LAVH scheduled and I am scared

Hi all - I am having a LAVH in a month and I am so scared - I am 42 and have had ovarian cysts for over 15 years on my left ovary which was removed last October and now have them on my right as of the Ultrasound results yesterday. I also have a mass in my uterus as well as some endo.

My pre-op is one the 12th and I feel like my doctor is just not giving me much info. He gave me some pamphlets about cysts and LAHV, it just made me dry.

I have two main concerns - after doing some research on my own is the vaginal part. He said my uterus is enlarge slightly and I have had 3 c-sections because my hips don't spread and I am tiny down there. Is this something they will figure out once they try??? I don't even know if he is keeping my cervix.

The second concern is the history of Ovarian and Uterine Cancer in my family - it has run crazy through every generation and I want to make sure they know what they are looking at while they are in there.

Bottom line I feel lost and scared and I think my husband is just shutting down and doesn't know what to do as well.

I don't want to feel like a baby over this, my husband thinks it's no big deal, it's done all the time, but I bet he wouldn't act that way if they were taking his you know whats.

Any support would be great!!
Thanks

Hi! I am 2 weeks post op from my LAVH. I will tell you that I was pretty scared before hand, but my recovery has gone well so far. Keep yourself busy getting ready -- I cleaned EVERYTHING, grocery shopped, did laundry, got all my library books, etc. And, prayer helped me a lot too.

In re: to the cancer risk, are you seeing an Gyn oncologist? If not, you may want to ask your dr to have one in the OR with him or at least available. With your history, it is definitely a reasonable request.

My sister is an ovarian cancer survivor. So, I know how you feel. I had cysts removed several years ago by a gyn onc. However, my LAVH was done by my regular ob/gyn, who is also a wonderful surgeon. We talked about the unlikely possibility of finding cancer, and she assured me that she would call in a gyn onc, if necessary. My surgery was at a large hosp, where several are on staff. I'm very happy to report that all was benign.

Best o f luck to you!

NoeAloha,
welcome to the board! I too am having a vaginal hyst. At first she was going to give me a LAVH, and now just a TVH. I'm petrified also. My surgery is scheduled for oct 20th. I'm freaking out and I'm a nervous wreck all the time.

Did you have the cysts removed from the ovary, or the ovary itself? Cancer runs in my family too, and that's one reason I dont' mind getting it taken out.

My hubby says he's not worried. Men are something aren't they.
Best wishes to you!
Lisa

You should certainly ask if he's taking your cervix or not - you may have a choice. I let them take mine - no regrets so far!
I had 2 c-sections and my uterus was 3 times normal size and I had a textbook LAVH. Loved it!!! Just don't be afraid to ask your dr. questions! Good luck!

Hi ALL !

I too am closing in on a TVH 10/21 (asked to keep an ovary DR can't promise me this will happen). No matter all the information I research and all the question and demands I put on my Doctor (God bless her) I still am anxious and nervous about the choice I'm making. I have fibroids and endometriosis and have had an ablation 2 yrs ago and this year in Februrary had Lap and DnC. My Uterus is enlarged and I have excrutiating pain that Viodin (5mg) and Ibuprophen (800mg) together can't relieve at times. So it seems the choice would be easy to digest, but it's not. I have a mother and aunt in my support circle that have had fibroids and VH. But, it's MAJOR surgery and you have to deal with it in your own space and time. This site has allow me not to feel lonely in a supportive way. I'm doing all I can to counteract the worry and stress of the upcoming date. My fear more is the finality of it and the outcome, not the actual surgery itself. I also question if I should just wait and continue pain meds, but I have been on FMLA all this year and not a whole person because of my condition. So, I just can't wait to get back to NORMAL ! I am a 42 yr old otherwise FIT and healthy viberant young lady waiting to get on with the rest of my life!! SO, read as much as you can, ask as many question as you can and don't worry so much, your husband may not be able to even grasp the emotional "head trip" you are going through. That's what us girlfriends are for. (: Some days, I'm optimistic about the surgery and some days I think, what the ^%$^#$ am I doing. I had a long wait ...this has been scheduled since July and now I'm inside of 30 days. Staying prayful. Don't fee like you are being a BABY over this either. It's ALLOWED!!

I suggest you call your Dr. and ask all your questions now. You will feel a whole lot better because of it. See you at post-op!!

Thank you so much for your support - It's nice to know there is somewhere I can talk to someone, lots of women to be exact that KNOW what I am going thrugh. I have always in the past been told to buck up and deal with it - whatever it is - not this time.

I already talked to my husband and told him that he is going to have be a little more understanding and that i was scared. He said this weekend we will have some alone time and talk

I am already getting my list together to ask my doctor especially about the GYN ONC doctor - it would make me feel better knowing that someone was at least on call during this since he is not an oncologist.

I know this is the right decision, it's been 15 years of pain and now hopefully only another month to go!!.

Thanks for the support and I will definitely stay in touch.

Till Later

I don't know if this will help or not, but I am about 4 weeks post-op from my LAVH. My understanding from my Dr. was that it ended up being better for him to do the LAVH rather than just vaginally because he said that he ended up stretching the muscles from above to push it down through. I think they are also able to see a little bit more laproscopically too.

Yup, what adamel said...if my doc hadn't done mine LAVH, she wouldn't have seen that my uterus was adhered to my abdomen wall! Yikes!

NoeAloha: Don't worry about being worried, it's only natural. And you are not being a baby, you are being a normal, concerned human being. As others have said, talk to your doctor. Make a list of questions you want answered, make an appointment and get the answers. This site is a wonderful place to find information but everyone's situation is slightly different. Your doctor should be able to help calm any fears or concerns you have. As for your husband, he's a guy, he can't help it. He's probably minimizing his own fears of your surgery so he doesn't freak you out. I'm sure he'll be there for you on surgery day and post-op.

notime911: Don't be afraid. I just had a LAVH last month on the 26th. I too was worried but it was a breeze. Hopefully, you will not have much pain when you get home. I won't lie, you will be sore and maybe stiff but overall getting up and down out of your bed, chairs or the sofa will not be a problem. I declined pain killers that my doctor offered before I left the hospital because I really felt pretty good. I had suffered through worse period pain then the surgery left me with.

So good luck to you both! And big *hugs*

Hi Ladies,

Well 11 days to go and I am feeling a little less apprehensive about the surgery. I sat with my doctor for over an hour at my pre-op and thanks to the pamphlet I received from HysterSisters.com I asked a whole bunch of questions.

He was great!!! He answered every question and never once made me feel like he had to be somewhere else. I never knew my doc had such a sense of humor! He even told me he would write me a doctors note for my husband saying I can't do any house work for 30 years - LMAO. My husband didn't like that one to much

Anyways - I am preparing my work to handle my projects and letting my customers know that I will be out for at least 2 weeks. Lets hope they can survive that long without me.

I want to thank every again for your support - it means a lot and Thank God for this website, I have turned a lot of ladies on to it!!

Take care and hope to hear from you!