Pre-Op Hysterectomy: Open House Chat Thread - Today Apr 30, 2017

Hi all! I just read through everyone's posts. A couple comments/questions:

First, the back pain. I went out in disability in August with low back pain that everyone attributed to 3 herniated discs that I have, despite it feeling different. Turns out it was a whole lotta stuff growing in my pelvic/retroperitoneal area. I NEVERwould have known.

Second - I'm going home the same day. I'm just terrified about this. After my myo/endo/rpf etc... surgery, I went home and I really wish I could have stayed in the hospital. Am I the only one who wants the safety/comfort of the hospital?

I'm happy to meet all of you, even virtually.

Isn't it funny to half way look forward to something but the other half you are dreading it? Thursday I will be going in for TAH. I'm leaning towards removing both ovaries but Dr. would like to save one. I understand all the positives of keeping them but I also know my numerious surgeries with adhesions and fear having to have another surgery if the ovaries give me problems later along with my mom having problems with hers. With 3 abdominal surgeries for fibroids, 2 vaginal myomectomies, a failed endometrial ablation I want this to be the last surgery!
One of the hardest parts of this for me is that I know now I won't have a miracle pregnancy, I will never have a child. I feel like my body failed me somehow.
And my period came on so the only thing I can take for pain is Tylenol.
I'm hoping my allerigies are acting up and this is not the beginning of a cold.
Can I just fast forward to Friday?
Sorry to sound down in the dumps.

Hi Ladies,

Sorry I can't wave a wand and have all your issues dissolve but I truly do understand. I had many of the same thoughts as you all several years ago before my hyst.

Katie, please give your worries to your medical team. If they can't schedule one night at least they will be able to explain their confidence in why it is the best thing for you.

GeminiPeach, I hope you will check out the forum that deals with other sisters who have the same sadness. Try to get lots of rest in the next few days so your body can handle allergy/cold and you can be in top shape by Thursday.

So hope to see you all after your surgery. Think you will be surprised at how much better you feel once you are on the road to recovery. You will have lots of healing to do but the worrying will be over and your job will be to take care of you. Please know you aren't alone I will be there with you every step of the way. You will also have many of the lovely helpful sisters you have met today to walk this path with you.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Nite, nite and see you on the other side.

Loving Sister Hugs for all,
Anndy

Hi ladies,

It is day one and we are off to a great start sharing and supporting one another.

My name is Marissa and I live about an hour outside Omaha, Nebraska. I am scheduled for a LVAH on May 3rd at 1:45P for a removal of my cervix, uterus, and tubes and ovaries only if needed. I am hoping to keep them but if they are in bad shape or adhered to things that have to go, they go too. They will be checking for endo which they highly suspect and remove it if possible. I also have cyst wrapped around my urethra that they need to remove. Depending on the difficulty of removing the cyst I may or may not get a bladder sling. If not we will have to go back in for a second surgery which I really don't want to do. They will also be repairing a prolapsed vaginal wall.

I would say my bad relationship with my uterus started 10+ years ago. I had a miscarriage at 19 but was young and inexperienced so I chalked it up to a bad situation and thought little of it. I conceived a year later and for most accounts had a successful pregnancy and birth. My ex-husband and I decided right after our daughter was born we wanted another and started trying right away. Sadly we were plagued with 6 miscarriages. I was diagnosed with a hormone deficiency and after a couple rounds of clomid and large amounts of progesterone we were able to conceive our second child, a son. I later remarried and four years ago I had a third child with the assistance of hormones again.

After my last child was born I actually felt great for about two years. I had more energy, lost the weight. I felt like a new and fresh woman. But during the past 2 years I have become sick and tired ALL THE TIME! I never feel good. Battle headaches, really migraines, that flow with my cycle. I had migraines before but the got a lot better after my third child. I slowly was gaining all my weight back. Then 6 mo ago came the back pain and crazy bleeding. I cant be intimate with my husband without him questioning if he should take me to the er. It just gushes, sorry if TMI. That is when I went in for an early pap. I was diagnosed 8 years ago with hpv and had a biopsy done on a cervical growth at that time. It was found to be precancerous. My last few paps however have been normal so I wasn't due yet. At my exam my doctor found a lump in my breast (which since we have found out is fiberois), polyp on my cervix. Due to the location of this polyp I was referred to another doctor even further than the first one. Long, ok who am I kidding EXTRA LONG, I have a growth in the center of my cervical cannel, I have a cyst wrapped around my urethra, suspected endo, and a prolapsed vaginal wall. I honestly just want to feel better. I have known something was wrong with me for a long time just not sure what.

I remember when the topic of a hysterectomy came up I explained that I wouldn't mind it because I feel like I am playing Russian roulette with my health. There are only so many times you can hear precancer before it turns into more. But when she said that was in fact the only way to proceed I was sad. I don't want anymore children, it is just too hard of a process on my body and my emotions but losing the choice is hard. You do morn that.

I have the standard fears, switching to an abdominal, pain management, blood clots (runs in my family, my grandma had a stroke in her early 40's), keeping the family schedule going while I recover. MY mom is supposed to be coming out to help but we lost my dad a few months ago and she is struggling with her grief so I know it is possible she might back out. I don't have any other family here so it will be up to my husband to carry all the weight and he works two jobs. I would say my biggest fear is that being a blended home I am the glue that holds my kids together so if something happened to me they would be divided and their worlds and relationships broken.

Thanks for listening to my novel and I look forward to building this unique relationship with the rest of you. Good luck to our ladies who get to have their health and bodies back tomorrow. I will be praying for you.

Marissa

Marissa,

Sounds like you are a strong lady and will manage this journey just fine. Just keep remembering you aren't alone. We here at HS are with you. And you get new sisters, too.

Hope your Mom decides to come. Might be a good thing even for her to put her energys to work helping her daughter and Grands. When we lost my Dad my Mom was so glad to have the Grands and GGrands to love on.

Hugs and Prayers,
Anndy

Our time today has come to an end - our Pre-Op Open House Chat Thread is now closed. Thank you to all our members who attended as we support one another - women helping women.

The staff of HysterSisters is sending you hugs for the best outcome for your hysterectomy.

As you wait for your scheduled surgery, if you have more questions, please start a new thread discussion here in Pre-op hysterectomy forum area.

Then, after your surgery, there will be a specially created thread for our members who have surgery this week. Look for it in the Post-op Hysterectomy Recovery forum - specifically the Hysterectomy Recover Reports forum with dates matching your surgery date. You will find your surgery sisters there.