !!!

Hi Karen,

We are all pulling for you tomorrow
The waiting is always difficult.:hair: Soon this will be part of your past and the will shine again.

Thinking of you. Hope to hear from you when you regain a little strenght. Keep us posted.

Shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
Les Brown