I Can't, I Can't...

I can't - hold together a lucid thought
- think
- remember anything!

Am I alone here? My surgery is Monday, and I have no ambition to clean the house, etc. I feel like I'm drifting in a cloud. Today I had a touch of stomach flu as well (or was it nerves?) Back and forth to the bathroom for a few hours. I think all the loose ends are tied up, and I'm going to make my family help clean the house on Saturday. If only I knew what to expect afterwards, I might be able to get a grip on things here.

i have been feeling much the same way. i said in a recent post that i feel so useless because i can't seem to get my act together, no appetite, not sleeping well, housework? at this point i could care less. i have gotten on my knees and asked God to relieve my fears and that has helped. i look at these boards several times a day and have really been concentrating on when i can begin recovering! my surgery is still almost 3 weeks away (aug 28) and sometimes i wonder how i can hang on that long. you have my sympathy and please know that you are not alone. i also visited the post op site and "listened in" on many of their posts---that made me feel better too. hang in there and soon we will be on the road to recovery too! cynthia

Hi Slb

You Can , You Can

I think, unless you are having an emergency hyster, that we must all go through these feelings. I went on Tuesday to the Gyny and he booked me for hyster on 20th August, since then I have no get up and go, no usual haste to clean and cook and sort out the children, cannot think past me and my op, eaten everything I can get my hands on and been generally off since Tuesday.

Where abouts in Ontario are u, I am in Oshawa about 1 hours drive from Toronto??

I am sure you will be able to get through this, it is a major thing I know but just think no more pain or heavy bleeding or headaches or just general discomfort............nice.

Piglet

Dear SLB, bless your heart! I know exactly how you feel. I had a TAH & BSO on July 17 and was so scared I almost told the doctors that I couldn't go through with it. They gave me something to relax in the hospital...that helped. The whole process wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. It's no picnic either but I had expected much worse. The nurses were great about keeping me pain free and feeling good. You will love the morphine pump! I cleaned house all night the night before my surgery since I couldn't sleep. I do understand how you feel. My thoughts & prayers are with you! Hang in there!

Hello-I was lucky in a way that I was SSOOO busy at work the two weeks before surgery that I didn't get as foggy headed as I thought I would-however-the two days before surgery I was off and I really was wrapped up inside my own head!!!Tried to do EVERYTHING I could think of so I could really be on "vacation" when I got home.The way you are felling is so normal.You can't help it.You are fixing to have major surgery and there are so many issues going through your head.You just put it all in God's hands and then rest your brain.I have said before that I was at the point of excitement,I was so ready to get on with it!!!Prayers to you!!!

NO you're not alone SLB. Most of us go through the same thing. Take some calming breaths...do something that helps you relax - walks, read a good (non medical) book, hot baths, look around an antique mall (that's my favorite thing to do when stressed) - go through some old pictures, etc. I couldn't get my mind off surgery but it sure helped to get it on other things besides medical issues for awhile.

We're here for you!!!

Sending calming thoughts your way.

Hi SLB,

I had a to-do list a mile long. The morning of my hyst (in the afternoon), I was hauling manure and rototilling my future veggie garden. But no matter how hard we try, none of us can get *everything* done in time.

Try this - make a list of everything you "have to" get done. Now pick out just the actual life and death ones... (For me, that was ordering all the feed my horse and donkeys would need for two months.) OK, then the health and safety ones. (Getting our heater working.) Now pick out say 3 more things - the things you really *want* to have done - maybe buying books, or washing the picture window next to your bed. You should have a really short, manageable list - like 4-5 things.

Everything else can go right in the paper shredder. You aren't going to get around to scrubbing the floorboards, topping off fuel in all the vehicles, changing the shelf paper in the cupboards... Just throw all those out and don't let them bother you at all.

As for knowing what to expect, read through a bunch of the "Princesses Tell Their Stories" posts. (You can click the "www" button, below, for mine.) Lots of women describe their recoveries there.

Remember, dust bunnies aren't carnivores. You'll be fine.

Thank-you all. Piglet, I live in Cambridge, Ontario. Actually not that far from you. It doesn't help that we accidentally visited someone who had the flu on Monday, and tonight I feel like I may be getting it. I guess better now than the day of my surgery. My problem is that I have IBS, and when I get nervous, I run to the bathroom. Will they give me anything for this at the hospital if I am experiencing it on Monday? Of course, my tummy will be empty then. You're right, Piglet. Since it's not an emergency, it's a big thing to think about - an elective hysterectomy. But also, no more pain, clotting, heavy bleeding, etc. There IS an up side!
I actually accomplished one of the things on my list today, and that was taking the kids mini-golfing one last time for the summer. And now I'm off to bed early with a good book!

Glad to know I'm not the only one!

I'm scheduled on 8/27 and sometimes it seems SOO far away and the next minute it's too close. I have lists a mile long but no Umph to get them done and the brain fog has started too!!

Horse Woman, I love your ideas of prioritizing what HAS to be done and what I would LIKE to get done. I'm a real List Maker and that makes me at least FEEL organized.

I'm sure we will all be "talking" quit a bit in the next few weeks to keep each other sane!!!


HANG IN THERE LADIES, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!!!!

I live near Niagara Falls Canada and every winter we go to Cambridge for a hockey tournament. This year will be the first time that I will not have to worry if my weekend away will be at "that time of the month" I'm just 4 weeks post op I just had my 4 week check up and the doctor gave me the go ahead to slowly start back to normal, and yes I can have *** just take it slowly. I just want to tell you that many gals do have a easy recovery just like I have had but some times they dont post back and you may not hear the good stuff. I only needed ty3the first day in the hospital and only took one dose at home then only advil a few times. I started walking 1mile 5 days later and by 14 days I could walk 3miles in the same time as before surgery {with no pain now} I started doing small jobs like light laundry, standing dusting the first week BUT if I felt any pain I would stop. By the 3rd week I was doing most jobs but if I was to tired my family would do it {I realy did try to let them do the work but I just could not help my self} I still do not vacume. The whole point I'm trying to make is yes some ladies have a harder time recovering and there in nothing wrong with taking your time to get better but many ladies dont have that much problems and the better your out look is the better chance you have of getting though this.
Waiting is the hardest part