SAH: Just scheduled hysterectomy for 12/23, second guessing.

31 and just scheduled hysterectomy for two weeks. I've dealt with abnormal pain and abnormal/horrendous bleeding for 8 years after my second was born cs. I haven't been able to work due to this, therefore thankful my partner makes enough I can stay home and do odd jobs around my haunted uterus.

I've tried many things to alleviate. Gluten/dairy/sugar/most meat free, exercises, herbs and supplements. Gone to herbalists, chiropractor, massage, etc. Things will work for a bit and go back. Each hormonal upset- pregnancy, breastfeeding, stop breastfeeding, pregnancy, miscarriage- has caused me to gain weight and somehow I bleed even more. I've always been fairly healthy besides this annoying bleeding crap til recently.

Last year I got so bad I couldn't lift my kids, walk a few blocks, or go up a flight of stairs without bleeding. I was out on bc which worked til this summer wen they found a bleeding polyp. Hysteroscopy and d/c and I was fine til my first period...that never ended. So was put on straight progesterone hoping I could deal til menopause. Well, moderate chest pain and elevated heart rate. My only option I suppose now has been hysterectomy.

My partner urged me to go get a second opinion to see if there's an underlying cause. Since it's so close to the end of the year, I've finally met my deductible, and it's come to this point I just scheduled. Now I'm sitting here wondering if that was smart, if I should call another doc before my pre op and see. But with the time crunch I don't know if it'd be worth it. They'd prob just say the same thing right? 'We don't know what causes this kind of pain and bleeding, but getting rid of your organ stops it since you can't bleed anymore'.

I think a second opinion IS a good idea, and I'd be a bit concerned about going in to surgery without having some notion of a diagnosis. It doesn't sound like you have one at this point. You might be able to get by with an ablation, myomectomy, UAE, different hormones... but you don't know what might work if you don't know the cause. When I agreed to my hysterectomy, my doc and I knew the cause was fibroids. For me, surgery was the best option, but your circumstances might be quite different than mine.

Check out 5 Reasons to Seek a Second Opinion.

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Originally Posted by Rleome 31 and just scheduled hysterectomy for two weeks. I've dealt with abnormal pain and abnormal/horrendous bleeding for 8 years after my second was born cs. I haven't been able to work due to this, therefore thankful my partner makes enough I can stay home and do odd jobs around my haunted uterus. I've tried many things to alleviate. Gluten/dairy/sugar/most meat free, exercises, herbs and supplements. Gone to herbalists, chiropractor, massage, etc. Things will work for a bit and go back. Each hormonal upset- pregnancy, breastfeeding, stop breastfeeding, pregnancy, miscarriage- has caused me to gain weight and somehow I bleed even more. I've always been fairly healthy besides this annoying bleeding crap til recently. Last year I got so bad I couldn't lift my kids, walk a few blocks, or go up a flight of stairs without bleeding. I was out on bc which worked til this summer wen they found a bleeding polyp. Hysteroscopy and d/c and I was fine til my first period...that never ended. So was put on straight progesterone hoping I could deal til menopause. Well, moderate chest pain and elevated heart rate. My only option I suppose now has been hysterectomy. My partner urged me to go get a second opinion to see if there's an underlying cause. Since it's so close to the end of the year, I've finally met my deductible, and it's come to this point I just scheduled. Now I'm sitting here wondering if that was smart, if I should call another doc before my pre op and see. But with the time crunch I don't know if it'd be worth it. They'd prob just say the same thing right? 'We don't know what causes this kind of pain and bleeding, but getting rid of your organ stops it since you can't bleed anymore'.

Hello rleome! I had my TAH 2 months ago due to one very large fibroid and several small ones that caused me to look pregnant for four years. I had several discussions with my gyno and we explored various options before we settled on the Hyster route. Just my personal opinion - having a major surgery is a big deal and you probably would want assurances that your issues are resolved once you have it. When I also mentioned to my Dr the possibility of a Lap Hyster she actually found me a Dr that was a pro at Lap Hyster surgery and willing to discuss it with me given the HUGENESS of my fibroid. But I stuck with her and we agreed what she would take out etc.
Sorry to babble on - but I think you have to feel 100% this is what you want to do. All the best !

Hi Rleome to HysterSisters!

Having a hysterectomy is MAJOR SURGERY, and it has to be considered very carefully. You have to weigh the pros and cons of this surgery against your current health condition. You also want to make sure that this will solve your problem, as the other ladies indicated. You can seek alternate opinions - you may have other options.

Whatever you decide, make the right decision for you. We will support you.

I saw, and got the opinions of 3 doctors before my surgery. I had severe bleeding that lasted MONTHS. Every 10-12 weeks it would stop for about 5 days and start again. I had severe pain in my right side.
The first dr wanted me to just wait it out for menopause to strike. I had just turned 44, that could be a while. Because this dr seemed to be oblivious to my pain and suffering AND he did not one test to determine the cause, I politely flipped him the finger behind his back as the nurse chuckled and never went back. The second doctor did a biopsy, blood work and an ultrasound. Found out I did NOT have cancer, my uterus was extremely enlarged, I had adhesions, anemia and huge fibroids. I went to the 3rd doctor to see if she could do a laparoscopic surgery and hopefully not have to have my c section scar cut open again. (I did have a TLH.)

The point is the surgery, for me, was my only and best option. Due to other conditions alternate treatments, like IUD and ablation weren't good options. But the decision to have the surgery was simple once I knew all the ugly things going on inside my body.

Hysterectomy is not only a physical journey, it's an emotional one too. Once you make up your mind to do it there's no turning back once it's done. No doctor should want to blindly cut you open to see what's going on. A simple ultrasound and endometrial biopsy can answer lots of questions. All the other options should be discussed to determine if they are right for you and your condition.

On the other hand, hysterectomy was a great choice for me. I didn't want to "try" anything. I wanted the pain and bleeding to stop, period. I bled from March until October 31 when they took it out.

Ask your family doctor for a referral and explain time is of importance and they can usually get you into a gyn pretty fast. Good luck to you in your choices and remember, your health and well-being, physically and emotionally, are what's most important. Insurance and the doctor's feelings are the last things you should worry about.
First rule of hysterectomy club, it's all about you and you only!

Thank you everyone for saying what I'm thinking. I've had these problems for years and have tried everything on the alternatives list except an ablation which I don't think would help. We've never done exploratory surgery for endo or adhesions as much as I've requested. Soo I'm seeing my primary next week and hopefully she comes to the same conclusion to send her recommendations in to this guy. As motivated as he was to help me with the polyp he seems to be pretty quick to want to take things out and that bothers me. I know one can not see adhesions or endo on u/s nor can one feel by palpitating. I don't understand but hopefully this works.

Wanted to update- I did have a second opinion that came to the same conclusion. I figured it would, this has been going on too long for me to be so disabled.

I also found out (I'm adopted so familial history trickles in here and there) that I have a high risk of reproductive cancer- uterine, ovarian, and breast. So. We'll be keeping an eye.

My surgery is tomorrow morning (12/23 845a). It will be done laparoscopically; I will be keeping cervix and ovaries unless he sees something otherwise. He expects to find some endo as well as adhesions to clean up and send to pathology.

The cool thing is he promised to save me a piece of my uterus to do what I wish with. Which is to salt and burn that $£@&+.

Hoping for a speedy surgery and recovery. Thanks everyone.