Scared - Help!!

Well, I have a date for hyst. 06/05/02! I read numerous books and this site has been a tremendous help for me. So, I made up my mind, contacted the nurse and scheduled the surgery and I was pretty much ok. UNTIL - spoke with a woman that I somewhat know in the store the other day and she tells me she has had one over a year ago and since then nothing but trouble - her hair is falling out, she can't sleep, etc. So now doubts are back --- help -- any advice???

Hi Chinney,

This is definitely a scarey decision, no doubt about that. And you'll find that almost everyone has a different reaction to the surgery. Some go very smoothly, some encounter difficulties. One thing that totally surprised me was the number of variations of this surgery. Prior to my surgery I always thought a hysterectomy was a hysterectomy was a hysterectomy. Have you seen how many differnent types there are???? It's mind-boggling.

Unfortunately, I hadn't discovered this website until after I had my surgery. In a way, I think this was somewhat fortunate as well because I think I would have been a bit overwhelmed by all the different variations of the surgery. It can be overwhelming even to someone who's post-op!

Now you take all those different types of surgeries and you consider the hundreds of types of ailments treated by the various types of surgeries and then you factor in the hundreds of thousands of individuals having the surgeries with their unique physiological make-ups and their unique medical histories and you'll see so clearly why it's almost impossible to compare your situation with someone elses! (could that sentence have been any longer???? )

Sure, we do a lot of comparison on this sight but it's for perspective to help us understand what's happening to us as individuals. You need to use the info you collect as data that will help you make your decision. No one piece of data should make or break your decision - there are just too many variables to consider.

You don't mention the type of surgery you're having or the conditions that led you to the surgery decision. Nor do you mention the type of surgery or conditions relating to your friend. Be sure you're comparing "apples to apples" as they say and even that's no guarantee that your surgery/recovery experience will be exactly the same, but you'll get some idea of what you might expect.

Also, once you've made your decision, you'll continue to have doubts - it's only a human reaction to a very big life-altering decision. Just continue to collect facts and consider them as they relate to you. Ask questions and do research. This is the only way you'll be able to determine what decision is the right decision for you.

Finally, use this website for all it has to offer. It is a wealth of experience and information. I truly wish I had found it before my surgery, but it's been a godsend since I discovered it the week after my surgery.

I wish you all the best.

Wow, Karen, what a great post! Thank you for that!

Chinney, please take well meaning opinions from people with a grain of salt. Including mine! I'm sure there are many women out there that have had good experiences with surgery or other things, unfortunately you are like me and find the ones that don't!

Just like the news, there is good and bad. I know you have heard this before, but it's so true, the waiting is the worst part. Having doubts and being scared is part of being normal and human.



Sara

Chinney,

Just a

You'll be fine!

The first thing I did when I learned there was an uninvited circus going on 'down there' was tell me friends that I LOVED them dearly, wanted their support & prayers & hugs, etc...but I did NOT want to hear any "I have a friend who has an aunt who has a niece who's grandmother's porcupine......." Nope. Didn't want to hear it. Don't know why it's human nature to share the 'sad' storied instead of triumping in all the good ones!!!!

The other thing I did, once my dearest friends & family members were told.......I kept my mouth shut. We live in a county of 2500 people. They enjoy their stories. I'm sure my situation will be one of them soon, but if they didn't get any info from me then it's not going to get back me......if you know what I mean. My problems are NOT a secret, but they are personal & the coffee crowd down at the little grocer's does NOT need any encouragement from me to make it the topic of the week. My friends keep to themselves & NONE of our family lives anywhere close.

So far so good.

Need to talk? Grab a close friend or family member or come here...................



Robin

I can't thank y'all enough!!!! It never fails that I feel so much better once I read your replies. The more I think about it and all of the suffering I've been doing for the past 3 1/2 years - it only makes sense to just get it done & be finished. What a relief it'll be. Again, thanks to all of you.

First let me say, your name is so cute.

My surgery is scheduled for 5/28 and I am a nervous wreck. You can't even imagine the things that have been going through my mind. I do believe I have a low threshold for pain so maybe that's why I'm totally spazzing about this whole thing. I really haven't told that many people about the surgery but the other day I went to the tanning salon I've gone to for years and happened to mention it to the owner. It was soooo spooky. She told me she had had one years ago and starting ranting about all the awful things that go wrong. She even walked me back to my tanning bed going on and on. She seemed to totally enjoy it. I had told her already that I was scared stiff. I just came to the conclusion that there is something wrong with someone who wants to scare the daylights out of you and enjoy it at the same time. I'll just keep going on this site and reading experiences from nice, caring people.

I feel bad that this happened to you. Fortunately, my experience has been much the opposite. When I was donating my blood for my surgery scheduled on 5/22, I was talking to another donor and the volunteer at the blood center. The volunteer was giving both the other donor(also having a hysterectomy) and me a pep talk. Saying it was the best thing she'd ever done and wished she'd done it sooner. She told us not to worry about the recovery, it wouldn't be that bad. It's just no nice to hear positive reinforcement rather than negative. My only advice is to try to remember that there are more good results than bad. Keep thinking positively!

Chinney,
There is nothing more that can be said.......... DANG Karen, that post was GREAT! You better save that one to use again when it applies......... it was great!

But I will ad, this........... this lady for all any of us knows could have hair loss from a tyroid condition....... that is totally unrelated to her surgery.... who knows?

Take care,
xo DonnaFay

s to you. Just like the other sisters said, you will do fine, and just try to smile and say something noncomittal like 'thanks for your concern' when well-meaning(?) people tell you those kinds of stories.

It sounds to me like that lady needs to be talking to her doctor instead of you, if she's having all those problems. Sure, just like with any surgery, there can be unanticipated complications, but most of them can be addressed by a good doc. I don't know why it is, but a lot of people with health complaints never do pursue the appropriate avenues. Instead they just like to tell everybody how bad they feel.

I am six weeks post-op now and there have been a few bumps in my road to recovery, but each time something comes up I talk to my great doctors. Still, overall, I feel sooooooo much better than I did before surgery. Most of the post-op glitches I am having have little or nothing to do with my surgery - so I'm crossing each bridge as I come to it!

Here's wishing you a smooth experience with surgery and recovery. Keep posting, and join us in chat sometime if you want to. A wonderful group of ladies over there, we have fun and can also help you through those rough pre-op times, and post-op too if need be. Come and hang out with us!

BTW - I also love your posting name! I don't know where the term 'trailer trash' comes from - I've known a lot of people who live in trailer parks and mobile homes, and they are some of the nicest, funniest, most down to earth folks I've ever met.

See you around, take care now.