scheduled for a complete hysterectomy - what should I expect?

am 59 and scheduled for a complete hysterectoy. what should i expect--from the real girls who have had this procedure, not the doc who hasn't FELT it.

Hello there! I had 2 done(first one just removed the uterus in 05 and the 2nd to remove the ovaries,tubes and cervix in april of 07)

I dont want to scare you or anything, but you will have alot of pain. they did the 3 incisions with me, one on the left side which was about 2 inches long, and the same on the right and one through the belly button. It took about 6 weeks to heal the incisions. I was in the hospital for 3 days each time, on a medication pump for about a day and a half.

After the fact when you get home, its the no bending lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk(is what i was told) even getting in and out of a vehicle can cause the incisions to tear.

I hope this helps

Kristy

Ok- I Have to jump in here. I am 44, and I had a TAH 12 days ago. For me, it was pretty much a piece of cake, and I was sure I was going to die on the table. I even wrote secret "goodbye" letters to my kids. Well, low and behold I lived to tell the tale! The worst pain I had was getting the IV inserted!
OK, yes, the gas pain under the ribs was not pleasant, but I had my surgery on Thursday at 3:30 in the afternoon and Friday morning I made it to the sink to wash and blowdry my hair and put on my make up!
Yes, a bit uncomfortable, but shoot- nothing like giving birth or something!
By day 4 I was feeling pretty good. On day 8 I was in some normal clothes and taking walks down the street. Went back to work yesterday (day 11) and today I went shopping.
My incision healed up (7 inches, 19 staples) just fine. I am not lifting, taking stairs slowly and sitting down a lot to rest. But I feel great!!!!

So don't be afraid. You can do this- you will get thru it and maybe it won't be as easy as mine, but probably not as hard as others you will hear about. Maybe somewhere in between.
I guess its like labor and delivery- every person's experience is a bit different. But have confidence and think positively and get reay to move on with a new and better body!!!

Oh- I have the photo of my huge uterus! I picked it up for the doc office today. It's pretty gross but I think its fascinating!!!!

Both of the other girls had good advise. I too was scared to death but lived. It was painful at first but I made it through that too. My main concern was I am a busy body and have to be on the go all the time. Well, as for the going shopping a fews days after surgery. I thought how hard could it be, just walking around behind the cart? Yeah, well I paid for it after about 30 mins into my shopping day. You don't realize just how much it takes it's toll on your body but it does. Take care of yourself and listen to the doctor and read the post-op check points on hyster and you will see it says "No Wal-Marting!" Keep in mind that everyone is different and can handle things alot differently. Good Luck! Keep me posted on how it goes.

Dear Princess-to-be, Yes, it's scary - but you WILL make it through. I had a TAH/BSO and was out of the hospital in 2-1/2 days. To me, the biggest help in healing was getting out of the bed and walking. Just remember, don't overdo - let everyone wait on you for awhile - remember you're a princess. 4+ years later, I still think it was the best thing for me - no regrets. FYI - I was 46 when I had the surgery. Just take your time and recover - don't let ANYONE rush you. Your body will tell you how much you can do. Best of luck to you - I'll say a prayer for you.