Need help on what to expect

Okay, I will post this publically...
Everyone's case is different[u]...and I did specifically say that I am a "STUDENT"...I also posted to the Sister who initiated the question that I made a MISTAKE (humans do that, you know), and gave her a word-for-word exerpt from a Gyn Med/Surg book. PLEASE, I beg of you, enough with the posts that I made a mistake...I realized that...No need to keep beating me up. I wish everyone luck and a speedy recovery for their procedures!! I will only research my own issues....

tJohnsonsuggs,

I hope you don't think my post had anything to do with yours? It did not in the least. It was not even submitted as a rebuttal and I don't think, in the rereading of it that you should have taken it as such. I don't think anyone was beating you up, I certainly was not.

If you feel that way, I am sorry, as God is my witness, that was not at all my intent!

I was just stating what my doc told me in reply to the original vaginal vs abdominal question.

Sorry if you felt my reply implied otherwise, its intent was not to do so!

~Karen

Thanks so much to everyone for their replies. This really helps a lot, and I greatly appreciate your taking the time to explain things. I feel better about the LAVH now.

Ladies I can tell you I have seen and assisted on every type of hysterectomy. I know what my choice would be but only because I know what happens during all the procedures. I know what to expect in the OR. I too was going to correct the nursing student, but others beat me to it. If you are not sure what something means ask your GYN surgeon. Please remember once you sign your forms for surgery the surgeon has the power to do what he or she thinks is necessary. You may think you will have one procedure but depending on how things go in the OR it could become something else.

Kara,

If your doctor is trained for the LAVH, let him attempt it this way. I had the choice, the surgeon had the training, it was successful! I know nothing about the Da Vinci, that is light-years away from my neck of the woods.

When deciding, I was told that my overall recovery time would be the same. But that I would have a lot less pain in the very immediate post-op period. Restrictions are the same with my surgeon. He said most women are released after six-weeks, others need eight. My doctor also performed a culdoplasty (routine for his vag hyst patients) which gives me 12 weeks of restrictions and no work.

With LAVH you don't have the large abd incision to remind you of your need to heal, you'll only have a few tiny ones. But your vaginal cuff needs just as much protection, even if you are not physically aware of it.

Take care,

Dianne