Upcoming surgery, getting scared, please advise!

Hi ladies,
I appreciate reading posts from all of you who have had your surguries already. Most of them deal with specific issues, of course. But I'd appreciate some general info. I've got a LAVH coming up on Nov. 4th, and I really don't know what to expect as far as how much help I will need, how much pain to expect, how "out of it" I'll be and for how long, etc. I'll only be in the hospital for 23 hours (thanks to insurance co.), and when I come home I'm kind of on my own. Is that really ok? Like, will I be able to get up and use the bathroom without help? Is it hard to sit up?
Thank you so much for your help! You all are great.

Dear Millie:

I wish I could be more helpful, but I had a TAH/RSO, so I know my recovery will have been different from what yours will be like.

I am sure you will get a lot of answers soon though. Of course, all recoveries are different, but there are a few basic rules to follow not matter what:

1. Rest
2. Rest
3. Rest
4. Let everyone else do everything.
5. Be a
6. Start over at rule #1 'til doctor says you can do what you want.

Take care and good luck. I know I would have the surgery again.

I had a LAVH 6 weeks ago. The day of surgery was really painful, but then again, I didn't respond well to the morphine. By the next day, it was much better. One of the most common things is problems with gas - the anesthesia makes it hard for things to start working again. Try to stick to mild foods in the beginning like jello and broth, for the first couple of days.

As far as needing help, I was able to do things for myself like going to the restroom, getting something to drink and eat, etc. Make sure you have some quick and easy things to eat. I don't know if you have small children, but I definitely wasn't up to tending to anyone else for the first couple of weeks. Between the anesthesia and the pain medication, I was pretty much out of it the first week, but not compared to the first day. I had no problem sitting up at all since there was no large incision.

I hope all goes well with your surgery and you have an easy recovery

hi Millie!
I will be 3 weeks post-op tomorrow after having LAVH/BSO and my insurance also only gave me the 23hr. observation after surgery too. After being awakened all night long and needles, thermometers and the dreaded catheter inserted in me, I was ready to go home long before those hours were up! I also had very little pain the day after surgery, and only took pain pills the first week I was home ( just in case the pain came back) along with Ibuprofen to reduce swelling and for the muscle aches. DH took the week off from work and I just rested, passed gas, took my meds and took lil walks around the house and to the potty, slept alot, drifted off in the middle of movies, eating mostly liquids and soups..basically a pampered couch potato. I started my hormone patch on the 2nd day and never had a hot flash or menopause symptom! By the 2nd week DH was back at work, I had stocked up on pudding and fruit cups, lunchmeat and soups and lean cuisine meals and individual juice boxes, carnation instant breakfast and assorted instant oatmeal packets...... and with very lil effort I could fix my own breakfast and lunch using only the microwave and then DH would cook dinner when he came home while I sat in the kitchen and supervised! I help with some of the cooking and light cleaning now, not doing any heavy lifting at all. Sitting for long periods of time is still uncomfortable and the belly swells up like a beach ball by bedtime and then almost flat by morning again. At 10 days I went to dinner at my parents house, I was exhausted after an hour and came home and slept for 3 hours! My next trip to the grocery last Saturday was exhausting, DH kept saying I should have stayed home, the 30 minute trip turned into 75, I was ready to pass out in the checkout line and went to bed for the night when we got home at 4:30 in the afternoon!, also had to take a pain pill both times and belly really swelled and ached. Best thing I did pre-op was to set up my recovery area...a bed with lots and lots of pillows and a table next to it with a phone, clock and small lamp and books, lip balm and lotion, hairbands, the tv remote, an insulated water carafe and glass, my meds and a pen and paper to keep track of what I took and when. (very important cause the brain fog can't tell time!) and I took the advice I read here about putting a straight back chair against the side of the bed to grab ahold of and that helped me to get up easier by myself without straining my tummy too much. I hope this helps! Good Luck! 's

This is Millie again...Just wanted to thank you for your replies! I feel more confident now. I go in on Tuesday, and I can't wait to have it done with!! Thanks to you all for your support!

Millie,

Let me know how yours goes because I am going in on the 6th hopefully for the same thing. My insurance has me in from the 6th to the 9th I think that might be because they aren't sure until they get a look at what they are going to take and how they will take it. Going in on the premise of LAVH but could come out with anything. I hope and will pray that all goes well with you and your castle stay.


LadyJewel

im gettin scared too, my surgery date is 11-07 for a vh. i'm anxious to get it over with also so's i can worry about sumthin else, i'm tired of being tired.

jab

Hello everyone,
My surgery (BSO) will be done on Nov 7, 2003 and I am very scared! In Jan 03 I had a hysterectomy (removing my uterus/cervix). Now, I have ovarian cysts on both ovaries. My first surgery was done vaginal and this one will be through my tummy! The results of my CA-125 were not good (186). I am depressed and scared. I am scared that I have ovarian cancer. This is my first time to post a message. I just joined this site yesterday! It's a great site and I am glad that's it here for us. Wish me luck.
Babybro

hi millie
I'm from here in England and I was told by my consultant that I will be in at 1 day pre op and at least 5 days post op I sometimes feel like shouting about the state of our NHS, but after readig your story I'm SO glad for the NHS hope you have a speddy recovery and hope to hear from you on the 'other' side hugs to you from all us LIW
cariad65

Hi, Millie!!!

I had a TAH/BSO just a little over a week ago in Liberty (saw you are from Kansas City...we live an hour and a half north of KC).

I was only in 2 days because I did so well. I see that you suffer from migraines and I talked to both my doctors about this (my first gyn doesn't do surgeries anymore, so I was referred to a second who did my surgery). My first doc said many ladies she has seen don't suffer from migraines anymore or they are better. I've had classic migraines since I was 10 years old...got worse when I tried birth control pills in my 20's and they had again now that I am 42 and was peri-menopausal.

I decided to go on the Climara patch and both docs agreed to put it on me as soon as I got in the recovery room...I am happy to report I haven't had ANY kind of headache!! YIPPEE!!

As you can read on this site, we are all different and have different pain tolerances. I guess from my migraines and painful periods, I have a higher pain tolerance and was just in bad pain the first night (very crampy..maybe a 7 or 8 for me) and then the next day it was tolerable with an occasional pain pill. I only take a pill at night and take Advil occasionally during the day.

Walking helps with the gas. I had a friend this summer who had a vaginal hyst and left an ovary, and she was out in the same time as you and did well, too. She said walking is what helped her with the gas, too.

Good luck and keep me informed how you do!!