March 5th is the date- I have alot of questions!!

Hello to all of you.

I have been dealing with endometriosis since I was 17y/o. I am 35 now. Finally, they are going to do the hysterectomy. While I am excited to be pain free (hopefully) I am nervous as heck to have the surgery.
I'm about 50lbs overweight and I feel like it's going to be harder for me to get around and hinder recovery because of my weight. I'm a slow healer anyway, and this worries me to no end.
I have MANY friends who I can count of for help when I need it- but at the same time, I feel as though I might be a pain in thier side and I am nervous that they will be upset with me. I have great friends though- so perhaps I am just freaking out. I've been known to do that a time or two! ) My boyfriend works nights and will be here for a bit during the day, but in order to keep the bills paid- he has to go to work! )
My questions are:
1. As far as the Dr has said so far, he will have to do a TAH and hopefully can leave one ovary. How long is the incision? Is it just above the hairline, or in the hair line? I'm not worried about how it will look cosmetically, I just wonder.
2. The pain meds. Do they have you hooked to a pain pump for a while, or do they give you IV pain meds?
3. Should I buy "Granny panites" or do you think that the regular bikini panties would be alright?
4. Roughly how long until you feel strong enough to get up and go to the kitchen, or to the shower? Should I have one of my friends or boyfriend stand by while I shower, or could I do this myself?
5. I usually shave, but I am wondering if maybe getting a wax would be a better option?

I know that what works for some, may not work for others, I just wanted to see what you all suggest.

For some reason or another, I can't think of all the questions that I had when I started this post. I'll be back with plenty more I'm sure of it.

Thanks ahead of time for all your help!!

I had a LSH so I can't specifically answer all your questions. But I do know that everyone's "story" is different. Some folks are up and at 'em right away, some aren't.

I think I was kinda in the middle. After the 1st few days, I was able to get out of bed w/o too much trouble & take showers on my own. (I always made sure someone was w/in shouting distance in case I needed something.) Most dr's seem to recommend getting up and moving around at least 4 times a day and walking as far as you're able to. Main thing: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. It will tell you when you're ready to do what. When your body says Stop, then stop! Lying down is much more recuperative than sitting or standing--learned that the hard way.

For me, I had a pain pump that was WONDERFUL for the first night! Hopefully, you will too! My dr. and nurses were VERY attentive to my needs.

As for your other questions, I think it's all personal preference....my "regular" panties worked fine for me (low-rise hipsters or whatever they call them!), but some ladies prefer the granny panties. They may be because of the incision....mine was laparascopic.

And don't worry about being a burden to your friends. It's your time to be the princess! Let them treat you like one. You WON'T regret it, and you'll NEED the pampering. Don't turn down any offers of help! Your main focus is to HEAL.

Best wishes to you!

Hi Jazzygal!

I'm so glad to hear that you have a good support system with your friends. They WILL NOT think you're a pain! Would you be willing to help them if they were having this surgery? Of course you would, and so will they.

You asked some good questions. I had a TAH. My incision is 6 inches long (I measure it!) and it is horizontal just above the hairline. I think the difference in recovery between the abdominal incision and the lap ones is in the first 2 weeks. The abdominal incision area hurts when you change positions (getting into bed, sitting down, etc...) They'll give you something to hold against your abdomen to provide some stability for that area. Use it every time!

I asked for a binder in the hospital. I've never seen the swelly belly band they sell here but it's probably similar except the swelly belly band can be cooled. Anyway, the binder was great. It made it more comfortable to sleep on my side. It also helped throughout the day for the first few weeks.

In the hospital they had me on a morphine pump for the first two days, then on percoset or darvocet - I don't recall for the last day. I came home with an rx for motrin and percoset. I never filled the percoset. I used the motrin for about 10 days.

One thing I would recommend. They left my IV in for the first night. It was nice not to have to get up to go to the bathroom that first night. It's a lot of work!

I used my regular panties and they were fine.

I got up and went to the kitchen for dinner the first night I was home. I just moved very slowly. My hubby was around when I took a shower for the first few days while I was home.

I didn't shave my legs for about 3-4 weeks. It felt really good when I finally could.

It's major surgery and a really big deal, but you can do this! You just take it one step at a time. You'll be amazed how much better each day gets. By the time I was 3 weeks post-op I was really enjoying my time at home. I watched tv, read, did puzzles, listened to music. My friends came by once in a while for lunch and by week 4 I was able to go out to lunch with them. I caught up on phone calls and computer things.

This is a great site and the sisters are here for you. Ask all your question.

I wish you all the best.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzygal72 Hello to all of you. I have been dealing with endometriosis since I was 17y/o. I am 35 now. Finally, they are going to do the hysterectomy. While I am excited to be pain free (hopefully) I am nervous as heck to have the surgery. I'm about 50lbs overweight and I feel like it's going to be harder for me to get around and hinder recovery because of my weight. I'm a slow healer anyway, and this worries me to no end. I have MANY friends who I can count of for help when I need it- but at the same time, I feel as though I might be a pain in thier side and I am nervous that they will be upset with me. I have great friends though- so perhaps I am just freaking out. I've been known to do that a time or two! ) My boyfriend works nights and will be here for a bit during the day, but in order to keep the bills paid- he has to go to work! ) My questions are: 1. As far as the Dr has said so far, he will have to do a TAH and hopefully can leave one ovary. How long is the incision? Is it just above the hairline, or in the hair line? I'm not worried about how it will look cosmetically, I just wonder. 2. The pain meds. Do they have you hooked to a pain pump for a while, or do they give you IV pain meds? 3. Should I buy "Granny panites" or do you think that the regular bikini panties would be alright? 4. Roughly how long until you feel strong enough to get up and go to the kitchen, or to the shower? Should I have one of my friends or boyfriend stand by while I shower, or could I do this myself? 5. I usually shave, but I am wondering if maybe getting a wax would be a better option? I know that what works for some, may not work for others, I just wanted to see what you all suggest. For some reason or another, I can't think of all the questions that I had when I started this post. I'll be back with plenty more I'm sure of it. Thanks ahead of time for all your help!!

I meant to say they left my catheter in the first night (not my iv)

Hi I had my surgery 9 days ago and it was a bikini line abdominal TAH with removal of my left ovary. I took my own big panties but the ones they gave me at the hospital were soo comfy that i wish i had more of those for home. Once home i ended up wearing my hubbys undies (he's a big guy so they were perfect). When i came out of surgery i was hooked up to a pump of demerol and i was able to push the button on my own every 10 minutes. It did wonders for keeping me free of pain. i had a catheter in also until the afternoon of the second day. that was nice so i didnt have to get out of bed every time i had to pee. i took a shower on day 2 before i went home. i did this without the assistance of any nurses and it went slow but felt sooo good. My incision is about 6 inches long and it is about a half inch below the hairline. I didnt have staples...only dissolvable stitches and about 10 small steri-strips taped across the incision. Be sure you eat lightly the days before surgery and try not to be bound up because that was the worst thing that happened to me. My first bowel movement two days after i came home was very painful until i took Miralax and it worked wonders. would ask your doc about that. They get you up to walk a little bit some hours after surgery to get things moving (bowels etc). It will help with discomfort from gas. I had a liquid diet the day after surgery and regular diet after that. My hubby brought in a mcdonalds milkshake but not sure the milk was a good thing because of the gas i had. i took gum to chew for gas and gas-x, slippers for walking, a robe, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste toothbrush, hairbrush, cd player, cell phone, blistex, . the hospital supplied the pads which to me were sufficient. I bought a new pair of fuzzy socks with treads on bottom and those made me feel good while walking the halls. I brought big waisted jogging pants and a sweatshirt for the ride home and crocs that just slip on. i hope that this information is helpful to you. I know that before my surgery i was a nervous wreck and i found soooo much helpful stuff on here and soo many supportive women that helped me get through all my nerve wrecking days before the actual surgery. good luck to you and feel free to ask me anything. I would love to give back to this site for all the help i received. cindy

I was nervous, too. I just had my TAH on Wed, and I'm glad it's over. I think the stress of having it hanging over my head was the worst of all.
First, you should feel blessed that you have those wonderful friends who want to help you. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Turn the tables and I'm sure you would not think they were a pain in the butt if they needed your help. I had my surgery at noon and they had me hooked to a morphine pump until about 8AM the following day, supplemented with IV pain meds. I quit pushing the morphine pump at about 3 in the morning. I was discharged with Vicodin, but quit taking that after the first day home. I have gas pain which is pretty uncomfortable, and my muscles are sore from where they pulled everything around to get my uterus out, but I am not hurting to the point where I need to take something - the gas pain is another story, though, and something I was not really prepared for.
I bought granny panties to wear and I wore them for the first couple of days, but they felt weird. I am back to wearing my regular undies, although I haven't worn any where the waistband sits right on my incision...I don't think that would be too comfortable.
I was told I would be in the hospital for up to 3 days, or whenever I could pee without the catheter, tolerate pain medication by mouth, eat solid food and walk in the hall without help. I was doing all of this the morning after surgery, so they let me go home. I know this is a little unusual. I took my first shower the day after I got home and had no problems. I've had my family in the house with me at all times, but I would feel fine if they weren't. Everyone has been taking good care of me here at home, but I can warm up food and get around just fine. I thought about going to a movie today, but decided that would be pushing it!! Everyone heals at their own pace, and I think it's important to do what's comfortable for you, without overdoing it. Your body will tell you. The biggest surprise for me was the gas pain and bloat. The gas pains have brought tears to my eyes a couple of times. I've been using Gas-X strips, but I'm not sure if they are helping much. The shaving...no one talked to me pre-op about shaving. They looked at me before I went in to surgery and said they would not have to do extra shaving, but when I woke up, they had shaved me anyway...weird. I forgot to ask the doctor why. The stubble and the incision aren't bothering me. The incision is pretty low. I don't think it will show in even the skimpiest underwear!
I hope this has helped you. I know everyone's experiences are different. I am pretty athletic, and I think this has had alot to do with why I have bounced back so fast, and my challenge is not to think I'm ready to run a race just yet. I wish you luck with your surgery.
Jill

Thank you guys SOOOO much for all of your help!!! I can't imagine where I would be without this site!!