SCARED: Hysterectomy next month (2/2) for rapidly growing fibroids.

Hi erinkc!
I had my abdominal hysterectomy in April 2018. I had had a small fibroid for a few years that suddenly grew and caused quite a few problems. The imaging was inconclusive -- two surgeons felt quite certain that it was benign, but it was a little suspicious in nature.
I had never had stitches or even novacaine, so i was pretty freaked out. One thing that helped me was finding out exactly what to expect from the operation and the hospital stay. There should be people at the hospital that you can talk to who will walk you through the process so you aren't surprised when you arrive. And be sure to explore this web site extensively -- there is so much wisdom and experience here.
If you will have to be alone at the hospital, ask them if they have somebody who can be there with you. For myself, my parents came with me to the hospital and for the pre-op, which unfortunanely will be a different kind of experience for you. For myself, I actually sent my parents home after I came out of recovery -- I was too tired and stupid to have a decent conversation anyway, and I felt confident that the hospital staff was doing all they could for me. My brother was going to come to the hospital after work, and I told them to call him and tell him not to bother.
Tumor turned out to be indeed a fibroid.
Other people had smoother surgeries and recoveries than me, but even with a few problems, I was glad I did it. My life was being warped around accomodating my fibroid and other associated problems before my surgery.
I hope this has been helpful to you. hang in there! Soon all this will be a memory.