LAVH: Upcoming hysterectomy 4/28: Scared to death. UPDATED: cancelled

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Originally Posted by barbwest Wow, that is horrible! I would be filing a grievance with the medical board about that treatment. You did good following your instincts, try and find a caretaker that takes care of you, both medically and emotionally. My DR made me feel extremely safe, if he didn't, I would make the same decision that you did. I'll be thinking of you!

I wasn't sure if it was just me or if that's just how things are now days. I felt truly like a slab of meat with a number attached. The whole thing just did not sit right with me

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Originally Posted by Lioness1970 I cried all night and kept jumping up out of my sleep with anxiety. I felt like I was having a heart attack. I cancelled it. I cannot go into a surgery scared to death and especially when my surgeon didn't call me back last week knowing how upset I was. I just do not feel confident with her. Now I feel like I made my entire family mad at me. I feel like a complete total loser.

You're not a loser. You have to be comfortable with your decision .
If they are mad at you thry need to get over it. It's a very big ordeal not to be taken lightly .

I hope you can find a doc who will make you feel comfortable.

I had a LAVH on Wed 4/27.

So far I am doing okay - sore and tired but managing pain without narcotics.

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Originally Posted by princesspc I hope you can find a doc who will make you feel comfortable. I had a LAVH on Wed 4/27. So far I am doing okay - sore and tired but managing pain without narcotics.

Unfortunately the only place that does it around here is the same hospital she was at. I made a new appointment with a different surgeon from
There. I have to wait to see him until May 25th. I hate that I have to wait all that time and redo all the pre op testing but I just could not go with her. She is AWFUL

Dear Lioness1970 I read your post and just had to write. I was you. Terrified was not even close to how I felt. I was told 3 years ago I should have a hysterectomy for fibroids, excessive bleeding, severe anemia. I tried every thing else to try shrink them but no use. Had to get Iron IV infusions for the anemia (I would cry everytime because I was convinced I'd get anaphylactic shock and the place I went, most of the nurses did not treat me horribly but there also gave me no comfort I could tell they thought I was ridiculous - the medical profession really needs to work on understanding phobias like this.) I finally got the point where I really didn't have a choice anymore it was getting more scary to not have surgery. Throughout the years I saw 4 different doctors to get opinions. I would have cancelled too if: 1) I didn't go to a counselor to work on this overwhelming fear before hand. 2) I didn't find a doctor I felt was very skilled and really listened to me. Because if I went with any of the 3 other doctors I saw before the surgeon I chose, I don't think I could have gone through with it and I would not have have such a successful surgery (April 19, 2016 - Lap, Total Hys - kept ovaries). The other surgeons would have definitely given me blood transfusion because I was so low, which I did not want (unless I was dying of course) so he listened had a Cell Saver there for me and said he would do what he could based on how I was doing during the surgery. And they probably would not have had the skill to do it Lap due to the size of fibroids and uterus (no morcellator) and I would be probably recovering with abdominal incision and who knows what else. Those other 3 did not listen to my concerns so I moved on. Go with your instinct with the doctor. I hope this helps. I am a complete worrier and I still worry about all the things that still can go wrong with my recovery. But so far 16 days in, it has been so much easier than I every could have imagined. I barely have had any pain and the pain I did have days 1-3 was totally bearable. I know not all stories go that way, but you have no idea what other issues or prior surgeries these other stories had. It is scary. But I am so glad and SO relieved it is behind me. I feel a bit empowered that I faced my fear. Ativan helped too (Also, i asked them to give me something to calm my nerves at the hospital before going into the operating room. I was out before they even rolled me down the hall.) And I am so grateful to this site! The basic thing I've come away with on this site is plenty of people have had positive experiences, and many of the ones who had setbacks or problems eventually resolved them. Yes, I knew things could go wrong but I could not keep living the way I was. But, I could only do the surgery when I comfortable with it and I was ready. Best of Luck to you & good luck with your decision

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Originally Posted by Mallow Dear Lioness1970 I read your post and just had to write. I was you. Terrified was not even close to how I felt. I was told 3 years ago I should have a hysterectomy for fibroids, excessive bleeding, severe anemia. I tried every thing else to try shrink them but no use. Had to get Iron IV infusions for the anemia (I would cry everytime because I was convinced I'd get anaphylactic shock and the place I went, most of the nurses did not treat me horribly but there also gave me no comfort I could tell they thought I was ridiculous - the medical profession really needs to work on understanding phobias like this.) I finally got the point where I really didn't have a choice anymore it was getting more scary to not have surgery. Throughout the years I saw 4 different doctors to get opinions. I would have cancelled too if: 1) I didn't go to a counselor to work on this overwhelming fear before hand. 2) I didn't find a doctor I felt was very skilled and really listened to me. Because if I went with any of the 3 other doctors I saw before the surgeon I chose, I don't think I could have gone through with it and I would not have have such a successful surgery (April 19, 2016 - Lap, Total Hys - kept ovaries). The other surgeons would have definitely given me blood transfusion because I was so low, which I did not want (unless I was dying of course) so he listened had a Cell Saver there for me and said he would do what he could based on how I was doing during the surgery. And they probably would not have had the skill to do it Lap due to the size of fibroids and uterus (no morcellator) and I would be probably recovering with abdominal incision and who knows what else. Those other 3 did not listen to my concerns so I moved on. Go with your instinct with the doctor. I hope this helps. I am a complete worrier and I still worry about all the things that still can go wrong with my recovery. But so far 16 days in, it has been so much easier than I every could have imagined. I barely have had any pain and the pain I did have days 1-3 was totally bearable. I know not all stories go that way, but you have no idea what other issues or prior surgeries these other stories had. It is scary. But I am so glad and SO relieved it is behind me. I feel a bit empowered that I faced my fear. Ativan helped too (Also, i asked them to give me something to calm my nerves at the hospital before going into the operating room. I was out before they even rolled me down the hall.) And I am so grateful to this site! The basic thing I've come away with on this site is plenty of people have had positive experiences, and many of the ones who had setbacks or problems eventually resolved them. Yes, I knew things could go wrong but I could not keep living the way I was. But, I could only do the surgery when I comfortable with it and I was ready. Best of Luck to you & good luck with your decision

Thank you so much for your story. I'm still upset over it all. I could be a week and a day out today and Done. But it just was not possible. Again I think it would of helped greatly to hear " yes, we have seen many like u, we got this," but nothing. She claimed she as doing a " TLH cysto w stents" that's what my paper said , so I screwed up here writing LAVH but that's how much she DIDNT explain. So here I am the day before surgery was set googling exactly what " cysto w stents" meant. That's not how I want to learn what's happening to my body. That's not even normal if u ask me. I asked 2 different docs for an MRI for my own peace of mind because I feel like I'm the only one that has ever had this and they refused. So what if they do go in and find all kinds of crazy things. There's just so many what ifs. Well I posted on my Fb for new recommendations for a doctor who performs wag I need and I did find someone else. May 13 I go to see him and will start from
The beginning again. Hopefully this time it turns out ok. I cannot help my fears and anxiety and she made me feel like a worthless wimp. I later lol ones her up on google and there are a few that left bad reviews for her so I'm not the only one. Where the new doc I found has 30 plus years experience, and great reviews. She had 6 years.....

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Originally Posted by Lioness1970 Thank you so much for your story. I'm still upset over it all. I could be a week and a day out today and Done. But it just was not possible. Again I think it would of helped greatly to hear " yes, we have seen many like u, we got this," but nothing. She claimed she as doing a " TLH cysto w stents" that's what my paper said , so I screwed up here writing LAVH but that's how much she DIDNT explain. So here I am the day before surgery was set googling exactly what " cysto w stents" meant. That's not how I want to learn what's happening to my body. That's not even normal if u ask me. I asked 2 different docs for an MRI for my own peace of mind because I feel like I'm the only one that has ever had this and they refused. So what if they do go in and find all kinds of crazy things. There's just so many what ifs. Well I posted on my Fb for new recommendations for a doctor who performs wag I need and I did find someone else. May 13 I go to see him and will start from The beginning again. Hopefully this time it turns out ok. I cannot help my fears and anxiety and she made me feel like a worthless wimp. I later lol ones her up on google and there are a few that left bad reviews for her so I'm not the only one. Where the new doc I found has 30 plus years experience, and great reviews. She had 6 years.....

Totally think you did the right thing. That Doctor does not sound good at all. I too felt like the 1st 3 doctors I saw treated me as a number. Please don't be so hard on yourself... Look at the strength that you have by pushing yourself to see another doctor even though you have this fear. Good luck.