Help!! I feel so AWFUL!!

I have not yet had surgery, its nov 29. Please tell me that all of those who have already had surgery feel BETTER.
I have one fibroidthe size of an apple, and several other small ones. I am supposed to have a hysterectomy, ovaries left in, and a bladder tuck? on nov 29.
For the past 2 months i have been SO lethargic, in constant pain, not pain in any one place, it seem sto be an allover achiness. my back hurts, i can barely make it through the workday and I have 2 weeks left of work.
can someone please tell me how to get through this?
should i just take aleve and muddle through my day??
and i hope you can tell me that this is how you felt, but once you had surgery you feel like a million bucks now! i need some light at the end of this tunnel???!!!

Thats pretty much how I felt..... I was so tired and lethargic, that every day after returning home from work, I layed down and took a nap. EVERY DAY! I had insomnia on top of all the other issues, and so therefore I was always tired. After the surgery my life improved in many areas, although I still struggle with hormonal balance. I think you are pretty normal with your feelings, although I would give your doc a shout, and explain to him how you are feeling, maybe he can help with your symptoms....
Best of luck to you on your surgery, I wish you an uncomplicated recovery.
hugs
snickers

{{{awful}}} Welcome to Hystersisters. I am sure you will find the ladies here very helpful and a source of comfort. I am so sorry that you are having such a difficult time. Hopefully after you have surgery and begin to heal you will feel so much better. Unfortunately no one can tell you it will be better instantly, it is a slow process for many of us. Some of us healed quickly and without much trouble. {{{Other sisters}}} struggle during their recovery and after. Everyone is different. If you need a nap, please feel free to do so. I would call your dr and see if he can suggest what would be best for you as you are waiting. If the 'all over achy' is new it could suggest flu symptoms or something that could delay your surgery. I will be thinking about you and I hope you feel like a million dollars at the end of your tunnel! Good luck and take care of you!

Hi awful, I had a TAVH/BSo(took everything out) on Oct 27th and I am feeling better already! Before my surgery about in March I started feeling so tired and achy and Bloated all the time! My stomach would cramp up almost everyday along with periods lasting about 21 days out of the month. I know I am still early on in recovery but I can already tell some improvement. So I figure that the further I go, I am going to feel like a new woman! My estrogen patch is doing great for me but seeing how you are keeping your ovaries, you shouldn;t have that problem. Don't despair because I was the same as you worried if it would be worth it and I think it has for me atleast! Good Luck

I am scheduled for Dec. 5 and my theory is that is HAS to be better than it is now! I too, am napping every afternoon because I am literally dragging by the time I get home from work. While I am preparing myself for the idea that I certainly won't feel better instantly, I am looking forward ridding myself of something that seems to be poisoning my whole system. Good luck to you -- I'll be thinking of you!

Hi awful!
It sounds like you are scheduled for pretty much the same surgery I had. You sound like you feel just like I felt before surgery.

Please check with your Dr. about the alleve. I found out 6 days before surgery that I was supposed to have discontinued aspirin, advil and alleve 14 days prior to surgery. They considered cancelling or postponing, but the Dr. decided I could go ahead because I had been trying to cut back (because of information I had read on hystersisters!) and wasn't taking that much.

By the time I had my surgery, I couldn't concentrate on work, and could barely make it through the day. I would crawl under my desk so I could lay on the floor without anyone seeing me.

Within one week of surgery, I was in less pain that I was the day before surgery. Much less pain.

So, YES, it is worth it!!! I am still recovering, and am trying to make sure I take time to heal right. I am here on pre-op because I wouldn't have made it through the surgery if it weren't for the support of my sisters who went before me telling me it really is worth it. I wish I had done it a year ago because then I would already be completely healed.

Best wishes

Awful,

I'm sorry you are feeling so bad. I also felt terrible for over a year. Tired all the time, pressure, bloating, pain.........just generally felt bad. And I couldn't work, my bleeding was too heavy.

No one can say for sure what your outcome will be. There just aren't any warranties with hysterectomy. All we can do is share our experiences both good and bad. You do need to weigh the risks and have no unrealistic expectations. Discuss your fears with your doctor. I know my doctor helped me a lot. And even more the ladies here on this site. For every bad story......there were two or more with good results. This is your hysterectomy and only you can make the decision to have it or not.

For myself.......hysterectomy so far has been the right choice. I am 15 weeks post-op and I feel better. I can go to town and get groceries without fear of bleeding down my legs. I can play with my dog......I can do laundry and not be wiped out. Sex is better. I got to keep one ovary and it is functioning fine. I did lose my cervix.....and this is not an issue. Everything still works in the sex department. And I am being truthful when I say it is better. I still have some tired days....if I really over do it, but those are becoming fewer and fewer. We went to a big flea Market 4 hours away last weekend and although we did stop and rest quite a bit, we had a wonderful day. I was tired when we got home, but I wasn't totally wiped out. I wouldn't have been able to do that pre-hyster. I wouldn't have been able to handle 5 hours of walking and prowling through shops. I would have ended up in bed for 4 or 5 days. If we could have found a window when I wasn't bleeding to go.

Recovery was not easy. I also had a bladder tack (burch procedure) and had some complications....my supra-pubic catheter failed and ended up coming home with a foley for 3 days. At the time the complication seemed major.....but looking back it was minor. Yes, it hurt to get up, it hurt to try and pee, I had to take stool softeners, I had to take my pain med's, I couldn't sleep on my side, I didn't want anything touching my belly and going to Walmart wiped me out....and I used the motorized cart to follow DH around! I didn't start driving for 4 weeks (tried at 3 caused too much jiggling). I was fortunate though that I had my mother come everyday and DH and my grown children and teenager were very supportive. They wouldn't let me do anything for the first 4 weeks. I still don't wear my regular jeans and I still have swelly belly at the end of the day.

The checkpoints is a great place to find some lists for the do's/don'ts as well as what to take to the castle, and what to ask your doctor pre-op. I used those lists and added to them. I also kinda lurked around the post-op board just to see what the ladies there were posting about. But please keep in mind.......if we are grumpy or having a problem, we too look for support. So please don't let it scare you. Every one heals differently, simply because I had a problem doesn't mean you will too.

But like I said, everyday gets better. Know the risks, discuss them with your doctor and just keep realistic expectations and you will probably be just fine. You only have one chance to heal and rest is the key.

I sincerely pray you find peace in your decisions and that you have an uneventful speedy surgery and recovery.

Theresa

Because of very rapidly growing fibroids, and EVERYWHERE there were smaller ones waiting to "blossem" also, I was scheduled for TAB/LSO 10/26/05, but it was a SAH/LSO because I had alot of adhesions on my cervix. I had lap. RSO in '96. My uterus was that of 19wks, and I SOOO miserable! Because they were growing so fast, I knew I was making the right choice. Still unsure of my feelings of losing my remaining ovary.
I've had a very remarkable recovery. I kept hearing the worse you feel before surgery, the better you'll feel afterwards. Other than the obvious pain I felt great! With the exception of the gas pain(make sure they give you the meds availble ordered by the doc for gas, I didn't, and THEN talk about pain!) Also, once I was nauseated, had a headache, asked the nurse for something. She left and I didn't see anyone till the new, and helpful nurse came on 2 1/2 hrs later. If you have that problem, be a pain, and keep bugging them till you get what you need!I LOVED the PCA, it made a world of difference for me.
I've felt so very much more healthier from the time I came out of surgery. Even though there's the surgical recovery, I really feel healthier and so much more alive. I think I've walked more and enjoyed getting out so much more than when I was lugging all my buddies "Curly, Larry, Moe, Little Orphan Annie, and Alfalfa and the Gang!" Toward the end, I called the dr. cause I was in so much pain and he prescribe some pain med. But the week before I had special prayer and felt alot better, even going off the meds.
It's so wonderful to not feel your guts are going into your lungs, and I haven't been NEARLY as dragged out tired as before. I don't know if my recovery is the exception rather than the rule, but I'm doing fine. One big thing is to go in with a positive attitude. I bought some "happy socks", new gown, slippers, new pillow and pretty slipcover, and sometimes just the newness and colors rejuvinated me. I made myself worth the beautiful, colorful and just silly things I brought, and it helped. The overstuffed pillow was perfect not for my head, but for under my legs. But the best and biggest blessing was my Mom stayed the two nights I was there. If you can get someone who loves to serve and isn't a complainer to be with you, it'll be a Godsend! I put her to work, and I'll owe her forever. Oh! And take a backscratcher! The morphine made me ITCH so, and it was the next day before I got one.
I'm still kind of mourning my ovary, and wondering how the "hormonal jungle" will be. I may be the exception, and it puzzles me, But I even feel more feminine and confident in myself! God has changed me alot through this, I'm a different person, going through good and bad emotions, but I'm kind of excited about getting to learn about and live with the new me! I'll be praying for you all!

Thank you all so much for your input and advice!! This is an awesome message board to go to when your feeling down! thank you so much for lifting my spirits and giving me hope that I hopefully will feel better like all of you after all this is done!!!
I will continue to look at these boards until i go in for my procefure.
thanks again to you all!!

Hi Miss Awful,

My surgery is the same day as yours! I too have lots of big ol' fibroids and who know what else. Hopefully, I will get to keep my ovaries, but the fibroids are so big, the ovaries can't be seen. I'm nervous as can be. And to top it off, my pre-op had to be re-scheduled because today I got my period! At least it's the last one. My Dr. has me on tylenol only. I'd say stay away from Aleve, although it's my favorite pain reliever. Think good thoughts. You be walkin' and talkin' for Christmas!