The time has come!

[rivermom]

Good for you!!! You will find that this is the best thing you've ever done!! I had the surgery almost a year ago. I also had issues inside and the hysterectomy was my only option.

Remember to give yourself atleast 8 weeks down time w/ help. You MUST have help because you will need a lot of rest. I am a strong stubborn sort and thought I could jump up in no time and get back to my normal activities, NOT!!! So, as long as you have plenty of help everything will be fine.

[Janet]

You are going to like it afterward so much. No monthly thing to worry about!!!!

I had my hysterectomy about 4 years ago. I had a tumor about the size of a small watermelon. I have a scar from just a little above my belly button to right above the hairline. My scar is hardly noticable because the stitches were used on the inside, but glued on the outside.

I love not having that creepy monthly visitor anymore. You'll love it too.

[khardy57]

I had a hysterectomy and ovary removal when I was 34 (right before my 35th birthday) I had endometriosos very badly and my colon and vagina had grown together. Needless to say, I was in extreme pain and spent mother's day that year in the ER at my local hospital. It was the best thing I ever did and I don't regret it. I had an abdominal incision because my colon had to be re-sectioned, so I took a full 6 weeks to recover.

You'll be fine. If they take your ovaries, make sure you have some sort of plan for hormone replacement. I slept with ice packs, and still do at times because of hot flashes. I still have them at times even though I take hormones, so I still use the ice packs in summer.

Here's hoping you have an uneventful surgery and speedy recovery!!

[Marilyn]

Kimberley, it's going to be fine. You are going to feel much better after recovery. I had a complete (ovaries and uterus) hysterectomy in 1995, in December, just before Christmas because that's the least busy time at my work and my daughters would be home from school for the holidays. I've worked forever and wanted the time with them. My incision is a bikini cut, across the pelvis rather than belly button down. It hardly shows, and this was my 4th bikini cut abdominal surgery. My husband suggested they just install a zipper .

Recovery was very easy, they gave me hormones on the operating table through my IV, so never missed a beat until recently when they took me off the hormones due to breast cancer potential.

If they can leave you ovaries, that would be best. I was over 40 and at the time, the rule was that if you were over 40 the ovaries go, too.

It's sooo nice not to have periods!!!!! My only complaint is that orgasms are not quite as intense as they were before. They said this was a potential side effect. It's not that much of a change though once you get used to it.

Don't know who your OBGYN is, but Dr. Jaynes did mine.

Keep in touch, and call me if you want to talk.

P.S. Weight gain after surgery was not a problem. Actually at first you lose weight after surgery because your body uses so much energy to heal. I've gained a bit over the years, but I think it's due to age and just getting lazy about watching the diet.

[Kimberley]

Marilyn, Dr. Hicks will be doing my surgery. He's with the woman's clinic. Not much of a personality but he's answered all of my questions so far.

He's doing the bikini thing so hopefully, the scarring won't be too bad. Leaving the ovaries, too.

Why on earth did you need 4 surgeries? OUCH! I could not imagine. Cute about the zipper part! I'd smacked my husband...lovingly, of course!

[Marilyn]

Don't know Dr. Hicks. Is he the son of the Dr. Hicks who was the cardiologist? If so, his father was a wonderful man.

I've actually had more than 4, that's just the number of major abdominals. Two were C-sections. I hate filling out one of those questionaires in the doctor's office. They always want to know about surgeries and the dates. I need to put the list in my Palm so it's handy and I don't have to wrack my brain each time.

I hope I've had my last. Get tired of general anesthesia. You lose the time your under. It's not like sleeping. It's like you blinked and a couple of hours passed. It's weird.

Oh, one thing Dr. Jaynes has always told me. After surgery they usually put you on a morphine pump for the first day. Use all the morphine the pump will let you have. A nurse got after me one time for using so much. The thing will only let you have a certain amount, but I think she got tired of reloading it. Dr. Jaynes came in to check on me and ask how my pain control was going, and I told him about the nurse. He said to ignore her, they don't need any martyrs in this hospital . I hit the button on that pump as many times as I wanted after that.

[Kimberley]

Well your doc sounds pretty good. I've heard (haven't confirmed) that with Dr. Hicks and c-sections, he only prescribes ibuprofen and tylenol for pain. UM, I don't think so. The morphine pump sounds MUCH better. I guess I need to call his nurse to verify this.

I had a doc in Wichita Falls and he was wonderful. Delivered both of my babies and he knew that I have a low tolerance to pain. With daughter, I had only dialated 1 1/2 cm. Got my epidural. Son, I was at a 4 and got it. God bless that man!!!

I've had surgery twice in my life so I know about losing time. It's a strange feeling...really.

Don't know who Hicks is related to. I've only seen him twice. He was referred to me by my cousin. Tall, handome cowboy looking guy.

[Janet]

Kimberely, have you made your appointment for the last week of November? Don't be worried about it at all....life after hysterectomies are wonderful. No more of that evil little friend coming around every month. So much nicer!!!

[Kimberley]

I have to go to the hospital on November 22nd to preregister.