LSH - My story - Hystersisters Article

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LSH - My story

LSH - My story

Date : 01-13-2001 - 02:55 PM - Readers : 2966

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Hi,
I guess my story starts about 13 years ago when my husband and I started trying to conceive a family. After a year or so, we started to see a reproductive endocrinologist. In 1990, during an ultrasound, a fibroid was detected on my uterus, down low, posterior. During an exploratory laparoscopy, the surgeon elected to leave the fiboid alone due to its location near the cervical artery. We gave up fertility, adopted two kids, and life went on.
Fast forward to 1999. During annual exam, dr. indicates that my uterus is very enlarged. Schedules an ultrasound 3 months later to set baseline for size of fibroids. Had ultrasound, 12/99, showed several very large fibroids. We discuss waiting (I'm 39 at this point) and in 5-6 years doing a total hyst and starting HRT. Unfortunately, next annual exam, 9/00, indicates fibroids are significantly larger, and dr. is unable to palpate ovaries during pelvic (not good in monitoring ovarian changes, etc.). She recommends hyst, leave ovaries. Unfortunately again, she is only skilled in abdominal hyst, and also recommends removing cervix. When I balk, she recommends that I get a 2nd opinion. I had done some research on the internet about laparoscopic procedures, but she seems to think that my uterus is too enlarged for this to be feasible. She recommends Tom Lyons in Atlanta, who previously worked with the clinic that I go to (and in fact was my dr. for a few years in the early 90s). I email him that day, he actually emails me back the same day and says that without seeing me he can't promise anything, but that they routinely do LSH procedures on women with uteri as large or larger than mine. I go in, schedule, and on 12/26/00 had a LSH, w/o ovary removal. I arrived at the out patient center at 9:30 a.m., surgery began about 11:00, 3 hours later I was in recovery, two hours after that I threw up for a while. We left the center at 11:30 p.m. (14 hours total). I had some bad gas pains and aches for about 4-5 days but I was back to jogging 12 days post-op and other than some annoying spotting which seems to be dragging on, I feel great. Thanks for this site, I've learned a lot before and after my hyst.
Julie

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