LAVH scheduled -worried and scared

Hello everyone..

I have a LAVH scheduled for August 19th. I had a procedure to remove a Fibroid in March and the heavy bleeding, cramping, bloated feeling has returned. (it never really went away all together) When I went to see my Dr he suggested a LAVH procedure removing the Cervix and Uterus...leaving the ovaries (I'm 44...ok I will be 45 in 2 weeks) I will be happy to leave the periods and the pain behind but I admit I'm worried and a bit scared.

Ok here I go I'm unloading! Sorry its longer than i thought.

Worries/fears
They will end up taking my ovaries! I don't want this..heart disease runs rampant in my family..and I don't want to take hormones!

Taking time off work -company has been going thru layoffs ect and I have never had to take leave before! I need my job! My timing is bad but I need to have it done before my MIL leaves for Europe for the winter. hubby needs to work.

I have been under anethesia 2 times in the last 2 years..now a 3rd time...I feel like I am making it a habit! hopefully I wake up and they don't find anything bad. 1st surgery was to remove a suspicious lump in my breast (turned out to be benign) and the second to remove a fibroid.

First BM scares me.. I had a really difficult time after the Hysterscopy.. the pain meds really bound me up..I was sooo miserable for a couple of days.

I am worried about getting antsy w/ recovery..I am not very good about laying around. I am afraid I will be unable to sleep.. I am thankful to have a wonderful hubby...and thankfully my MIL is going to be around to help the first couple of weeks..so hubby can work.

Thanks for listening!

I will tell you in my opinion the wait before surgery can be tough. Since your MIL will be around you may find this is the best timing ever. You will need the help and support of family.
The hysterectomy checkpoint and articles are very informative. I have used each and every one and found them all a great source of support.

if you feel very strongly about keeping your ovaries, be very clear with your dr that you do not want your ovaries removed and how strongly you feel about it. at my pre-op appt, my dr went over everything he would do with me and we both knew that unless it was to save my life, my ovaries (and cervix) were not to be removed. good luck!

Hi, I'm right there with you girl! I've had two knee surgeries in the past 3yrs. I feel like its a yealy thing to have surgery. We are having layoff at work also, but I got my FMLA papers fill out and it was approved (thank goodness) They are taking my ovaries due to really bad endo. It scares me to think about all the bad stuff, but my DR. keeps tell me it will be ok. I hope it will be. I first BM scares me to death. I think I'm going to eat pudding for a week after my surgery. I figure it will come out like pudding. lol! Hang in there and lot of love

Kimberly

You can look up my experience under "things that I learned & helpful hints". I hope some of that can help you. I had no problem with the first BM. It went just fine. I wishes you all the best!

Hi Sierra:
Just wanted to send you some positive energy - my employer has been laying people off for some time now & I have been worried about taking an FMLA leave right now, too. But everything else regarding the timing of the surgery worked out perfectly & I haven't gotten my pinkslip in the mail. Sounds like you really need to go ahead & have it done while your MIL is around to help. I found the meditations for a successful surgery from Healing Journeys very helpful in replacing my negative thoughts with positive ones. I also found that concentrating on getting everything ready for the hospital visit, recovering at home, etc., made me feel more in control of the whole situation.

Hi Eyelady:
Don't be scared of the BMs. They can be uncomfortable - my first one did scare the living daylights out of me - but the anticipation is worse than the actual event. Your Dr will prescribe stool softeners to make things easier & you should definitely eat a lot of fiber to help loosen your stools. I ate food from home at the hospital - oatmeal, grapes, tomatoes, etc. & that really helped me get back to normal very quickly. The food on their menu was puzzling - not a lot of fiber or nutrients. But I was able to ask for just about anything so I got a really nice fruit plate instead of the pepper steak hoagie for lunch...

Hope both of you are able to find some peace of mind from using this site. The more research you do, the better you will feel with your decision.

One other suggestion I found especially helpful - I asked my Dr about IV Toradol (a super anti-inflammatory that can only be used for the 1st 48 hours) & she agreed to use it. It really helped me use very little morphine from the PCA pump & I think it helped me heal quicker with less dependence on the oral percocet -- the fewer pain meds you have to take, the fewer problems you will have with constipation in the first place.

Hi Sierra!

too! You have come to the right place for support and understanding! I too work for a company that is having a lot of layoffs so I was worried about my job also. I spoke with my boss and because you will be protected under the FMLA, they cannot ditch you because you are out under medical leave, that is illegal. I feel more protected now than I do otherwise. And because there have been layoffs, I want to get this problem taken care of now, before I end up laid off without insurance and have to wait on getting my problem fixed. My surgery isn't scheduled yet, I'm supposed to get a date at my pre-opp consultation on August 5th.

I plan on having my uterus and cervix removed (did not want mini-periods and cramping from leaving my cervix) and I plan on keeping both ovaries as long as they are healthy. Talk to your doctor, if they are healthy, there is no reason to remove them. I am your age also, and feel that it could be many years before natural menopause, no sense rushing it.

Best of luck to you!!

Wow.. what a nice suprise to log on tonight and see all of this support! Thank you all very much. It looks like one of my sisters will be coming from out of state to stay with me the first week or so. I will read thru the things you all have suggested.

I am trying to research the advantage of keeping my cervix?? I don't want mini periods or any more cramps :O)

Good Luck to all of you with upcoming surgeries.

Hello Again Sierra!
I have researched whether or not to keep my cervix and what I have found is that they used to leave it because they believed that it supported the pelvic floor, and that it helped with sexual feeling. That has now been considered unfounded as many that have their cervix removed have no problems at all. I personally know 5 women who have had their cervix removed also, and they have had no problems at all. My cervix is touchy, pap smears cause slight bleeding and cramping and it has caused me pain during sex at the wrong time of the month (drops down close to period time) so I am looking forward to no more bleeding, no more pain. For recovery, those that leave the cervix have it a little better because they don't have stitches in their vagina so they can bathe and swim sooner, but I see it as once I'm healed I don't have to worry about anything again. I'm not looking forward to this, but then, I'm sitting here in pain now, period not due for a week yet and the pain is only going to get worse. Best to have some pain and know it will be gone for good. Best of luck to you on your decision!