Countdown-nervous-scared-questions (8/24)

Hello Ladies,
Iam having my surgery next Frid the 24th. I have so many questions/worries. Wondering when I wake up from surgery will I be in extreme pain? Will I wake up crying/emotional? Will my belly look like Im 6 months pregnant? What will I want to eat. Im writing down a list of things I need and have to get done before hand. I have seen a few posts about ice/heat packs and a belly band? I need some advice from all you ladies. Any and all advise is appreciated. Would you say abour after a week to 2 weeks you feel better as far as able to make your own meals and such..... Thank you all.

wish I could offer other than empathy. My surgery is next tues (8/21). I'm past menopause which was supposed to make everything better, but no, its worse. So now I'm older, less fit and have to admit, scared stupid right this minute. I have a hard time with general anesthesia, tried to have a less invasive procedure, then found out my gramma had cervical cancer (i thought it was uterine) then that my baby sister ..ironwoman triathlete 13 years my junior, had not shared that her "surgery" (no details given, not a big deal) was a total hysterectomy because she had cervical cancer. > didn't follow doc insructions and 3 weeks later had to have another surgery...oops then another. So...sorry dear woman, I'm just jumpin on the AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH scared wagon.

well...I appreciate your reply atleast. Im 34 and have 4 children (youngest 3). So along with fear of the surgery Im freaking out about the kids and who will help me and all that. My husband works out of state 2 weeks out of the month and then home for 2 weeks. Sucks, but its what we have to do. He will be home for the first 2 weeks after my surgery, but after that.....its all up in the air on how kids get to school and all that. Ive been doing ok as far as being scared, but the closer it gets..it seems as if IM going through some kind of emotional breakdown. I know its normal, but it still is great to hear that Im not the only one! Good luck to you, and hope to hear all about your great recovery!

I call this waiting part-the roller coaster of all emotions!!!! So many different emotions at different times, sometimes hard to keep up with it all!!! I'm going to the castle on the 17th-so I can't speak to the recovery part yet.

However, I have read a lot on the boards and asked questions to help me prepare and I feel I am as prepared as I can be! My house is all clean (for now), I have gone shopping for foods I can eat afterwards, quick/easy high fiber foods; water; gas x; miralax; pillow pet; extra tv tray next to my bed; books downloaded on my kindle; iPad and iPhone charger....oh and comfy clothes.

Read up as much as you can-an know you are not alone!!! Remember the reason(s) you are doing this and the better quality of life you will have!!!!

Good luck to you!!!!

Thank you. That reminded me what I have wanted...a Kindle... lol My hubband was asking what I needed and I couldnt remember.. This site seems great. I dont have many to talk to. My twin had a c-section and she keeps referring my surgery to that. and telling me that atleast I wont have to worry about taking care of a baby after my surgery. But its not the same. Im getting no sympathy from her or my mom. My husband is the only one who really seems to "care" and I think he is more nervous than me. So thank god for him and this site. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you ladies. Hugs. and please let me know how your recovery goes!!!

Well, as long as we're starting a band wagon...

I haven't gotten my surgery date, but I've been reading what I can, both here and otherwise, and I have to admit that I'm already getting jittery. You can have all the sympathy/empathy you'd like from me; I only wish I were close enough to hold hands so we could sit together and be jittery!

I was a about a 3 on the pain scale, for about a day, then a 2 the next day, took tylenol.
I woke up talking about my hobby, geneaology, remember bragging about one ancestor in particular. ha ha
My tummy flat as a pancake, wooo hoooo!
Hot and cold packs, and belly binder, be sure to ask your doc, each one is different.
I found my appitite there when I needed it. If you like Wheaties, eat them the day before surgery, and there after, made my life easier.
Do your homework, bug your doctor, and post here alot.

TheLastDuchess....I hear ya there on being close enough to hold hands!!! I would if I could!!
jeepstr...Thank you so much. I just feel like my whole house is gonna be a mess right before my eyes...lol I cant relax unless everything is cleaned. uugghhh So I guess this means telling everyone what to do and when to do it. hehe Your tummy THAT flat...awesome. I see a lot of posts about a "swollen belly".Is that because they have over done it?

When you first wake up you will still be under the influence of pain medication, and will not wake up in any significant pain. After that, it varies from one person to another. Following surgery, I was very, very tired. I used the full allowance of pain meds the first three days, then started taking just one pill instead of the two that I was prescribed, and I did fine. Before long I was going longer and longer in between doses, and stopped taking the pain meds before the first week was up. The first few days after surgery don't try to be too much of a hero. Go ahead and take your pain meds if you start to hurt, and gradually ease off.

As for emotions - for several weeks I was very vulnerable. I don't usually cry easily, but if I felt frustrated, or under pressure, or just plain tired, I would break down in tears. I think the surgery is just plain demaning on the body. So be prepared to find your emotions to be pretty touchy for a while.

After surgery I had very little appetite. I might feel hungry, but could only eat a small amount. Once I was home, I ate only small meals. I would have some oatmeal for breakfast, a bowl of soup for lunch, and would pick at dinner, which my hubby fixed. Try to have simple things around that don't require much time or effort to fix. It is important to make sure you get protein, as it will help with the healing. If you aren't very hungry, just eat a small amount more often. If I got hungry, my energy would drain out all of a sudden, and I would break down crying, not really understanding why.

Within a few days post surgery I was fixing my own breakfast and lunch, and was doing a few simple things around the house. But usually one household chore would be my major accomplishment for the day. I might run a small load of laundry, or wash up just a few dishes left from breakfast. My husband did all the big stuff for several weeks.

Your belly may be swollen for a while post surgery, but for most people it settles down and approaches normal in a few weeks. Plan on having loose, comfortable clothes to wear that won't put any pressure on your tummy during recovery.

I hope everything goes well for you.

Oh yeah, if you do too much puffy belly will let you know, you'll also get a few twinges, but goes away after a night.
Too much on the inside that can get messed up, so take it easy!
Wearing jeans is a little rough, they push down on my tummy and make it sore after about 3 hours, it helped me to wear "slippery" undies.