i am frightened... who isnt right?

hi,

i have questions as to whether or not i should even have this surgery ? i have cysts on both overies and fibroids in my uterus. my doc says take everything (uterus, overies, the whole shabang) out and you wont have any problems in the future. i am really wondering if this is neccessary or just what the doc s are doing these days ? i did get second opinion and they said the same thing. i am scheduled to have laporoscopic surgery dec 11 and am really scared about my emotional changes ... my husband of course is wondering if i will ever want to have sex again (just like a man, ha ha). so many unanswered questions and i dont know anyone who has had this done before. what is the recovery time on laproscopic surgery ? doc says i should be able to drive in 4 days and i have been reading message board .. it doesnt seem that i will heal that soon ? any suggestions...?
no cancer or hysterectomys in my family... i am the first... i am 43, healthy, no abdominal pain. i feel that they will be taking everything that makes me a woman away from me? is that normal thinking ?

thanks for anyone who can share....i have never used chat room or message board before... hope i didnt mess up ?

juli

I would get a third opinion and even a fourth, if needed. The question that might get to the information you really need is *why* should I have surgery? What will happen if I don't? Will something get worse?

I just had a couple of little fibroids, but the pain and bleeding was so bad I basically had my life on hold until I could find a solution, so it was obvious for me that I needed it done.

How and why were your problems found? Just during a routine checkup? If fibroids are growing quickly, some doctors get jumpy about them and want to get them out. It is possible for them to quoosh other organs, blood vessles, and nerves. They can die off and cause infections. The blood vessles on them can rupture and they can bleed heavily (as one of mine was doing). But some women live just fine with them.

If you do need a hyst, don't worry, there are plenty of things that make us women - least of all our innards. But until you are satistified that surgery is necessary, keep researching your situation.


Oh yeah... I agree - driving four days later would probably be a bad idea, both for your health, and for your driving. Get other opinions about that, too...

Hi Juli,

Linda is right --- get another opinion or at least get your questions answered before you have the surgery. You also might want to visit the Options and Alternatives board and look at some of the information there.

You shouldn't go forward with the surgery especially if you don't know why you're having it! This is not something that can be undone, so you need to feel comfortable with your decision before hand.

I home this helps!

z

Hi- just weighing in. You will not be losing the things that make you a woman if you have this surgery! I feel better now then I did for the past 6 years- sex life is great!
Take a notepad with you to the dr. with questions you have so you'll feel more informed. I had rapidly growing fibroids that brought on very heavy bleeding- had been experiencing perimenopause as well (night sweats, migraines, vaginal problems) - HRT prior to surgery didn't do it for me but now, I'm having excellent results.
Wish you the best! Between this website and your doctor, you'll figure out what to do!

Juli, I'm scared too and have many of the same concerns as you have. I'm going ahead with the surgery because there's a small chance I may have ovarian cancer, and exploratory surgery is the only way to find out. (My date is one day after yours, by the way.) But your situation is different. What problem is the surgery supposed to solve? Are having pain or heavy bleeding that it's supposed alleviate, or is just to prevent problems in the future. Definitely keep getting opinions and doing research until you are satisfied that you're doing the right thing. It doesn't sound like you need to be in any hurry to have this surgery. If you do end up going through with it, please know that you are just as much a woman as you ever were! We are more than just a container for reproductive organs! Your brain, your personality, and your spirit all make you the wonderful woman you are!

A for you!

Amy