To my dear sisters

It's a done deal! Surgery was yesterday and I'm home and feeling great!

I just wanted to try to ease the anxiety of my fellow hyster sisters and let you know what worked and what didn't.

Turns out I didn't really need all the stuff I ordered. My laparoscopic surgery did not necessitate most of the things I ordered, ie, shower chair, raised toilet seat, belly binder, etc.

I did the Fleet enema the night before and it wasn't that bad. It didn't really work for me but at least I could say I did it. Also, if you tend to get motion sick or sick coming out of anesthesia, request the patch that goes behind your ear. You put that on the night before and it works great!

The one thing I could not have lived without in the Castle was the extension cord I brought so I could plug my phone in. It was a lifesaver being able to keep in touch with family and friends, as well as pass the time while you're not sleeping. There's no good tv and honestly, if you're sharing a room, you just end up competing against whatever they're watching. And I can tell you, you won't have much of an attention span anyway.

I wore my pjs to the Castle and then wore them home. I just wore the mesh underwear they put you in after surgery. It worked just fine. They're uglier than sin but no one's looking at them anyway.

I brought along my phone/charger, a small uterus shaped pillow my bff found on amazon, toothbrush, paste, brush, deodorant, a word search book and a notebook/pen. I didn't bother to take my own nightgown. You're plugged in to so much stuff it was just easier to wear theirs. Plus I had some incisional drainage and it would've ruined anything I brought.

With a TLH you're really not there long enough to make yourself too comfortable. On top of that you're in and out of sleep and nurses are waking you up every few hours for vitals and pain meds. If you're sharing a room, I would strongly suggest NOT getting the bed by the door. It was miserable. There's no way to have any peace and quiet.

The pain I was in immediately after surgery was not much more than the pain I have during my periods. But I strongly recommend taking whatever pain meds they offer. If for nothing more than to try to get better rest.

I know that everyone heals differently and a TLH is probably the "easiest" of the procedures but I wanted to offer some peace of mind to my sisters who might be nervous or anxious. It really was smooth sailing, even though they found stuff they didn't know was in there.

Now that I'm home, I couldn't do without my backrest pillow, my body pillow and the grabber tool. Oh, and make sure you have a pillow for the ride home. It was a lifesaver to hold that against my tummy. It's amazing how many bumps are in the road when they cause so much pain!

I hope this helps just a little. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have or just to talk if you need to.

I'm so THRILLED for my new life!

Take care Sisters!