How long to heal? Is three weeks enough?

Thank you to everyone. Your words of wisdom are being heard and I have a tough decision to make that is right for me. I do not have a choice in having to have the surgery. I cannot delay it. The problems are too severe to delay it really and will most likely lead to more problems if I did. I know the decision to most seems so easy and uncomplicated and pretty much a no brainer, but it is really not that easy. My life is my life and if I was dead than of course it would have no meaning, but my circumstances, children, house payment etc all ride on my completing my school now so yes, this is an inconvenience, granted necessary medical condition but I can't let it dicated my life. I have had 3 abdominal surgeries alone this semester which would have kept most people down for at least 4 to 6 weeks, but I went back to school two days later after each of them. Granted it was HELL for the first 3 weeks of each one, but I was able to do it. They were the day before classes started, 4 weeks later and then 4 and a half weeks later from that so I have had 3 major surgeries already in the last 11 weeks, yet I still went to school and I am still maintaining a 3.895 average in my classes. That says a lot. Not many could do that. But I am not many.. I sat in the Gulf in a hole in the same spot for three days with no food when I was in the Marines. This is a piece of cake compared to some of the stuff I have had to endure. I am not super woman and neither is my body. It is just getting the understanding and educating myself to the severity of this and if I can handle it. If it is like my appendectomy or my c-section then I know it will not be an issue to go back to school in 3 1/2 weeks. I guess I am just trying to get an understanding of what it is really like, not just that I should take 6 weeks because no one wants to really go back to work or they just want that time to heal, but can I really do it with strick and severe limitations.

I guess if your mind was already made up, why did you bother asking for advise from the sisters?

I guess you did not read my postings. I did not say my mind was already made up if you read. What I said if you read my post was that I wanted to obtain information and then I would make a reasonable/rational choice based on what I have learned and educated myself on and then decide on what I should or should not do. I am not decided, I am stubborn headed, but I am extremely conflicted. Having had 7 surgeries in the last 7 months with this one being the 8th has not been easy. I am reaching out to the sisters for their support, not judgment. I will take each post and evaluate it and the response whether I like the advice or not and then make a collective choice based on the information. I know what I "want" to do and that is just suck it up and go to school.. but what I "want" to do and "should" do are two different things which is why I am here so please do not make me feel like I can not come and ask for support because I may disagree or even challenge some statements. I am just scared and confused and want to get all the information I can before making a choice.

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Originally Posted by yarnqueen64 I guess if your mind was already made up, why did you bother asking for advise from the sisters?

Sometimes people need to talk things through, even if they already pretty much know what their choices are. I think that's part of what we're here for.

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Originally Posted by flamnredhead I know the decision to most seems so easy and uncomplicated and pretty much a no brainer, but it is really not that easy.

As an old sensei (martial arts teacher) once said to me (when I'd just said, "You make it look so simple!"):

"It is simple. It isn't easy."

We often tend to use those two words as if they meant the same thing, but they don't. Sometimes a choice is simple (if only in the sense that there just aren't any good alternatives), but still very very hard to make. When that happens...you just gotta cut yourself some slack for not having an easy time with that simple decision.

I you do attempt to go to class, I would recommend finding what student lounges are available so that you can rest if needed. Even if you can only do 1/2 of each class and take a short nap between. Most colleges have a student health clinic of some sort and I would think they would be a great advocate for you. Also, having the phone number of the campus nurse in your cell phone might be another precautionary measure. Having all this lined up might reassure your MD that you are taking your recovery serious.

I was a late in life college student too. I just graduated last December and I know what the consequenses are if you take a semester off or get the semester off to a bad start for whatever reason. I am so thankful that I don't have to take school into account while I am preparing for my surgery next month. I would be facing the same dilema that you are and I know the decision is not easy. You are caught between a rock and a hard place. Just know that whatever decision you make, you are doing what you think is best for you. Most professors are willing to work with students who communicate with them and try their best. Good luck.

Thank you all for your support. I was beginning to feel attacked for feeling like I do and almost just decided to just leave the board completely. I cry over this and am just in tears right now. I am a single mother with 4 kids to tend to and have been unemployed due to being layed off my job after being there for 22 years. Everything is hard and I only have so much time until my unemployment runs out to get me a new career to take care of my family and my health keeps getting in my way and it is so frustrating. God says he never gives you more than you can handle, well I feel like my plate is over flowing at the moment and that I do not have any voice of reason which is why I turned to this group. Thank you for the continued support. Myotis, I like what you said and it is so very true. There are some great ideas and suggestions on here and I have read over these posts probably 10 times already and will continue to do so outweighing all the pro's and con's and then making a choice but I so just need to talk it out and get more info and the support to help me get there so thank you so very much for being there for me.

(((((Flamnredhead))))) Facing surgery isn't easy in any situation....couple that with trying to fit in school, facing uncertainty in the employment area and 4 kids on top of all that.... the stress & frustration you feel is completely understandable. I'm sorry to hear that you have had so many surgeries in such a short period of time. I hope that the hysterectomy will be the one to get you back on course to a much happier, pain free life!

Is there any chance your doctor can do the surgery without needing to do the full c-section opening? Some of the other methods of hysterectomy may be a little easier on you.

(Snow_White), thank you for your empathy, support and understanding I almost feel like I am at a breaking point and may need to see someone professionally. My doctor will only consider a TAH with me because of all of the adhesions and previous abdominal surgeries. He said having it lap or vaginal are not even an option he will consider. It will be him and my general surgeon both in there together with the general surgeon removing the adhesions so he can get into remove the uterus and the cervix. He is not sure if the ovaries and tubes will come out or not until he gets in there. I have tried to get him to at least try to go vag or lap, but he won't have anything to do with it.