Sisters I am Home

Well I made it and here I am back.
I will try to tell you all about my big days in the castle hope it does not get to long for you....
Went in Monday Dec. 18 at 10:30 AM Surgery was at 12:30. Believe it or not but they were runnin ahead of schedule so they took me in around 11:45 to do the prepwork. Everyone came in to do their thing. The anesthsia(sp)team gave me an option of an epidural or going under. Well be the chicken that I am (and no one telling me that would be an option)I went for being put out. Well when my doctor said 12:30 that is what HE meant. He sat down at my bed exactly at that time. Everyone was in the room joking around with me and I just turned and looked at him and said WELL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? He just smiled really big(he is a real cutie and I love seeing him smile). Got to looking around the room and he was the only man out of about 5 women. I asked him if we were going to have a hen party in the OR oops there he went again that big smile. Not sure the nurses got it at first but we sure did.
They took me into OR and started putting the side arms on the table and that was about the last thing I remember until I was waking up in recovery (nurse slipped me something in my IV before going to the OR dugh maybe they wanted me to shut up). Guess what no sick in recovery hooray for me...
Took me to my room with the lovely IV pump/morphine. Boy when they put that in my hand I think it must have had some super glue on it. I NEVER let go of it. Hubby said I was clinging to it like it was my life line (well it was). Decided that in the early AM of the 19th that is was making me a little quizey feeling to my tummy. That is when I started taking turadol (sp) IV. It worked great for me. Did not really come out of anesthia until 19th in the PM. That stuff just clings to me. Packing and those terrible leg pumps all went Dec. 19 AM. The packing was not bad at all girls. Felt a little like a dry tampon( I know do we even remember what one of those feels like)just minor discomfort for me. Stayed in bed most of the day Tuesday(remember could not wake up) Almost forgot they gave me some demerol bad deal got sick....the one time I was up sitting in my chair . Felt much better on Wednesday . Went from HRT patch to 1.25 premarin pill. Started taking percocet(sp)for pain . Which they sent home with me plus 800mg motrin tablets. They also have me on an antibiotic to avoid the risk of an infection. Almost forgot when the catheter came out I was up and going in 15min. HOORAY for me...Thursday was a great day just one last day to relax hubby picked me up at 5:00 P.M. and we came home.
The stay in the hospital was great. I just had one run in with a nurse and the others were GREAT. I complained so the next two nights she was sent to the other end of the floor to work with the new mom's. Was told they had problems with her in the past.
Shared my goodies with anyone that wanted them and they thanked me for them. Almost forgot I did have a private room. It was just $25.00 a night more(which I will have to pay) but girls it is well worth the money if you can swing it. I just told myself MERRY CHRISTMAS to ME....
The only problem I am having right now is not being able to rest to much during the day and by 7:00 PM I am beat. This was the way I was at the castle too. Oh well I have two more weeks to recover and enjoy the time off. I have a home day care and have to reopen Jan. 8. My resting will work great with the day care hours. I can take a couple short naps when the children do and go down for the count at night time.
When the sisters say the waiting is the worse part....blieve me it truly is. The not knowing is worse than any pain I have ever experiences. Almost forgot two BM's already and no major pain. Thanks to the ladies I took the stool softner and also GasX. You really do need to have them on hand for your return from the castle.
Sorry this is so long but I think this is it. OOOHHH one more thing. I did not take near as much as horsewomen and got along just fine at the castle. Horsewomen did you really use ALL of your stuff ??????
GOD BLESS YOU ALL and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....

Wilma, so happy to see you back on the Board, my dear . You and I sure waited long enough for that title, I intend to use it as much as I can,

Even though I went in for a TAH/BSO, I ended up with a TVH and kept the ovaries. That was a nice surprise my wonderful surgeon reserved for the OR

The worst part for me was the nauseous feeling that I kept for the first 24 hours, the fatigue and feeling that was the result of heavy blood loss and the fact that my bladder has been very lazy in getting back to normal.

The packing was also VERY uncomfortable and accounted for 80% of my pain. BTW, I was never able to wearn tampons.

I only took my travel pillow, the Gas-X (which I didn't use), two nightgowns and a nightgown I used as a robe (which I did use), hard candies, a few magazine, a cross-word puzzle (only did one of the puzzles, so far) and a book (which I finished upon my return home). Even then, the bag was awful heavy on my return home

Well, back to resting, fellow

Wilma - Welcome home Glad to hear everything went well. Now just lay around...drink LOTS of water and juice, stay away from spicy foods and carbonated drinks. Straws also will cause gas.

We'll be looking for you on the post op side. Have a GREAT holiday.

Danny how are you doing on the HRT ? What did the doc give you for that? That was a major concern for me and so far so good. No big deal at all.
I took about the same as you did to the castle. Took some big panties for my pads (took small stick on pads)you know I think the castle had those stick pads there. The nurse asked me which ones I wanted and I told her the big granny ones (no panties on at this time)but she did offer them. I also took a word find book and did one page, took a cassette player and used it once, candies, chap stick, shampoo, 2 gowns, 1 robe, 3 pair of rough bottom socks, house shoes, and that was about it. Did not take my own pillow but sure could have used it. Could have used some pads of some sort for my elbows they were starting to rub raw from using them to help turn over with. Maybe those granny pads would have worked for that. Would that have been really cute or what???? NOT!!!!! Used most everything that I took with me. Also took some scented body lotion this helped me feel a little better. I am really into the body lotions that are so popular now aroma therapy stuff.
How did your daughters birthday go? I thought of her on the day of my surgery. Hope she had a great day.
I guess we did wait a long time but the wait was worth it. I just wonder why I waited so long to schedule this. I guess the fear of not knowing had alot to do with it. It seems like when the time is right things just seem to fall into place. As it turned out things had fallen alot more than the doctor had thought and my uterus had also increased in size too. Good thing I did not wait another 6 months to a year. God was helping me with this one I am sure of it.
Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The blue angel has returned.

Wilma, no HRT for me: I ended up keeping my ovaries. THAT was part of the whole big surprise my doctor reserved for when I woke up: TVH and kept ovaries, cause they were healthy

I also ended up having raw elbows. The nurses were very nice and put one of those cello patches that they use to hold the IV's on my elbows. It protected them, and I stopped damaging them.

My daughter's birthday was celebrated the week before my surgery, which happened to be her dad's real birthday and the day she was due to be born. I thought it was rather symbolic, I came home from the castle in the am of her birthday. She was quite proud to tell that she'd "grown" now that she was 5

Best wishes of the season to you too.

I guess that I could have done without the BSO my doctor left it up to me. At this time I am glad that I had it so far no major problems. Was afraid of problems later on down the road. Never asked him what they looked like I guess it would have been a little late after the fact.

Smile.. it's over, Wilma!

Welcome home

Hey Wilma. Welcome home. So you had this great looking doctor eh? Lucky girl! Now remember not to do too much. I've been on the postop side and there are stories upon stories of sisters doing way too much and suffering the consequences. So feet up, hot tea, lots of water and more water, pee, eat, walk (a little), REST!

Wilma!!! So glad to see you here with us on the other side. I'm trying to get messages posted between ice storms and power outages.

REST, drink lots of fluids, REST, fight the temptation to get up and do anything, REST and REST some more.

I'm fighting a bit of a cold right now because I went out to midnight mass. Ugh!

Am so glad you're home and well!