pre-op worries

I am only 30 years old and was told after my first lap. a week ago(the 4th of april) that i really don't have many options as to what to do about my endometriosis. The doctors face said it all when i came out of surgery. I really don't think any of us thought it would be as bad as it was. The doctor that i have is really good at what she does and i trust her. I guess i am just wondering if anyone knows a better way to deal with endo. or has heard of a different approache to fixing what i have,maybe? I was told that i have endo. all over my uterus,tubes ovaries, and even some on my liver! I have been dealing with the pain from this for a long time(about 17 years) but it has gotten unbearable in the last 2 years.so much so i have been on pain meds.(percocet) just to get me through the day. I am tired of the pills and the pain. I just want to have a normal life again. will this hysterectomy do that for me? Help from anyone? I am all ears. my surgery is scheduled for the 25th of this april. hope to hear from you thanks .Feather

Hi there! Have you tried a course of Lupron? I'm on it, and it does help to a degree. The pain is much more tolerable, only requiring me to take 2-3 pain pills a day, instead of 2 every 4 hrs. I take Darvocet N-100 during the day, and Percocet 5 mg at night about an hour before going to bed. The Percocet lasts longer; no having to get up in the middle of night due to pain and taking more pain medications.

There are side effects to Lupron:

Acne
Joint aches
Insomnia
Vaginal dryness
Breast pain or swelling
Headache
Hot flashes
Loss of appetite
Decrease in sexual interest
Night sweats



I'm 28 and started Lupron on 15 Feb 02 (for suspected micro endo). I took a shot on 15 Feb and another on 15 March. TVH is 23 April. For me, the side effects that bother me the most are: Insomnia (on Trazodone to help with this) and Hot Flashes. I am not on any "addback therapy" to help with the hot flashes.

You can find more information on Lupron at http://www.lupron.com or you can use the purple search button on the top of each page and type in the word "Lupron". You will come up with many hits.

I wish you all the best. Let us know what happens. I hope I was able to help, even just a little.

About your reply on lupron, did the doctor want you to try lupron before letting you have surgery? My husband is in the army and i have to go to a military hospital. They made me try every birth control pill under the sun! I finally said enough i can't take it anymore! I wouldn't let up until they put me in for a diagnostic lap. and now all of a sudden they can't get me in for the hysterectomy fast enough. I am scheduled for it on the 25th of april. did i read right is amy.s's surgery scheduled for the 23rd of april if so we are just days apart on our surgery! anyway i am not trying lupron i have heard to many horrible things about it. also it will do the same thing to me menopause wise as a hysterectomty would. the doctor also said that in my case it probably wouldn't help much anyway. thanks for the info. though. i hope all goes well with everyone. feather

	Quote:
Originally posted by feather About your reply on lupron, did the doctor want you to try lupron before letting you have surgery? My husband is in the army and i have to go to a military hospital. They made me try every birth control pill under the sun!

<snipped>

Lupron: yes, doc wanted me to try it before hysterectomy. Reason being was that I had / have chronic pelvic pain, unresponsive to laps, birth control pills, ovarian removel. She said its possible I have microscopic endo, and the only way to see was to try Lupron. Now, I didnt like the idea, but had to do something. It was either that, or go on full-time narcotics till surgery. And I mean taking 2 strong pain killers every 4 hours for 3 months. I was NOT going to do that to my body! We are military as well, DH is Army. I get seen at the military hospital here, thankfully by a very wonderful female, major (rank), GYN. She takes the time with me that is needed. I have tried bcp's like I said, and now the lupron after 2 failed laps. It's time for me to move on with my life, instead of the pain controlling me! I wish you all the best.

By the way, please understand I wasn't trying to talk you into Lupron. I don't like it myself and won't reccomend anyone else try it. I was just simply stating info. :-)

I read what you had said about the failed laps. Is that because the endo. you have is micro.? And is the lupron helping with the pain well? I have heard good and bad about the lupron, mostly the latter. I now have heard on the web md site that they said they think it has been seen to possibly cause cancer in the cervix! I would definitely look into that, not to scare you or anything, sorry. Are you having surgery on the 23rd? I hope that all goes well with you . Also were you extremely sore after your laps? It has been about 6 days and i feel a whole lot better but still soooo sore. anyway i hope you are on the road to recovery. feather

I got pain relief from the laps, for 2 months at most. Then the pain came back. Pain before Lupron was 7-8 on scale of 1-10. Now it is 3-4, every now and then a 5. Thankfully, my doc gives me pain pills when I need them (as I have tried everything else, and they don't work). Yes, my hyster is on April 23rd and I am really looking forward to it. Getting ready to live my life free of pain, I hope. My cervix will be coming out along with the uterus. As far as pain after the laps, for the first 48 hrs I was really sore. I drove 4 days post op after both and was back to full normal activity at 1 week. I was still sore, but there wasn't pain. Tummy just felt like I did too many sit-ups.

I hope things go well for you. You will be going in to have your surgery when I will be coming home.

I too was on 6 months of lupron after my lap. They did not find any visible endo, but a very enlarged boggy uterus..suspected adeno. My surgeon wanted to try lupron to see if I would get relief to verify his suspected diagnosis. I did get total relief from the pain and bleeding while on the lupron. Had my last shot in October and my first period on Christmas Eve (Merry Christmas to me!)...slowly but surely all the pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, ect...came back and I am now scheduled for a hyst next Tuesday. I was warned about all the side effects from my doc and did get plenty of them: insomnia (given Trazedone), hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings...but I am somewhat glad I tried lupron...now I know what it will be like after surgery--NO PAIN!