Can Someone Help!

Hello, I am 31 years old have two children and have been told by the obgyn that I have a prolapes bladder and a very weak uterus(low). I am a very active person, I weight lift, run, coach both my kids soccer teams, ect.. I was given a few options: 1 a device which is like a diaphram. 2. Have a lift (bladder) or 3. Hysterectomy but just remove my uterus. Oh and 4. Live w/ it.

At the age of 25 I had a tubal Ligation so I am not having anymore children. If I choose #1 or #4 I would be at limits w/ what I love to do sports ect...If I choose #2 my uterus will... well, fall lower and probably have surg again. But if I choose #3 at this age what is ahead for me?

The dr. said it is not true if they leave my tubes that I am at a greater risk for cancer. Is that true? If I was not into working out ect... this may not even be a big issue but I enjoy these activities.

I have spoke w/ lots of women who have had the hysterectomy and have said all great things BUT they are 38+when they had theirs. My mother had one when she was 26years old but I still need more info to help me make up my mind. To tell you the truth I am leaning more for #3, I just don't know what is in the future (emotions, physically, mentally)since I am still young.

Thank you

yvette

Hi, Yvette! Welcome to HysterSisters! It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into your options, and it seems like a hysterectomy would be reasonable. However, you might get a second opinion from another dr to set your mind more at ease, especially in regard to keeping or removing your ovaries. At your age, I think most drs. would leave them if they are healthy, since you are so many years away from menopause. As far as I know, a hyst would not increase your risk of developing ovarian cancer. The risk factors for that cancer, other than family history of ovarian and breast cancer, are: age younger than 12 at starting menstruation, age older than 30 for first baby, infertility, and fertility hormone treatments (especially more than 12 cycles). If you have none of these risk factors, another dr might recommend keeping your ovaries. You also could ask him/her to make the decision during surgery, when they can actually look at them and make sure they are healthy. Keep researching and asking questions as you are doing. Good luck in making your decision!
Ruthie

Welcome aboard. I'm sorry you are having problems... at least you've come to the right place.

If you search (using the little purple button in the upper right area of the page) for "pessary" you'll probably find lots of posts about the "diaphragm-like thing". I've never dealt with one, but I gotta say they don't sound too comfortable. My question to the doctor would be "Will this either work forever, or fix the problem?" If it won't, then what? Do you put up with the thingy for several years, *then* have a hyst?

I agree with your thoughts on option 2 - that you'll probably just need surgery again eventually.

If I were in your place (done with having kids, and problems that are interfering with things you love to do), I'd sure go for the hyst. In fact, I *was* in that situation at 35 (different problems, but the same result), and I couldn't get a doctor to bother with actually *helping* me. Instead I had to get much worse over 4 years or so, becoming progressively less healthy, unable to work, etc. I would have jumped at the chance earlier.

I think you must have meant "if they leave your ovaries" (not "if they leave your tubes). Assuming ovaries, if they are healthy, and you don't have a strong family history of ovarian cancer, I'd hang on to them for dear life. Your own natural hormones are the best you can get. No need to deal with patches or pills if you don't need to.

I'm one of those 38-somethings, but for what it's worth I'm really happy with my decision to have a hyst. It's been almost a year, and not a day goes by that I don't feel a little giddy about knowing that the problems that plagued me since about age 13 are permenantly behind me, and I'm free to live my life as I'd like. Emotionally, physically, and mentally I'm doing great. (There was a bit of brain fog for a while there, but nothing unusual.)

How you do emotionally is very dependent on how you feel about the whole thing. I felt like "I don't want all the stuff I'm never going to use. I never wanted it. It's always caused me trouble, now it's wrecking my life, and I want it out, now!" My doctor asked me at my 3 month checkup how I'd been feeling - any depression, etc., and I told him No Problem. He said "Yup, I figured you would, because you were so positive about this." What I'm saying is that if you feel like I did, I think it's very unlikely that you'll unexpectedly find yourself in a morass of sadness about your hyst afterward.

It sounds like you are pretty sure about the No More Kids thing, which is a big part of the decision, but some women feel their uterus is a beloved part of them, and they want to try to "save it". If you are in the latter group, you might want to do what you can to avoid a hyst now, or at least go for the pessary thing, which, I imagine, would give you a little time to think about things.

Do as much reading as you can here. There are lots of younger women (25-ish), and you might benefit from reading their stories. Keep asking questions, too.

Knowledge is a wonderful thing.

Hi there mate and a huge welcome to you.
Well I am 12 weeks post op from having a LAVH/RSO and 2 hour bladder repair. I am just going to tell you about my experience so as to give you an idea.
I had in the end a very bad prolapse of both bladder and uterus. I was told along long time ago that I would have to have a Hyst, and after a laproscopic op last year to remove Endeometreosis, my surgeon told me then that it should be done SOON!! I did not listen and thought i could beat this and I had such a fear of hospitols that there was no way I was going to have it.
Well the prolapse got so bad, I could no longer use tampons, sex was very painful and uncomfortble and in the end i knew i had to do something. I had my Hyst and because of leaving it for too long ended up with a very large bladder repair as the bladder had begun growing into the vaginal wall. To cut a very long story short, my bladder was so traumatised that i ended up with a bladder that would not work for 6 week and catheter for 7 weeks. Those 7 weeks with a cath was the worst of my life. I really thought that I would end up back in theatre or worse end up having the cath for the rest of my life. My bladder took 6 long weeks till it began to go.
I am feeling alot better now, although my bladder is working, it is not yet back to normal but will get there eventually.
I realise that you have a very active life and that you are only young, but would hate this to happen to you. Yes you will have to lay off doing the things you love for 6 to 8 weeks but out of a lifetime it is not alot. You will be able to get back into everything just slowly. Life will return to normal again and you will be able to carry on with your life style without all the hassles of periods and prolapses.
Please consider all the options, make sure tht you are comfortable with your final decision. Do research and take your time. Good luck with your decision and please keep us informed as to what you decide.
Hugs Vicki