Hello @jlb333. I totally understand your panic and the roller coaster of emotions. I was there. Even not being in the medical field, there is so much to read and find online nowadays that I was overwhelmed with information, sometimes contradictory… of course, I retained the worst cases, even if they had little to do with me. Too much and not enough at the same time.
I had to force myself to filter the information channels and sometimes shut some down at least for a while, as the reality was sinking in,
I was also frustrated at the start and had to do something that made me feel more in charge like getting second opinions, asking questioms directly to providers. It looks like you did that! Power to you ! 🙂

I had a standard hysterectomy 4 weeks ago. I had NO specific preparation to do except standard not eating 8 hrs before and not drinking 1 hr before (surgery was decided within less than a week and the type of hysterectomy - standard vs robotic - decided 12 hours before it happened).
And standard cleaning: I had to shower with an antibacterial soap before checking in and then use special wipes all over just before surgery.
Your pre-op directions look very similar to a colonoscopy prep (i have one scheduled on 12/5) But i cannot really help much in that domain.

Surgery went well. Recovery is uneventful. My only trouble was a local infection at the incision point located in my groin fold. It is a hard place to keep dry when you have a belly 😅. But nothing that a few antibiotics did not take care of.
After the pathology results of the hysterectomy it was recommended on 11/11 that i do Chemo. But I have no consultation scheduled yet with a medical oncologist. So this is my current anxiety source: not to know my next steps and when. But I talked with my Gynecology surgery team. I trust them. They said they would take care of it. I made a list of questions and stopped trying to learn more until I see the oncologist.

I lost my younger sister to a cervical cancer 5 years ago .. and now i have to tell my parents that their only child left also has a gynecology cancer. I told them about the surgery but have not pronounced the word “cancer” yet. I think they kind of guessed but we have yet to actually talk about it. So, yes, I can understand how hard it must have been for you.

When high anxiety hits me, I binge watch movies, play online games (yes, I am a nerd).. anything that keeps my mind busy. If i cant stop my mind from working, i might as well focus it on something enjoyable.
My current problem is sleep. I am restless at night. Have not found a good solution for it yet. But I will 😋

I guess my main point is that I am learning patience and to only focus on issues i have control on. Like you, the unknown part is the hardest to deal with.
Also, Colleen said it best. She has the right words ☺️
I wish you the very best for your surgery and your recovery. I know you will do well and will be happy to hear about you soon