An Over-Thinker !!!

Hello Everyone/Sisters,

I am new to the forum and to be perfectly honest with you - It is freaking me out a little bit...

I know everyone is different and I will have to take things as they come/happen - but as the title of this thread states - I am an over-thinker - prefer to plan for the worst and then anything better is gravy !!!

I am extremely independent and have a hard time asking for help - up to and including asking anyone to drive me to and from the hospital (which I will)...

Based on your experiences am I letting myself be too optimistic about doing this on my own???

I have already booked my pets into (apparently from the price) their own deluxe accommodations for the 1st few days.

My other concern (so far) is the stairs in my house... it is so much more comfortable upstairs - but the food & drink (etc) are downstairs - are stairs doable the first few days???

Being new - I am not sure what the initials stand for - but I am scheduled for a DaVinci procedure on 7/2 - to have my uterus removed and while leaving my cervix - she will cone-it out to help with the spotting. I have also had 2 previous lapo surgeries for endo - and am expecting to have that and scar tissue to clean up.

Thank you everyone and I apologize in advance if I become to much of a pain.

Hi PaperPusher!
If you're an over thinker, then you're an over-reader too. Stop now. Do not read the post op threads. You'll scare yourself silly. Everyone posts the bad stuff and only a few post the good.

Doing it on your own... Do you mean all alone? I'd recommend having someone with you for the first 3 days if possible. After that, I was pretty much good on my own.

You'll want to talk to your dr about stairs. I was restricted to one trip a day for a week. That was enough to tire me out.

Ask away. There's almost always someone with the answer or can tell you about their experience. I think there's a link to common abbreviations somewhere but I can't remember where.

Let us know how we can help!

Hi there. I had the Da Vinci procedure on 5/14. I spent one night in the hospital. My BF brought me home and stayed with me the first day. Other than that, I've pretty much been on my own. I'm getting around just fine. The worst pain I had was the first two days, and mainly from the gas. I used the ibuprofen, never used the percocet. Everyone is different, this has just been my experience. I saw the dr. yesterday and he was pleased with my progress. He cleared me to drive and encouraged me to walk.
Hope this helps.

Thank you GiGi501 - your user name made me smile - that is one of my best friends nickname as well... too late on not reading the post-op thread.

Thank you FancyChloe - that is what I am hoping for - I am so, so glad things are going well with your recovery...

Everyone - from what I have read - seems great on here - and I hope to be as much as a help to others as and after I go through my experiences...

Thank you!!!

Being an over-thinker isn't a problem. You just have to exercise some control as to where your thoughts lead to. I managed to over-think myself into a black funk a few weeks back on the subject of lymphedema. Once I realized what I'd done, I pulled myself out of it with a shopping trip at veseys.com and then refocussed on identifying resources to deal with lymphedema *if* it ever actually happens. Then I parked the whole thing in my mental "if-bad-stuff-happens-check-here-first" zone and moved on.

In other words, you want to be prepared, not stunned into immobility by too much information.

Now as to the subject of independence, I'm actually taking the bus to get to the hospital, which is in another city about two hours away! I had to bite the bullet and ask a friend to drive me home afterwards, however. Once I started asking for help, I found I got lots of offers. (It's okay to politely refuse offers of help you don't actually want.)

I also live with two cats and zero other humans. (No stairs, though.) My upstairs neighbour will be looking after the cats while I'm in the hospital and has offered to pick up perishable groceries, prescriptions, etc. while I'm recovering. Also, if I'm really in trouble and can't make it to the phone, I can just pound on the wall and if she's home, she'll come down.

Most of the time, however, I'll be on my own. It'll be fine. I've stocked up on groceries, made myself a day nest in the living room and will do laundry and give the place a good scrub before I leave for the hospital. When I get back, the cats and I can nap in the sun together. :-)

If you're used to being on your own already, I'd say that's the best way to handle your recovery. I guess I'll find out if I'm wrong on that, LOL! I'm having a total abdominal hysterectomy this coming Wednesday.

Thank you SurprisedInNB,

I hope everything goes great for you on Wednesday and after... and am looking forward to your after report.

That black funk will get you every time - but has also saved me in quite a few situations

I also have cats - and when I bent down this morning to clean out the boxes is when I decided to board mine for a few days - they are only 9 months old and still like to jump up and grab on.

I only booked my surgery yesterday and already have about 5 lists going - and have already decided what I am going to pre-cook...

	Quote:
Originally Posted by PaperPusher ...I also have cats - and when I bent down this morning to clean out the boxes is when I decided to board mine for a few days - they are only 9 months old and still like to jump up and grab on...

I don't know about you, but I'm old enough to have gone through adolescence during a period of time when every teenage girl learned how to do the mini-skirt stoop. You didn't dare bend over in a mini-skirt with teenage boys hanging around! We all learned to keep our torsos upright and let our knees do the work.

I just had a refresher lesson in February, when I had cataract surgery and was told to avoid bending over for a week. Also, I wasn't supposed to lift anything heavier than 15 lbs for that week.

From what I've read, recovering from a hysterectomy is a longer version of the same thing - no bending or twisting your torso, no lifting "heavy" weights (however "heavy" is being defined - varies from doc to doc).

I'm just hoping I'll be able to lift at least 15 lbs. My 12-year-old cat weighs 13 lbs and my 3-year-old, 11. :-)

	Quote:
Originally Posted by PaperPusher Hello Everyone/Sisters, I am new to the forum and to be perfectly honest with you - It is freaking me out a little bit... I know everyone is different and I will have to take things as they come/happen - but as the title of this thread states - I am an over-thinker - prefer to plan for the worst and then anything better is gravy !!! I am extremely independent and have a hard time asking for help - up to and including asking anyone to drive me to and from the hospital (which I will)... Based on your experiences am I letting myself be too optimistic about doing this on my own??? I have already booked my pets into (apparently from the price) their own deluxe accommodations for the 1st few days. My other concern (so far) is the stairs in my house... it is so much more comfortable upstairs - but the food & drink (etc) are downstairs - are stairs doable the first few days??? Being new - I am not sure what the initials stand for - but I am scheduled for a DaVinci procedure on 7/2 - to have my uterus removed and while leaving my cervix - she will cone-it out to help with the spotting. I have also had 2 previous lapo surgeries for endo - and am expecting to have that and scar tissue to clean up. Thank you everyone and I apologize in advance if I become to much of a pain.

We were all newbies at one time, so don't you worry. I had instructions from the doc to avoid stairs for the first week due to being wobly and on pain killers. He didn't want me falling down the stairs. So I would suggest, you set up camp on the floor with food and bathroom. Plus I was so sore there is no way I wanted to go up and down. If you set up your area with everything you need, I don't see why you can't do this on your own. For the first 2 weeks all I seemed to do is sleep, eat and pee. Good luck and read more of these pre-op threads for more great ideas. Happy to welcome you here!

this thread is making me feel better! it sounds like lots of people do really well after this surgery. Is good to know i'm not the only one having a worry attack.

I am going to stay at my mom's house for the first week but i will have to get up a flight of stairs. I think i can do. I won't have to trekk up and down unless i feel up to it.

I have a kitty cat, too! Her name is Mini Pearl. she's smallish. I have dog named brady and horses, too. I will think about them to calm myself.