Embarrassing .....

Hi Ladies,

I have a question that has been bothering me, and now that I've found the perfect place....well, I'm hoping someone can give me some good advice.

My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday 3/3. Two years ago I had a hysteroscopy for multiple fibroid tumors and was able to remove 2/3 of them. I chose this route in order to have the option to have a child (didn't happen). Anyway...now I am back in the same boat with an enlarged uterus, painful periods, heavy bleeding, etc.

At the end of December I went to an internal medicine doctor because my bowels were "messed up" for lack of a better term. I was either severely constipated or having several bm's in one day which also included cramping. He suggested a colonoscopy.

I went to my gyno for a second opinion and that's when he did the ultrasound and found the fibroids/enlarged uterus/etc. He seems to think that it is all female related. He explained (in terms I can't repeat due to a lack of medical terminology) that female problems as such that I am having can have a direct effect on the bowels. He also thought so because most of my bowel problems are during my period...especially the first couple of days.

I agree that the bowels have always been kind of out of whack during my period, but I am wondering if any of you have had experiences with bowels totally out of control along with your other symptoms.

I just want to make certain that I should not have gone ahead with the colonoscopy. What happens if I have this Abdominal Hysterectomy and it does not solve the bowel problems?

I am so mixed up and confused! I love my doctor. I trust him 100%--he's the same one that did the other surgery for me.

I am so very thankful for this site. God Bless all of you that have responded to mine and so many others questions!

Thank you again!

I'm new to all of this, but I am having a similiar experience. For When I had my period, my bowels would act up. Prior to my surgery in October, I was having bowel and bladder problems constantly. Currently, with the new growth, those problems have returned. Like you, I'll either go days without , or go 3 times in one day. I never feel empty, which tends to add to the pain of the fibroids.
Does your internal medicine doctor know of your fibroids?
I wish you luck!

I always had issues with my entire digestive tract during my meses or before . I haad

Nausea
gas
constipation ( during the 2nd or 3rd day ) when my cramps were at its worst


all of these or one of them for three weeks every month .

Im luckier thn you are in that I have two kids . Bless them tho they drive me dotty some days .

Sometimes too hormones can affect you inways you never thought possible .

mei

Yep, I get diarrhea and cramping every time I bleed, which is more or less all of the time........luckily it's usually only during the heaviest days. I also have more trouble with my urinary incontinence during those days too. I can't wait till my surgery (proposed TAH-BSO with umbilical hernia repair and tummy tuck) this summer!

puddlejumper,
I am one who always had constipation/diarrhea in the days before and a couple of days into my period. This has eased up but is not gone. You said you are "mixed up and confused". Please do not go into this or any other major surgery feeling that way. I had three different doctors opinions and I would love to see you make an informed and educated decision by getting at least a second gyn's opinion. This way, you are positive that this is the route you want to take and will not feel pressured into anything. I would like to invite you to visit our Options and Alternitives forum. There is a lot of information there and the ladies would love to have you join them and ask as many questions as you need to. You also mentioned having a child. Many woman who have a hysterectomy and have no children go through a grieving process, even though their lives are full. This is a decision only you can make, but one not to be dismissed. I hope you find the right path for you. I'm also very please you found HysterSisters. We will be here to support you.

I have had bowel irritation for as long as I can remember during bleeding, mostly diarrhea. Since having problems with lrg fibroid, I have noticed I now have problems with constipation. In fact, I now have problems with the digestive system in general. It's hard to believe that '1' fibroid could cause so many problems.

Anyway, while waiting for any diagnostics, I have found it helpful to try and stay one step ahead with diet. Tea, clear liquids and dry foods have worked in the past but aren't as affective now. I am really worried about using preps for keeping bowels regular. Things aren't as easy as they were in the past and I'm hearing what the ladies are saying about stool softeners. Now that I can read the signals better with this new problem, BM's for the most part, are managable. As for eating......forget it. I can eat more or less normal one day and hardly eat anything the next.

The best thing anyone can do, is to become informed. If you don't understanding something, ask. Remember, no question is a dumb question. You have to be a self adovcate and these days, the opportunity is there. This site is a prime example.

Best wishes and hope all is well for you soon.

Puddlejumper,

I might be going against the grain here, but I would suggest getting that colonoscopy before your hysterectomy.

Because my problems occured in my colon area, during my period, my dr told me it made sense to check BOTH areas out. No surprises. Of course you still have the problems with your fibroids, etc. But for me it makes sense that if your bowel problems became an issue enough for you to see an internist, that maybe there is something else there outside of your menstrual cycle. Plus, if you have diverticulitus or IBS that's something you'd want to know for your recovery.

Now, I blush furiously whenever someone even toots in front of me; I am not "rear confident" and the idea of having a tube up my hiney was about as mortifying as it could get. And I had my period!! aaaghghh. but it was OK and the workers were professional enough.

However, for me, it was a matter of ruling things out in my own mind. I realize that your surgery is in three days or so, but if you call your internist maybe he can schedule you in ASAP?

Good luck with whatever decision you make and GOOD for you for being informed!!

That would be great advice ordinarily, but the bowel prep for the colonoscopy is quite lengthy, taking anywhere from 8 to 36 hours to complete (from the first sip of Golytely until the bowel is totally clear). I've put hundreds of patients through this, and I've had many of them say the prep was far worse than the actual procedure; not only do you have to drink a gallon of this salty-tasting solution, but then you must abstain from eating or drinking anything else while your body empties itself, and if you vomit, or for some reason cannot get to "clear", then suppositories and other unpleasant treatments must be done
to get rid of the rest so the scope can pick up any irregularities or bleeding.

I say this not to frighten anyone, but to correct the misperception that being "scoped" is a procedure that one can just walk in, have done at 9 AM and be home two hours later.

For what it's worth, I too believe you should have both your GI and reproductive tracts thoroughly checked out. ANY change in bowel habits is a signal that something's not right, and deserves attention. Problems with the GI tract can be due to something as simple as a change in diet or fluid intake, or as serious as cancer. Please get it evaluated as soon as you can, particularly if your symptoms don't go away after your hyst.

Because my surgery is right upon me, I feel as though I will go through with it, and at least solve one problem for now. After I am healed thoroughly, I owe it to myself to go to the specialist my internal medicine doc suggested if the bowel problems persist.

When I turned 40, I just started falling apart! I gained 15 lbs. and started having horrible periods! Now the back end won't cooperate either! Geez.............

Well, at least I can start taking care of parts out one by one!

Thanks for your advice! Good Luck to ALL!