hysterectomy? [update!]

mods: please please please don't move this to health & support!  i don't need the input of a bunch of skinny teenagers; i'm looking for grown-up women!

i'm thinking about having a hysterectomy and want to hear the experiences--good and bad--of my adult friends here.

i'm not going to do anything for at least a year, because it's just not the right time to fall apart (in case i do).  but i have massive fibroids that can't be removed non-invasively.  my periods are not painful, but they are extremely heavy and long, and my cycle is short.  you know that rule about going to emergency if you're going through more than one tampon an hour?  yeah, that's me two days out of every 23 (no, i don't go to emergency). 

i'm tired of being iron depleted and i'm tired of having a grapefruit in my belly.  but i'm not sure i'm ready for the emotional and hormonal trauma.  any input is appreciated.

oh yeah - i'm 40, no kids.

I thought i was reading about myself! although a hysterectomy isn't an option because they will only do them here if your life is at risk whilst you are still within child bearing years!

It's a tricky one to answer, obviously there are many Q.s you need to ask yourself, but a family member of mine had to get one done when they were 35 and the difference it made to them was very noticeable however they had had kids! But they never regret it for a minute their moods were better, more energy (in fact total new lease of life). They had one ovary and the cervix left but the rest was taken away, so no need for hormone replacement.

pg, my mom had fibroids on the outside of her uterus too

she'd had them inside it previously (15 years ago) and a d&c had helped

then when she was recovering from breast cancer surgery & radiation, she kept feeling worse and worse

it took her docs a few months to figure out that her problem was extra-uterine fibroids which were branching off and trying to grow around her intestines and one branch had reached her lower spine - which caused her to feel like she was walking on cut glass with every step she took (they kept doing MRI's and bone scans because they were afraid she might have cancer in her spine or something - but no - it was the fibroids).  She had a total hysterectomy and that solved the problem.  Because of how the tumors had branched out, it took them many hours in surgery to get all of it.

So, it's good that yours isn't causing any additional problem right now, but I mention my mom's case because having them (specifically on the outside of your uterus) does represent a risk to your health and it's not like you can easily monitor how they are or aren't growing.

***hugs***

wow, nomo - thanks for that!  i had no idea fibroids could do that.  i do feel like mine are getting bigger, but i can't be sure that i'm not just getting more annoyed with them.  i became aware of them when i'd dropped about 20 pounds and suddenly there was a visible and palpable lump (some of you will remember me losing my mind). 

do you know if that problem showed up in ultrasound?  because that's the only imaging i've had (and that was a year and a half ago). 

okay, i'm going to call my obgyn and make an appointment for that follow-up i was supposed to have in september.  thanks, friends.

it did show up on a pelvic ultrasound, however not the full extent of it

her ob/gyn wanted to remove it mainly because she wasn't 100% sure that it was completely fibroids and not some cancerous growth too (since my mom had just been diagnosed the year prior with breast cancer) 

it wasn't until they were doing the surgery that they could see the full extent of all the branches of it -- an ultrasound tech doing a pelvic ultrasound is trained to get pictures of certain things and the branch that was touching her spine was out of the range of the images they got

but yes, they will be able to see any of it that's in the immediate vicinity of your uterus

(and p.s., a baby waiting for a mom would be lucky to get you - just sayin' )

aw - thanks, nomo!!

edit: damn - now i'm crying.  and before breakfast!

I'm going to add my two cents worth just for what it's worth. I had a hysterectomy when I was 32yrs old. I'm now 41. I did already have 2 children, so I can't speak to the issue of never having children. After the birth of my son, I was so sick, in fact for about 7 years. I had endemetriosis as well as small fibroids and ademomyosis (sp???). All together it caused bleeding so severe that in 3 years I spent about 9 days WITHOUT my period. Not pleasant to say the least. I tried every birth control possible to get the bleeding under control. That only made me gain 40 lbs but did nothing to help. I was so sick all the time. I was diagnosed with arthitis when I was 29 and those symptoms were so severe that I could'nt walk without assistance at times of flareups. When my doctor finally approved the hysterectomy, (I was pushing for it, but he thought I might want to have more children) I was nothing but relieved. Within about a week of my surgery (I still have my ovaries) I was feeling so much better. Most of the symptoms from all my other problems were gone. I had an amazing amount of energy. I lost about 30 lbs within the first couple of months without even trying and best of all...no more bleeding and feeling like I was 80yrs old. It was the best thing that I've ever done in my life. I'm now starting menopause (yes, it's quite early) so I'm going to be scheduled soon to have surgery to remove my ovaries to eliminate any chance of ovarian cancer.

I would definitely recommend having a hysterectomy if you are feeling extremely sick all the time and have no energy. I understand that you are still feeling like you might want to have children, but the chances of getting pregnant after 40 with a fairly large fibroid are quite slim. I have a friend who was 23 when she started trying to get pregnant (with fibroids). It took her 5 years and about 7 miscarriages before she had her first baby and was on bedrest for almost the whole pregnancy. The second time wasn't any better.

I don't mean to be glib about not having children because that certainly isn't my intention, and believe me, I understand the desire to have them. That's all I wanted since I was old enough to understand what that was. But there are so many children in the world without parents (I was one of those, adopted at age 4) that you don't have to be childless if you do have the surgery. If your health is bad, being pregnant and raising a baby would be extremely difficult as well.

Anyway, that's enough about that. I'll stop rambling now. I hope whatever decision you make, is one that you are at peace about. Good luck!!!

thanks, 2tall, but your post makes me wonder if you read any of my posts (or even the first one).  i'm not sick; i don't feel poorly.  my health is fine.  i just have heavy periods and a mass in my belly.

i'm thinking about having a hysterectomy and want to hear the experiences--good and bad--of my adult friends here.

i'm tired of being iron depleted and i'm tired of having a grapefruit in my belly.    any input is appreciated.

I did in fact read all your posts and was responding with my experience as you asked. Also, just giving my input, which was also asked for. Sorry if it's not what you wanted to hear. Just disregard.

P.S. Having a heavy mass in your belly may be considered by some to be unhealthy. Apparently, you just wanted to hear people's opinions that agreed with you and your decisions.

Original Post by 2tall4me:

P.S. Having a heavy mass in your belly may be considered by some to be unhealthy. Apparently, you just wanted to hear people's opinions that agreed with you and your decisions.

2tall - I think Pg mentioned a few times that her dislike of the lump is purely cosmetic. She also said that her mind is not made up.

Its not that your experience disagreed with Pg's opinion - its that you were in a different medical situation than she is currently in.

I can see how being in extreme pain and having already had kids, you decided to have a hysterectomy, Id sure do it too in that situation.

Original Post by 2tall4me:

I would definitely recommend having a hysterectomy if you are feeling extremely sick all the time and have no energy.

If your health is bad, being pregnant and raising a baby would be extremely difficult as well.

while i do appreciate your input, 2tall, these selections do not apply to me at all.  and if you really did read it, you'll have gathered that i'm not expecting to get pregnant.  like i said, i have a cosmetic problem and i'm not sure i'm prepared to deal with the emotional consequences of surgery.

your story is relevant; your recommendations - not so much.

Nomo's story alone, would be reason enough to get that follow-up. Glad you decided to do it.

And I agree - some baby waiting for a mamma could not do better than you. :)

okay, so i have an appointment with my obgyn a week from today (it will probably postponed; someone always needs emergency surgery the day of my appointment) and i've decided to go ahead with it.

that is, if she can get me in for the procedure before i defend my thesis (april 22), i'll do it.  if not - well, i'll have to put in some time at the still-non-existant new job before i feel entitled to take the time off to do it.

here's the thing: i'm an only child and my parents are in their 70s.  my mother is disabled from a stroke and has cancer; my dad is "healthy" but is the primary care-giver, and--let's face it--could drop from a coronary at any moment.  i can (and hope i do) change the fact that i'm single, but i can't give a kid any close family on my side to depend on long term.  you know?  plus, i think it would suck if i met someone fabulous and three months into the relationship i became totally obsessed with getting pregnant, rather than enjoying getting to know him.  you know?  and i suspect that that's exactly what i would do.

so i'm going to ask her to try to schedule the surgery. 

and you know what?  it is partly vanity, and i totally don't care ;)

i'll let you know....

Original Post by pgeorgian:

okay, so i have an appointment with my obgyn a week from today (it will probably postponed; someone always needs emergency surgery the day of my appointment) and i've decided to go ahead with it.

that is, if she can get me in for the procedure before i defend my thesis (april 22), i'll do it.  if not - well, i'll have to put in some time at the still-non-existant new job before i feel entitled to take the time off to do it.

here's the thing: i'm an only child and my parents are in their 70s.  my mother is disabled from a stroke and has cancer; my dad is "healthy" but is the primary care-giver, and--let's face it--could drop from a coronary at any moment.  i can (and hope i do) change the fact that i'm single, but i can't give a kid any close family on my side to depend on long term.  you know?  plus, i think it would suck if i met someone fabulous and three months into the relationship i became totally obsessed with getting pregnant, rather than enjoying getting to know him.  you know?  and i suspect that that's exactly what i would do.

so i'm going to ask her to try to schedule the surgery. 

and you know what?  it is partly vanity, and i totally don't care ;)

i'll let you know....

Good luck with everything!! :D

I'd like to point out that adoption is ALWAYS there if you do decide you want a child. :)

I hope everything goes alright and you make a smooth (and fast) recovery when you do have it. :)

Now that you've decided I hope they can work you in before the 22nd so you don't have to wait.  Best Wishes.

thanks, both of you.  yeah, it would be nice to get this thing done sooner rather than later.

sending you healing energy for all to be well.

thanks, 'gator (although that sounds suspiciously like "I'll be praying for you").

i'm kidding.  i'm kidding!

Best of luck pg! Let us know if you get it scheduled before the date.  That was a hard decision to make!

thanks jennifer!  yeah, it was a hard decision to come to, but i'm totally comfortable with it now.  talking it out here helped a lot :)