Down Under Sister

Hello

I am new and have one week to go. I am having a TAH and I am scared stiff. Does any one have any sugestions for pre op nerves.
I have a 2 year old girl and really worried about how she will deal with the fact that I wont be home for a week.
thanx for the GREAT site has helped with a few concerns.

Scoot

Hi! I'm also from Sydney and empathise with you. I am now 3 weeks post-op and was absolutely terrified of having my TAH. I had never been to hospital except for when I had my kids.

To put your mind at ease I can genuinely say that it is all quite bearable and that the pain is really not such a great issue.

Ok the first 24 hours aren't exactly pleasant but you are so out to it with the PCA (self-administered morphine drip) that it's not so bad.

My Gyn insists on 2 panadal and 1 voltaren suppository every 4 hours once you're off the drip and that works wonders for the pelvic region. Though it gave me diarrhea on day 3 (which was actually good as I never had the constipation problem most people complain of).

I was one of the lucky ones and have had a fairly uneventful recovery. I'm now back to doing basically most things that I did before going in. I still have another 3 weeks off work which I am now really enjoying!

Good luck with your daughter. Children generally adapt well to different situations and she'll probably surprise you to how well she goes while you're in the hospital.

Good luck and hope all goes well for you.

I too was scared to death. I was very concerned about the anesthesia and the post op pain and nausea. Basically all of it. I was a bundle of nerves. I asked my Dr. for some Valium to calm my nerves the last few days before surgery. It really helped me to cope. My DH was more comfortable also. He couldn't stand to see me so freaked out and he couldn't do anything except comforting words which we all know is nice but doesn't help.
It was my salvation. The waiting was the worst part. My surgery and post-op pain was very manageable. I had an epidural and general anest. I was numb from belly button to knees for the first 24 hours. Then percoset and anti-inflammatory drugs.
You will do fine and if you need something for nerves don't be afraid to ask for it. Why suffer?

Good luck

You're two days before me, Scoot. When I read you post, something came to mind that I used to do when my DS & DD were little and I had to be away from them. I always read to them every night at that age and long beyond that. I chose their favorite books and read them onto a tape complete with a little beep noise added so they would know when to turn the page! At least I felt like I was a little bit with them that way and it helped them go to sleep to hear my voice.

We're all pretty scared around here and goodness knows you've come to the right place for support in that. Not misery loves company...just we're simply here for one another on this journey and the punctured princesses are so incredibly wonderful about encouraging those of us who are still in waiting. I finally had to talk to the doctor about something to calm the nerves when they postponed my date. I don't like chemical drugs and don't tolerate them well so I'm taking Sam-E, a natural med that helps to calm without side-effects. Talk to your doctor first of course. Stay in touch here. I've said this before, but this place in itself is like a drug.

Blessings.
Angie