And the panic sets in...

Through this whole process I have not been worried about the surgery. After all this is what I wanted. Last week I was in a panic because I developed a major sinus infection and after speaking with a nasty nurse at the doctors office didn't think the surgery would happen. Dr. was fine with it just gave me an Rx for a Z-Pak and I'm starting to feel better.

Last night I began to worry that something is going to go wrong. I tried talking to my DH ans he was sweet but din't really calm my fears. I'm not ready to leave my DH and more importantly my DDs. When it comes to medical procedures I am not usually a fearful person, I have trust in the Drs, nurses and others in the hospital but I can't shake this. This will be my third time having surgery involving anesthesia since April, this first to without complication. I almost am wondering if I am tempting fate by risking it again. I am almost thinking of cancelling the surgery.

I do have the option of epidural vs. general. Most I have talked to have had general and the Dr. said that's what the majority of his patients do. Anyone have an epidural and what were your thoughts? Any regrets not having a general?

Sorry it's so long trying to vent and shake this feeling!

Let me ask a quick question first, what type of hyst. are you having? (There's no info. in your signature.)

Thanks,

kara

Tvh...

I just asked because I went in for a LAVH and my gyn. had said, yes, you can get an epidural - he said it would actually be a spinal because the epidural leaves a slight amount of feeling. But when the anesthesiologist got there, he said, no spinal (or epidural) with laparascopic surgery. He said because they tilt your head down (when they fill the abdominal cavity with CO2) and because the diaphragm gets irritated by the gases, I had to go under the general.

but of course, not of the above matters to you if you're not having laparacopic. lol

If I had had the choice, I probably would have chosen the spinal/epidural, although I had no problem coming out of the general, no nausea, etc. because my doc gave me lots of meds to counteract that while I was under.

Kara

Forgot to say... I was really terrified of a general. But someone on here said something very wise, just how infrequent it is for a somewhat young, somewhat healthy person to have a problem under a general. When you think of it in odds, rather than just terror, it helps. Besides, I had no choice. I couldn't keep living in the pain and situation I was in and be a good mom that way.

Kara

I had a TVH, too, and I'm glad I had general anesthesia. My surgery was about 90 minutes, and I just don't know that I would have wanted to be aware of what was going on in that part of my body for that length of time.

It is totally normal to panic before surgery. I've only been on hystersisters for a few months, but I can't count how many times I've read posts from women who have an urge to cancel everything just a few days before their surgery dates. I remember that I felt that way, too. It's scary, and it's easy to think about all the things that can go wrong. Remember, though, that this is one of the lowest-risk major surgeries for women and that it's routine for the doctors and nurses even if it isn't routine for us. Keep in mind the reason(s) that you're having the surgery and focus on where you'll be two weeks from now, three months from now, a year from now, and so on.

We'll be waiting to hear from you on the post-op boards!