Scared to death (long)

Hi Sisters,

I've posted here before last year after a second opinion. I've since had a lap done in Jan, doc refered me to an Endo specialist. The doc who saw me could not even find my ovaries in the mess inside my pelvic area due to a frozen pelvis.

I saw the Endo Specialist last week Monday. Wow, have loads of new tumours, grapefruit sized ovaries and a endo covered uterus with some suspicious looking spider webs over the uterus which might be pre-cancer. I just had a laparotomy 6 months ago!!! To remove a 8 cm solid growth!

The doc said he's got to do a hyst, remove the ovaries, also remove the adhesions and free the rest of my organs. He said my ovaries are very sick. Everything has gone gummy inside. I had to book for a virtual colonoscopy, which I had today heavens help me!! It was horrible, but now it's over. I now have to wait for 4 days for the results, and then wait for my new doc to let me know when he can schedule surgery.

He told me it's going to be a massive operation. How big is big? Does anybody know how long such an operation usually takes (TAH/BSO)??? How long in theatre? How long in hospital?

I'm so scared and the longer I have to wait for the date, the worse it becomes. I'm only 25, have no kids... and now have no hope of ever having them...

Pls can somebody tell me there is a light at the end of this tunnel before the hyst...

((( Geri ))), I'm sorry that you've had so much trouble
I've never heard of a virtual colonoscopy. I hope that you get good results from it.

I had a tah/bso for precancerous tumors and the surgery took about 2 1/2 hours. I didn't have endo, though and that could make a difference in the time needed. I was scheduled to be in the hospital for 2- 3 days but ended up staying an extra day because of a reaction to some meds.

Hang in there, I hope that things will go well for you and you see the light at the end of the tunnel soon

Hello Geri,

I also had a TAH RSO with a vertical incision and was in surgery for 2 1/2 hours, mostly due to the size of the uterus and mass on right ovary which they were not sure if it was cancerous (thank goodness it was not). I am not sure how much longer it would take to clear up the endo. I was in hospital for 3 days and was surprised the I did not feel as bad as I feared.

Good luck and best wishes, the waiting is truly the hardest part.

Geri, I'm so sorry that this has happened to you at such a young age, and you must be in so much discomfort/pain. I had an abdominal hysterectomy almost two week ago (kept my ovaries and cervix) for a very large fibroid, and the operation took about 2 hours and I was in hospital for three nights.
Have you talked openly to your doctor about all possible options for preserving eggs, etc, or if it is even possible? Sometimes I find that our medical professionals have a bit of tunnel vision- they are trained to eliminate the immediate problems we have, but don't always think outside the box on our behalf, so we have to do it for them. Just a thought.

In any event, it doesn't sound like you can go on the way you are, and I'm sure that you will end up healthier in the long run. I couldn't believe that my chronic backache and pelvic pain were gone as soon as I woke up in the recovery room, and the thought of not having horrific periods is a godsend to me.
Keep your chin up, ask lots of questions, and keep talking to the ladies on this site who can help you.

Nancy

Yes, yes, yes...there is definitely light at the end of this tunnel.

You have been very unfortunate that your reproductive system is so sick. It's just not fair, is it. There's nothing that any one of us here can say that will make life more fair for you. There are quite a few ladies on this board who have had to deal with a hysterectomy that left them without the ability to bear children; some of them have found it very hard to deal with, but others are just grateful to have a normal life unmarred by pain, bleeding and illness.

A hysterectomy is major surgery; there's no getting around that. It is a very scary proposition at the best of times, but your surgery sounds like it will be even bigger. But it is not unmanageable. While I know it is scary, what strikes me as even scarier is living with organs that are "spidery" and grossly malformed. The idea of having such stuff inside of me is appalling, and the idea of being nicely cleaned out is appealing.

Like the other ladies who have responded, my surgery was about 2 hours, and I was in the hospital 4 days (I had some problems with anaesthesia, and I have a kidney condition, so they kept me in for an extra day or so. I was very well taken care of!).

We all support you!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Geri123 Hi Sisters, I've posted here before last year after a second opinion. I've since had a lap done in Jan, doc refered me to an Endo specialist. The doc who saw me could not even find my ovaries in the mess inside my pelvic area due to a frozen pelvis. I saw the Endo Specialist last week Monday. Wow, have loads of new tumours, grapefruit sized ovaries and a endo covered uterus with some suspicious looking spider webs over the uterus which might be pre-cancer. I just had a laparotomy 6 months ago!!! To remove a 8 cm solid growth! The doc said he's got to do a hyst, remove the ovaries, also remove the adhesions and free the rest of my organs. He said my ovaries are very sick. Everything has gone gummy inside. I had to book for a virtual colonoscopy, which I had today heavens help me!! It was horrible, but now it's over. I now have to wait for 4 days for the results, and then wait for my new doc to let me know when he can schedule surgery. He told me it's going to be a massive operation. How big is big? Does anybody know how long such an operation usually takes (TAH/BSO)??? How long in theatre? How long in hospital? I'm so scared and the longer I have to wait for the date, the worse it becomes. I'm only 25, have no kids... and now have no hope of ever having them... Pls can somebody tell me there is a light at the end of this tunnel before the hyst...

My soccerball uterus took about 2+ hours. I suppose yours could be 3ish. It sounds like abdominal is the way to go based on all the stuff they need access to and such.

But it really depnds on your surgeon and what they find. They will only be able to give you a general timeframe prior. You want them to fully address everything they need to do while they are in there!

Good luck to you.

I am glad I did this, though I would not have said that prior because it is hard to wait and there is the fear of the unknown. I feel great and I am not even 4 weeks post-op...