Getting hysterectomy in one week - stressed and indecisive

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Originally Posted by LadyRex I didn't know a hysterectomy caused us to age sooner? Are these fears or something I need to know about?

LadyRex, don't be afraid. I am keeping my ovaries and cervix but i really struggled for a while because of a comment my mother made when i was a teenager. She said that hysterectomies were for weak white women and the women in our family never needed them. That such a procedure would cause one to age quickly and ruin a person. She denies having said it now.

As long as your hormones are balanced (are you keeping ovaries?) and you take care of your body, you shouldn't worry. I take a liquid collagen supplement daily and use organic almond and olive oil on my face instead of creams. I also intend to resume my weight lifting lifestyle after a few months post op. I've gained fifteen pounds and I'm only five feet tall. Prayin for the best for all of us.

God, family, Country, Football, Yeehaw!

I am 45 and having a LAVH on December 6th. My biggest fear is the hormonal imbalance. My doctor is giving me a hormone shot in the hospital and starting HRT at about 3 weeks post op. I have issues with cysts, fibroids, and polyps. Other procedures only worked temporarily so it's time for it all to go. Wishing you luck on your surgery and recovery.

I am 45 and having a LAVH on December 6th. My biggest fear is the hormonal imbalance. My doctor is giving me a hormone shot in the hospital and starting HRT at about 3 weeks post op. I have issues with cysts, fibroids, and polyps. Other procedures only worked temporarily so it's time for it all to go. Wishing you luck on your surgery and recovery.

Thank you everyone, I appreciate all of your responses and input. My pre-op is today, I have so much on my mind and anxiety so have been awake since 2:30am. Rather than lay in bed and feel my heart racing and pounding I just got up and started doing more online research. I'm trying to prepare all my questions for today's appointment. I hope I don't forget anything important. I'm not usually such a nervous/anxious person, but I have had a lot of loss and stress in my life the past few months - too many heavy things in a row, and I don't have much support since I now live alone. So I have become more anxious and needy - temporarily. Underneath all this stress (I think the 2 week waiting period before the surgery date is the hardest), I'm actually a very strong and resourceful person.

One thing I want to be clear on with the dr. today is how can they do a vaginal hysterectomy if I have large ovarian cysts and endometriomas on both ovaries? I definitely don't want the contents of the cysts to rupture into the abdominal cavity. I am thinking he's doing to have to do both laparoscopic and vaginal.

My period is due anytime from today through Friday (my cycle is 24-26 days). Chances are I'm going to be having it still on surgery day. It's weird to realize it's my last period ever, and that' I've already experienced my last ovulation (I can always tell when I ovulate, and that's when I feel at my best).

My surgery is being done by a specialist who is top in the field, so I feel I'm in good hands with him. My regular GYN is very nice, I really love her, but I disagree with her on certain things, especially HRT. Her stance is that once your uterus is out, you don't need progesterone. My research says otherwise - and strongly so. Since I can't get in to see anyone about bio-HRT until January, I've accepted what she's offered for now - Evamist. And I will also use over-the-counter progesterone cream.

Let's all keep in touch about our experiences, especially with finding hormone balance. I'm interested in what each of you end up taking and how you like it, also want to hear from those who don't take any HRT, even if only for first several weeks, how that went. I guess I should post these questions in the post-op section.

LadyRex, I guess my comments about rapid aging after surgical menopause are based on a lot of research I have read about the effects of hormone loss - so many awful things that no woman would want - but that's why HRT is available. It's just a matter, I think, of having a good doctor who can work with you in finding the right balance for your particular system. And who knows, those of us who've struggled with whacky cycles our whole lives may never have had hormone balance - and may find it for the first time through HRT!

Let's all think positive...

Hi Pink

Wow... you sound so much like me right now, with the length of you cycles, added stress in your life and your anxiety causing sleepless nights! This am I awoke at 3 and immediately my brain went to surgery and I had to push it out of my mind to fall back asleep. I feel for you and understand what you are going through. I realized yesterday that I will have my last period during my pre op exams. I hope they don't want to do a vaginal exam. Yuck!!!

Let us know how it goes today and what the doctors tells you. I am very interested to find out what they say.... especially since you are a couple of weeks ahead of me.

Best wishes to you today!! I'm sure that you will find some answers today that will hopefully help with the anxiety!

I had my preop exam yesterday. The doc just wrote his orders for testing and answered my questions. He calmed a lot of my fears. He would like to remove just the uterus and part of the tubes, essentially leaving my ovaries or just one ovary. He said that at 37 I am too young to have them both removed UNLESS they are really bad. I then went to speak to the Intake coordinator who checked me in. I spoke to the preop nurse who asked me a ton of questions about past surgeries and medical history. She took my blood pressure. Next was the anesthesiologist. He talked about the risks. I was able to talk to hime about myfear of being tied to the table without anti anxiety meds (which is what happened when I had my ablation), and the fact that I have a gastric sleeve and they need to be careful when intebating me. He assured me that it is in the notes and that I would be taken care of. He went over the scary stuff like the posibility of having cracked teeth, damage, the usual gloom and doom stuff. I told him that he better not crack my teeth or I will send my dentist to get him because my teeth are nice! lol!!!

After that I gave them urine, 6 viles of blood, EKG, and that was it. I am ready. I didn't get any information about bowel prep. Maybe because they are using my old c-section scar. I was told to not eat or drink after midnight (like a gremlin), and that's ok because I take my meds at night. I will have a protein shake before bed.

To my fellow 11/26 surgery buddies I think we will be ok. I plan on getting up to walk as soon as I feel like I can stand and taking as little pain meds as possible. We got this ladies!!!!!!

Yay!!! You're set! Congratulations! May God bless you and guide the hands of your health care team.

05Knights

Hi
I am 45 had TAH on the 19th Oct, both ovaries removed, went into surgical menopause immediately, really hot, hot flushes, didn't get my planned hrt til day 3. I feel great with the Hrt, to be honest the hot flushes were about the same as the temperature increase before period, but that irritated me anyway. I finished my last period 2 days before my TAH and would have just finished one now, no tender sore breasts that felt like bowling balls, no crushing ovary pain. It is amazing I feel great

Hi everyone. I had my pre-op on Wednesday. I saw a PA, and she reviewed all the consents and instructions. I have to do a liquid diet all day Sunday, a bowel cleanse (drink solution, which I need to go pick up from the pharmacy), and as if that weren't enough lol, 2 enemas Monday morning. I will be so clean on the inside, the shine will blind the surgical team ;-)

Surprisingly, they didn't do any pre-op bloodwork EXCEPT for the hormone panels I insisted on having (before it's too late, since they are taking my ovaries). She said the actual pre-op bloodwork will be done between check-in (10am) and surgery (12pm) Monday.

rhanava, even though you are keeping one or both ovaries, pay attention to your body if you start to feel hormonally off. From what I've read, 50% of ovaries fail within 1-5 years of removing the uterus. Some say it's because the blood supply was severed, others say because the ovaries know there's no uterus. So it's possible to go into early menopause even if you keep them, and if so you will need to decide if HRT is right for you.

cupcake, your post made me feel better, so glad SOMEONE feels great after this procedure! May I ask what HRT you are using?

Gosh, my nerves are really in full force. So hard to sleep, so hard to get my mind off all the questions I still have, all the things I need to do and remember and get ready for. To top it off, I started getting terrible low back pain right on the spine, so moving/walking/turning hurts. I keep trying to do heat and ice etc., but it's just getting worse. Ugh!

Hi all,

I had a complete hysterectomy on Nov 14th. So I am a week out. I had the De Vinci. I also had to do the cleanse on the day before. Liquid Diet and the drink then the enema before bed. Yep I was sparkly clean.

I will tell you I feel great. I had some pains from gas but that went away . The more you walk the better it is. I stayed in the hospital over night. As soon as I could get out of bed I did. I was walking laps around the nurses station. My loving partner was like shouldnt you be in bed. He just didnt understand that walking felt so good.

I did speak to my doc on Friday after the surgery, He called to check on me. I had not had a bm yet. He said it was because there wasnt anything to built up yet. My suggestion to everyone is do what the doc tells ya to. when I came home on thurs after the surgery my instructions were.

Soft diet for the first day. No gassy foods. IE cabbage beans and such.

Walk walk walk. No laying in bed. I would walk for 10 mins or so and be tired. That increased as the days went by.

Rest when your body tells you to. I still take a nap in the afternoon.

Do only as much as your feel like. plan to rest often for the first two weeks.

I can drive now. I just havent cause my wonderful partner he wont let me. My doc said as soon as I am not taking pain meds. I am only doing one motrin a day now. and no pain meds. the one motrin is normaly in the afternoon after I walk my dogs ( they are well trained, no pulling and they walk beside me)

I went back to the doc on the 21st and had my stitches out.
I had a ton of questions.

My left side hurts more than the right --docs replyIn red that is normal the large instruments go through the left side.
My calfs and thighs feel hurt-- walk more and take calcium and magnesium.When can I start walking on the treadmill? now flat surface only and slow speed no more that 2.5 When will the swelling go down?
in another 2 weeks.

I will tell you guys. I started measuring my swelly belly. I am a petite person. On Tues. 20th. my measurement was 36 today it is 33.5 so it is going down.

I am glad I did the surgery. I am more than glad to answer questions for anyone. I just have to remind myself that I am only a week out. I cant lift anything to heavy and I cant do my normal routine. But in time I will. I really do feel great.