I'm Nervous !! | HysterSisters
HysterSisters Hysterectomy Support and Information
Advertising Info HysterSisters Hysterectomy Support Tutorial

Go Back   Hysterectomy HysterSisters > Hysterectomy Support Posts > Preparing for Hysterectomy (pre hysterectomy)


HysterSisters.com is a massive online community with over 475,000 members and over 5 million posts.

Our community is filled with women who have been through the Hysterectomy experience providing both advice and support from our active members and moderators.

HysterSisters.com is located at 111 Peter St, Toronto, Canada, M5V2H1 and is part of the VerticalScope network of websites.

With free registration, you can ask and answer questions in our HYSTERECTOMY forum community, get our FREE BOOKLET, access Hysterectomy Checkpoints and more.

You are not alone. The HysterSisters are here for you. Join us today!
join HysterSisters for hysterectomy resources and support
Reply

I'm Nervous !! I'm Nervous !!

Thread Tools
  #1  
Unread 03-17-2002, 07:56 PM
I'm Nervous !!

Hello All,
My surgery is on May 1 , 2002. I am starting to get nervous about it . Does anyone have any advice ? I would really appreciate it !! Thanks !!
Sponsored Links
Advertisement
 
  #2  
Unread 03-17-2002, 08:24 PM
I'm Nervous !!

s

It is normal to be nervous before having surgery and waiting is the hardest part. Do you have any questions in particular? You have come to the right place to get support and have most questions answered. Come & join us in the chat room too. Sometimes just talking with those who are going through or those who have been through the same thing helps you to relax.
  #3  
Unread 03-17-2002, 08:36 PM
Nervous

Hi there Honeybearmiss


It is very normal to get nervous. PDawn is right. Maybe let us know what type of hyster your having and what for?. Also if you have any questions please feel free to ask. We are all here for each other.

The chattroom can be a great place to go and talk to lots of ladies and get support and hugs. Also information. Women helping women. It can be lots of fun to


Keep up the posting and take care


Michele
Sponsored Links
Advertisement
 
  #4  
Unread 03-18-2002, 08:56 AM
I'm Nervous !!

Hi Honeybearmiss and Welcome to Hyster Sisters. I'm so happy you found us. You sure are in the right place for both information you can use and lots and lots of support. You'll even find some s along the way.

Hang in there: the waiting is the worst part of this surgery. Since you have a bit of time ahead of you, use this time to find out more. Visit the pull-down menus available at the bottom of the Hyster Sisters Home Page. The "Ladies in Waiting" section has lots of information to help you get ready for your surgery. You can also check out the Princesses Tell their Stories message board where you'll read all about the various castle and recovery stories. This is a good way to get a realistic view of what lays ahead.

Wishing you the best of luck for your upcoming surgery. Feel free to ask any questions that come to mind.

  #5  
Unread 03-18-2002, 09:19 AM
I'm Nervous !!

Hi and welcome!

I am very glad you found us. I was absolutely terrified before my TAH (Total Abdominal Hysterectomy) a year and a half ago, and the wonderful women here held my hand, answered all my questions, and calmed my fears.

Please feel free to post all your questions, and we'll all do our best to help you get through this. In the meantime, here are some tips that really helped my recovery:

Once you're at home, you'll need to have some comfortable clothes to wear. I found men's pajamas very comfortable, because the large, drawstring waists came up well above my incision, and the button-up tops didn't have to go over my head (hard to get my arms up). You will probably want to have large, "granny-panties" in a size or two large than you normally wear (you will be swollen and sore!).

Have a tummy pillow handy at all times! This would be a small pillow that you hold against your abdomen when you have to sneeze or cough. Keep it where you can grab it with only a second’s notice! I had a sneeze sneak up on me once when I couldn’t grab my pillow – ouch! It felt like my insides exploded.

Have plenty of no-preparation foods on hand, like fruit, soup, cereal, snack bars, etc. I had absolutely no appetite for a couple of weeks, and my frantic husband finally convinced me to drink some Ensure, which went down ok. You may want to have some of that in the fridge for times you just don’t feel like eating, but need nourishment.

Also, buy PLENTY of juice! You will need to drink LOTS of liquids when you get home to help with the gas. I got bored with the same type of juice, so my husband bought lots of different types, and put them in small containers for me (I found it difficult to lift and pour large containers for awhile). Don't drink anything carbonated, and don't use a straw (makes the gas worse).

WALKING is very helpful with the gas! Walk as often as is comfortable (my walks were VERY short and slow, but I did several a day), and it should really help get your bowels working smoothly again.

I also found a shower chair very helpful. Standing up long enough to shower wore me out! You could also use any plastic chair that will fit in your shower.

VERY IMPORTANT: have anything you might need at waist-level. This includes toilet paper, pads, clothing, cups, food, plates, etc. Believe me, you will NOT want to bend or reach for anything! The house may look cluttered for awhile with everything sitting out on counter tops, but it's worth it!

If you’re going to be alone, make sure the phone is where you can reach it at ALL times! Several of us have gotten “stuck” (couldn’t get off the couch without help, problems in the bathroom, etc.), and have needed to call for assistance. I kept a tiny cell phone in my pocket all the time. That way, I could even call my home number from inside my house if I needed my husband and he couldn’t hear me!

Also, it may be helpful to have some cash on hand. If you have to ask a friend/neighbor to run to the store to buy some milk, for example, it’s easier if you have some cash to hand them!

Once you’re feeling a bit better, you might start getting a bit bored. Unfortunately, you will be very limited in what you will be able to do. These are some things I did to pass the time, along with some suggestions from other hystersisters:

Reading LOTS of books
Writing long letters to friends and family (real letters, not e-mail!)
Organizing photo albums
Drew out plans for the garden
Bought a tape to improve Spanish skills
Watching lots of movies
Crafts, quilting, etc.
HYSTERSISTERS site!
  #6  
Unread 03-18-2002, 11:40 AM
Getting Ready

My surgery is Wednesday, and I feel very ready. I think one of the best things you can do is buy the little Hystersisters workbook. I took mine to my first doctor visit (because I knew we were going to be discussing the hysterectomy) and had all the prepared questions as well as some of my own. Since then, about a month ago, I have carried that little workbook with me whereever I went and when I would have a thought about the procedure or a worry about recovery or think of something I needed to do or buy, I would jot it there. I am a big listmaker, so it helped me so much to organize this ordeal. Some of my lists included:

Food...for me...prunes, bottled water, juice, Lean Cuisines...for my toddler who is finicky--all her favorites...for my sons and DH...frozen pizzas, pot pies, popcorn chicken, frozen pasta--and I composed "The Dufus Cookbook" which tells them precisely how to cook some easy meals like spaghetti or crock pot dump meals.

Packing my bag...new pajamas two sizes too big, HUGE panties that I hope I will never actually fill up, vaseline (the hospital nurse said your lips get very chapped after surgery), my vitamins and fiber in case I can take them, robe, slippers, coming home clothes, shampoo/conditioner, toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, my Hystersisters workbook to journal, my tummy pillow, and a People magazine.

Recovery items...new sheets that will never be bled upon, new pillows, several pair of pull-on pants with drawstrings that are two sizes too big and loose t-shirts for walking, slip on shoes for walking, Sex in the City Season One and Two, about 30 novels I ordered from Half.com, a cross-stitch project (nice because it is not bulky).

Things to Do: Stuff Easter eggs for my daughters' school party, Plant the garden and prune the roses, Talk to teenage boys about their work schedules since I can't taxi them, write clients and let them know I won't respond to work orders for several weeks, rearrange bedroom to be more accomodating, get mail key to DH (Boy, do we ever do a lot, we moms), make deposits, pay bills and get tax stuff ready (that's enough to make you sick right there), Lecture self on how guilt is non-productive and how a healthy woman can take better care of her family.

Hope these ideas help!
  #7  
Unread 03-18-2002, 04:33 PM
I'm Nervous !!

I was very scared before surgery. A dr. friend said something that helped me focus and relax: "just picture what your life will be like afterwards". That really helped me and I hope that it will help you.
Good luck and take care. Enjoy your time off.
Tam
  #8  
Unread 03-18-2002, 08:50 PM
I'm Nervous !!

Thanks Ladies all your suggestions are really great.
I am having a hysterectomy on 3-20-02. I don't know what type
yet, since my doctor said he won't know until he has me under.

I am really scared and nervous had to take a xanax today
to calm down. I plan to take it easy tomorrow and try to relax
and concentrate on the possitive, that and do some major praying.

I really liked all your advice on what to take to the hospital,
things you should have at home, and the types of foods to
stock up on for when you get home. There's alot on these lists
I had not thought of.

Hugs to all my HysterSisters,
Nora V.

Surgery on 3-20-02 for Complex Hyperplasia with Atypia
Reply

booklet
Our Free Booklet
What 350,000 Women Know About Hysterectomy: Information, helpful hints as you prepare and recover from hysterectomy.
Answers to your questions
Register




Thread Tools

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
From This Forum From Other Forums
6 Replies, Last Reply 07-27-2006, Started By texgal
2 Replies, Last Reply 05-09-2004, Started By HalleBoo
7 Replies, Last Reply 03-31-2003, Started By sister67



Advertisement

Hysterectomy News

April 16,2024

CURRENT NEWS

HysterSisters Takes On Partner To Manage Continued Growth And Longevity
I have news that is wonderful and exciting! This week’s migration wasn’t a typical migration - from one set ... News Archive

TODAY'S EVENTS

Calendar - Hysterectomies - Birthdays


Request Information


I am a HysterSister

HYSTERECTOMY STORIES

Featured Story - All Stories - Share Yours

FOLLOW US


Your Hysterectomy Date


CUSTOMIZE Your Browsing  


$vbulletin->featuredvideos is not an array!
Advertisement


Advertisement