TAH - I'm home and recovering

Hi everyone,

I had my hysterectomy on March 10. I went to the hospital about an hour an a half before the surgery was scheduled. Everything went very smoothly, the check-in person asked some questions, told me to go put on a gown and robe. Everything that happened had been described to me at my pre-op appointment. I was scared, but it was so clear that everyone knew what they were doing, so I just took a deep breath and put myself in their competent hands!

My surgeon came out and spoke to me and then my doctor came and led me to the operating room. I was very surprised at how bit the room was and how many people were mulling around. I had told my surgeon that I wanted a picture of the VERY LARGE fibroid that they were taking out, and as I got up on the operating table, I looked over and he and the other doctors (he had quite a bit of back-up, I think because of the size of the fibroid) were playing with the digital camera. I thought that was very cute and it made me smile. Then the anesthesiologist said, ok, I'm putting you to sleep now and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery.

Someone somewhere (maybe on this site) said that when you are in recovery you should ask for the warm blankets, and the first thing I told the nurses was that i was cold. They had the most amazing toasty blankets that felt SO SO good. I didn't see my surgeon or my doctor but the anesthesiologist came by and I waved at him. The only thing he said to me was "that was very big" I think it was the talk of the hospital!

I had a catheter but the whole time I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. I told them that, and they checked everything but for about 24 hours I just kept thinking that I should get up and go to the bathroom. I slept a lot, but my sleep the night of the surgery was very fitful. Pain was not much of a problem, I had a morphine pump and used it when I needed it.

I was moved to a different room the first morning. I liked that room, had a nice roommate and got up and moving by about 8:00 am the day after surgery. After the cath. was taken out, I was really glad to have to get up to go to the bathroom. It was a little painful (well, maybe more than a little), but every time I got up it was better than the last time.

Friday morning (surgery was on Wednesday) my surgeon came in and said that he thought I would go home on Sat. I asked what I should be doing that I wasn't doing and why I had to wait till Saturday and he said that if I felt like it I could go home on Friday. So I did!

It has now been a week and a day and I really feel so much better than I thought I would feel! I rest as much as possible and drink plenty of water. I'm only taking Extra Strength Tylenol for pain now so things are going very well!

Cay