LAVH: Information overload, I'm scared!

Hello Hystersisters,

I'm so glad I found thus forum and now I'm nervous about about my upcoming surgery on 12/5. I'm 47 married no kids. I think that I'm freaking myself out trying to read everything. I have an appointment on 11/25 with my Doctor to verify what kind of surgery I'm actually having. I'm getting conflicting information from my Doctors staff. One minute I'm told larparoscopic and then I'm told Robotic.

Oh I forgot to mention that I'm having everything removed including my cervix and I'm getting ny hernia repaired that's I'm my naval. Whew, it's a lot to take in all at once. I have fibroids, Endo and ovarian cyst along with adenmo.

I know I need to have this surgery because unlike most I have the worst pelvic pain after my period. I don't want to be in that kind of pain anymore.

Anywhoo, didn't mean to ramble but I'm freaking out. I guess in worried about losing my cervix more than anything and how this will affect my sex life with my husband.

Any advice will be appreciated.

No advice but I'm on overload too. Everyone's talking about painful bowel movements etc. I think I need to hear LAVH isn't going to be as bad as I've imagine it at this point. Hope you get lots of good info.

Best advice I could give is "Be reasonable."

Be reasonable about how much you can read and learn. (or change)
Be reasonable about how much you can accomplish before surgery.
Be reasonable about that sometimes it's not your fault, crap happens.
Be reasonable about your recovery, don't compare yourself to others.
Be reasonable about your family's reaction, they have fears too, and sometimes they are trying to cover to help you.
Be reasonable about taking time away from the research and just enjoy time with friends, with family, breath the real reason in!

Best of luck!

Robotic and laparoscopic are similar -- both are what's called "minimally invasive," where the surgery is done through small openings through your abdomen. Either the uterus is cut into small pieces and removed through these tiny openings, or the robot/laparoscopic instruments are used to assist removing the uterus via the vagina. You can also have what I had -- an abdominal hysterectomy, where they just do it the old-school way, go in through your abdomen and remove it, leaving you with one of a variety of possible scars. I have a low horizontal incision, called a "bikini" incision. Some women have vertical incisions.

I had my cervix removed and am delighted to have done it. Without a cervix, I will never need a pap smear again, and they were always miserable for me, as well as having no risk of cervical cancer.

Women with adenomyosis also often like getting their cervix removed since it was painful when their husband bumped into it during sex. Also, if you keep your cervix, there is a small chance that you will have a small mini-period afterwards if you keep your ovaries.

Some women keep their cervix because they dislike the idea of the vagina being a sort of "road to nowhere," and they actually like how it feels to have it bumped during sex.

It's really very individual. If it's painful to have it bumped into during sex, or if you have had abnormal or extremely painful pap smears, you might not mind having it removed. If you like having it bumped, pap smears aren't a problem for you, you dislike the idea of having your vagina dead-end, and/or you have no risk of cervical cancer, you may want to keep it.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Sreeve No advice but I'm on overload too. Everyone's talking about painful bowel movements etc. I think I need to hear LAVH isn't going to be as bad as I've imagine it at this point. Hope you get lots of good info.

Thank you Sreeve, I hope you get lots of good info as well.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by naturally Best advice I could give is "Be reasonable." Be reasonable about how much you can read and learn. (or change) Be reasonable about how much you can accomplish before surgery. Be reasonable about that sometimes it's not your fault, crap happens. Be reasonable about your recovery, don't compare yourself to others. Be reasonable about your family's reaction, they have fears too, and sometimes they are trying to cover to help you. Be reasonable about taking time away from the research and just enjoy time with friends, with family, breath the real reason in! Best of luck!

Thank you Naturally, for your thoughtful input. I'm going to step back ANC breathe so I can calm down a bit before my surgery.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by BornACrone Robotic and laparoscopic are similar -- both are what's called "minimally invasive," where the surgery is done through small openings through your abdomen. Either the uterus is cut into small pieces and removed through these tiny openings, or the robot/laparoscopic instruments are used to assist removing the uterus via the vagina. You can also have what I had -- an abdominal hysterectomy, where they just do it the old-school way, go in through your abdomen and remove it, leaving you with one of a variety of possible scars. I have a low horizontal incision, called a "bikini" incision. Some women have vertical incisions. I had my cervix removed and am delighted to have done it. Without a cervix, I will never need a pap smear again, and they were always miserable for me, as well as having no risk of cervical cancer. Women with adenomyosis also often like getting their cervix removed since it was painful when their husband bumped into it during sex. Also, if you keep your cervix, there is a small chance that you will have a small mini-period afterwards if you keep your ovaries. Some women keep their cervix because they dislike the idea of the vagina being a sort of "road to nowhere," and they actually like how it feels to have it bumped during sex. It's really very individual. If it's painful to have it bumped into during sex, or if you have had abnormal or extremely painful pap smears, you might not mind having it removed. If you like having it bumped, pap smears aren't a problem for you, you dislike the idea of having your vagina dead-end, and/or you have no risk of cervical cancer, you may want to keep it.

Thanks A Million, BorneACrone. I appreciate your insight into what I'm feeling. I'm at the point of no return and must have my cervix removed. Forgot to mention I have scar tissue as well from previous myomecties.

I really appreciate what you said about having my cervix removed. Sex was painful along with Pap smears. Hopefully I won't have to worry about that anymore.
I guess I'm going thru a mourning process for each of my female organs with the cervix being the most frightful for me.
I could imagine and didn't mind losing my uterus, tubes and ovaries. I just never thought about losing the cervix. For me it's indescribable because I never imagined it. But since you put this concern into perspective, I can now imagine that I'm going to be okay.