Good news for you LIW!

For all LIW,

I am now 7 weeks post-op (TAH on 5/20/03). I had fybroids, an enlarged uterus, and a baseball sized cyst of endometrosis on my right ovary. I had a D & C/laporascopy in March, but that didn't help. At this time, I would like to share my personal experience of being on the "other side" ....

1) No more mood swings/PMS. PMS affected me about one week a month - that's a lot. My family doesn't have to be in fear of when I'll turn into a maniac and I no longer cry for no apparent reason. I feel more level headed and "clear" with my thinking. I was fortunate and was able to keep one ovary, so I didn't have hormones to get leveled out post-op, like some of you may.

2) No more dreaded painful/heavy periods. This was another awful one week a month (added with one week of PMS - it was two weeks of misery). Most of you LIW can probably relate to wondering where you'll be when "it" hits, etc. The pain varied from bad to miserable. I will never miss that. The post-op pain wasn't all that unbearable (I had some periods that were more painful than the pain I felt post-op). Also, the post-op pain is short term - it won't keep coming back like the painful periods did. It's all gravy a couple weeks after the surgery is over!

3) More energy. The endometrosis I had took a toll on my energy level - making me tired all the time. I'm back full time at work now since post-op and have more energy at the end of the day now than I did pre-op. Love it!

4) No more tummy bulges! For those LIW with an enlarged uterus, you'll love it when that's GONE! I no longer have to search through my closet looking for something that won't be too tight. For recovery, I would suggest lightweight knit shorts/pants with a drawstring for a couple weeks or so though.

5) Recovery time was heavenly. I was fortunate to have 6 weeks off, but could have probably gone back to work after 4. We took a vacation when I was 5 weeks post-op and I went down water slides at the water park and everything! My kids are teenagers and since I've always worked full-time since they were babies, I thought it was nice to finally have time off with them. I felt my whole family learned to appreciate me during the first couple weeks of recovery time too.

I was nervous pre-surgery (like most of you probably are), and at one time shortly before the surgery, I called the dr's office to cancel. Fortunately, the nurse there talked me out of that. I will never regret having my TAH. My only regret is that I waited as long as I did to have it. (My best friend is seeing her doctor next week and wants to have a hyst now too - too funny!)

Good luck to you all and may you have as good of a time with your hyst as I did with mine!!

Thank you so much for that encouragement!! I'm so happy to hear the mood swings went away...I've been so worried this monthly depression thing would continue, and I'm taking heart in your words, praying it will be so for me also.

I'm prepared and so excited!! I did have to cancel last months surgery date, but am back on track and scheduled again for two weeks.

thanks again for you words!!!

Oh I cannot thank you enough for sharing your story! That just gives me such hope! I have struggled with wanting to chicken out myself. Hearing stories like yours makes me believe I can do this! While my monthly's aren't as severe as many of my fellow sisters, I know they probably will be one day. I have a one inch fibroid which is in the inner wall of the uterus. They suspect I might have adenomyosis due to my cramping the biggest part of the month. I, too, suffer pms. But I think mine lasts more like 10+ days. THAT alone is motivation to go ahead w/my surgery! If I can get rid of all this pms, the cramps and bleeding, I am going to be in hog heaven!! Woo hoo!! My only hope is that I will not regret not having more children. But I know in my heart that I don't have the energy! So I know that this is for the best. Now I just hope that I can have a LAVH instead of an incision. I already have a bikini line scar from my c-section. And dr says if the scar has too many adhesions that he can't use it. So I am praying for NO SCAR TISSUE AND NO ADHESIONS!!! Then I will be the happiest little camper around!! Wish me luck! And thank you again!!

hugs!!

Kim

Okay ladies....this post raises a question for me. I had heard that the monthly PMS doesn't neccessarily go away, since it is the ovaries/hormones that cause PMS in the first place. Is it a given that it will go away?
Thanks.

I am assuming that you kept one ovary. Like gwiz I heard that PMS will not necessarily go away after the hyst if you keep ovaries. I am planning on keeping my right ovary because I don't want to be on HRT yet, but am a little concerned that PMS will be just as bad. Right now I have about 12 days of it with extreme bloating (swelly belly extreme, water retention, lower backaches and more). Although, I am thinking the swelly belly is due to the , adeno, and endo??

Any advice is greatly appreciated and thank you SO much for that positive message.


Kristina

Thanks for all the information. I have less than one week to go and getting nervous. Is there a link that I can go to and see what I need to take to the castle?

Thanks for taking the time to write this post, It has really cemented the fact that I have made the right choice for me. I am in pain all the time, heavy bleeding whenever and and now anemic and majorly tired. Have only 6 days to go, whooooooo hooooooooooo.

Hi Pam
We are having surgery on the same day and I see you are counting down to. I'm having a TAH & Bladder suspension. Scary!