Pre-op meeting
by Jillian Bogater (Exile From Hysteria)
The nurse released the pressure cuff on my arm and looked me square in the eyes.
“Why are you so nervous?” she asked, noting my 186-over-something blood pressure. “You’re just talking today!”
It was hard to explain how this pre-op meeting made everything real. Official. In seven days, my doctor would cut me open like a fish and remove my lady bits.
If anything, my doctor is no-nonsense. We got through my list of questions quickly.
Will I need a walker? No.
What kind of lifting restrictions? Nothing over 10 pounds for the first six weeks.
When can I drive again? As soon as I stop taking narcotics for pain.
We discussed my ovaries. She’ll definitely take my right one since it is diseased and covered in endometriosis. During the hysterectomy, she also will examine my left ovary and make a decision about its fate. The hope is that it will stay put. The doctor also said she would poke around in my abdomen and break down endometriosis where it’s possible to do so.
I told her about my incessant back pain, and she said if it persists after the surgery I will need to see an orthopedic doctor.
I confessed my growing fear of the surgery, more specifically of the pain afterward. The doctor told me the nerves were normal. She assured me that I would most likely not remember the first couple days, and that I will have a button to push that will disburse pain medication on demand.
Knowing that I enjoy long, hot showers, Matt suggested getting a shower chair for me. The doctor enthusiastically agreed, and said it may come in especially handy in the first few days I am home since my balance will most likely be off. She said I can take up to 15-minute showers for the first couple weeks, then as long as I want after that. Baths will have to wait until six weeks post-op.
She saved the fun part for last: bowel prep the day before surgery.
Next Tuesday at midnight, I will have to stop eating solid food. I can drink what I want until 2 p.m. Wednesday, then I need to switch to clear liquids. Also at 2 p.m., I will begin my bowel cleanse with a shot of milk of magnesia and a Dulcolax laxative. Yeah. Fun times.
Matt already is planning gourmet Jello squares, with a side of chicken broth.
Given that I will spend the majority of Wednesday near a loo, I decided to call in sick to work, and also to cancel a hair appointment I had made for that night. The doctor laughed that I was even planning to get my hair done.
“Once you have that surgery, you’re gonna want to look a mess,” she said.
You know, she’s right. I’ll get a makeover right before going back to work.
Doctor’s orders.
Exile From Hysteria 
Jill thanks for all of the information that you are sharing. It makes me feel better knowing what processes you are going through. I wish there were blogs like this for more aspects of life. Sometimes the scariest thing in life is just putting your left foot in front of your right.
Thanks so much. I’m so glad I am able to share this experience. And I’m glad it’s soothing any fears you may have. Love you bunches!!!
Jill,
I wanted to add this link. This is a song that Johanna has been playing lately on the Uke. It seems to fit with your story that you have been telling. I hope you enjoy it.
The song is lovely. Thanks so much for sharing it. Much love….
I feel so bad for you, being scared. I want to give you first hand experience of what to expect right after. This might be a slightly longer post, but I feel I must give you piece of mind.
1) Right after you won’t really remember too much and your body will automatically know how to press that little button that pumps in the morphine, it’s weird but you hand just does it when you start to hurt.
2) I never had actual “pain”, more like a lot of discomfort and pulling. Make sure to take the meds exactly like they tell you, that will keep the discomfort under control.
3) Bring to the hospital whatever will make you more comfortable, I brought a small pillow and my “blankie”, mainly to fold under my belly when I laid on my side to prevent my belly from “saggy” to one side or the other & pulling.
4) DON”T be afraid to ask for what you need, if you need pain meds, then get them, if you need something for any nausea, that the pain meds may cause, then ask for it, if you want a snack…whatever it is, ask…that is what they get paid to do, wait on YOU.
5) Move slowly and make your arms do the work when you are trying to sit up, lay on your side and push your body up with your arms, not belly.
6) When you get home, continue the meds exactly like the doc says.
7) Let everyone else do the cleaning, cooking, for a few weeks, who cares if the house isn’t perfect or you have sandwiches, your body is going to go through trama and needs to recover.
8) I drank a bottle of ensure, with high protein, every day for a few weeks because protein will help your muscles heal faster.
9) Take off the full amount of time that your work will let you, you only do this once.
10) I am not a doctor but tell them that if there are any issues with that remaining ovary, then take that sucker out, because many many women leave it in and then a few years down the road it fails and they have to operate again. Menopause isn’t all that bad, life with no ovaries is fine, don’t be afraid of life without ovaries, seriously, it is fine.
The most important advice I can give is to give yourself time to heal, I’ve said this before but cannot stress it enough. Even if you feel better in a week or so, your internal parts are full of hundreds of stitches and take much longer to heal, you must not do anything strenuous and cause any, slight tearing on the inside because if you don’t give yourself time, you can develop scar tissue on the inside and years down the road you can have issues/pain from the scar tissue that forms.
Every woman is different and every operation is different, there is only one YOU, take care of YOU.
What a wonderful note. Thanks so much. This is amazing. Such helpful information. It really does calm my nerves to hear the pain will most likely be more manageable than I was thinking. There are many ideas that I already plan on using. Especially bringing my blankie. Where would I be without it?? Cheers…
I agree with the above. The pain is manageable, the nurses will take good care of you in the hospital. I found that I was in pain for about 5 days at home although I did have pain medication it wasn’t as strong as at the hospital…but it’s not agony…it just hurts some. Sleep a lot, it will help you get through it. I took a bunch of stuff to the hospital, didn’t use anything except for a blanket and a pillow for my stomach on the way home. I think that waiting is the worst part, because you imagine the worst. The time after your surgery goes so fast that you’ll feel better in no time! Good luck, I will be sending you all of my positive thoughts for a speedy recovery!
I agree with the above too! I think the best advise I can give is to take it one day a time and don’t rush your recovery. You might also feel teary, which is normal so cry all you need to. I had my melt down on day 5 after being as strong as an ox for the first few days!
With regards to the ovaries, I kept mine, but just like the above poster says, many women have to have theirs removed eventually. Unfortunately, two years after my op I too have to have mine removed due to cysts. To be honest I’m dreading the menopause, but it can’t be that bad especially with HRT. The choice of ovary removal is obviously yours to make, but getting the right info helps.
Good luck, you’ll be fine and fit and healthy before you know it! I’ll be thinking of you
Thanks so much fro your note. I, too, tend to be strong as an ox for those around me. I suppose an atomic meltdown is inevitable. Hopefully Matt will take cover, and bring me lots of tissues once the dust settles. 🙂 My best to you in your continued journey. I hope you find relief in your next surgery!
Jillian-
I had a C-section when I had Danica and the only advice I can give you is what one of my friends told me–take a stool softener in prep for the days after the surgery. Going potty when you have had something like this can be painful, although I am sure that the pre-surgery cleanse should take care of most concerns. I think that the meds and anesthetic can make your stool hard and a softener will make things go easier. I may have had a C-section but boy oh boy I sure felt like I was giving birth to something that first bowel movement after! Yikes!
I am wishing you the best on your journey–
Most excellent advice! Thanks so much, Val. I bought some stool softener tonight, and plan on using it liberally once I am released from the hospital. One thing I learned today: Hospitals no longer require a patient to poo before discharge. Now they will accept a fart. Seriously. Good to know. 😉
Oh yes…I forgot about this! You’ll be glad they don’t require a bowel movement, you’ll be ready to leave the hospital before you poo! It took me 6 days to have a bowel movement. They should give you a stool softener while you are in the hospital also. Once I got home I took it for 2 weeks, until I was regular and now feel like I could go to the washroom without discomfort.
It’s the straining post-op that is so lousy, so definitely the softener can and will help. Start with a low dose! The narcotics will complicate the constipation factor, but endo gals understand that already
I always suggest senna or lemon in your water for that.
I will keep that in mind. I love lemon.
I just started getting back into essential oils. A woman I know apparently was able to get off all her meds for Crohn’s disease by starting with lemon essential oil and other 100% natural oils from doTerra. If you message Deanna who runs Oil Shares on Facebook and let her know I sent you, I bet she’ll send you some samples. I can’t wait for mine to arrive!
One more suggestion- ear plugs. Hospitals are noisy and often people come in to check on you and it will wake you up unneccesarily. Plus the sweet slumber of pain meds and ear plugs is something I still fantasize about.
Xoxo
Haha! Most excellent. I just packed good earplugs and an eye mask. I’m very much looking forward to the drug-induced slumber. 😉