I am scared

I am really worried, and would appreciate any info from anyone. I am 27 years old. I have suffered with endo from age 16. I have tried every possible means of non surgical (drugs) as well as surgical help to allieviate the pain. The most relief I got was from the laproscopic lazer surgery to remove the leisons. That helped for approx 7 months. Now I am right back to the same way I was. My doctor informed me this morning that my last alternitive is a hysterectomy. We talked about the pros and cons of leaving the overies. I have opted to try to leave one and see how bad the pain is after. The way I see it is they can go back in to remove it later if need be but they can not go back in to put it back, LOL. So I am scheduled for surgery for next Friday, May 25th. at 9 am. I am terrified. I know it is my decision and I feel I have made the correct one, but it still does not make it any easier. I have had one c-section.....can anyone tell me if the pain after surgery will feel like that? Also I am nervous about all the "bad" things I have heard such as menopause symptoms, not feeling like a woman anymore, having no sex drive ect ect ect.....the list goes on and on. I do not know anyone who has had a hysterectomy so I have no one to talk to about this. Please if you can help I would so much apperciate it. Thank so much.

I am so glad you found Hyster Sisters! As you will quickly find there are many, many caring women who have been in your shoes and can help a lot with advice and counsel! Of course your doctor is the final authority...but they hardly ever remember to tell you to bring chapstick to the hospital!
Please look around at the message boards, stories, pull down menus - there is a wealth of information waiting for you!

One thing you will hear many time is that the waiting is the hardest part. I have not had a C-section but I can tell you my post op pain was nothing like I had imagined it would be (I don't have endo and I know that make your sitution different than removal of my old organs that had decided either to not work...or work over time).

Keep reading, posting and talking everything over with your doctor!!

Hi Kim,
I go on June 18th to have a TAH/BSO and I was also very worried too. This site offers a whole world of info it's the best thing I have found to ease my mind. The sisters are all so sweet and helpful. I had two c-sections and also wondered if the recovery was about the same??? I am so sorry women have to endure so much. You and I both know we will have full support from all the ladies Pre-op and Post-op they will be here. I hope you can find comfort in that as I have. I was also worried about HRT and all the effects of surgical menopause, as I learned it will take you and your Dr working together to find the right one but it can be done so, I'm told.
We can go down this path together, I'll be thinking of you, sending big love!!!
Jen36

I'm so sorry about everything you've been through with your endo , but you've definitely come to the right place now.

This site is a wonderful resource for answers and support!

I had a TAH last summer, at age 28, due to a large fibroid. I had the cervix removed, but was able to keep both my ovaries. I was absolutely terrified, because I had never been in a hospital or had any kind of gyn exams before. The waiting was definitely the worst part!

All of us vary greatly in our recovery, but I can tell you that in my case, at least, I feel great now! My sex drive is still VERY strong, and neither I nor my husband can tell any difference in sex. No problems with lubrication or orgasms.

I have no children, so can't really advise on the comparison to a C-section, but from what I have read on this site, the hysterectomy is a bit more involved than a C-section. With the C-section, just the baby is removed, which is SUPPOSED to come out. With a hyst, they are removing an organ that isn't supposed to come out, and have to do a LOT more internal suturing to tie off all the ligaments and things.

I hope you will continue to read as much as you can, and post often - we'll do our best to help you through this!

Hugs to you! Easy for us to say don't worry isn't it...but DON'T WORRY! I have been reading all the posts here and it sure seems to me that a majority of the women are much happier after having their surgeries and a majority of the women seem to have really good results with their HRT, and a majority of the women have better sex lives after surgery. I think you should maintain a positive outlook, which is half the battle, and assume you will be in the same category.

If you had a good sex life prior to hyster. then chances are you will afterward. There have been research surveys done and 70 percent of the women have good to better sex lives and 30 percent have worse. One would have to exam what specifically they felt was worse and whether it was actually physical or emotional or because of their sex partner.

Just seems to me that if you stay positive and assume the best you will be okay. It's like assuming the worst then it happens, sometimes those self-fulfilling prophesy things happen.

Write down your questions and ask your doctor. Now is the time to start working with your doctor as a partner. Listen to your body, keep track of how it reacts, give the doctor feedback and between the two of you, you'll give your body what it needs and things will be okay.

One thing, did you say you were 28 and had NEVER had a gyn. appt. before???? That is NOT good health pratices if that's what you said! Would that mean you also do not get mammograms? This is me nagging.

Take care of yourself. Best of luck for a healthy life.
Hugs again,
Miranda

Thanks a bunch ladies. I really appreciate all your kind words. This site is incredible. I have been on it all night and I have found incredible amounts of information. I planned out tonight who to ask for help and I have my mom, my mother in law and DH for the first 3 weeks. There will be someone with me always. We will take it from there and see if I need further help with the kids and everything else, after 3 weeks. You are really great and I am so thankful to have found such wonderfully supportive people to talk to. Thanks again.

Try not to worry so much. I can tell you that I was scheduled for a vaginal hyst, but ended up with an abdominal --- so when I woke up with the large bikini incision, I was petrified - I never really had asked any questions of my DD about that type of surgery. I was afraid of the incision as both of my children were born vaginally and I had never had surgery before. My stitches were all inside (never had to have stitches or staples removed), and I just had about 10-12 steri strips along the incision lines that I removed after about 2 weeks - they were coming off, and the nurse said ok to remove them.

The pain was tolerable - I had a morphine pump in the hospital, and Tylenol 3 at home. Most discomfort came in rising from lying down, but after about 5 days, that got much easier.

As far as sex is concerned, that is as good or maybe even better than before - I am almost twice as old as you at 49, and am on a dosage of .625 Premarin (both ovaries removed). Sex drive is just fine, and lot more spontaneous - not bleeding or uncomfortable all the time.

Hope some of this helps. As everyone here says, the waiting is the worst part.

Thoughts and prayers,

js

I am so glad that someone else is scared too! I am scared for different reasons. I am just scared of bleeding to death on the surgery table... literally! I go in for my vag hyst on the 23rd. I have not had a C section so I can't help you there. But if you are worried about your sex life, that is a good thing. If it isn't want you want it to be there is plenty of help out there to get you where you want to be, and new things all the time. I think you'll be fine if you are concerned, it will get you to the help you need if you want it. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery and your decisions. I have had suicidal cramps for years and am finally done child bearing so mine is coming out. No endo though. I have no reason why I should have such pain. I wonder if they'll find something when it comes out. Codeine hasn't helped recently. I don't know the ages of your kids, but apparently you won't be able to lift more than 5 pounds for 4-6 weeks. I have a 1 year old so that was a concern for me too. Good luck again and I know if you look here you'll find the help you are looking for.

Hi Kim Welcome to Hyster Sisters.

I had a TVH, so I can't really answer your questions about the incision pain. I can tell you that the pain and recovery were longer after my TVH than they had been for my two vaginal deliveries. That's to be expected, since babies are supposed to come and deliveries do not include the multitude of internal stitches that accompany an hysterectomy.

One thing that amazed me, though, was how effective and intent they were, in the castle, on controlling my pain. That meant a much easier initial recovery than I had expected.

About recovery: recovery differs from one woman to another. I think, overall, the majority of women have the expected recovery: 6-8 weeks initial recovery, 6 months to 1 year full recovery with no major hurdles along the way.

A thing that helped tremendously in those weeks that preceded my trip to the castle was reading the pull-down menus - they're available at the bottom of the Hyster Sisters Home Page - escpecially the Ladies in Waiting section and the "All about my hyst" section. You'll find a mint of information, ranging from what to take to the castle, how to care for the punctured princess to the stories as told by the punctured princesses. I also read avidly the Princesses Tell Their Stories message board. All those positive, and even the not-so-positive, stories helped me form a realistic view of what was to come.

Best wishes in your quest for information

If you're concerned about how to handle things post hyster - you can check out www.hormonejungle.com and read all the pulldowns about that. If you have one ovary left, it can pick up and do the work of two -- I lived with one ovary for several years due to endo/adhesions. Just be aware that it may "shut down" temporarily while you recover. That's not a guarantee that it will happen, just a heads up that it might.

Also, recovery time is muuuuuuuuuuuuuuch longer for a hysterectomy (tah) than for a c-section...and I'm speaking from experience.