questions I have about my surg.....

It is one week before I will have my surg. (vag. hyst. , bladder sling, & vaginal reconstruction.)
I am really nervous about this.....will they put a tube down my throat? If so, will it be after I am asleep? Also, will I bleed any following the surg? And, how much help will I need when I come home from the hospital? Can you tell me anything about the vaginal reconstruction? I really don't like the sound of that! Any help you can give me is VERY much appreciated. I feel like I have questions........but I don't exactly know what they are!! I do know that I am going to have to have this done, I have been in SO much pain! Hurting very bad in my back, sides, stomach and vagina. My womb has dropped and tilted back, my bladder has dropped and I have fibroid tumors. I just found this board last night and I am so glad I did. Thanks!

Hi Denise,
I can't answer all of your questions since I had a different surgery, but I might be able to put your mind at ease about some of it!

The tube they put down your throat is inserted AFTER you're asleep. They put in a catheter to my bladder after I was asleep, too. The only thing they did when I was still awake was insert the IV, of course. LOL, they were busy little bees when I was asleep because I also found out after I woke up that they shaved my pubic area, too!

I had a total abdominal hysterectomy with both ovaries removed on Dec. 18. I, too, had fibroids, plus an enlarged uterus, endometriosis, cysts on my ovaries and adhesions. I didn't bleed or spot at all after surgery and still haven't -- I'm 8 days postop. Some ladies have said they did spot a little at two weeks postop. when things are really healing up but I don't know, obviously, if that will happen to me. The nurses had put a pad on me, but I didn't bleed even a drop.

Quite honestly, I'm doing great! My doc saw me 5 days postop and told me I could do anything I felt like doing, except NO LIFTING! I'm able to drive fine, too, but I'm not straying too far from home, LOL. I'm lucky in that I live less than a half-mile from my doctor's office and about a mile from the grocery store. I have a teen-age son who is helping me -- doing all of the lifting and shopping after I drive to the store.

I had lots of people on board to help me but we've been doing fine and haven't had to call them. I bought lots of soups and microwave meals ahead of time, so food wasn't a problem. I've found that I'm not all that hungry -- I've mostly been eating soup, oatmeal, fruit and that sort of thing. I did make spaghetti and meatballs yesterday, though!

That's all I can think of telling you! I wish you all of the best!!! I was in tons of pain before surgery, too, and this is SUCH a relief! I already feel so much better than I have in more than a year!

s
Julie-Anne

I had my surgery the same day as you. I had a complete abdominal hysterectomy and bladder sling for almost identical reasons as you mentioned. I am very surprised to hear that you are driving. My doctor said that I could not drive for three weeks. I think that will be fine as I don't feel much like doing anything. I was up the day after my surgery and putting on make up. I was in quite a bit of pain, but I was doing fairly well I think. Just before leaving the hospital, they gave me a hormone shot. I am thinking that was a big mistake. I cried and cried much like during a pregnancy. Crying over the card commercials etc. This is all so new to me, that I am not sure what to do. I don't know if I am doing too little or too much. It is really confusing.

When I scheduled my surgery with my doctor, I was told that I was having an LAVH. I went to the hospital the day of my surgery and according to my chart, there were orders for an abdominal hysterectomy. I was very shocked. I told the lady I wouldn't sign the permission form as that was not the procedure that I had agreed upon. Anyway, to make a long story short, my doctor told me that the bladder suspension could not be done with the LAVH. I was furious needless to say, because the recovery time is so much shorter with that procedure. I was in a weird pridicament and had to make a choice. I decided to go ahead with the abdominal hysterectomy since I needed the bladder suspension done and didn't want to do it at a later time. This choice has caused me some problems as far as work is concerned, but I didn't know what else to do. I told you all of that to say this, if the bladder suspension can be done with the vaginal hysterectomy, then I was lied to. I just want to make sure that you aren't under a misunderstanding I was and then have a HUGE surprise the day the surgery is scheduled. I would be very interested to see what you find out.
Sincerely,
Randa

Hi

Welcome. We're all so glad you found this wonderful website. So sorry to hear that you're in so much pain and discomfort. Hopefully this surgery will fix these problems for you. I had a TAH which is an abdominal hysterectomy so mine was a little different then yours will be, but I can say they waited until I was out before putting the tube down my throat and before putting the catheter in or shaving me.

In regards to whether you will need some help, I would say that if you can get some help at least for the first few days it would be great. My surgery was more involved then yours but I was very weak when I got home from the castle and was glad my dh took the week off to help me. The thing I needed the most help with was someone to help make my meals. If you have any small children caring for them can be overwhelming also during the first week.

Also in regards to bleeding after surgery, ofcourse everyone is different but I had very light staining for about 4 wks and then it finally stopped.

I hope this helps a little in answering some of your questions. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery.

Take care,
SusieSis

Hi Denise from a fellow Jan 2nd LIW!!!

I tried to private message you, but found I wasn't able to. There are a couple more of us Jan 2nd's trying to band together - especially through this last week!

Feel free to e-mail or private message me, and we'll all keep in touch, ok?

Everything will be GREAT! I am a little nervous, but am now looking forward to the other side! My last period is just ending, and now I have a yeast infection! It never ends, does it?

Take care, and a big to you!

Randa,
Sorry you've had such disappointments and such! I didn't have the bladder procedure. Shoot, I have just perked right up -- but the day of surgery was BAD. I usually wake up well in the Recovery Room and everyone, including my rector, said I did and was talking away, but I don't remember a thing!

I awoke fully in my darkened hospital room in MAJOR pain and was really disoriented. The nurse call button wasn't anywhere near my bed and I didn't have my glasses nearby so I couldn't see well, either. For about 45 minutes, I was lying there calling out (probably weakly) whenever I thought I heard someone in the hall near my room. No one came. So, somehow, I grabbed the catheter bag, unplugged the IV, got out of bed and took everthing with me to the door, LOL. I opened the door, looked out into the hallway and a nurses assistant was standing nearby. LOL, her jaw dropped when she saw me and I asked her to get me a nurse! She did -- very quickly -- and the nurse came running in, not happy at all that I was out of bed!!!! 'Course, I think she was mega-embarrassed when she found the call button -- it wasn't plugged in and was on a table about five feet from my bed!

Anyway, I got my pain relief started and everything went up from there! The other nurses liked me -- LOL, they knew I was a pretty tough cookie and wouldn't have problems getting up after that!! Everything went a lot better than I expected, but I do usually prepare for the worst!

As for the vaginal and abdominal question, my doctor also told me at first that he was planning on a vaginal hyst. I started reading a TON of stuff about hysterectomies on my own and began to believe that there was probably a quite high probability that the vaginal would end up being abdominal, based on all of my problems and symptoms. Sure enough, at my preop appointment, my doctor told me he'd decided to go in abdominally. My bladder and bowel issues, with their cyclical nature, led him to believe he was going to find a lot of endo and adhesions in there so he wanted to do the larger cut and really check out all of my organs. I am soooo glad we agreed on this ahead of time and it was just as he suspected.

My bowel and bladder issues are totally resolved. Just getting that heavy uterus and all of those adhesions out of there have restored their normal functioning. I feel great!

Hope you feel much better soon, too! s

Julie-Anne

Denise,

I know what you mean when you say you feel like you have questions but you don't know what to ask. I was the same way! I found this site about 3 weeks prior to my surgery & wasn't sure what I was getting into. I found a great deal of support & info here, as I am sure you will, too.

I had a tah, so I can't help you much about some of your concerns with your surgery. I agree with Julie-Anne, in that your dr may need to make a change from a lavh to a tah depending on how things are looking - or if they run into any surprises. The recovery does seem to be somewhat longer with a tah. But, because we are all different, it varies. I have seen some on this board who had a tah & recovered faster than someone who had a vag hyst. I think it really depends on how much *inside work* they have to do.

Don't worry about the tube down your throat. They put it in after you are asleep & take it out before you wake up. Some experience a scratchy throat for a while - I felt no effects from this at all.

I also had a catheter for 24 hours after surgery. It is not a bad thing, either. In fact, as I saw someone else post, *you really don't want to be getting up & down to go to the bathroom right out of surgery*. You will be glad for the catheter. It also does not hurt when it is removed.

Check out the pull-down menus on the Home page for Ladies in Waiting - if you haven't already done so. There is a lot of good info there to help you prepare. Just keep reading & posting your questions & it will help put your mind at ease, and to pass the time.

You are kind of lucky that it is all happening so quickly. The time before surgery seems to *drag*! Waiting really is the worst part.

Please be sure & talk with your dr if you have questions before your surgery. All drs & hospitals seem to have different ways of doing things - you will want to know your specifics.

Welcome & come here as much as you want. We will all be here to help you through this stressful time.

Take care & hang in there!

A word about the tube... If you are having general anesthesia you will need to have the tube in the trachea to keep you breathing during surgery. If you are having regional spinal, epidural, or both a tube is not usually needed. The sedation used with a regional is different from the sedation used for general. And with a regional, the level of sedation can be varied (light--just relaxed, medium-groggy, heavy--sleep through it all).
I wasn't sure I could tolerate morphine as a PCP (patient pump) so I opted to keep an epidural put in at the same time as the spinal. It doesn't have the same circulation--effects are limited to nerve-endings in lower portion of body and drug does not cross brain/blood barrier. I had no pain for the first 24 hours. You may want to look over or talk about anesthesia and post op pain management options before your surgery. I needed extra help at home the first two weeks. First few showers hubby was nearby in case I dropped the soap. I didn't feel comfortable enough to drive till after the first 2 weeks but each dr. is different so it's best to check on his/her instructions. I also wasn't doing any lifting for the first six weeks. Even though the surgery was vaginal, I was told there would be tons of internal stitches. Some women have close to 100 so it's best to take it easy especially since we don't have the outside cut to remind us.

thanks to all who have answered my post! It makes me feel better to just realize that I am not the only one who has this to go through AND that many people have been through it and are now glad that they did. I am so glad I found this board! Thanks again!