pre-op help

Went for my pre-op this morn. Had to have blood drawn at the hospital and at my hmo, they are cheap..My dd does not have his patients do a bowl prep.Not that i was looking forward to it but should i do something myself to make it easier after surgery?? I know with the drugs i might not be able to go for a while. I plan on eating light tomorrow. Have been a nervous wreck last couple of days but i took my grandbaby for the night and somehow that unstressed me. We just played and had fun.. Now if i can just stay that way.. Going out with the girls tonight to the casino.
My biggest worry is the lack of hormones after surgery. Because of endo i have to go 2-3 months without. Ive been on lupron since Jan so already in lupron menopause. I was reading about getting panic attacks , does this happen to everyone in surgical menopause or a small amount of women???? Im already so tired of the lupron, its exhausting, just hope its not too much worse. But i didnt get panic attacks, just tons of hot flashes and mood swings. Hoping when i finaly get hrt it will go smothly and i survive that long...
Last ?? Why am i so cold when i wake up from surgery. IM always freezing and shaking...Warm blankets arent much help... Tons of ???? I keep reading everyday and alot is answered that way.. What a wonderful board this is.. I tell the girls on the endo boards i go to about this.... thanks so much patty

Eating light, easily-digested, stomach-soothing foods couldn't hurt. Oatmeal, applesauce, soup, smoothies, eggs, etc. Lots of liquids. I started on yogurt and cranberry juice (not together, yuck) several days before my surgery, and kept up with them for a few weeks afterward. If you want to, you could ask your doctor to prescribe a bowel prep (I did, because I felt like it helped with my first surgery). In any case, lots of liquids, lots of water, light meals, nothing new and strange, or gassy and constipating. Don't celebrate your last night of pre-hyst culinary freedom by having a 20 oz steak and bowl of baked beans, for instance.

I can't say much about the menopause thing, but I'm pretty sure panic attacks are the exception.

Take care!

The advice about the food is right on the money so I won't add anything there. I just wanted to suggest that you visit the Hormone Jungle and the No-Hormone Desert with your questions about surgical menopause and going without HRT for a few months. They are the rela-life veterans of these situations on those boards and I am sur you will get the support that you need from those in the know. Good luck to you.

Hi Patty

I agree, the advice regarding food is good, although I would stick to low residue or clear liquids if you're concerned about an easy time after.

Afterwards, just make sure you drink lots of fluids and go easy on your bowels until they're up and functioning. They could be sleepy for awhile. I asked for Colace as soon as they gave me constipating meds (I didn't have any during surgery or right after) and have continued it as I'm still sore and find it helpful.

Anxiety attacks? I think that is not the norm, for sure. People have those for various reasons, maybe some women react that way to some drugs, or perhaps to hormone withdrawal, I'm not sure, but it's not something you should expect.

We are all concerned about the hormone thing ahead of time and most of us do not have a big problem afterward. So picture yourself in the 'easy' group because that's where you're most likely to end up! The main thing is that the surgery needs to be done, so you're choosing to do it. You'll handle whatever the outcome is and probably it will be a whole lot easier than what you've been going through up to now.

Good luck!

Hi

If your doctor said no bowel prep...then NO I would NOT do one. Eat a light diet the day before as instructed by your doctor, and you should be just fine. I agree that eating a big steak the night before should be a no no, but eating foods that are easily digested should be just fine, and that does not mean eating just clear liquids. If you have any questions about what you should and shouldn't eat, I would call the doctor and ask him or call the hospital and ask to speak to a dietician and they should be able to help you.

Good Luck

I was really worried I was going to have to do bowel and douche things and thank heavens my doctor said no need.

I had no restrictions about dietary things either the day before surgery. I did eat a hamburger for dinner and had cranberry juice about 10 p.m. and nothing after that. I had no problems. I was told that nothing by mouth also includes NO chewing gum and NO breath mints. If you say you did it could canx surgery.

The reason you are cold is because of what the (meds) chemicals do to our bodies. I took a pre-op class and was told this is normal, to expect it, and not to panic or worry about it. Also, the OR is VERY cold and my teeth were starting to chatter and I was shivering heavily when they took me in. I asked why it was so cold and the doctor said it keeps bacteria from growing and makes it less likely to get an infection. So if you are in an ice cold OR for 1-3 hours, plus the chemicals in you it would seem very likely you'll be cold. You will warm up. There is nothing to worry about. Been there, done that, feeling great.
Deep breathe, try to relax, the waiting is honestly the worst.
Hugs,
Miranda