good luck to you both today. I will be thinking of you and looking out for your up dates in a couple of days. Dawn

I know how you must have felt when they had no bed(it only happens in the uk!),as i had to ring at 10am to see if they had a bed.I was told to ring back at 10.30,then 11 by then i was told no bed but to go in anyway as i needed to see the anethaetist(sp)and surgeon just in case a bed became available. They found me one at 1.45pm and i went down to theatre at 2.15,how close was that!. I was nearly in tears as i wanted my op(both ovaries removed)so badley due to pain for almost 12mths.
Anyway my tip of the day is MINTS. 1.They help take the dryness and taste away caused by the anaesetic(i so can not spell that word).2.it helps with the wind. Peppermint is better. If the winds gets too bad ask one of the nurses for some peppermint oil.They put it with a little warm water and it really helps shift it.Be warned though,when you do release it make sure there are no people withinn 100 yards as boy does it smell!!!Sorry if it tmi.The other thing i found useful was my mp player as with the drugs they give you can only just about lie there and it helps to relax and blockout the other ward noises. Good luck for friday and i really hope we see you on the rs next wk. Dawn

well i just got word that there is a bed available in the hospital so im rushing to get everything packed and out the door!surgery will be some time tomorrow and i just want to say thank you so much for everything you have said...the words have been so comforting and im so glad i found this place.

Sleepless-if i dont get to post before u go in to hospital i just wish u the very best of luck...we'll both be on the recovary side very soon!!!

please keep me n your prayers, you lot are always in mine!!!

thanks again...see u all soon,

Aine

Good luck tomorrow ladies!

B.

Just remember my hugs I sent - my arms will be around you the entire time you're having surgery.  Don't worry about your mom right now - it's probably her way of dealing with it - we mothers never want anything to be wrong with our children.  I got my tumor markers back today and all are normal - such a relief, so I'm feeling better already.  You will remain in my thoughts and prayers and I look forward to talking to you later.  Vicki

You will be just fine... I had a 10cm dermoid and my entire right ovary and tube removed 3 months ago.  I was 26 and had never had surgery prior and was freaking out.  This forum helps tremendously on the freak out factor.  I took my own toothbrush, soap, etc and made sure to take my hand lotion.  Take something to do, like a book or crossword puzzle to keep you semi occupied.  I had the horizontal laporatomy at noon and they let me get up first thing the next morning and encouraged me to walk around the floor when I felt up to it.  That and the sooner I would get up and move around, the sooner they would take out the cather (they never warned me about having one- but it was wonderful not to have to get up to pee until I was ready)and the sooner they would release me. They also let me shower when I was up to it. It took a lot of energy and courage to take the shower, but I felt soooo much better afterwards. I don't know if I was really different, but I did not have staples or external stiches- They kind of superglued me and took the dressing off within 24 hours of surgery and didn't put anything back on. At home, I slept on the couch with a pillow under my head and a pillow under my knees for almost 2 weeks.  I could roll off of the couch (kind of) much easier than trying to get out of bed.  Especially with being not completely flat and the limited room to move since I am a tummy sleeper.  Take naps, drink LOTS of water and DO NOT OVERDO IT.  It will drive you nuts to not be up and moving and doing things, but in the long run- too much too quick can be a bad thing.

awhh...ur so cute!!!thanks for the hugs and prayers!!! everyone has really been great...just what i needed! if i have the surgery on Friday i should hopefully be home on Wed so i will try to post b4 u go in (i am at least 5 hours ahead of u over here!!)i really hope that the snow does not affect ur surgery...it must be quite chilly over with u...the perfect time to be recovering at home with it being nice and warm inside!! my moms been having a tough time with all this so we haven't really spoken about it too much so thank u very much...ur really kind im nearly crying reading all these posts!!

Hang in there - you're be on the recovery side soon.  Everyone has posted great things to take with you - make your hospital room like home!  Have faith in your care givers - they are well trained at what they do.  Please let us know how you're doing when you can.  I'm going in next Wednesday and hope to see your post before I go.  We got more than 15" of snow here last week and I'm hoping it stays away - I'd hate to get cancelled because of that.  You and my daughter are the same age, so I'm sending a mom's hugs and prayers to you through this message.

thanks a million to all of u...u really have put my mind at ease...well as much as possible anyway!!! sure ill let u know how it all goes and sure if anyone else has any other heplful tips, id appriciate it!!

When I came out of surgery they were giving me pain meds through my IV and unfortunately it wasn't agreeing with my stomach so it made me very nausea (sp).  I should have said the ginger ale helped with my nausea..I'm sorry.  But like I said the hospital only had diet so that taste in addition to the nausea was not the best mixture.  But my mom brought me regular and it started to help.

I also thought of another necessity, CHAPSTICK!  My lips were so dry!  Even now my skin + lips are very dry.  

Good luck with everything!!  Please keep us posted on your recovery.  It really helps listening to other people's experiences.

B.

its so true about the hair style...i got my hair cut today because it was getting so long and since i wouldnt be styling it in the hospital, if i had left it the same i would have looked like i had been dragged through a bush backwards and not been through surgery!!!! whats this about ginger ale...is it good for getting rid of gas??? its also a really good idea to have some comforts in hospital...tomorrow morning im going to go to the store and pick up some of my favourites!!its lashing rain here (Dublin, Ireland) and i really dont need a cold b4 surgery so ill leave it till then!!!!
thanks for the advice!!

Hi, I think you may need to have front open nightdress, and robe too. First couple of days, you may have hard time to change. Also, I always have white cotton socks with me.

hi! im 22years old and i started getting really irregular periods(eg skipped loads of them and then had a period for nearly 2 months!!) i went to my GP who sent me for an ultrasound. the report said that i had at least a 20cm dermoid (they could not see the whole thing on the U/S) on my left ovary and my right ovary showed to be polycystic. i was then reffered to a gynaecologist and he said that it needed to come out soon so i was scheduled for surgery last monday but as i said before it had to be postponed and is rescheduled for Friday. i am so scared but im trying to do just normal things like go for walks and do some shopping, even though ive finished work, to try and remain sane!! and u are so not being like a baby...i dont care what people think...nobody understands how scary surgery is until they are faced with it themselves!! that pillow idea is brilliant, im definitly bringing one into the hospital!!

This may sound crazy but it made me feel better taking my own tolietrees (a nice bath gel, lotion, and a light body spray).  I didn't take a pillow but that would have been nice too.   I had gas really bad so ginger ale was my savior.  

Unfortunately the hospital only had diet,( I hate diet) so if you like diet fine, if not bring your own.  

I also got an easy hair style ahead of time.  I didn't want to scare my visitors away while I was recovering.  

Good luck!  

B.

I'm going in next week for my surgery.  Get plenty of rest before Friday and eat healthy.  Take a small pillow if you have one as the hospital pillows are usually hard and flat.  When they get you up to walk hold the pillow on your incision and it will help.  What is the rest of your medical history?  I'm 46 and just found out last week that I have a 9x8 cm complex mass and am really scared - I know I'm being a baby.  Did the radiologist say yours is a dermoid?  I'll be thinking about you on Friday.