Surgery on Thursday

[JulieWeatherley]

Hey girls 👋

My hysterectomy is scheduled for this Thursday & I am TERRIFIED!!! I’ve had 2 c-sections & a laparoscopic surgery in the past but I feel as if this time I’m even more scared. I am 36 & just had a baby boy, I keep fearing that I may not be around for him I straight up feel like I’m going to die right on the operating table. I’m also quite a bit overweight & that worries me, too. Like I’m higher risk or something. Any advice is appreciated.

[Sunshine0921]

Hey Julie ~

I had my Hysterectomy on March 8th - I'm also a little overweight, and was scared when I went in. My recovery wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was opened up from above Bellybutton down to pelvic bone. I was in the hospital for 6 nights. I went to the Oncologist to schedule my Chemo only to be told I have to go back in for surgery on Wednesday They have to remove the right ovary now due to the type of cancer I have (Clear Cell Ovarian) needless to say now I'm really scared that I have to be opened back up and go through this all over again just when I was starting to feel like myself. I know they left the Ovary in because of my age (39 years young) and not wanting me to be in full menopause but, I wish they would have just taken it the first time. I'm sure everything will work out in the end. We are strong and know that we need to fight not only for us but our family as well. You are in my thoughts. We will be going through this together.

[Tesla_7US]

Julie, the best gift you can give yourself is to keep calm. Peace is a gift to yourself, your husband, older children and that precious new baby! You are in the hands of experts. These surgeons know what they're doing. They operate 4-5 days a week. If worry could cure, none of us would be here chatting on this forum! You've had surgeries before and this is just another operation. You can do this! With Love, Tesla

[Neona]

Please don't worry- I had a huge 7- hour surgery and had a pulmonary embolism and sepsis. I had very little pain and recovered surprisingly quickly. Just a nuisance not being able to lift anything.You are in the best hands and will be looked after.

[jmadkins]

I too was terrified when I had my surgery in July 2016. I am very overweight and was very concerned about surviving the surgery. I had never had surgery before (other than some outpatient procedures) so I had no idea what to expect. I won't tell you not to be scared, it's natural and I would be worried if you weren't scared.

While staying calm is a good idea, there was no way I could have done that before my surgery. I got all my affairs in order - updated my will, wrote my friends to let them know how much I appreciated them, anything I could think of in case I didn't survive the surgery, and went over everything I could think of with my husband (who was to get what of my possessions, etc.). It was comforting to know that I had put things in order. I also made plans for after surgery, something I wanted to do as a "reward" for surviving. I was lucky my husband and friends were very supportive and let me talk about the fear.

I have no children, so I can only imagine how difficult that is for you, especially with a baby.

While it's not possible to guarantee you that you will live, the statistics are in your favor, if that's any comfort.

After surgery -

I credit walking with helping me recover rapidly. They got me out of bed the day after my surgery and I walked about 10 steps. But the next day and every day after that I walked several times a day. At first they were very short walks, but then got longer and longer. I continued to walk when I got home.

Please let us know how things go for you after the surgery.

[malka210]

Dear Julie. My new method for sanity when stress and fear is in my head is

To focus on something else your kids play or start singing a song you must force yourself it’s the stress that’s deadly. My thoughts are with you. Millie

[Alicel]

Good luck

I hope friends visit you and offer to help

[Margiedolly]

Dear Julie, Congratulations on your new munchkin! I can imagine your fears and concerns. I was overweight during my surgery. The only complication I had was my incision wouldn't close up. They put me on a "wound-vac", and it closed up in a couple of weeks! It was no big deal, once I got the "wound vac" on board!☺️Best wishes to you and during and after your surgeries. Remember to have friends come over to help, and remember to walk asap!💖Margaret

[JulieWeatherley]

Just an update- I had the surgery & all went well! I’m now in the mend. 💜 thanx for all the support. 😊