AudreyS - Hostess Alumni 2004 - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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AudreyS - Hostess Alumni 2004

AudreyS - Hostess Alumni 2004

From the Alumni Staff Bios 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
Ask A Doctor

Hi there, and welcome to the Hormone Jungle! My name is Audrey, I'm 47 years old, and live in Los Angeles, in between Hollywood and downtown. I've been married for almost 10 years to my DH, Bill, who has the patience of a saint when it comes to my involvement with Hystersisters. We are both medical people; I am an ultrasound technologist, with a specialty in adult and pediatric cardiology. BTW, we prefer it when you call us "sonographers" -- and make sure that yours carries the RDMS, RDCS, or RVT credential as your guarantee of quality! My DH is director of pediatric respiratory care at a large hospital here in Los Angeles. We have one DD, 7years old, who had three intestinal surgeries before her third birthday and battles adhesions already. My DH also has a son who lives with his mother in Seattle. He has severe ADHD and heart problems which will probably need surgery in a few years. Both kids are also way too bright!

BTW, just so you all know I'm more than a (former) uterus, working woman, and mom (and wife), this is me: I like to cook pure, healthy food; I used to be a singer (classical choral music, mostly) and have appeared with the LA Philharmonic and SF and Seattle Symphony orchestras (and 80 other singers, lol). I used to like to read, but most of my reading now is research, both for my role here, and for my hoped-for new career as a medical writer. Photography is still a passion, although I've not tried to sell my work in a few years. For all you scrapbookers out there, come to LA! I've got enough photos to keep you busy for a year or two...

Unlike many of the women here, my hysterectomy was not really by choice. I'd been having some pain which I thought due to gall bladder problems, and asked my co-worker to take a look with the ultrasound. We didn't find anything there, but I'd had some cramping on and off for a couple of years, along with some heavy bleeding and passing of tissue for the six months prior. So I asked her to look lower, in my pelvis.

What we saw shocked us both: I had a complex ovarian cyst, over 5 inches in diameter (think huge grapefruit). I didn't even have a GYN but my friend referred me to a wonderful woman, our age, who herself had a TVH a few years ago. I went to see her, thinking, "OK, laparoscopy, ten days off work. I can do this, no big deal". I've had 3 laparoscopies, two diagnostic for endometriosis (the first at 19 years old) and the third for an ectopic pregnancy that wound up in the cul-de-sac, between the rectum and the uterus. So laparoscopy was territory I understood.

I took my DH with me to the appointment. It had been three years since my last visit to anyone -- we'd moved to another state, then lost the HMO we'd had for 10 years, and I just never re-established my medical care with anyone (typical healthcare worker behavior, BTW!). By then, I'd had a "real" ultrasound, transvaginally, which confirmed the diagnosis and also visualized a thickened endometrium and some small fibroids. The doctor did an exam, and found my organs so adhered to each other that she said, "we'll need to do a full hysterectomy."

Needless to say, I was startled. At 47, I was done with reproduction. I had my DD at 40 after a pregnancy complicated by such severe pre-eclampsia that I nearly died. My DD went into her first surgery at 2 days old with only 50% odds of survival. And I'd had my tubal ligation during the crash c-section that they did to deliver her. So it wasn't that I was particularly attached to my uterus or anything, it was more the idea of the 8 weeks off work (I only work per diem -- if I don't work, I don't get paid) that was so daunting.

I had a CA-125 done that came back at 200. Somehow I always knew that this mass (in the face of all evidence to the contrary) was in fact benign. But that didn't change the fact that it had to come out, along with everything attached to it. My GYN referred me to an oncologic surgeon, who discussed my options with me. Given my family history of prostate and colon cancer in my father, and breast cancer in his mother, and the fact that I really wanted to make sure that this was my last surgery for GYN problems, I agreed to TAH-BSO. Yes, I'd suffered from endometriosis for years. I just never thought that it would end in hysterectomy.

I found Hystersisters in researching my options pre-op. I lurked for a while, as the only computer in the house at the time was DH's laptop. So I couldn't log on until late at night after he was done working on it. But my fifth day home from the Castle, he brought me home my very own HP Pentium 4, set it up, and my first act was to log onto and register at Hystersisters. I tell my GYN and my surgeon that it's the best thing their patients can do, as so many of my questions were answered here rather than by calling their offices with each new problem. Actually, I had a fairly uneventful recovery and was volunteering (with my feet up) at my daughter's school by the third week pre-op! And I have continued to learn here -- about HRT options, nutrition, supplements, and most of all, about myself and my dreams.

I hope I can give back some small percentage of support that I've gained here. I was astonished, and honored, when Kathy asked me to hostess. If one post that I write helps one other woman, the way so many have helped me, then the spirit of "Mitzvah" (good deeds) is alive in my life.

To all who have supported me (and read this far) thank you! And welcome to the most supportive community of women on the Net.

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Recommended for Hysterectomy Recovery

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Are4Power - Alumni Hostess 2012

Basketnut - Lori - Alumni Hostess 2007

Find A Doctor Near You

Mini Somasundaram, M.D. 4845 Knightsbridge Boulevard Suite 220 Columbus OH 43214 (614) 583-5552	Megan Daw, M.D. Western Carolina Women's Specialty Center 2100 Ridgefield Blvd Asheville NC 28806 828-670-5665	Emily Cunningham, M.D. 1720 Nicholasville Road Suite 702 Lexington KY 40503 859-264-8811
Aileen Caceres, M.D. Center for Specialized Gynecology/Florida Hospital 410 Celebration Place, Suite 302 Celebration FL 34747 (407) 303-4573	Larry R. Glazerman, M.D. USF College of Medicine 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. MDC 62 Tampa FL 33612 813-259-8500	Aarathi Cholkeri-Singh, M.D. 120 Osler Drive Ste. 100 Napeville IL 60540 630-428-2229
Bret Lewis, M.D. 5780 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd., Ste 295 (#2 Location) 11975 Morris Rd., Ste. 310 , Alpharetta, GA 30004 Atlanta GA 30342 404-255-3633	Tamer Seckin, M.D. 872 FIFTH AVE NEW YORK NY 10065 2129881444	Brad Cohen, M.D. 2477 Route 516 Suite 103 Old Bridge NJ 08857 732-679-6900

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