TVH - after NovaSure Ablation - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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TVH - after NovaSure Ablation

TVH - after NovaSure Ablation

From the Vaginal Hysterectomy Stories Articles List

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Options to Hysterectomy
Pre-Op Hysterectomy
Post-Op Hysterectomy
Hormone and Menopause
Intimacy after Hysterectomy
Pelvic Floor
Fitness after Hysterectomy
GYN Cancer
Grief and Loss
Endometriosis
Uterine Fibroids
Hysterectomy Stories
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I went to see a new gyn. in Feb. 2006. My periods had been getting progressively heavier and more painful for about 2 years, but we had lost our health insurance. I was happy to be able to go back to the dr. I knew I didn't want to try birth control to help with the bleeding (hormones and I don't agree) so I was hoping she could still do something for me. After a couple of ultrasounds, she told me I had menorrhagia caused most likely by polyups. She told me about the NovaSure abaltion and it sounded like a great way to get relief! I had to wait until Oct. to schedule the procedure because of insurance, but finally went in the first week in Oct. (Fall Break for our school district.) I was going to have a D&C to remove the polyups and then the ablation. After the procedure I went home feeling great, just a little tired, but no pain.

However, the next morning I woke up with the worst headache I have ever had and nothing took it away. The hospital nurse called to see how I was doing and she said it was probably from the anethesia and suggested I drink something like Coke with cafeine to help. By noon I started running a fever and the headache was worse. I called my dr. and she perscribed some antibiotics. By 11:00pm my fever was at 104. I called my dr. again and the dr. on call told me to get to the ER. I spent all night in the ER, they ran a bunch of tests and did a CAT scan. Only thing they could confirm was a kidney infection. I was still running fever and blood pressure was low so they kept me in the hospital on antiobiotics until the fever left.

I returned home and went back to school the next week. I was weak, running low grade fevers constantly, and couldn't walk faster than a turtle. The dr. did another CAT scan, an endometrial biopsy, sent me to a urologist and still could confirm anything. She kept me on different kinds on antibiotics. I would improve, and then get worse when the antibiotics were over. She went on vacation one week when I had a follow-up appt. By this time I was starting to have some pelvic pain, and was suspecting something more like endo. or fibriods was going on because of my family history. The dr. I saw was very condescening and rude. He dismissed my concerns and made me feel really bad. I was getting a little desperate by this time becasue I was 6 weeks out from this procedure that was supposed to be a one day recovery and it didn't seem like anyone was listening or could give me an answer.

I decided to try a different doctor that a co-worked highly reccommended. He was awesome. He told me that most likely I had peritonitis from some of the hysteroscopic fluid spilling over into my abdomen during the D&C and ablation. I also had an abcess and fluid trapped in my uterus. The ANA's in my blood were showing up high in my blood work so he sent me to a internist to check for the possiblity of Lupus or Thyroid problems. Those all came back negative. I finally got my regular cycle back around Thanksgiving and had a bunch of junk come out. I felt much better after that and thought it was finally over.

Three week laters I started to have intense pelvic pain. It felt like someone was stabbing me in different places all the time. I started running a fever again and went back to my new dr. He thought that I had a recurring infection in my endometrium. I took some more antibiotics and felt better, but the pain returned and got worse. The swab for infection came back negative, so he finally scheduled me for another hysteroscopy and laprascopy. I was really scared to go through another surgery after what had happened during the first one, but was desperate for answers.

I went in on Jan. 12th, and he diagnosed me with Post-Ablation Syndrone and a chronic pelvic inflammation. The Post Ablation Syndrone was caused by my first dr. not making sure all the living tissue was cauterized during the ablation. The scar tissue from the tissue that was ablated causes the uterus to close off and it trapped the living tissue inside. With no way to bleed out, it bleed back out into my pelvis and caused an acute case of endometriosis. I had some endo that was already there, but it had been asyptomatic before. The new endo had eaten holes through the membranes in my pelvic floor, and had caused a huge canker sore to form on the underside of my uterus. The dr. tried to fix me up so I wouldn't back bleed anymore and took care of the endo. He couldn't explain fully where the chronic inflammation came from but all I remember him saying was that my uterus was purple and really angry!

I got relief for about 3 weeks, but then the intense pain and fevers came back. My dr. suggested trying Lupron, but my sister had gone through that and was more miserable than before she tried it. I had a horrible time on the pill, and just felt in my heart that if I tried the Lupron I would just continue on in pain and misery. The only other option was a hyster. By this point, I was in so much pain, unable to sleep, and hardly able to make it through the days. The dr. thought that it was probably adno. I hated the idea of going through a 3rd surgery in such short time, but after talking with some friends and praying much, I felt at peace that I needed to go through with it.

I went back on Feb. 27th (my insurance company just loves me!) and had a TVH. The dr. was concerned about my ovaries since they had had endo on them, but he said they looked good when he was in there, so he left them but took my tubes. He told me that if the pain returns then it is a much easier surgery to remove the ovaries later on. I decided that was a chance I'd rather take because of my rejection of hormones. I'm crossing my fingers they hold up for me!!

In the end, when the pathology came back, my dr. said it was a "sneaky case of fibriods." There were a bunch of them hiding in the lining of my uterus undetected before by the 2 CAT scans and 4 ultrasounds all the dr's. had done trying to figure it out. My dr. said the cauterization from the ablation made them really angry and they were starting to swell, causing all the horrible constant knife-life pains. Those on top of the polyups were probably what were causing all the original pain and bleeding in the first place. He couldn't fully explain where the chronic pelvic inflammation came from, but maybe just from a combination of the original UTI infection or peritonits and the Post-Ablation Syndrome.

So after 4 ultrasounds, 2 CAT scans, 7 different doctors, every antibiotic in the world it seemed like, more blood draws than I can count, 1 night in ER, 3 surgeries with 3 hospital stays all within the longest 5 month period of my life, I am finally fever free and pain free!

Whew! It feels good to finally just get it all out too!

I'm so happy that I went through with the TVH. I am glad that I had tried the ablation first, but if I had know that I had the endo and fibriods, I might have been able to make a more informed choice and just have gone ahead with the hyster first. I would also reccommend that anybody considering an ablation get a second opinion, even though the drs. make it seem like such a simple wonderful procedure. It is not without risks, especially if the dr. is careless like my first dr. was.

I'm recovering well, just experiencing the normal up and downs of recovery. I'm 15 days post-op today. Looking forward to resting and returning to work on April 2nd. I found hystersisters when I was 1 week post-op and it was a godsend! It helped me connect with others going through what I was and know that I was perfectly normal and not alone. I'm so grateful for this community.

Well, that's my story. Good luck to everyone whether you're trying to make a decision, going in for surgery, or recovering.

God Bless!!

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TVH - A&P repair and sling to achieve a crown

TVH - After the surgery

Find A Doctor Near You

Susan D. Hunter, M.D. 626 Ed Carey Dr Harlingen TX 78550 956-428-4868	Megan Bird, M.D. 364 SE 8th Ave, Suite 205 Hillsboro OR 97202 503-681-4145	Terry Grogg, M.D. 4461 S Broadway Suite 200 Suite 200 Grove City OH 43123 614-875-0444
Geoffrey Cly, M.D. Suite 101, 11123 Parkview Plaza Drive Fort Wayne IN 46845 260-969-5530	Clifford Rogers, M.D. The Everett Clinic, Dept. of Surgery and Gynecology 1330 Rockefeller Ave, Suite 120 Everett WA 98201 425 339 5424	Aarathi Cholkeri-Singh, M.D. 120 Osler Drive Ste. 100 Napeville IL 60540 630-428-2229
Mayra J. Thompson, M.D. 5323 Harry Hines Blvd Dept OBGYN Dallas TX 75290 214-645-3888	Ruslana Kadze, M.D. 5525 Etiwanda Avenue Suite 228 Tarzana (Los Angeles) CA 91356 818-343-1717	Robert Furr, M.D. Women's Surgery Center 1604 Gunbarrel Road Chattanooga TN 37421 4238996511

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