pre-op support needed!

Scheduled to visit the castle on dec 21, for total hyst. ,not sure yet but think abd. I have fibroids, a cyst, squamous cell on pap test, and hyperplasia on endo bx. My symptoms were heavy bleeding, and almost constant pelvic headache(my term!)I am 50 yrs young and ready to be free of the discomforts....but in the middle of the night I wake with "am I doing the right thing" thoughts? I would have liked to have a natural menopause, but alternative methods I tried did not help with pain( discomfort during intercourse was a big fat bummer!)
I am nesting like crazy, cleaning and crying over songs, movies or nothing at all-sort of a happy cry?I feel like I did before graduation, or getting married, or some other milestone...in short I am quite a bit ditzy. What ever will I be lke after my hormones shiftpost-op?! Yikes!I guess I am more afraid of crazy moods and feelings than post-op pain. I used to be a nurse, so Iam familar with procedures, but I also know all the scary stories(when things go wrong!) Well anybody else out there going nuts before the big trip to the castle?
I I

Hi Tallkat, I'm in the 21 club too. In fact I E-mailed you. My hyst is for endometrial cancer. My first diagnosis was complex atypical hyperplasia and at that point, I wanted to avoid surgery. It took me awhile to feel comfortable with it even though I've been through menopause. So I understand totally how you feel.
Let me tell you about my experience with menopause 5 years ago. I had breast cancer and chemo. I was not menopausal, but the chemo changed that (chemical menopause). I never had hot flashes, but did have night sweats. They were truly annoying, but only lasted a few months and might have been triggered by the tamoxifen I was on as well. Other than that and later on some vaginal dryness, that's been it.
Since you're 50, I was 52, it won't be long until you'd go into menopause anyway. I know it's not much consolation and that hyst is a total shut down. But we need to put first things first.
I can't, but you may be able to go on hormone therapy. Talk to your doctor again. Read up. Make sure you're comfortable in your own mind. Once you make peace with your decision, you'll feel better. That's how it was for me.
E-mail me if you want to ask me anything.

Suski
LAVH/BSO Dec.21 if I get rid of this cold!!!
Endometrial Cancer

Hi TALLKAT. I too had severe nesting before I went in for my TAH on 12/5 - ten times worse than before I had my children!!!! I think the thoughts "Am I doing the right thing?" are normal. I had life-altering heavy bleeding for 1-2 days where I couldn't go 1/2 hour without having to change and the panic of knowing if there was a bathroom there or not (baseball fields etc) was awful. Being 46, and Idon't have any pre-meno symptoms yet, and knowing that I probably had 5 or 6 years to live with this (and it getting worse) helped me to know I didnt want to live like this anymore. I also went thru the "what if the Dr. makes a mistake? What if I get a bloodclot and die?" type concerns.
But I know the Lord Jesus and I know where I am going - so He touched my life with His words of Truth that brought peace to my soul. He has appointed when I was to be born and when I am to die and my worrying or being anxious about
it wasn't going to change anything. I had to trust my life, that belongs to Him, to Him and the lives of my children and husband. He freed me from fear. As far as hormones-my ovaries were left in and I haven't had any
emotional moments or anything moodwise since my surgery.
I don't really know if my ovaries are awake or still asleep.
But I do feel very normal and am only on Motrin for past
5 days. Time will tell for mem, but I hope I stay the same.
Everyone is different and maybe since I wasnt suffering from pre-meno symptoms before my surgery maybe I won't now.
But the best advice I can give you is to put your life in the hands of the good Lord and trust Him-He is a faithful
God EVEN when we are faithless.
Lots of hugs and I will be praying for you.
letti3166@aol.com

I too am in the 21 club!! My TAH is due to fibroids and enlarged uterus© I did not have the heavy bleeding because I had an ablation eight years ago, and that really helped©
Th change when I went from FLOODING to normal was a change in my entire lifestyle© I would definitely do that again©
I also had a 12 pound cyst on my left ovary and had to have that removed about eleven or twelve years ago©
My right ovary looks in pretty good shape, so the doctor is going to try to save it© The thing I have been worrying most about is the emotional ups n downs if they take my ovary, so that decision was very welcome©
I just went for my pre-op yesterday© YUCH to having to have an internal exam again!! Two in one month! Ugh©
EKG and blood© Then a discussion with doctor© I really had no questions© I already have a scar from 2 inches above my belly button to my "hairline"© She said this time she would only go from just UNDER my bellybutton, so a shorter cut due to the fact that I am not as big as I was with the cyst©
Good luck to all the 21ers
Pam

Hi I have major fears. Its like, Im only 30 is this a good idea? I hope I can keep my ovaries its still an unanswered question I won't know until i wake up from the surgery. But I am an not in horrid pain, sometimes I will get a pain that will jolt through me like a knife going through me, and I do bleed about 3 weeks out of the month, so I am thinking maybe I could live with this, but maybe its just the fear of surgery causing me to think this. I have an enlarged uterus a very, squishy enlarged uterus, and my Dr. wants to do a TVH on me but first he is going to do a LAP to see if I have too much scar tissue and if so it had to be a TAH which I really hope not. I am scared to death really. But I am going through it I wouild like a normal sex life again. My DH is so understanding. And I don't know if this is nesting, but, I have been trying to get my house perfectly clean and situated before I go to the Castle I'm going crazy cleaning every knoock and crannie. But i am scared too.
Tonya