TAH: New Here and Surgery in 5 days.

Hello everyone!I have been lurking around on the site for about 2 weeks and I am finally posting.It is friday and my TAH is scheduled for next Tuesday 8/31/10. I am 41 and the reason I am having surgery is because very heavy and long periods. A few months ago I went to my doctor for a checkup and she ordered the usual bloodwork. When the results came back it showed I was terribly anemic. She ordered further studies and they showed my feritin level was only at 4. I basically had no iron stores in my body. I was immediately refered to an oncologist/hematologist and I started iv iron that very day. I had 10 weeks of 2 times a week infusions. After a month off of infusions my feritin level was only 16 (doc wants my level to be 125) so I started 5 weeks of 2 times a week and those ended on August 13th. My levels will be checked again on September 13. While doing the infusions we had to find out why my levels were so low. Thus began many tests to find out where all my iron was going. My periods have always been heavy but I never have any problems with them. No PMS or cramps. Nothing. Just a heavy flow for about 7 days. Doc did some blood studies and found out that I have Von Willebrand disease. It is a congenital disease in which there is not enough clotting factor in my blood so I bleed too much and for longer periods of time (no pun intended).This disease is causing my iron to leave my body during monthly periods and my body can"t catch up before a have a period again. Having ni iron stores is very serious and many things are affected by it, some even life threatening. So...off to the ob/gyn for help. I was originally planning on a balloon ablasion to stop my periods but while having a pre-procedure uterine biopsy we found out my uterus was very large and twisted. So...TAH scheduled. Because of the condition of my uterus I am not a candidate for a LH or VH thus a TAH is scheduled for me in 5 days. I will need to have many more iron infusions following my surgery to build my iron stores back up but my body will then be able to keep that wonderful crimson liquid and I will feel a whole lot better. I have had so much help from this site and I feel very prepared for this surgey but I am getting more and more nervous each day.

Hi! So glad your here. I am tired just reading your post! Bless your heart. I will be sending you best wishes and prayers your way for your upcoming surgery. Hopeful that this will help in your anemia in the future

Jeanie

Welcome!
It is easy to say don't worry, but I know that it won't help. It is totally normal to be nervous before such a major surgery. I hope that you will build up your levels easily after not having periods every month.
Good luck, and I will be sending you positive vibes wishing you an easy surgery and recovery.

HUGS and wishing you a successful surgery and recovery. Feeling nervous is normal as we all have been there.

Oh jeez, girl, I feel for you.
Our surgery dates are the same and so I know I'll be seein' ya on the recovery threads. I hope we both do amazingly well. I'm nervous, too, but haven't cried about it in a couple days. I'm sure that will change though.

Welcome and thanks for sharing! You're at a good place. I am 4 days post-op and I remember being right where you are. You will do great and it won't be near as bad as you think. Walk, exercise and eat healthy as much as you can BEFORE surgery. It REALLY makes a difference. I even got a personal trainer to work my abs about a month before and I feel sure that made a big difference. My biggest complaint thus far was the itching from the pain meds at very beginning and the gas pains and unable to have a bm at this stage in the game. I go here in just a few to have staples removed. I do wish you all the best and know you will feel so much better down the road!!

I'm new here, too and I feel for you! My surgery is on Sept. 13. I will pray for you!

Sending you happy thoughts and prayers. I'm nervous too. My TAV is next friday the 3rd. Please keep us posted on your recovery. hugs

They said that my uterus was about 10 times bigger than the average uterus and so that's why they couldn't take it out vaginally. I was scared to death too but just grin and bear it. While you're at it, in my personal opinion, I would have them take out the cervix too. My oncologist said that because they are not really separate (you can see it's like one body part in a diagram) that part of the uterus could be left and you would still bleed. Plus he said if you later get cervical cancer then it is harder to deal with.

Also.. you might as well ask about your ovaries and confirm if you should keep them. Sometimes ovaries get atrophied and are not working - so maybe your doctor could visually see that on the spot and if their blood supply was already cut off then just take them out now so you don't have to worry about ovarian cancer later - and if they are atrophied then they wouldn't be helping you with hormones anyway. I am not saying take them out for no reason, at your age, you should probably keep them, but it could be worth asking about.

The full abdominal surgery is tough, very tiring on your body as it tries to heal a big scar outside and all the insides with those stitches too. Lots of info on this sight about the recovery process and taking it easy, etc..

Good luck! I was scared to death before hand but it worked out fine! I'm in my 6th week now post opt.

Hugs your way. Praying that you will feel like a million bucks after it's all over. I am a type A virgo....okay I think that says it all right!? I was a nut until the day of surgery. I had no symptoms of the gigantic uterus which was almost up to my rib cage (big girls have large tummy's right!) felt a fullness and insisted with my family history of having an ultra sound then got the genetic test results back everything seemed to move so quickly but I can honestly say I will not look back. I am healing - still a bit sore inside have internal stitches above my belly button and can feel them tightening. I look at it as I'm healing! They cut me a few inches below my belly button into the pubic area. I had 18 staples which came out the week after surgery (and they come out really easy no problem at all so don't be stressed about that) I was afraid that my belly would fall apart without everything that use to be inside and if I laughed or sneezed my cut would open! But it didn't and I am healing well. I was so wound up prior to surgery I cried every time I spoke to someone about it. Once you're at the hospital the great care you will receive and it's over before you know it! Shocking. I hope that once you get this behind you you can figure out the other parts and who know maybe things will be simple once the surgery is behind you. Try to stay positive and know that many people are praying for you and looking forward to hearing from you when the surgery is behind you. Sending hugs and some peace of mind your way. Kathy