Full hysterectomy on July 31st and terrified

Hi There -- I had a very major hysto 2 years ago and like you I never had anything medical wrong or had anything done. I was petrified of all the same things and you are not alone or off the chart. I was so scare in the pre-op that my whole body was shaking!! Thank god for the "good" stuff they give your right before surgery.

ANyway, discuss the pain killer and what you might be able to tolerate. They've come along way. Be open with your doctor and remember that no question is a stupid question.

My husband surprised me and ended up being a good caretaker. The only thing he wimped on was buying me sanitary pads that I needed for about 2 weeks. I also found that a good sense of humor as well as prayer got me through recovery.

SO, now that it is 2 years later? I feel great. I'm with you in spirit. Good Luck.

Just want to let you all know that the hysterectomy is the EASY part !!! I had an abdominal hysterectomy (ovaries removed) (cervix left). I REALLY, REALLY, MISS MY OVARIES !!! If you do not have a family history of ovarian cancer or endometrium cancer, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE think VERY seriously about keeping your ovaries. They are a VERY IMPORTANT part of your physiology and if they are healthy, you should keep them. I was so focused on the surgery that nothing else was really important to me -- a BIG MISTAKE. If you keep your ovariesl, you will not go into SURGICAL menopause which is a lot more difficult than natural menopause -- you will not have to make a decision on whether to start hormone therapy -- which is definitely not good !!! So, while you may be scared of the surgery -- that is the easy part -- keep your ovaries if they are healthy -- your risk of ovarian cancer is even LESS if your uterus is removed -- I knew that and still decided to have them out -- BIG MISTAKE.

HI amarylis110, that is a major decision that I am making, my doctor wants to save atleast one overy, but both of them hurt me so bad most of the time. Can you give me more specific advice of why you would choose to keep them, I wonder fo you go into surgical meno if your just keep one..
Really in a panic of what to do, but yet am at the end of my rope with the pain
foxi

I had both ovaries out last week. This IS the standard of care that is usually done with a hysterectomy. Nobody wants to go back to surgery to remove an ovary later if it is determined that one of the ovaries has cancer cells. I am an RN and have worked in oncology and taken care of patients with ovarian cancer. I can tell you that those poor women really suffered. I will never regret having my ovaries out.

Hi Ladies!
I have been on a major emotional trip! I almost lost 2 best friends over all this mess. Thank god they realized that it's not the "real" me and forgave me. My surgery is scheduled for tues, the 17th and I've gone through a series of emotions. I wrote letters to people I love, and gave my DH instructions to hand them out if something happens. He is freaking out just as badly as I am because he lost his mother during a surgery ( not a hyster). I took the rest of the week off from work and am just going to relax. We will all be okay! And we can all laugh at the women in the Tampon section of the market when it's over.

I just read a study that said an average of 614,000 hysterectomies per year are performed each year (it was a five-year study). Wow! Guess practice makes (almost!) perfect? Again, I'm thankful for that!

That said, it reported that a large portion of those women with healthy ovaries kept them--at the encouragement of their medical practitioners. Most recent studies indicate that unless they are unhealthy or there is a history of ovarian cancer in the family, it was preferable for the health and recuperative qualities of the patient to keep them.

So...not to dispute the "standard of care" in your facility WashDC, but I would encourage everyone to read the most recent medical info and make sure you doc is as up to date on it as possible.

Hi Foxi,

There is a really good book you can read before your surgery -- it is entitled "Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book -- Making Informed Choices." I wish I would have read it BEFORE I had my hysterectomy.

Everyone's situation is different. My ovaries were fine -- I should have kept them -- and my doctor should have told me that too -- although the dialogue about my ovaries was minimal. If your ovaries are giving you discomfort and problems, I can't really say what to do about removing them.

I know the recommendation is for women over 50 who are having hysterectomies is to remove their ovaries. I do not know how old you are. I was still getting my period regularly so I wasn't really having menopausal symptoms. Eventually I would have started with the symptoms, but not to the extent that I have them now.

It was a big decision to have the surgery and now I am in a position to have to decide if I should start taking estrogen or just rough it for who knows how long. I have night sweats that wake me up every two hours. I get hot, then cold -- clammy. It's horrible.

Seriously, talk to your doctor about your concerns about surgical menopause and see what he says. If one of your ovaries is healthy, it is better to have one than none.

I wish you ALL THE BEST and please let me know how you are doing and how everything goes.

TAKE CARE -- and don't worry about the surgery. You will be fine. I was freaking out too.

Talk to you soon Foxi.

;-)

I think things are done alittle differently in the UK. It is not the norm to take the ovaries as well unless they are diseased or there is a good reason to. I kept mine and am not getting any menopausal symptoms. I am forty five. I know it is far less common for women in the UK to retain their cervix after a hyst. I think on reflection I would have liked to retain mine. Far fewer English women retain theirs because of the risks of cervical cancer. I think male consultants forget that their female patients might miss their cervix in their sex lives. I certainly miss mine but it is not the end of the world. I'm pain free and my 'O's have taken on a new dimension.

dacloserM, good luck today! We're thinking good thoughts for you!

OK, so last night I arrived home from work to a letter from my dr telling me that for the day before my surgery, I should follow a liquid diet (broth, jello, koolaid (no red jello or koolaid, though), popsicles, juices with no pectin, coffee, tea, etc.) and then use 2 Dulcolax suppositories that evening. Nothing to eat or drink after midnight, and I have to be at the hospital at 5 AM.

Liquid diet should be a challenge since I am on a diet, anyway (the South Beach diet), and so everything with sugar is out. Guess it'll have to be sugar free jello, low sodium broth, diet soda, black coffee, tea with splenda, that sort of thing.

I did pick up a DVD set to have on hand to watch when I am home recuperating post-surgery. I got that tip from this site, to get some DVDs of TV shows or something you want to watch for when you come home from the hospital.

Having very strange, vivid dreams. Sleeping OK, though.

Trying so hard to eat right and exercise daily and take good care of ME! Also working hard to get my work caught up so I won't leave a jam for my boss when I am on leave.

Hope everyone has a good day today.

I think the UK and USA should get together and maybe we could actually keep our ovaries and cervix !!! I kept my cervix (on my doctor's recommendation) although I have recently read that it makes the surgery easier if you leave it.