Anyone wonder if they are being a wimp?

Hi! Hysterectomy was presented to me as my last option for heavy bleeding. I have exhausted everything else, except ablation. I am not really considering ablation because I have suspected adenomyosis. Mirena was extremely painful the whole time I had it, so the thought of having scarring in my uterus makes me cringe. My doctor believes it won't be effective for me, and I tend to agree.

Anyway, I have been struggling with this bleeding for over 7 years. Sometimes, I think I need to get my life back and I'm excited to not have any more periods. But because my periods are not always consistent in terms of bleeding, I am questioning myself. I feel like maybe I'm not actually suffering enough to warrant surgery. I read things from other people that sound so much worse than what I deal with each month. It makes me wonder if I'm just being a wimp or I'm crazy.

I keep telling myself I've been on lysteda for years, and for hysterectomy to even be brought up, I probably really do have something very wrong. Even with the meds, I miss out on life the week of my period. Can I even take these pills another 15 years? I can rationalize why I do indeed need the surgery. But the feelings of it all possibly being in my head won't go away.

I do have a second consult with a different doctor next week. Maybe that appointment will offer me clarity. I hate this questioning phase. Anyone else go through that? Thanks!

I felt the same way. I did have an ablation 8 years before getting hysterectomy but my periods returned to just as they were before ablation. Doctors couldn't find any real reason my ablation failed and i thought i could just deal with it for 20 more years like most women do. Well my younger sister had a hysterectomy and said it was best thing she did. I am done having kids, tubes were tied, ablation failed and i didn't want to plan life around periods that cycled every 23 days. I was done. Doc suggested hysterectomy, insurance okayed the procedure and i had it done 5 weeks ago. No regrets here and it is so nice planning trips and not wondering if i'll be crampy and miserable. Do what is best for you. I have a high pain tolerance so my pre-hysterectomy cramps were tolerable for me but could have been debilitating for others so no you aren't a wimp.

No, you are not being a wimp!
I lived with uterine fibroids for 10+ years. My periods were so heavy that I would soak through a Super Plus tampon AND an overnight pad every hour. It was awful.
I also experienced SEVERE cramps for about 2 weeks each month. They were so bad, I had a prescription for Vicodin. (Thankfully, I had a doctor who knew I wasn't abusing them and agreed to keep me on them for those 2 weeks each month for as long as needed.....which ended up being 5+ years!)
I was willing to just continue life that way until I got diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Once my treatments were over, I was put on Tamoxifen to prevent a recurrence. Tamoxifen reduces estrogen in the breasts, but INCREASES It in the uterus. That increase in estrogen fed my uterine fibroids and they really started growing. Not good.

Now, I'm 2 weeks post op from my hysterectomy and am SO thrilled that I went ahead with the surgery. I kick myself for waiting so dang long! I'm telling you the freedom that you experience, knowing you will NEVER again have to deal with heavy and painful periods is AMAZING!!!

A couple of times I wondered if I was being a wimp but then I just had my last period (surgery is on Oct 27) and even with Tranexamic Acid 500 mg x3 per day it still lasted 14 days and I was passing clots the size of the palm of my hand. (sorry if TMI). The fibroids was so large the put extra pressure in my pelvic area which plays havoc with my severely arthritic hip. I also have adenomyosis and the dr said not to bother with ablation as she said likely in the end it would not work I had it so bad. An IUD was another option but she also said in a year or 2 I would likely just be back but I would still need an operation for the fibroids. So ya with that and other things I know I really need to do this already. I put up with it for so long before I even said anything to my doctor and when I finally did and described what I was going through they were like why didn't you say something sooner!! As women we tend to feel we should have to put up with stuff and we really shouldn't. This is YOUR body..YOUR health...YOUR peace of mind...it should mean everything to you. Care for you; it's ok and your body and mind will love you for it.

Thanks for the replies! My periods are still only about a week. Most days with lysteda are OK, as long as I take it easy (pretty much stay on couch). But I just had a flooding episode on day four, which used to be an alright day for me. My bleeding is just so unpredictable. That's what drives me crazy. I used to just plan on staying home days two and three. Now the last few months, I've had to call my mom to pick up my kids from school because of random flooding episodes even past those days.

I think for me, it's more the idea of just never knowing if or when there will be a problem. This keeps me anxious and unwilling to go out of the house, which probably also exacerbates my depressed feelings around this time.

I'm glad I had just a small episode (not a super scary one) so I can keep chugging along, knowing I'm not imagining all this. I think I am ready to be done. Just need to get over my fears of the surgery itself!

I hope yours goes smoothly! It will be nice to have pretty underwear, won't it?

	Quote:
Originally Posted by jorola A couple of times I wondered if I was being a wimp but then I just had my last period (surgery is on Oct 27) and even with Tranexamic Acid 500 mg x3 per day it still lasted 14 days and I was passing clots the size of the palm of my hand. (sorry if TMI). The fibroids was so large the put extra pressure in my pelvic area which plays havoc with my severely arthritic hip. I also have adenomyosis and the dr said not to bother with ablation as she said likely in the end it would not work I had it so bad. An IUD was another option but she also said in a year or 2 I would likely just be back but I would still need an operation for the fibroids. So ya with that and other things I know I really need to do this already. I put up with it for so long before I even said anything to my doctor and when I finally did and described what I was going through they were like why didn't you say something sooner!! As women we tend to feel we should have to put up with stuff and we really shouldn't. This is YOUR body..YOUR health...YOUR peace of mind...it should mean everything to you. Care for you; it's ok and your body and mind will love you for it.

Also--- do you have any side effects from tranexamic acid? I feel nauseous and headachy my whole period. I was thinking the meds are doing that. I hardly want to eat when I'm on my period.

No side effects that i noticed. Never had any problems with nausea before with my period or after while on the medication. I am very prone to headaches and migraines and am on topiramate which has made the world of difference for me. I just googled the side effects. I already have joint pain from arthritis in my hip and shoulders and can honestly say it did not get worse. no dizziness or anything else. I did have tingling in my arms the first few days I as ever on it but that was it. So overall I basically had no side effects but it did slow down my bleeding tremendously for the first 3 months but the last two periods were almost back to normal (well normal for me which was equivalent to a slaughter house).

I felt the same way - are my periods really bad enough to warrant a hysterectomy? Then I hear about how light other people's periods are. How they don't have to carry tampons and pads in their purse with a back-up supply in the car. My doctor said if my periods were interferring with my life, it is time to do something about it.

Hello,

I think it's normal to have questions about your final decision. Back at the beginning when my symptoms were subtle I would never had considered hysterectomy. But as things escalated and my quality of life was greatly impacted I chose to take control.

I reviewed my options and tried cyclokapron but only got mixed results. By this point I had booked my hystectomy but ended up on a wait list that took 8 months. During this wait period I had one episode of passing out and more than a few trips to the ER. It was like being on a roller coaster taking a toll on my emotional and physical well being.

I am 2 1/2 years out from a successful hysterectomy. i looked at the whole ordeal as a wellness journey. I made positive changes and my health has returned. For me I have no regrets.

The best thing you can do is reflect on your situation. Make up a pros and cons list. Be true to your own feelings about the situation. And with that you can make an informed decision that is right for you. Good luck on your journey.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by DolphinDreams I felt the same way - are my periods really bad enough to warrant a hysterectomy? Then I hear about how light other people's periods are. How they don't have to carry tampons and pads in their purse with a back-up supply in the car. My doctor said if my periods were interferring with my life, it is time to do something about it.

I was the same way! I didn't have any "major" problems...I had an ablation which successfully stopped my periods so there was no bleeding anymore-I was mostly just uncomfortable as my uterus had "fallen". My physician suggested keeping a daily diary of my symptoms to see how often it was interfering with my daily activities or just causing me discomfort, and this really helped me to know that I was making the best decision for me.