u/sorry-i-was-reading

I just got the news a couple of days ago that I need a full hysterectomy (everything out except the ovaries). I’m a little overwhelmed.

On the one hand, I’m excited by and encouraged to see so many accounts here and in r/fibroids talk about how much better they feel afterwards. Also I’m 41 and done having kids, so I have no lingering regrets about ever getting pregnant again. Never having a period again sounds fantastic as well!

But on the other hand, I’ve never been put under before, let alone had surgery (not even for wisdom teeth). I also have to get a D&C to check for cancer just in case before surgery (I have thick uterine lining), which they told me could be general or local anesthesia per my choice. My two kids were vaginal births without epidurals (it’s not commonly available in Japan where they were born; I’m in the US now), so I don’t have experience with either.

My late paternal grandmother had an experience where she was put under and, though she didn’t feeling anything, she retained consciousness and could later accurately repeat what the surgeon/assistants said during surgery. I’m afraid of that happening to me too. Being trapped in my body, unable to move or speak, sounds terrifying. I understand this is unlikely to happen, but it’s adding to my general “I’ve never done this before” and “the long post-op recovery sounds so painful” anxiety. (May or may not be relevant, but I strongly suspect she had EDS; I’m not sure if I have EDS but I do have hypermobility)

Could any of you who were anxious beforehand but your experience went well despite your worries please share your stories with me? I need a little encouragement that it’s going to be okay.

Also for those of you who were asked to decide between methods, how did you decide? They told me to choose general (surgery) or local (in office) anesthesia for the D&C, and to choose how my uterus will be removed. I’ve forgotten the official terms, I’m sorry, but the choices were through the vagina, through several small incisions on my stomach, or through one large incision on my stomach like a C-section. I don’t know what factors to consider to help me make my choice (costs will be comparable no matter which I pick so I don’t need to factor that in).

Thank you 🥹

My son (15 next month) decided last year he wanted to grow out his hair. But now that his hair is past his shoulders, we’re realizing he needs more guidance than “focus on washing your scalp, not the length of your hair” and “brush from the ends and work your way up.”

However, his hair type is very different than mine, despite being the same ethnicity, so the products and tools that work for me aren’t working for him. I have very fine hair that’s mostly straight (makes for a tiiiiiny ponytail) and he has thick hair with distinct, large waves that make him always look like he’s rocking a professional blowout.

I feel like we need to have a consultation with someone who understands hair in general better than I do, but I don’t have a particular hairstylist to ask. For cuts, which I only get once or twice a year, I just use coupons for those walk-in places you often find near grocery stores, since I’m not fussy about styling my hair and we have a need to save our pennies wherever we can.

Would someone in those types of places be able to properly advise us about my son’s hair, or do I need to find a real salon even though their appointments cost so much more money?

If there is an online resource that teaches how to identify your hair type and walks you through how to care for it as a beginner, please link me to it! That would be so helpful.

Thank you!

…anyone else notice that last line “sweet sweet sweet magic!” sounds just like “backstreet's back, alright!” from the Backstreet Boys song “Everybody”?

I can’t unhear it! lol

The end of the school year makes me look ahead and start preparing for back to school, so that during the summer I don't have to think about it. With that in mind, I came up with some "back to school" interview questions for my tween/teen kids, but they could be tweaked to be "end of the school year" interview questions, if you'd like.

I'm sharing them because I searched online for ideas and didn't really like any particular examples I found, and figured there might be other parents like me who want just a few open-ended questions that could make for some videos that are fun to look back on someday.

I'm open to suggestions for things to change or add if you have them! But I tried to keep it to just ten things since my kids won't have the patience for the longer lists of questions I saw when searching online. If you have a set of interview questions your family uses, please share yours, too!

Without further ado:

1. Please state your name, age, and what grade you're going into.

2. What are 3 (or more) ways you like to spend your time, or are things that you're into, that make you feel most like yourself?

3. What's something you're good at, proud of, or like about yourself?

4. What's something you're dreading about this school year?

5. What's something you're excited about this school year?

6. Who are you looking forward to seeing at school?

7. What do you think will be different about X Grade compared to last year?

8. Imagine yourself as a grown-up. What kind of life will you be living (where, with whom, doing what)?

9. Now, think about what that "grown-up you" would want "now you" to know. What would they say?

10. By the end of this school year, what do you want to be able to do or say you’ve achieved? (What personal goals do you have for yourself?)