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Who has had a Hysterectomy?
I'm considering having a hystercomy for my fibroids. I talking about it in another post with the sbd group a few weeks ago.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121530 I'm in a clinical trial for fibroids, they are tentatively scheduling my surgery for mid Dec. It's not mandatory that I have surgery, I can take the study drug for 3 months to see if it shrinks the tumors. In a way I'm used to having a period for 2-3 weeks. It's the fatigue that's killing me. I'm just too tired to do anything. It's not anemia because I eat really well and take a multi-vitamin. I would like to hear about your experiences with a hysterectomy. Are you glad you did? Did you have problems afterwards? How long did it take to get back on your feet? What could you do shortly after the surgery? How long before you went back to work? Stuff like that. Thanks Sarah in MD |
I had one 5 years ago the fibroids I had almost killed me.I did not want one but I had no choice.I had many that were growing in my bowls and if they had burst it would of killed me.It has left me with stupid little pouch that I can not seem to get rid of.It all depends on your medical need .I have no problems relating to the hysterectomy ,I feel a better lot now then I did prior to it.Are you having a full or partial or vaginal.I had a partial.Still have my ovaries.The one plus is no period. Feel free to PM me .Good luck
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Hi Sarah,
I had a total hysterectomy in 1990. I had severe endometriosis and prior to the hysterectomy I had five surgeries and as many D & C's for all the tumors, cysts, etc. One of them grew on a major artery and the doc was concerned about the artery bursting. The tumors/cysts actually had completely atrophied one ovary and half of the other. They cut off the blood supply to them. Unbelievably, our son was born in 1986 and by the time 1990 rolled around and years of pain and suffering the hysterectomy was welcomed. I didn't really have that much trouble from it. I was off work for 8 weeks or so, but things are way different now. I've heard they are much easier on you now. Back then I was actually in the hospital for 5 days. That's unheard of nowadays - the recovery was no worse than the other surgeries I've had. My root canal and when I blew my knee out was MUCH worse. PM me for any questions or anything. Lori |
I had a hysterectomy last year (Feb. 06), and you are welcome to PM me, too. I will tell you, I didn't really look at other options for various reasons, and sometimes it is still hard to accept the fact that I cannot carry a pregnancy ever. The recovery was rather quick, and the procedure was a combo - vaginally/laprascopically. They only took the uterus, so I still have my ovaries and cervix. It is a big decision, but there are so many options for children (biological included) after a hysterectomy that you just have to be open to them should you decide to go that route. As I said, feel free to PM me - I'm more than happy to talk with you about my experience. :hug:
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Do it! Please don't pay any attention to the "adverse side-effects" and all the rest of the scary stuff out there...
I had the absolute worst case scenario- I had a complete hysterectomy through a lateral abdominal incision (the nastiest kind). My uterus was swollen equal to a 5 mo pregnancy with fibriods, my ovaries were both being crushed by cysts, and I had a mass of endmetriosis roughly the size of my head sitting like a cherry on top... who knows what my hormones were doing... my surgery was September 16 (I'm 32) and I return to work tomorrow. I spent five days in the hospital (due to type of hysterectomy I had) and another five weeks at home. Even with the pain of the surgery, I STILL felt better immediately afterward. You lose not only the physical pain but also the emotional anguish of wondering how bad it will get, if you can carry a pregnancy to term, etc. I couldn't believe how lousy I had felt by comparison or figure out what made me wait so long... I should have done it years ago! I feel awesome! I never have to worry about hormonal imbalances, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer... EVER AGAIN! I wasn't going to be able to have kids anyway (and the thought of caring for them when I could barely get out of bed made that a non-issue). I take my hormones once a day and can wear white pants whenever I want! As for the depression and sexual side effects, I haven't had a problem and doubt I will. If anything, I've been much more positive about everything now that I know I don't have to plan my life around the pain. I have had a little weight gain since losing 14 pounds with the surgery and dietary limitations, but that's just because everyone stops by the house with baked goods. (Another benefit of having surgery!) If I had been able to have a less invasive procedure, my doctor assured me I could have driven myself home from the hospital. The technology has come a long way but even the awful, old-style method is better than bearing with the pain. There are no points in life for tolerating the intolerable!!! |
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The scary part is that it's still several days in the hospital. With everything being done on an out patient basis I was suprised when they said plan on a 4-5 day stay in the hospital plus a 4-6 week recovery time. I've never had any type of surgery and I'm wanting to get all the information I can prior to doing it-if I do it. Everything I've read says that the fatigue is caused by anemia from the long/heavy periods but I've had my blood work done and I'm not anemic so I'm not sure if having a hysterectomy would clear up the fatigue problems. Quote:
I need to lose 10 pounds if I chose to have the surgery. They won't do it if my BMI is over 33. I'm at 33.6. |
We must have posted at the same time. I gained, too, as the symptoms became worse. The recovery time is daunting but you have the rest of your life to work and just think of all the days you gritted your teeth and went on with your day in spite of it all- you've earned some time off.
I was exhausted and also not anemic. My doctor said some of it was hormonal and some of it was carrying around all the extra tissue, which was forcing ever part of my body to work harder. Getting my energy back has been another great benefit... maybe not quite as good as the baked goods, but you get the idea ;) |
Have you taken a look at HysterSisters . . . they openly talk about all the pros and cons . . . here's a link . . . http://www.hystersisters.com/
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There are alternative ways of resolving the fibroids
Hi
Having a hysterectomy is never a picnic. The only way of telling what will happen next is medical astrology, but there are very few people in the world that practice it. For every woman that had her hysterectomy done well, there is a legion of women who curse themselves for being so stupid to give their consent for it, without realizing what they actually do. Uterus is a vital part of woman's body, it stores sex hormones created by the ovaries during the night and releases them during the day. If there is no uterus, the hormones get expelled with the first morning urination and from there so many problems follow that it would require an entire site to explain the consequences. Fibroids are tumors, and tumors are large tissues -- ask yourself, what in my life is food for these tumors to grow!? Uterus is an organ for emotional responses, iit is your primary means of reacting to the world as a woman. In other words, it is the emotions that give food to the tumors and cancers, resolve emotions first, they are the origin of the illness, and simultaneously try to heal the body. If you want to heal your fibroids and uterus, you may be interested to know that there are several alternative methods of healing the uterus without surgery: homeopathy, Su Jok, Reiki, herbal remedies, seed therapy, a combination of these etc. Maybe the simplest would be to try the enzymes which resolve the myoma, Google them and you'll find them. All the best, Dusko Savic |
I had a hysterectomy on July 18th.....was in the hospital 3 days and back to work after 4 weeks. Dr. wanted me to stay home for 6 weeks, but I saw no reason since I felt so good. I was lucky to be able to have it done vaginally, dr. didn't know if it was going to be possible due to enlarged uterus and fibroids but he got it done and was able to save one ovary. I don't have to take any hormones and I feel better than I have in years. Before the surgery, I had so much pain that sometimes I couldn't even stand up straight. It was the best decision I have ever made and I'm so glad I did it.
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My experience has been so positive and the other posters who state they've had hysterectomies also seem very positive.
It makes me wonder... Has anyone who has posted something negative about hysterectomies or referred sarahyu to a website that advocates against the procedure had a hysterectomy? Or any luck with alternative treatments with similar medical conditions? |
Everybody should have hysterectomy just for fun!?
Hi
If it were so good for women to lose their sex organs, the nature would have provided it so already. It is just not normal to function without sex hormones, for instance, did you know that progesterone has fundamental influence on brain and that women taking progesterone in pregnancy have more intelligent kids? And conversely, without sex hormones the brain works worse, so post hysterectomy women often start losing their memory without ever relating it to the effects of the surgery itself. To Lafayette: You seem to have been thrilled with the outcome of your hysterectomy, but that might be short-termed victory after all. You are stuck with consequences of hysterectomy for your life and things will only get worse, you can be sure of that. You have asked for links to places in which women complain about what hysterectomy did to them. There are lots of them, and I would have posted them here, except that I cannot, because I do not have the required number of posts in these forums. There will be many more such sites in the future, once women see the harm that has been done to them for so long. The USA is the only country in the world with this high percentage of hysterectomies, everywhere else it is much smaller. ----------------------------------- To all the members of these forums: You are here because you diet. It means you change your life habits and styles in order to get healthier. My question to all these women who are so joyful after being castrated is: Why haven't you done the same re your fibroids? And to all these that are contemplating their own "happy" hysterectomies: What can you change now in your life habits and styles to gain your sexual health back, without surgery? Sincerely, Dusko Savic |
Hello Dusko,
I don't call Him nature, I call Him God and He is who created me and miraculously perfect in His eyes. But He also created intelligence in most of us and we have to rely on that intelligence along with the intelligence of doctors to prepare a solution for the best of a situation. My situation was critical as were many here. #1 - I don't call it castration. Castration happens to males, i.e. their balls being cut off, either an animal or a human. Lorena Bobbitt castrated her husband which is not usually done but she was obviously hacked off and she hacked him off literally. #2 - I had tumors/cysts on a major artery (I stated this earlier). As I also stated earlier, the tumors/cysts completely atrophied (this means they twisted around and shut off the blood supply to) one ovary and most of the second ovary. IF I did not have all of it cleaned out i.e. a complete hysterectomy, NOT a castration as you so lovely put it, I would have most likely bled to death from the tumors/cysts strangling the major artery. #3 - Not sure if you are male or female and this MAY be too much information, but you have put me on the defensive and since I am a defensive AND offensive player here goes - I would leave for work with TWO super tampons in me and TWO super pads on. This is for my menstrual period which I had for 2-3 weeks straight out of a month. My commute to work was no more than 30 minutes. When I got to work I had to decide whether to punch the timeclock or risk getting docked pay because I was bleeding through my clothing. In 30 minutes, I had bled through TWO super tampons and TWO deluxe huge size pads. Now if you are a female, surely you see the complication from this. If you are a male, just try to imagine. So after I had put TWO more super tampons in and TWO more super deluxe heavy pads, I had to change clothing and go clock in. Well, I was late, of course. So you see, this was not a very healthy situation. I ran to the bathroom every 30 to 40 minutes. Now I worked for the Government and I will tell you the truth the supervisors were NOT happy. But do I chance bleeding all over the floor and grossing people out or change in the restroom like any normal person would do. Oh and this was always lovely - after a couple of days of this, I passed out quite regularly. That was always cheerful. #4 - ahhhhhh the progesterone and estrogen argument. Well of course we all realize the importance of hormones - most women with half a mind would. But you can see from the above paragraphs, that it was PHYSICALLY impossible to live like that whether the hormones are going to go bye-bye with the hysterectomy or not. There is not one woman who gets a hysterectomy without realizing the hormone situation. If she doesn't then she is very ill-informed and should get a different doctor. #5 - Do you really think all of us on this forum and women around the world get our jollies out of being cut on? Do you really think that I said to my dh and son one day, "Gee honey, I think I'll go to St. Anthony's in a couple of weeks and get myself one of those there hysterectomys. I've heard they are really fun to have!" Of course not! I and most of these other women find your post very pompous and degrading. For your information I have a Master's Degree from a very prestigious college in the U.S. and I'm not as stupid as you may think. The lack of hormones did NOT affect my brain thank you very much. My doctor and I did lots of things to avoid the surgery. They include many D&C's to stop the bleeding, many medications, surgeries to cut the tumors and cysts, all to no avail. My doctor was not and is not knife happy. But........he is a responsible doctor who wants only the best for his patients. What exactly do you mean things will get worse? My surgery was 17 years ago. I'm still waiting for what you say is going to get worse. I don't understand. Why do you always say sex organs? Removing my uterus, my ovaries and my cervix did nothing to harm my sex life. I still have a clitoris and a mind and believe me, for women, those are the most important along with a good sex partner. How much sex can one have when you are bleeding like a stuck pig and hurting like **** 21 out of 30 days a month? Please think about what I've said from one who has been there. Maybe you have too, who knows? Just my thoughts. Lori (who has been FREE from **** for 17 years and loving it) |
We have to play nice or the mod's will close this thread and I'm getting way too much good advice.
People who look at medicine from a holistic point of view tend to get a little freaked (ok-way freaked :yikes:) over the idea of elective surgery to remove body parts. Don't take it personally, s/he originally wasn't attacking anyone. My question was for people who had experienced a hysterectomy Thank you all who have answered and taken the time to PM me. I really appreciate it. The link that Nora put up is the only one I've found that has a lot of negative information. I don't mind getting all the information before sugery. It actually makes it better afterwards if you know all the pros and cons of a particular procedure. :book2: What are common problems after surgery, what to expect, what's normal and abnormal-things like that. warning maybe TMI following: http://www.hystersisters.com/ has some threads where sexual dysfunction is talked about, that concerns me. I already have a very low sex drive-is it because of the long periods and fatigue? Who knows. it's a viscious circle. Sarah in MD |
I'll take a short term victory, if that's truly what this is, over feeling as horrible as I did. I know that I am going to take a wonderful, refreshing walk on this beautiful fall day when I am done here. That simply wouldn't have been possible two months ago, or even two years ago. The hormone replacement therapy has ensured that the "mix" I have now is steady and safe for my continued health.
No woman deserves to be in intense pain for the sole reason that she is a woman. The Catholic Church doesn't even take that position anymore. I say, if you're going to claim the basis of your position is that each woman's body is her own, that's the exact point at which you should stop your argument. I made the best possible decision for me and I want to encourage other women to do the same. I hope this thread stays open because it has prompted other women to PM me with some personal questions I feel they need answered to make the best decisions for themselves. I had a wonderful support network for my decision, just as some people who would never consider 3FC have wonderful support networks for their weight loss. For me, this is what it's all about. I know that it is easy to become defensive over such a personal issue. I've made my choice and have been very happy with the outcomes. If there is an alternative that would work just as well or better for other women, I think they should know about it, not be bombarded with negative comments and scare tactics. Dusko, I felt trapped just as surely as any woman who is overweight has ever felt, in my own body. I tried everything through the help of good friends and good doctors. I exercised, ate healthy foods, limited my stress, explored alternative therapies and still felt nauseous and dealt with pain so extreme my doctors couldn't figure out how I was able to stand up straight. Despite my healthy lifestyle changes, I continued to gain weight and progressively feel worse. This surgery has been liberating. I resent your accusations. I resent your notion that I am weak. I resent your comment that I've been castrated. I resent your implication that I don't know what's best for me. I resent your notion that I am less of a woman as the result of my surgery. I resent your attempt to assert your superiority. I encourage you do what you need to do to be happier with yourself. This thread is not a personal attack on you and the choices you've made. I sincerely hope you find happiness through some other vehicle besides attempting to make others feel awful. This is NOT what 3FC is about. |
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