The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy

This is a good book to read for info on all types of hysterectomy. I am 7 weeks out from a TLH and it was spot on with what I went through.

Wishing you all well.

Even within the hysterectomy community I find my situation to be little referenced. I have had breast cancer twice and am positive for the BRCA 2 breast cancer gene.

I am having a hysterectomy and a bilateral salpingo-oofrectomy as a preventative measure. My potential for developing ovarian cancer is much higher than average and it increases with age. My daughter who is also positive for this gene will have to have a hysterectomy also in 10 years.

I am not having heavy bleeding or pain or any of the discomfort that women usually experience prior to a hysterectomy. My pre op visit is scheduled for June 10, my surgery is June 20. This book is one of the few books I have read on hysterectomy that references my situation at least a little bit. It is written in a very conversational yet professional manner. It may be daunting because it is a good sized book but it is thorough. It is helpful to a patient who is trying to find a way to ask questions of their doctor for themselves.

Once I reached my decision to have a hysterectomy, this book was absolutely a God-send to guide me through what to expect each step of the journey. I highly recommend it to any woman considering or scheduled for hysterectomy!

I go to a regular support group on Wednesday nights (not related to gyne issues) and a week after I'd had my hysterectomy, one of the guys says, "I have a book at home that's all about hysterectomies and kind of glanced through it when I learned you had to have yours." And before I could ask him what he was doing with a book on hysterectomies, he says, "My cousin wrote it so she gave my wife and I a copy."

The following week he brought it in to me to borrow, and I haven't read it yet (am trying to finish up a trilogy that I started pre-surgery), but reading all these reviews makes me want to read it now. However, it is now ten years post-publication, so it will be interesting to see how things might have changed. I had da Vinci surgery, and I doubt it is covered in the book since it wasn't available ten years ago.

Actually, the 2nd edition of this book was published in 2013. It's too bad your friend didn't have his cousin's newer edition. I would highly recommend "The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy" by Lauren F Streicher, MD. Very thorough and covers just about everything you could possibly want to know, and things you wouldn't even have considered asking about. For some reason, though, it's very hard to find this book. I originally tried ordering it new on Amazon but my order was cancelled because they were out of stock. You may be able to find used copies (as I did) to order or even check your local library.

An invaluable handbook about decision making, pre-op, op, post-op and everything else re: hysterectomies. The book will put many of your fears to rest and vastly increase the power of you as a consumer and the power of your doctor visits.

I'm reading it at Day 11, and realizing how lucky I was, particularly re: choice of surgeon.

Yes, yes, yes!!! This was so helpful for me in being at peace with my hysterectomy.