FEARING SURGERY (wasnt all that bad)

cherokee · 15-08-2007, 19:51

Well heres one for the ladies ..
A few weeks ago i was told i was i would need to have a hysterectomy and was kind of pushed foward to be admitted asap for a few probs i was having , due to it all happening so quickly i didnt have time to mentally prep myself for it and was very very nervous indeed .
anyway last monday 6th off i went to the hospital to find i was first on list for my op and by 9.15 am i was being given an anastetic , very nervous ,worried about after the op because they had already told me i was gonna be all tubed up with different things and advised not to bring my daughter up for the first 48 hrs until all the tubes/drips etc had been taken down .
Anyway 8 days on i am home recovering and taking things easy . I was well looked after in hospital and the wards nursing staff were absolutely faultless (brilliant) but after all the fear it wasnt actually that bad , what pain i have experienced were well controlled and treated accordingly and it is the first time i have had staples as oppsed to stitches and boy i much prefer the staples as i didnt feel them being taken out .
I am now in recovery mode and am doing everything i have been told to do , no pushing pulling hoovering etc and although im still quite sore and very slow moving its not half as bad as i feared . so if anyone has an op of such coming up this is just to say try not to worry its not as bad as we may fear , although everyones recovery is different .
And if theres anyone whose been through it why not share it in this thread and give us some recovery tips because i for one would welcome them ..

shillelagh · 15-08-2007, 19:54

Not had that mel but get well soon.

Margaret Pilkington · 15-08-2007, 19:56

Cherokee, glad to hear that you are over your op....and doing all that you have been told.
Write to the hospital administrator and tell them of your experience.....they will pass your commendations on to the ward staff. I was a Sister on our local gynae ward and know how much it means to the staff to get praise.....goodness knows there is plenty of the other stuff gets said about hospital staff.
Take care and enjoy your new lease of life when you are fully recovered.

(I had this op more than 20 years ago, so i am speaking from both sides...patient and nurse)

garinda · 15-08-2007, 19:57

Glad you're making a good recovery, and that you'll soon be feeling A1 again.

Gayle · 15-08-2007, 19:57

I've not had that either but my mother in law did a few years ago and she said the same as you - it's not as bad as everyone thinks.

Glad you're in recovery now.

Btw - as a woman you should know the best way for recovering from anything - chocolate!

cherokee · 15-08-2007, 20:00

THANKS GUYS ...MP I actualy presented the staff with a big box of choccies and a card before i left and they were over the moon , and much deserved to IMHO

Margaret Pilkington · 15-08-2007, 20:01

One of my recovery tips is......... drink plenty of water, it prevents constipation (which is a real bummer).....and try to have an afternoon nap, or at least a lie down (it is amazing how tired you can feel just doing nothing) there is nothing decadent about an afternoon nap.....and even if you are a really independent person, let your family help you out with doing things around the house....it helps them to feel they are part of your recovery.

BERNADETTE · 15-08-2007, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

Not had that mel but get well soon.

I haven't had a hystrectomy but I have had other operations, two C-Sections which were quite painful but not as bad as I had anticipated, all I can advise is take things easy and follow doctors orders, it does take a while to recover from surgery but if you do as you are told it helps. Hope you are soon back to your usual self

Margaret Pilkington · 15-08-2007, 20:03

Oooh they would LOVE you for that....but I would still write a note to the hospital administrator too......so that the powers that be know that the grass roots staff are appreciated......it also very nice to get a letter from the Chief Exec praising your team...as an ex-nurse i know that.

West Ender · 15-08-2007, 20:21

I'm really glad to hear you are feeling good.

I had a hysterectomy 17 years ago. I had all the horror stories before I had the op but it was absolutely fine. I had 6 days in the local BUPA hospital, which was like being on holiday in a 5* hotel, then came home. I had "off days" for a week or two but went from strength to strength and was back at work 8 weeks later. They were good to me and let me work part-time, on full pay, for 6 weeks and then I was completely back to normal. I've never looked back since then.

Take every day as it comes. Don't try to rush things and, if you feel tired, lie down and go to sleep. Accept every offer of help that comes along as well as every bunch of flowers, get-well card, box of chocolates and bottle of wine. If the offers don't come - drop hints, loudly.

Best wishes and good luck.

Margaret Pilkington · 15-08-2007, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

I'm really glad to hear you are feeling good.

I had a hysterectomy 17 years ago. I had all the horror stories before I had the op but it was absolutely fine. I had 6 days in the local BUPA hospital, which was like being on holiday in a 5* hotel, then came home. I had "off days" for a week or two but went from strength to strength and was back at work 8 weeks later. They were good to me and let me work part-time, on full pay, for 6 weeks and then I was completely back to normal. I've never looked back since then.

Take every day as it comes. Don't try to rush things and, if you feel tired, lie down and go to sleep. Accept every offer of help that comes along as well as every bunch of flowers, get-well card, box of chocolates and bottle of wine. If the offers don't come - drop hints, loudly.

Best wishes and good luck.

Excellent advice West Ender....by the way spotted on another thread that you were not feeling up to scratch, so I hope you are feeling better soon...........sorry for the thread wander.

grego · 15-08-2007, 20:27

Glad your ok and the op wasn't has bad as expected.

cherokee · 15-08-2007, 20:28

Im drinking water like its going out of fashion lol( ummm know what you mean with the trapped wind hehe)
family is being great wont let me do a thing so i went for a nice stroll around the block today with hubby it seemed to take ages haha but must say had company when i got back and it really took it out of me , i am having off days but i was told i would .
W E i do like the idea of dropping hints in a loud voice and will bear that in mind now that my choccie box is on its last layer lol thnx ..

West Ender · 15-08-2007, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Excellent advice West Ender....by the way spotted on another thread that you were not feeling up to scratch, so I hope you are feeling better soon...........sorry for the thread wander.

Thanks Margaret. I've got acute bronchitis and sinusitis, apparently, which I think I got on holiday. 110 degrees isn't the best way to avoid infections.

Feeling sorry for myself but otherwise still alive.

Hope you get the chocs, Cherokee.

Margaret Pilkington · 15-08-2007, 20:36

Peppermint cordial and two pain tablets...cure for trapped wind.
I used to tell my ladies that after the op it was like frating(sp intended) razorblades......used to make a windy cocktail and told them that if the trumps had lumps they weren't trumps they were bowel movements....they used to laugh so much......but it was a tonic.