New and scared

Hi everyone! I'm new to this site and I'm also glad that I found it. I just received the Hystersister Guide and am reading it for some good hints for pre-op and recovery. I feel confident that I'm doing the right thing by having surgery but in the back of my mind, it's so permanent for not being able to have any more children. We said we were done awhile ago, I'm 37 and I have 2 wonderful boys 16 & 15, I just don't know why I feel like this!! Plus I'm scared to death of the surgery, you know, whether I'll wake up and how much pain I'll be in, I guess you could say all the usual fears!! And to boot, I've been on weight watchers and lost 20 lbs with another 30 lbs to go, I hope this does not set me back. My surgery is scheduled for Feb 4 to have a TAH/BSO, I hope everything works out okay. If anyone has any advice for me, I would sure appreciate it!

Take Care,
Kizzu

Dear Kizzu,
Even if you have considered all your options, had your 2nd opinion and tried different treatments before deciding on your surgery, it is not an easy decision to come to terms with, or to accept logically AND emotionally - I've seen countless posts from women who have had their families, never expected to have another child - and yet still go through the grieving process for this irreversible change in their lives.
I think it is better for you to realize that you feel sad about ending this phase of your life BEFORE surgery. -- it is very normal to feel that way and if you realize it, you can deal with it.

Many women also have the fear of not waking up .... fortunately not waking up happens very rarely. I won't say that it never happens, but it doesn't happen very often.

The pain varies from woman to woman, and also depends on how much work you have done. Personally, my pain was not very bad (and I do not have a particularly high level of pain tolerance)... I was on pain meds for 24 hours, and then nothing stronger than Tylenol extra strength once in a while.

With regards to weight loss... well that varies from woman to woman as well.
You could well find that you suffer from a swelly belly for a while after surgery - but that isn't really extra weight (it just looks like it!).... I personally lost weight right after surgery, and have kept it off, and even lost a wee bit more.--- altogether about 20-25lbs.
I did change my eating habits after surgery, and that has helped - plus when cleared I went back to the gym and have been pretty good with attending regularly.
Since you are already in a program, you will have your WW support group to help you stay on track - and I hope that if you have to deal with hormone replacement it doesn't mess you up with weight problems.

best wishes,