A simple walkthrough of my total hysterectomy

I know when I was about to have my operation last week, I scrounged the internet looking for posts like the one I'm about to give here.

I also want to mention that GAS-X is wonderful. Buy stock in it. LOL! I had the thin strips (like listerine strips) that were cinnamon flavored and dissolved on your tongue. Got them at Walmart and they're wonderful! Don't leave home without those little gems.

Here's what they look like:

GAS-X thin strips

Here's my post.. hopefully it will help others about to go through with this major surgery.

I found out on Aug 13th that I would need to have a TAH (Total Abdominal Hysterectomy) as soon as they could arrange it because of a large cyst they found on an ultrasound done the week before and a CA-125 blood test which was elevated (a 37 on a marker from 0-35). I had tennis ball sized fibroids in my uterus and growing outside one wall and the cyst on my left ovary had burst once and regrown and was about to burst again. The doc told me this would definitely throw me into septic shock if this happened, so the sooner we could get the surgery done, the better.

As you can imagine, this was a whirlwind of info coming at me that I hadn't expected. I got the news on Monday, Aug 13 and they scheduled me for a TAH (my uterus with the fibroids had grown too large for a laproscopic or vaginal hysterectomy, so it was going to have be done the old fashioned way). I also was slated for removal of both my ovaries but my doc promised once in there and she could see what it looked like, if my right ovary looked salvageable, they she'd leave it so I wouldn't have to have HRT (which I didn't want to begin mainly because my mother had breast cancer and I was already a higher risk for it without the additional complication of introducing hormones to the mix). Anyway, they scheduled me for soonest appt and it happened to be Friday, Aug 17... not even 5 days away. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it because in those 5 days I was able to completely freak myself out and cause my blood pressure to skyrocket just looping through things in my head. My poor husband should be sainted to have had to put up with me then....

Let me give you a little background. I turned 42 in July and have never had children. I have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and the doctors over the years had always cautioned me against childbearing because I was "compact" (short) and my organs were already smashed together so much that a baby would have put a lot of stress on my organs and spine. So children were never planned for us.

Recently, sex had become a painful ordeal and I seemed to be on my period more than I was off my period. And it was quite annoying and painful (I still had the monthly cramps and clots and PMS). So I went to the Gyn and she wanted to have a vaginal U/S done of me. Well, that's when they found the fibroids and the cyst and the enlarged uterus which was pushing on my bladder and other organs... making it uncomfortable to do anything (especially sex). Plus, I was very anemic (thanks to the fibroids) and tired easily. I just didn't "feel good" anymore.

After getting my surgery appt set up, I came home and literally jumped on the computer in tears trying to find others who had gone thru the same thing I was about to go thru. It wasn't easy finding women in my same predicament: I've never been in the hospital -- never had an operation before and here I was, 42 yrs old and a nervous wreck. I hope my story can help others who are looking for some peace of mind about an upcoming hysterectomy.

Here's my walkthrough of the actual experience -- I hope it helps! Feel free to comment or email me if you want to talk about anything related to this post. And best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Aug 16: Pre-op visit.
- Signed lots of papers and release forms and was given lots of literature about the surgery and how it's performed and what to expect, etc.
- had blood drawn, urinalysis and chest x-ray
- told to be at the hospital by 8:30 am the next morning to check in and surgery was scheduled to actually take place at 9:30am.

Aug 17 Day of surgery
- Got up at 5:30am with little to no sleep and got ready.
- Arrived at the hospital at 8:15am and got checked in right away.
- Went back to a room at 8:30am and took off all my clothes and put on a gown and a pair of support hose (which my DH said were sexy -- LOL!) which were thigh-high and worn on each leg to prevent clots.
- waited...
- waited...
- Started to freak out about 10:00. DH went and brought a nurse in who gave me an anti-anxiety drug into my IV and explained the doctor ahead of us was taking longer than expected.
- Anesthesiologist (who was I have to say absolutely GORGEOUS) came in and explained I'd get an epidural as well as general anesthesia. I told him that worried me because of my scoliosis and curved spine -- I had fears of being paralyzed by this simple procedure. He looked at my spine and said no problem, folks with scoliosis have it done all the time. The anti-anxiety drug was beginning to work and I said OK.
- Finally wheeled into the "holding room" with 4 other patients who looked as fabulous as me in their big ol' gown and hair caps. Anesthesiologist came over to me and had me sit up and bend forward (I'm not a small girl -- I'm 5'1" and weigh 160 lbs -- so my belly made that task not exactly easy). He poked around with his fingers and felt my spine, then said, "Ah I think this is it." to which I said, "What do you mean you THINK???" and he said, "It's it." and warned me I'd feel a pinch. Yep. felt a pinch and a poke then my legs got REALLLLLY warm. Having never experienced this, I asked, "IS this normal??? I'm warm and losing feeling in my legs!" and he said yes it was normal and it'd last about 3 to 4 hours. I was pretty nervous then because all I could think of was that I may have just paralyzed myself (crazy thoughts whirl through your head about this time, even tho you have anti-anxiety meds in you).
- Looked at the clock and it was about 11:30am... the other 3 patients had already been rolled out. About 5 mins later, they come and tell me it's time to go. I was wheeled out and I watched the lights overhead fly by as they took me into a room called OR 2. I couldn't move or sit up, so I could just see a little bit and it looked like a spaceship! All chrome and stainless steel and lights. And it was FREEZING in there! They moved me from the gurney to the operating table and another anesthesiologist came in and he was older and really calm talking to me (yay!) and told me everything he was doing to me (strapping down my arms out by my side, putting a scratchy plastic thing on my forehead that he said would indicate how "asleep" I was, etc). I told him I appreciated that so much because this was my first time in surgery and I was so nervous. And he goes "It's my first time too!" and then he laughed and told me he was kidding and I was probably about his 26,000th patient as he'd been doing it for more than 20 yrs. The next thing I know, he says I'll feel myself getting sleepy and I was out.

-- woke up in the recovery room with a nurse telling me to breathe deeper. I told her I was breathing as deep as I could. My throat was scratchy and I could barely speak. Was told to cough because the anesthesia will settle in my lungs if I didn't cough it up. Coughing wasn't pleasant. I told them it hurt. It wasn't actually a pain from cutting on me, but more like a really bad crampy period. Lower back and internal owie. Told the nurse this. Looked at the clock on the nearby wall and it showed nearly 2:30 pm. I heard them call my name and a room number, so I knew I was headed for my room then. As I was leaving, another nurse hollered my name and brought me a vase of tulips and roses and set them in the gurney with me. The flowers were from my father in law (very sweet) who lives in N.C. and I thought it was kind of funny that they handed me this big lead-glass square vase with all these flowers in water. LOL! I could barely focus for more than 2 seconds at a time and here I am in charge of something. LOL! Anyway, we went up the elevator and got me in my room. I was pretty unaware of most things that were going on during this time. I do remember they had me actually try and help them get me from the gurney onto the bed. Weeee! That was ... different. Altho, it helped me to know that I was regaining feeling in my legs -- but had not completely regained it by this time. I also didn't have a pillow, so they tried to fool me and give me a towel. Hmm. Luckily I was pretty out of it and I could have passed out with a brick beneath my head at that point.

- woke up to my DH calling everyone and updating them on how the surgery went. The doc had talked to him while I was in recovery and told him how it all went. How the uterus was full of tennis-ball sized and golf-ball sized fibroids and the left ovary was (as she put it) "really ugly" with old blood from a previous burst and very swollen and ulcerated. She said we caught it just in time because if it had burst it would have been reallllly bad. Whew. I'm glad I didn't fully realize how much of a walking time bomb I had in me or I'd have freaked out more! The doc also told him she was able to leave the right ovary because it was functioning normally and had no problems whatsoever (knock on wood).

- woke up to an aide bringing me my dinner. Get this: ROAST BEEF, MASHED POTATOES and GREEN BEANS with a big old iced brownie for dessert! WHAT??? No way can I eat that. DH eats it and tells me how yummy it was. Later, a nurse comes in and takes my vitals and gives me shot of Tordol into my IV. I can't stay awake...Zzzzz

- woke up to the TV and my husband telling me he was going to head home to take care of the dogs and me telling him he didn't need to come back up because I'd probably just drift off to sleep.

- Nurse came in about 8pm took vitals and more Tordol and emptied my catheter. How fun! LOL! I finally get a pillow! But I can't sleep. Getting uncomfortable around 10pm... wide awake and can't get into a comfortable position in the hospital bed.

- Past midnight, a nurse comes in to take my vitals and I tell her I can't sleep. She tells me it's the anesthesia and it has an opposite effect on the body after surgery. It puts you to sleep during surgery, but then it revs you up and gives you an insomia-type effect later on as it works itself out of the body.

- Sigh. Am grumpy because I can't sleep. The next morning I tell the nurse that I couldn't sleep at all and really enjoy the Tordol shot into my IV that morning. Around noon, the nurse comes in and removes my catheter (THIS WAS SOMETHING I'D BEEN DREADING!!!) I was so afraid of the whole catheter thing. I was under when they put it in the first time, but if I couldn't pee on my own, they'd have to re-cath me and I didn't want to be aware of that. But she took it out and about an hour later, I called her to come help me to the bathroom (as instructed, b/c I wasn't supposed to get up without their help). I was still worried about my legs since I hadn't been on them since before surgery the day before.

Well -- everything worked! My legs. I wasn't that that that super sore like I'd expected in my tummy area. And best of all, I tinkled on my own, so they didn't have to re-cath me. YAY!

BUT.. I was terribly grumpy and irritable from lack of sleep and pain (like bad menstrual cramping is the only way I can really explain how it "feels"). I got up and walked around (to pass the dreaded gas that builds up in your intestines during surgery). So I ambulated around my room and lo and behold, I tooted! LOL! I was so proud of myself! Luckily no one was around to hear me acting like an 8 yr old boy... .tooting and laughing. LOL! When my Tordol wore off, I got grumpier and called the nurse who told me my orders were only for overnight Tordol... now I could have some Lortabs 10 mg every 3 hrs. by mouth. Fine by me.. gimme. I couldn't get comfy on the bed no matter what... so I drug all my bed sheets and blankets to the little loveseat they have set up for loved ones to stay on. I finally got some rest there. When my vitals weren't being taken of course -- LOL. But the next day (sunday) my doc came around talked to me and told me I was doing really well and I could GO HOME!! I was so thrilled! I got a prescription for Lortab 7.5 mg for the pain and an antibiotic because a part of my lung doesn't expand like it should (I associate it with the scoliosis and the compacted nature of me) and so she was afraid an infection might settle into my lungs (even tho I did that breathing thing beside my bed religiously and brought it home to help expand my lungs) so she gave me that as a precaution even tho my white blood count was fine. Said I was doing great and i was SO GLAD TO LEAVE -- not because they didn't take care of me because all in all they were fantastic -- but I couldn't get any rest in the hospital. They were taking my vitals every 3 hours and it was loud and I just wanted to be home in my comfy house recuperating, y'know?

So I got home yesterday (Sunday August 19) around 3pm. My Dh went and got my Rx's filled and I settled into the guest room with its twin size bed and its adjoining bathroom. It's very cozy and quiet and I got some sleep last night. I tend to have a high pain tolerance for which I'm thankful and so I'm taking about 2-3 of the Lortabs a day (says I can take 1-2 every 4 hrs as needed). I'm swollen around my belly which is no fun, but that tends to happen when they cut you open I hear. I was originally scheduled for a bikini cut but seeing as I'm not a small gal, where teh skin naturally "folds" there is very thin and I told my doc before the actual surgery that I'd like it if she could cut a little higher up than the natural fold and she suggested a vertical cut if I wanted. I said no, just a couple inches above the regular fold is what I'm hoping for and thank goodness she was able to do that. I'm glad i spoke with her beforehand too because I think to keep the moisture out and the would clean there -- as well as a speedy healing there -- would have been tough.

I go back to have my staples removed on this coming Friday Aug 24 (one week post-op) at 8:40 AM.

PS: I had a BM today as well. YAHOO! Yet another milestone. They came like this for me: tooting, tinkling on my own and having the bowel movement. So everything is going as planned.

Thanks for reading my play-by-play. I hope it makes sense... I'm still not 100% but feel a heck of a lot better than I have felt in a long time. I hope this post is helpful to those of you who have this surgery coming up. I know this was the type of post *I* wanted to see right before I headed to the hospital.

Any questions or comments, please drop me a note.

Well wishes to those who have to have this surgery.