When the shoe is now on my foot...

For several years, I worked for a large health insurance company. I remember women calling and requesting info on their benefits available for hysterectomies. I remember one lady in particular. I was still in my late 20's and a lady called(this was in 1998) and her voice trembled as she asked me if her hysterectomy would be covered and what she would have to pay. I had had probably hundreds of calls about the same thing up until that point but I remembered her for one reason. I knew that she didnt want to have this done and she didnt know what else to do. I couldnt tell her to run like the wind if she didnt want to have a hysterectomy, I couldnt tell her that I knew that hysterectomies are big money makers for gynies. I couldnt tell her that even though there may have been procedures that would correct her problem, her Dr. may not know or care about that. I remember telling her that she had a benefit for a second surgical opinion. I remember telling her that before she did anything, she needed to get copies of her medical records from her doctor. I remember ending that call with her voice being significantly more stable. I hope that I helped her.

Now, in late 2013 i am facing the same issue. My gynie told me she needs to take my dang uterus and i was so floored that I couldnt even ask any coherent questions. Since at age 41 I still havent been blessed with kids I really wanted to keep my options open. My dr. announced the need for a hysterectomy like she was announcing dinner. I had to remember that she does this all the time. I had to remember that hysterectomies are gynies bread and butter(the money is not in OB). I chose a female gynie because I thought she would get it more. Women want to die with what they came into the world with. We all came into to world with our uteruses. Now, it is my time to call my insurance company with the voice of hesitation. Back in '98, I never imagined this. Take care my sisters!!!!

Well the decision is yours. I didn't have a choice. Did I want a hysterectomy? No of course not. My insurance company didn't have time to blink. I was dying and within 3 days of 4 blood transfusions and 2 strokes with a hemoglobin of 5, I was transferred to a specialist surgeon and hospital. Should I waited so long and tried every other option on the planet like I did? No.

It's been over a year and although I understand this is big money for Docs, sometimes there are no other options. That was my case. I just got home from having a mani, pedi, haircut and eyebrow wax with no worries whether I had to change my depends in between or whether an ambulance would have been called on my behalf.

If you don't feel the need to have the hysterectomy, speak with a second opinion Doc. and even a third. Just don't wait till it becomes life threatening emergency because it can and did for me.

I am your age I just turned 41 yesterday Dec 29. I have no choice I have uterine cancer and my OBGYN set me up with an OBGYN/oncologist as well as a second OBGYN/ oncologist all agree as to what I need to have done as well.
I am so sorry with how your Dr. handled your situation mine if female and she felt so bad when she told me that I had uterine cancer. I could feel it over the phone. She did not want to tell me over the phone but we did not have another apt set up. We had gone to her thinking we had miscarried and found out my body had expelled a polyp which was tested and when it was discovered I had uterine cancer she sent it back for more stain testing before she called me.
We have never been blessed with kids either. I really understand where your coming from.
Tomorrow Dec 31 I have surgery and truth I am scared, sad and just plan beside myself.
Just know you are not alone you are in my heart!

JCB

I agree that if you don't understand the need for your surgery than you need to get another opinion.

I also didn't have another option because of uterine cancer. I asked questions even of the gyn-onc at I found on my own in an effort to avoid the surgery but no such luck. I was blessed to find the great Cancer Concerns forum here at Hyster Sisters to help me through the cancer journey.

Hystersisters advocates getting an additional opinion if you don't think that this is the right choice for you. You have to be your own advocate, one things are removed they cn't be put back so you want to avoicd / minimize regrets.

as you make your decision.

You don't mention why your gyn recommended that you get a hysterectomy, but keep in mind that all she can do is to recommend. In the end, whether or not you have surgery is up to you. You're certainly smart to get a second opinion if you're unsure and/or want more information on any alternatives that exist.

I'd like to respectfully suggest, however, that many of us will (eventually) die without various bits of the equipment we came into the world with. A few months before my hysterectomy, I had the lens in my left eye replaced with an artificial lens. The natural lens had become clouded over with a cataract to the point where it was opaque and I could not see through it anymore. My mother, in her early 80s, has two artificial lenses due to cataracts and one artificial hip joint due to the natural one being destroyed by arthritis.

When my gyn told me I had endometrial cancer and would need to have a hysterectomy, I knew that she was giving me the best advice she could based on her professional knowledge and experience. I knew that she would not be making any money off the operation, because she was quite blunt in saying that she didn't do hysterectomies where cancer was involved and that she would refer me to a gyn oncologist. Presumably the gyn oncologist *did* get paid for the surgery, but that's between him and the province. What *I* know is that he did a really good job.

Like my opaque lens, my uterus was a body part that had ceased to be an asset and had become a liability: it contained cancer cells that had the potential to spread through my body if left unchecked. I don't regret my hysterectomy for a minute. I don't regret my cataract surgery either.

I'd suggest that you get a second opinion and then sit down for a good, long think as to whether or not your uterus remains an asset to you or has become a liability. Good luck!