Kathy asked me to write a story about my supracervical hysterectomy and my previous history, which lead up to it and OH what a story it is.............
It all started about twenty-two years ago when I was unable to get pregnant, seems the only abnormal finding was a large fibroid which they didn't suspect to be the culprit but by this time I was twenty-eight years old and still wanted to get pregnant so we took the chance and I had a myomectomy. I did get pregnant but had a molar pregnancy and did not deliver a live baby. The infertility now turned into secondary infertility and continued to escalate with the addition of symptomatic fibroids this time so it was back for another myomectomy, by this time I was about thirty-three. For about two years I was symptom and fibroid free but still infertile, at thirty-five the fibroids returned with a vengeance and I tried every conservative treatment available because I still wanted a baby. In the meantime, I had a D&C, which helped for about a year and then another one about two years later with only about a year of normal periods this time. Each month my blood count would drop and each month I tried to hold off from having a hysterectomy until inevitably my count became too low to be able to redeem itself. By this time I was 44 and just couldn't avoid it any longer.
This brings me to a one day last July. I was at my gyne's office and we discussed the surgery, the possible complications and keeping my ovaries. To be perfectly honest I never thought that keeping my cervix intact was an option, I thought that went out in days gone by [the supracervical used to be a common procedure} At any rate, The Doctor asked me if I wanted to go for it and personally I was more concerned with keeping my ovaries. She went on to explain that I was a candidate because I have never had any cervical dysphasia or abnormal pap smears. The advantages of it were to retain normal anatomy and supposedly avoid vaginal vault prolapse {I really never had any fear of my vagina falling out}. And more frequent orgasms due to important nerves that innervate the cervix HOWEVER there is no data to either support or disprove this theory and I personally have never had an orgasm without a cervix so I can't help you out there either. The disadvantages are the possibility of having to go back in after the initial surgery for bleeding, continuing to have an annual pap smear and the possibility of cervical dysphasia or carcinoma. {Remember though that this procedure is only being done on people who are at low risk for this disease to start with, I.E., normal paps and no family history}. The procedure itself is simple and cuts about ten minutes off the operating time. I opted for it because I figured if it ain't broke don't fix it however I wouldn't have been upset if she wouldn't have offered me the option!
August 19th I went to the hospital at 5:30am for a 7:30 procedure, I was taken to the same day surgery unit, given a pretty gown, {one with the off the back look}, next I was surprised with an enema which really wasn't all that bad and whisked off to the pre-op holding area. Here my I. V was started and I was wheeled back to the operating room, I moved onto the cold bed and the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room.
The Doctor came in and told me my ovaries had to be removed because she had found disease that we hadn't anticipated I was upset about this and never even thought about whether or not I still had a cervix...I stayed in the RR for about an hour and then I went back to my room. I really didn't have a lot of pain to speak of but then I had a morphine drip going too. So NO WONDER I didn't have pain. The drip was nice but I had a tendency to fight it because I wanted to be able to regain control and I think this made me feel a tightness in my chest, I just couldn't relax...The lesson here is Don't fight your medications. I had a lot of visitors and I was agitated and didn't feel like entertaining...be nice but ask for some time for you before hand and if possible, get a private room. The night was long because I couldn't sleep but uneventful except that my I. V infiltrated and had to be restarted. I was still getting morphine so that wasn't bad either.
Day 2 It's been 24 hours since surgery and my morphine drip and catheter are removed, I took a shower and walked and walked and walked. Still didn't pee though so back came the catheter, I had percocet ordered if I needed it.........lots of visitors again and still agitated because I was sleepy but couldn't sleep, catheter removed again, still no pee so back in again. The Doc. came to visit, gave me the Climara patch and said that should do it, I said no side effects from no ovaries and she said nope no side effects. HAHAHA Another night of sleeplessness and then the gas pains hit, I went walking again and that seemed to help...removed the catheter, still no pee, one more time for the old catheter.
It's morning again, 48 hours since surgery...I showered, ate and walked {looking for more food} I woke up from anesthesia hungry, I forgot to mention that.
The doctor comes in, she says I have 2 options, one is to stay in the hospital for another day and the other is to go home with the catheter in my bladder of course I chose to go home......About an hour later, I removed the catheter and have been peeing regularly ever since. I slept really well that night. Each night following that brought something a little different, either I couldn't get to sleep, couldn't stay asleep or hot flashes would wake me up {remember now, no side effects of no estrogen being produced in my body} Physically I felt fine, just the normal healing sensations which were not bad at all. On day 13 I got depressed, had it not been for my hyster sisters I don't know what I would have done. We changed from the patch to Estratest {estrogen and testosterone} and within 5 days I felt much better. I also put myself on Pro-Gest {which was suggested by a sister} to even out the estrogen and I love it...I am now 3 months post op and feeling very well with the exception of a few surgical menopause disturbances...{no side effects Remember?} By the way, my staples were removed 5 days after surgery.
I have more energy than I've had in years and it's a good thing because we have a 3 year old daughter that we adopted when she was 2 days old...See, there is light at the end of the tunnel..........you just have to have faith and for those of you who haven't figured it out yet, I'm 44 and people do mistake me for Taylor’s Grammy.
So that's my story, I hope it's of some help to you!!! If I had to do over again would I do it? You bet I would...would I keep my cervix? I really wouldn't care I don't think. Now if I could trade my cervix for my ovaries I WOULD DO IT IN A HEART BEAT.
Please feel free to contact me if I can ever be of any help to any of you.
Regards,
Vicki
PS....recovery from a supracervical is supposed the same as the recovery from a total abdominal hysterectomy so try not to let that be a factor in making your decision
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