New ~ terrified of surgery

Hi ladies,
I still haven't had my surgery yet, but am scheduled for one on October the 6th. I did have a ceasarean section with my daughter, so I'm guessing recovery might be a bit like that? Nevertheless, I must admit I'm terrified of surgery...I'm a bit of a hyperchondriac. I feel alittle better finding you all here! It really helps.

Glad you found this site! It is a wonderful wealth of knowledge! What type of surgery are you having? What is your diagnosis?

The waiting is the hardest part and you've got quite a ways to go, so try not to agonize too much. Read, read and read some more on this site. There's a ton of useful information. Order the free booklet too. You'll want to have meals prepared, food stocked up and some items ready to take the hospital. You can take care of that in the few weeks before the surgery though. For now, try to get/stay as healthy and fit as you can. I honestly attribute my easy recovery to being in good physical condition. If you have children, you'll want to think about who will help out with them while you recover. If your husband can take a week or two off, that'd be best. My husband was able to be home with me for over 2 weeks. As it turned out, I didn't need much assistance but I appreciated the support and company.

What type of surgery are you having?

Hi pepperdacat

I found a lot of comfort in remembering that a hysterectomy is one of the most common and safe surgeries for a woman to have. Although I was still anxious about many things, that helped me worry just a bit less.

Some women find it helpful to focus on the future. Once you're recovered, you'll no longer be dealing with the issues that have led up to this surgery.

As for how the surgery compares to a c-section, that varies from one person to the next. If you go to our Pre-op Resources page and scroll down a bit, you'll see that the first article is about this very thing.

I hope your mind begins to feel at ease about your surgery. Any specific concerns or fears can be brought up with us here. We understand, and we'll help you get through this journey so you can join us on the post-op forum.

I have had 3 c-sections and personally the recovery has been exactly the same for me. Only difference was I was in a lot more pain in the hospital after having my TAH than a c-section and took a lot more pain medicine to control.