Facing Depression & Feelings of Anxiety AFTER Surgery

[Guest guest]

Hello, Everybody:

I was asked off-list (by one of our myo LOL) if I could find and re-post a

mega-message I wrote to the group-- about a year ago-- about the experience of

depression AFTER having surgery. Took me about a half hour to find it in our

archives--But here it is ! A post I had written to Janet.

It's a MASSIVE missive, so get comfy if you intend to actually read it! But

if you're post-op and not feeling up to par, it may help explain some reasons

that I thought of about why you (and I) might be feeling the blues after your

myo, or any surgery.

Just food for thought--and discussion for anyone here suffering with post-op

blues.

Needless to say, anyone experiencing pronounced prolonged

depression/feelings of hopeless despair and sadness say, for several months,

should talk with

their doctor, and seek medical help. You don't need to suffer with depression,

not in this day and age. There is hope and there is treatment available.

Here's my message from last year:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/uterinefibroids/message/30956

Anyone else currently having post-op blues? Anyone else want to contribute

thoughts and ideas and suggestions for what helped THEM get through the low

times after surgery....and returning to Work (and the World of the Well-bodied?)

Thanks, all ye LOL!

-Roma

[Guest guest]

Post operative feelings of depression is a recognised thing that

affects some people. It's most likely not surprisingly with the

hysterectomy. Even if YOU decided you don't want, and can't have

more children anyway, you may feel a twinge of regret.

We have so many questions to ask and after the operation how can you

know what is and isn't normal? It's a worry and you may not want to

bother the doctor. It's all stress. Forums like these are great for

comparing notes.

The main cause for feeling depressed, angry, powerless and fed up

are perfectly justifiable - What the medical profession didn't tell

us that we should have been told. It's a wide range of possibles and

it DOES matter. Sometimes it's because they don't know because the

question you have hasn't been researched/researched enough.

Family and friend can just occasionally be a bit frustrating as they

stand and watch you doing somethiing, saying you really ought not be

doing that, without actually helping!! After your official recovery

period is up, you may still not be 100% better, but you'll find

yourself carrying things you shouldn't because people don't realise

you're still feeling the pull of something heavy you're

pushing/pulling/lifting/carrying.

Sometimes you just shocked at yet another malpractice story on the

internet. The worst ones I heard were when I was first diagnosed.

_____________________________________________________________________

" Bottom line is, even if you see 'em coming, you're not ready

for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not

really. But it does. So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big

moments are gonna come. You can't help that. It's what you do

afterwards that

counts. That's when you find out who you are. You'll see what I

mean. "

- (Angel on )'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.