no more scary stories

hi
is there any stories out there that are not about terrible hospital experiences and extreme pain. i am having my surgery in 7 days and i wasnt worried until i started reading the stories people have posted

I'm with you; no more scary stories. I go in in 7 days, too. Let's both hope and pray we are the lucky ones who sail right through this without a hitch. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.

im going in on the 9th I have sooooo much good here it really helped . but i say the same thing NO MORE HORROR STORIES

Just to let you ladies know, there are those of us who have had smooth recoveries - and I'm one of them.

It may seem that there's nothing but scary stories, but there are many of us who had a pretty good experience. My hospital stay, surgery and recovery went very well and I'm very thankful for that. For many women, a hysterectomy isn't a cure and sometimes problems continue. A hysterectomy, no matter what type, comes with risks and possible complications. It's surgery.

There is a forum here called Our Hysterectomy Stories where many members post their story for everyone to read. You might find some encouragement by reading some of the stories.

Remember that a lot of times, women who didn't have a scary experience move on and no longer need support. Having a hysterectomy isn't always a horror story but it will be your own story. No one can predict your outcome but I certainly hope you have a good experience.



Deb

I had a great surgery with no hitches even tho I was "high risk" I went to my post op today and he says everything looks great, I was in some pain the 1st week and trying to do bathroom business was hard but compared to the pain and bleeding i was having its was easy.
I wasnt thrilled with the hospital i went to but i was there less than 24hrs and I was pretty wasted on pain killers!

I am one of the lucky ones who sailed through surgery, used very little pain medication, and recovered almost completely within 6 weeks. It DOES happen.

I too had a couple of rough moments here & there (bm's , gas pain, getting out of the hospital bed for the 1st time, coughing, riding home from the hospital). But none of the pain I experienced post-hyster compared to what I was going through every month.

What really helped me calm my fear was PLANNING. I made lists of everything I wanted to get done before going to the castle, what I wanted to take with me, what I wanted waiting at home for me, what needed to be done at work while I was out. Admittedly, a LOT of the stuff I "wanted" didn't get used or done, but the key was to occupy my mind. I like things to be perfect, but it really didn't matter much after all.

I have a really bad habit of concentrating on the worst possible outcome. I was certain I wouldn't wake up after surgery or that someone would try to smother me in the hospital if I didn't have someone with me at all times. Crazy thoughts. Several women recommended the "Meditation for a Successful Surgery" from the Healing Journeys website, so I downloaded it and it was by far the best action I could have taken. It really helped me calm down after I listened to it the first time. I bought a cheap MP3 player to put it on so I could also take it with me to the hospital along with relaxing music to help me stay calm. It really worked for me.

I was able to keep my ovaries & they seem to be functioning just fine. Sex was a little bit scary at first, but my DH was extremely patient and everything is almost completely back to normal (only some very MILD sensitivity around the vaginal cuff that continues to lessen). O's are no problem.

For me, if asked "would I do it again" the answer would definitely be YES!!!! (Did I mention I DON'T HAVE PERIODS ANYMORE????) My TAH gave me my life back.

Hang in there & remember you can post just about any question on this site and get some support from somebody who knows what you're going through.

Kiki123 - thanks for the positive feedback. My surgery is in January so I have too much time on my hands thinking. I am plunging into work and family stuff to keep occupied.

I have seen several positive posts, there actually was one thread for only positive posts but I can't remember the name. Maybe one of the hosts will come along and give us the link.

Good luck ladies and try to stay busy and distract yourselves. That seems to be the trend.

One bit advice for you. DO NOT read the post-op board until you are post-op. Alot of people do that and it scares them out of their pants. You will be fine. Most people on the post-op board do not post their successes they post when they are having problems.

Good luck to all of those who have surgeries coming up.

I sailed right thru my surgery without a hitch. I followed my doctors orders to a tee - and didn't even have to take any pain pills. I was very lucky - keep reading the good stuff and like others have said - stay away from post op!