New & Facing An Upcoming Hysterectomy & Scared.....

Hi all. I was searching the internet for information and happened upon this site. Read some of the post and instantly
became thrilled I found this site.
I'm overweight, facing the hysterectomy, because of abnormal bleeding and I'm anemic. Was in hospital 3 times in past month for blood transfusion and my regular Dr. thinks the only thing left if the hyster'.... However, a OBGYN I saw that was seeing my regular OBGYN's patients, scared me to death. He was concerned about me being such a big woman and that I could die on the operating table.
I realize, that my weight is a factor, But is it such a factor that its deadly during this surgery? My sisnlaw's are both Nurse's one of my sisnlaws had a hysterectomy and she weighed almost 500 lbs. She said the only problems she had was it took a little longer healing. I canceled my regular Dr's appointment this past Monday because I am scared to death now........
This other OBGYN told me to continue on the deprovera, but its not helping, I've continued the bleeding and I'm getting weeker daily, dizzy, fainting, and all that was what was happening when I went into the hospital for transfusions.
I'm scared to death. I told my Dr's nurse today I wasn't going back to the hospital if they were going to do the hysterectomy.
Especially if that dr was going to be anywhere near the hospital.
Any advice to the scared and fretful????????????

Doe

Hi Doe I'm so sorry you had such a scare! I'd recommend that you get another opinion from a different DR... or even more than one if that's what it takes for you to be comfortable. You shouldn't have surgery until you feel emotionally OK with it. When you see the DRs, make sure you express your concerns and fears, they are legitimate. If it would help, maybe you could also ask to talk with an anesthesiologist about the weight issue... ultimately in the OR they are the ones responsible for making sure you stay with us, and in my experience most of them are very caring, sensitive people.

Please stay with us... we're here to support you through the surgery and post op period. It's very normal to be nervous and scared at first, but you deserve to not have to be absolutely terrified. Again I am sorry that DR made those comments to you that way.

s,
-Linda

Hi Doe

Most of us are pretty scared about hyst surgery, even without being told it could be fatal! Linda is right, you should not have surgery until you are more comfortable with the idea and not so terrified that you won't make it.

Please get another opinion. It sounds like you really are in bad shape with all the bleeding, but you need to feel as though you have made a good decision in having a hyst. There have been other ladies here with weight issues and they have had hysts and done well.

Please keep us posted on how you are doing and we'll provide support to help you get through this.

Beth

Sorry to hear you had such a scare.

If it's any comfort, I have heard the same "myth", including the one that it's hard to do an epidural on an overweight person.

I have a good friend who is an anesthesiologist. He just laughed when I asked him that and said, "Heck, most of the people we operate on are overweight. If we didn't do surgery on overweight people, we'd be out of business."

Keep in mind that many women facing ob/gyn surgery are large. After all, most of us are "of a certain age." Plus think of all the women who have Caesarians, they certainly aren't small.