hysterectomy

[boxofdelights]

I've been stalling this for a couple years now, but I finally decided to go ahead with it. Radical hysterectomy, which means everything must go. With an abdominal incision, though I don't know whether that will be vertical or horizontal.

I'm afraid of brain damage from the general anesthesia, and I'm afraid of catching Covid in the hospital.

I should be fully recovered before gardening begins in earnest. It would have been better to do this in the interval between losing my high-maintenance very old dog and acquiring my high-maintenance, anxious, strong, energetic, mannerless young dog. My husband will be staying with me for a couple weeks, as long as I need, and doing all the chores, but Matilda is A Lot.

Comments

[sovay]

I'm afraid of brain damage from the general anesthesia, and I'm afraid of catching Covid in the hospital.

*hugs*

I have been under general anesthesia twice and I still have my brain. Is there any chance you can time your next booster to peak at your scheduled surgery?

[bibliofile]

Yikes. I hope it all goes well (literally and figuratively). Is this something that will happen soon, or does it take months to schedule? (Not that weeks will much change Matilda's being A Lot.)

[oursin]

Sending good wishes - that's a major op, but one that friends of mine have said made a significant positive difference in their lives.

On the anaesthesia: a long time ago, my late mother was totting up the benefits (operations in particular) we had had from the NHS (as she had grown up before it): and between us we had had quite a number. None of us had noticeable brain damage, and my father, who underwent various operations, lived to 94 with all his marbles. I also imagine anaesthesia is constantly improving

[andrewducker]

Brain damage is reaaaaaally rare from general anaesthesia. Fingers crossed on both fronts though. Good luck with it!

[lunabee34]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. *hugs*

[sabotabby]

Good luck. I don't blame you for being freaked out but also, I have only a Mild Need and a Strong Desire for a hysterectomy so I absolutely hear you on it being worth the risks.

[em_h]

General anaesthesia was one of my lifelong top fears, but then a couple of years ago I needed an emergency appendectomy, so there was really no choice (and luckily not a long time to worry about it). It was fine. I think they're really good at anaesthesia now, not like when we were young ...

[misbegotten]

Good luck! And good luck to anyone wrangling sweet Matilda! ;)

[corvidology]

I hope everything goes well and that you make a swift recovery! ♥

[lcohen]

another person who's had general anaesthesia and i think i still have my brain functioning? (but i would, wouldn't i?) i hope it all goes as well as possible. *hug*

Very best wishes!

[jesse_the_k]

Sending sympathy for your reasonable fears.

General anesthesia is definitely improving. Nonetheless, it does require a couple weeks for me to get back to baseline brain. Your mileage will no doubt vary. You may have interacted with folks in that liminal state -- I've found that knowing it may happen helped me stress about it less.

Your generative organs have served the world well (nifty children!), and I hope their absence will be an improvement.

[the_siobhan]

I also put off having my hysterectomy for years. Honestly once I went through with it, it was the best decision of my life.

[silveradept]

Here is hoping it all goes well, and you neither pick up anything extra nor leave anything behind that isn't intended to be left behind after the procedure.

[delphi]

Wishing you an uneventful surgery and a swift and easy recovery. ❤️

[petra]

Wishing you the very best with the organs-be-gone. I have had general anesthesia lots of times, including once for a partial clearance sale (hysterectomy but not oophorectomy) and am still a functional human being.

[carbonel]

Best wishes for the entire process! Like many others posting here, I had general anesthesia for surgery (ENT in my case) some years ago. I felt fine (other than at the surgical site) within a day and was back to WFH in a few days.

[sophygurl]

Sending warm wishes for a swift and uncomplicated recovery.