hysterectomy scheduled for two weeks from tomorrow

The surgeon's office called today and scheduled a LASH hysterectomy procedure for me on December 20th. I will be the surgeon's third surgery that day, evidently. I have had two heart surgeries, the most recent being an open heart surgery three years ago to replace a failing bicuspid aortic valve, and I'm equally nervous about this surgery. I guess there are so many unknowns: do I have endo; can I keep my ovaries; will I end up with mini-periods because I want to keep my cervix; etc.? The monthly cycles have become so horrendous and frequent for me that I'm anxious to have that all be gone. But I'm nervous. I'm sure some of you have read this kind of post dozens or more times. If anybody would care to write anything comforting in response, however, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you.

Hi PrincessPooky,

I had a LSH and kept my cervix and ovaries. I am still very pleased with my surgery results. I got my quality of life back with my hyst.

On being nervous?? It sounds like you are just being normal. I was nervous too in pre-op.

Here is a LSH link that might help you with your research:

http://www.goodgyn.com/lsh.html

On a mini-period...if a Hyster Sister keeps one or both ovaries and the cervix, there is a chance of a mini-period in post-op. You might ask your Dr. if they do cervix cauterization during a LSH. I had my cervix cauterized during my hyst and I have not had a mini-period. Also, mini-period ladies generally report that it only requires a panty liner at that time of the month.

Sending best wishes~

Mary

Hi Mary -

Thank you for the pleasant reply. I found the link very interesting. That ob/gyn found about 1 in 20 of his patients having mini periods post-op. So I have 19 out of 20 chances to NOT have a mini period! Those are pretty good odds!

One reason the doctor is encouraging the hysterectomy is because I've been having "fevers of unknown origin" around the beginning of my monthly cycles. With heart valve issues, that could be a concern.

Have you, or anyone reading this, read or heard anything about fevers like that?

Thank you again.

Hi PrincessPooky,

I have not actually heard of getting a fever at that time of the month and possibly another Hyster Sister can answer your question.

Sending best wishes again~

Mary

Here it is, over a year later, and I'm finally posting a followup to my hysterectomy...

First of all, I was absolutely delighted that I received such a cheerful send-off email from HysterSisters the morning of my surgery--Thank You So Much For That!

The surgery went very well. Happily I had no endo. I only ended up with three tiny little holes from the surgery. My uterus was five times the size it was supposed to be and full of "fibroids and tumors," as per the surgeon.

My right ovary had an enormous cyst on it. The surgeon showed me a photo of a thing that looked like a great big snowman with a little bitty head and I asked him if the little bitty thing was the cyst and he replied that the great big thing was the cyst and the little bitty thing was my ovary! He said that the fallopian tube was wrapped around it, strangling it. I'd had a tubal ligation about twelve years previously, because of blood pressure and heart problems and subsequent recommendations to immediately get off of the pill, so I guess that may have contributed to that issue?

So I was able to keep my cervix and ovaries, as I had hoped to. And the pain from the surgery was LESS than all the horrible pain I was in for a few or several years, 24/7, from whatever was going on wrong in there.

I stayed in the hospital overnight because I needed to take antibiotics by IV (because of the replaced heart valve) but I didn't even need pain pills after the next day!!! The thing was a breeze! I had a little bit of spotting the next day or two and no more spotting after that, no periods, no nothing--HAPPY DAY!!!

Thank you again, for the support and information from this excellent site!