Recommendation for Surgery

I need all the information and support I can get. I'm 50 and have been healthy all of my life. My only visits to the hospital have been to deliver to daughters. Anyway, I went in for my annual pap the end of April and my doctor felt what he thought were fibroids. It was confirmed on 16 May after a sonogram that I have an enlarged uterus, 3x the size and 6 fibroids. He recommended a hysterectomy and removal of my ovaries, even though there is not present problem with them. My periods are still relatively normal; 4 days with a little heavy bleeding during the first two days. I'm afraid of the surgery itself and concerned about taking hormones. I've heard so many horror stories. I've been on the internet most of the day searching for answers, something to make me feel better.

My husband is wonderful, but he's not a woman and there are just some things he can't help me with. So I'm reaching out to my fellow sisters and asking for your help. I will appreciate any and all information you share of your experiences. Also, what was it like for you, before, during healing and after? Should I let him remove my healthy ovaries too? And I if possible, perhaps some info about how we can keep the cervix once the uterus is removed? That was news to me. I feel so vulnerable. Thanks so much for being here for me to talk to.

Welcome to the roller coaster!!!! Just kidding. We all feel gut shot when we find out we need this surgery. And there is tons and tons of information which is both helpful and not helpful. But, read as much as you can and try to stay objective. You will read a lot of sad scary stories but there are lots of good stories as well. A lot of women that do OK just go on and don't post about it any more. I was lucky in that I had a few female friends that had already had hysterectomies and had no problems and were very very happy about it.

My situation was somewhat similar to you. I wasn't having horrible periods, heavy bleeding the first day and then not much of anything for day 2 to 4. But my uterus was enlarged and I had a pretty big fibroid. The pressure of the mass caused me a lot of discomfort.

I was able to have an LSH so my recovery was minimal. If your ovaries are OK I say keep them. I wasn't afraid of surgery but I was afraid of not being able to balance my hormones after. Those horror stories scared me. I did have to give up my left ovary but still have the right. One ovary is enough.

Cervix??? That seems to come down to a personal decision. Most women cannot determine any difference either with or without the cervix. If the cervix is not absolutely cleaned of all uterine material you could have mini periods after. However, there is an office procedure that can remedy that. Since I wasn't have bad periods and have no cancer history in my family, I opted to keep mine. Haven't had any mini periods yet.

I know doctors like to do preventive maintenance while they are in there but I do believe in trying to keep at least one ovary for the hormones. Menopause will happen soon enough.

Good luck with your decision and try not to be afraid. You are certainly not alone. 600,000 American women have this surgery every year. Pretty big support group. And a lot of very astute intelligent women are here at the ready to help you through.

Dear Concerned A Lot:

I'm 53 and just had a TVH/BSO on April 29 because of fibroids and extremely heavy bleeding (I had become dangerously anemic). I too had never been in the hospital except to have two children. I was concerned and not certain I wanted to have this procedure done. But after discussing it with my doctor, I decided I should go ahead and have it done. She was certain that this heavy bleeding would continue and it was just too dangerous to continue to be so anemic. Also, after doing some blood work, she decided that I probably wasn't too close to menopause yet!! I decided she should take my ovaries because my mother died of ovarian cancer. Anyway, to make a long story even longer, my experience with this surgery has not been horrible. I had the surgery on Tuesday morning and was home before lunch on Wednesday. The amount of pain I had was almost non-existent. I have been able to manage with ibuprofen and a heating pad. I did have a back ache for a couple of days and I was moving gingerly for the first week or so. I have been out of the house with my husband to grocery shop and run some errands. I am now three weeks (tomorrow) post-op and I'm back to work today. I'm a paralegal and it is a desk job. I have been able to lie down on a couch in the office over lunch, but for the most part, I'm surprised that I'm not any more tired than I am. Anyway, for whatever this information is worth, I hope it helps you. I even told my doctor that I would be her poster child for TVH!

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do.

Mildred

i know how you feel. when i first found out i would be having a hysterectomy i totally freaked out. i wanted to know eveything about it. this is a wonderful site to learn just that. these women here are awesome, they can answer any problem or question you have. i also bought many many books. one was _ Through the land of hyster- the hyster sisters guide_ very very helpful i might say. the other was _ The woman's guide to hysterectomy_ by haas. i would suggest getting both that way you get both a medical view and real life. good luck!!

First and foremost, particularly since you really have no symptoms, please consider a second opinion. I'm all for hysterectomies -- when needed. I'm having my second round of fibroids and have had very heavy bleeding, hence my scheduled surgery (a week away!). But if your fibroid isn't bothering you, and your about to enter menopause, you might consider waiting. Fibroids are supposed to shrink after menopause. Are you having any menopause symptoms? Night sweats, hot flashes, etc.? I am but have opted for the hysterectomy because it will still be a few years before I hit full menopause. PLUS I have a family history of ovarian cancer.

I know some doctors say "take it all while we're there - no matter what." But if you don't have a family history and haven't any problems, you probably want to leave as much as you can. I understand that leaving the cervix is very common in Europe and just catching on here. We do have pap tests to catch any problems early.

That's why I suggest a second opinion. That way, you'll feel comfortable with the decision you make. I got about three opinions...and all agreed. And read all you can on this site. It's a lifesaver! Best of luck to you.

I'm with Cathy. I PRESSED my DR for a hysterectomy because I was in so much pain and discomfort. I'm 45 and had been in peri-menopause for a couple of years. I was dealing with the obnoxious symptoms by taking supplemental estrogen. When that grew my fibroids it was either stop estrogen (which I did but they still grew) or have the hyst. I wanted the hyst.

If your DR's appraisal of things seems a little too drastic and a little too sudden for your situation, take your time. Get a second opinion. Decide what you want to do and when you want to do it. About 40% of all women have fibroids - many of them are symptom free. Fibroids alone aren't a reason for a hyst. Fibroids are a benign growth. (However, a sudden enlargement of the uterus could be a more serious issue so a second opinion can help you figure that out.)

I swear, in my Real Life, I run into so many women in their 40's and 50's who have had a hyst. It feels like every older woman out there has had one! But it's not a requirement. You have the support of this board whichever way you decide.

I could hardly wait to get a response. Thanks to all of you, you've been so helpful. When I went in last Friday and fibroids were confirmed, I panicked and immediately told my doctor to schedule me for 9 Jun. Over the weekend I prayed and did a lot of thinking. On Sunday it came to me that I didn't have to rush. I spoke to my doctor's surgery planner Monday and even though doubtful, scheduled for 8 Sep. I also scheduled a personal consult w/my primary care doctor to ask about hormones. I'm comfortable w/my Gyn, just concerned as I suspect I should be. He says I'll feel a lot better and perhaps that is true. Hearing from all of you has really given me some comfort. I read about all the possible side effects and I really started "tripping." My fibroids aren't too big, but the problem is my uterus. I might be entering menopause, but I'm not certain. I get mild hot flashes periodically, at least I think that's what they are. There is no cancer of any kind with women in my family. However, a brother had prostate cancer, but doctors say that resulted from radiation exposure many years ago. In closing, I will stay in touch and let you all know the outcome. I feel better today, just hearing from all of you. I know if I go through with it, I won't be incapacitated for too long. And, I see you all made it through, so I can too. One more thing, which procedure should I opt for, vaginally or abdominally? I am an educator and do some standing and moving around, but a lot of sitting too. Is the scar bearable? Again, thanks a million, you've helped calm my fears and concerns.

Hi! I'm glad you are finding some support and helpful info here. It sounds like you are trying to make a thoughtful, informed decision about having a hyst, and that's a good thing since this surgery is irreversible. Your dr will make the final decision about whether it is possible for him to do a vag hyst. He will have to see if the fibroid is small enough to fit coming out that way. Some drs will try a TVH first, and then go to an abdominal incision (TAH) if more room is needed. The good part about TVH is that recovery is usually 2 weeks shorter and there may be less swelling (swelly belly). The pain with either one is bearable, just be sure to keep on top of the pain and take meds before you feel too much discomfort.

Keep asking questions as you think of them, and we'll try to find answers. s and best wishes!
Ruthie

Hi All! I'm so happy with this thread because it addresses my main dilema about whether or not to keep ovaries. I have fibroids/enlarged uterus. I am 51 and other than fearing the rapid enlargement of my uterus over the past year, I really can't complain much about symptoms (I do have heavy bleeding one day and my stomach feels so big).

I'm getting second and third opinions right now and I know I will be getting a hyst. My main concern is about keeping ovaries. Like many of you, I have no family history but I keep talking to male doctors who say that a woman my age should remove ovaries to not have to worry about ovarian cancer. I have to admit they've put the fear in me because they tell me that they have seen women in their 50's who kept ovaries and later came down with ov cancer in their 60's and beyond.

Like many of you, I'm so undecided. I get mad at myself because I keep wavering from day to day. Some days I tell myself I want to keep my ovaries, if healthy, because I know I want to avoid HRT. But if I avoid HRT, I may face osteoporosis/heart problems. On other days I want to just get rid of everything so I don't have to worry about the ov cancer picture these drs have painted for me.

I'm especially interested in Becky who decided to keep her ovaries at age 54. What helped you to decide this route?

I can understand someone like Mildred who has family history so the decision is more clear-cut.

Concerned a lot: I hope you can find your answers. I've been seriously looking into this for about a month and I feel so undecided.

Thanks all for your help.

I think that if all is well with your ovaries, and you lack family history indicating that it would be prudent to part with them, I'd have to vote for keeping them.

My surgery came very quickly, coupled with a possibility of cancer. I also wanted to have the threat of further surgery gone as much as possible, because of a blood clotting problem I have the genes for, which comes with a strong family history. That was the main reason i let them take the unaffected ovary Later the risks get much greater for me because of the blood problem.

I really miss my hormones!!!! I was postmenopause, but even after you go through menopause, your ovaries continue to produce hormones at a reduced level for perhaps 10 years!!! I am unable to take hrt, again due to the blood clot problem.

I have some real challenges in the intimacy department since the surgery, that were not there postmenopause. My osteopenia has rapidly turned to fast-acting osteoporosis (partly due to another problem discovered since).

There is a chance that something could go wrong later. But, under different circumstances, I would surely have wanted to try to save healthy ovaries!

So, IMHO, If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Of course, the decision, along with any consequences from keeping or getting rid of your ovaries, are all yours. I hope you will be able to decide on a course of action that you can feel comfortable with, and that your DR will respect your choice.