Advice needed

I'm new here so I will warn everybody that I tend to ramble. I don't have anyone to talk to that has been through this surgery so bear with me.

Let me start from the beginning.

Somewhere around April I started having really bad cramps in my left side. I also stopped having a period for 2 months. I don't have a gyn. here in town since we have only lived here for awhile. So I go to my family doc. (Who by the way is not my family doc anymore!) She does a pap, and schedules me for an ultrasound. Well, I get there and can't hold my bladder. So I didn't get it.

She then wanted to schedule me for a cat scan, but since we are on a very limited budget I couldn't afford one. Even with our insurance.
On June 10th I started my period. I bled every single day after that. I went back to her and she put me on birth control pills.

Finally a week ago Monday I was laying in bed and got the most horrible cramps I've ever had. I have had one child and waited as long as possible for the epidural so I would know what contractions felt like. These cramps were similar but MUCH more painful. I decided that an ER visit might be in order.

I called my hubby at work and he came right away to get me. Before he got here I got the sudden urge to go to the restroom. I went and passed something that was the consistency of a piece of liver. I freaked. It was about the size of an orange. Immediatly after that I started flooding. I went through 5 maxi pads in an hour. I took the "specimen" as they like to call it to the ER with me and they sent it to pathology. (Still no word on what it was.)
The gyn. said I was not anemic since I take a multi-vitamin every day. He said my bladder is almost hanging out of my body so I will have to have the bladder tie up and the catheter for a week after surgery. He said he doesn't know how bad my ovaries are, but I seem to be bleeding up instead of down. And now I'm filling my abdomen and pelvic area with blood. He said if he can save my ovaries he will.

Here's where the advice is needed.
I got all kinds of bloodwork done at the ER. He has not scheduled any kind of pre-op appointment at all. I'm suppose to get to the hospital at 5 a.m. for surgery at 7:30 a.m. Can they use the bloodwork from the other hospital? I have to give myself the enima before I go. What else is involved??

After I passed that thing, I stopped bleeding about 4 days later and have been dry as a bone since. Does anyone know if this is normal??

My nerves might have lots to do with it because I'm scared to death. I've never had an operation other than a tubal and don't know what to expect.
Any and all advice is welcomed. This board is a blessing from God.

BTW.. he diagnosed me with endometriosis and fibroid tumors and said my cervix was completely erroded.

it sounds like whatever this dr talked to you about when he examined you and decided on a hysterectomy, was/is your pre-op..did he tell you exactly why he felt you needed a hysterectomy?..that would be my first question to him/her....endometriosis/fibroids, etc does not necessarily validate a hysterectomy..i would get a 2nd opinion just to double check his/her diagnosis/treatment/prognosis................getting to the hospital 2 hrs prior to your scheduled time is normal procedure..this gives ample time for you to be prepped for surgery (iv, last minute tests, bloodwork, questions answered, etc)..................yes, they can use the bloodwork you just had done....................yes, the enema is standard procedure (for most dr's) as well..some dont require any bowel prep, some only the enema, while others like the magnesium citrate (bowel prep is strictly the individual dr's preference).................depending on what type of procedure you're having done, some dr's will require a shave..this is usually done, if needed, after you're under anesthesia..........as far as finding out what else is involved, this would be best answered by your surgeon.....i would especially want to know why the surgery is being done?..what type of procedure is it going to be? what are the anesthesia choices? .if the dr has done this surgery before?.if so, how many times?..what are the risks?..are there other alternatives that are less drastic?..etc etc etc.........to get everything answered, put a call in to your dr's office and explain to whoever (nurse, receptionist, dr's asst, etc) your situation, and tell them that you'd either like a call back FROM THE DR, or you'd like to schedule an appt ASAP to discuss your concerns...........good luck!.......diana

I had the giant clots and flooding for months before I finally did something about it.

I have always been a heavy bleeder, but never a flooder. I figured with everything I had read that I must have fibroids or something.

Finally in May or June of this year I went to see a GYN NP.. she put me on birth control pills.. they didnt help... I continued to bleed and clot out of control.

By July it was getting pretty severe. I was on Iron pills for anemia by this time. The period I had this past July had me in an ambulance. I had about 5 of those clots you described at one time and then flooding. I felt like I was going to pass out. When I passed this stuff, I felt like it had all just drained the life out of me. I couldnt breath.. Well, they sent me home from the hospital that day. They said my blood levels were fine.

August comes along and I had a heavy one but the clots were not as severe. This became a pattern.. one month with no clots and the next with monster ones.

September I had started a period that began about 2 weeks after my august one stopped. It was a clotty one. By my 4th day, I was drained. I was so tired that I couldnt even get out of bed and when I could it was almost impossible to catch my breath. I finally went into the Dr after fainting in my bathroom at 5 am... but even after my fainting spell I waited 2 days to go in.

Little did I know that I had finally gotten to the point that I needed a blood transfusion. The ER called me at home after my blood tests from the day before and told me to come in immediately. I was too exhausted to care...

I was givin a Lupron shot (the 3 month shot) and after a few weeks I stopped bleeding.

I had a light period about 3 weeks ago.. and my TVH was done 11 days ago. I am RELIEVED!! It will never happen again.

My point after this LONG drawn out post you ask??

While I was not "anemic" in July... I SURE was in September. That was with 1000mgs of iron a day plus multi vitamin.

If you CAN or are not sure about your Drs diagnoses, by all means get a second opinion.... If you are confident and convinced that this is needed, Go for it...

I looked forward to my surgery. I was more scared of blood transfusions and fainting than any surgery. We are all nervous going in.. it wouldnt seem normal not to be... but these procedures are so common now that to a GYN dr its like a walk in the park... well.. ok.. maybe not so pleasant.. but definately routine.

Dont allow yourself to get as severe as I did. I honestly didnt realize how "ill" I really was until I started feeling better.

Since my surgery I feel better than I have in years and thats saying LOTS since I still feel like crud! LOL

Take care of you and PLEASE dont get anemic!!!! It is extremely unpleasant not to mention dangerous!!

Good luck

STOP.............
Take a deep breath...this is a true shock to you yes.............but get some Med opinions here. Please take it slow unless it can be proven there is a time schedule or a life threatening situation... time is on your hands.

Plse dont be pushed into something that may not be necessary.........

Get some other opinions.

What others have said before me is applicable

Regards

Wow, Stacy sounds just like me. LOL

I also had the flooding, to the point that I couldn't get off the toilet. I also had the cramping that feels like contractions, that actually became so bad a few times that I threw up. There were days when it hit me at work and I couldn't get off the toilet. For weeks I had people at work telling me I looked green. My color kept getting grayer and grayer. I was literally having all the blood drained from my body. The clots were huge and disgusting and the smell that was coming from me was enough to make you want to vomit. It turned out that the fibroid I had was necrotic (rotting, dead tissue) and it was attached directly to my uterus. It was trying to abort itself, but what it was doing was pulling my uterus down and out my vagina. My first gyn told me things like, "Your uterus feels hard, I'm concerned about that." But he let me bleed for months without doing anything about it. After being rushed to the ER and IMMEDIATELY being brought in and examined, I was told exactly what it was and required 5 units of blood over the next two days before they would do the myomectomy. I felt like a new person afterwards, once the bleeding stopped and I got the transfusions it was like I was given a new leash on life. Other than the tired feelings and pains I get from the hyst, I really do feel great now.

If you haven't gotten a second opinion I'd suggest you get one. You need to know all your options and also exactly what you're going to be having done. Make them explain why you need the operation, etc. DG gave you some great advice and questions to ask, be sure to ask lots of questions of your doc!!! It's your body, you need to know why and how.

Good luck!

Mary Ellen

It sounds like most of your questions have been answered....
so I just wanted to send you a your way and let you know
the waiting is the worse part, I am now 9 days post op and don't regret my decision, and my symptoms were not as severe as yours, I did have fibroids, a uterus 3 times larger than normal, I had been on BCP for 5 years and they helped, the worse part was the endo and fibroid growing around my bladder and made it difficult to urinate and hurt a lot.

anyway, I wish you best of luck with your decision. I will be praying for you