dazed and confused on what to do.

Hi ladies, i need some help and advice. I am a 36 year old women who has just found out that i will need a hysterrectomy, bladder surgery, and rectal surgery. All of my insides are falling out and there is no muscle support left. They have told me that this is because of my pregnancies.

My doctor says that i am too young to have my ovaries taken out. She says that there is a 1 in 100 chance of ovarian cancer. There is no history of cancer in our family. I have talked to others that have had a hysterectomy and they have had everything taken out including my mother.

I guess my question to all of you is what do you suggest? I go both ways with this. Also with this much surgery what can i expect after surgery? Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, monie

Everything you need to know about the before and after is on this site! Spend some time looking at the threads on the pre-op side and you'll get lots of info...may want to get a second opinion from another gyne on the ovaries issue....this is such a personal decision, no one can really make it but you...share the info with those you know are in your corner and have no vested interest...caution taking much stock in a friend's opinion who has had to make the choice if they are persuading you toward what they did...some people have a need to make others choose what they did to justify what they did...this site has SO much info (not to mention empathy and support) on it, and take notes on the pros and cons and compare...good luck...my decision was cut and dried so I didn't have anything to decide or question, I don't envy you...all of us are here to bounce things off of though, don't be afraid to post again...hugs Sharon

Monie:

First of all, to Hystersisters!

These decisions are always so hard to make -- and not second-guess. So much of the ovary question hinges on why you are having your surgery...for example, if your mother had her surgery for a different problem (such as ovarian cysts, endo, or whatever) and at a different age, that may well have influenced her planning.

You also want to look at your overall health, including possibly bone density, etc. Removing your ovaries will of course induce "instant" or surgical menopause. For some of us, it's an improvement, but the Hormone Jungle can be a daunting place. Some women do find that their ovaries give them a bit of a rocky ride, post-hyst, too, but then that settles down and they do fine until their own natural menopause begins.

Ask your doctor, too, about possible scenarios: there are a number of ladies here whose doctors have seen, well, "surprises" once they get in there. So do ask your doctor about his/her plans, including differing scenarios should things not look as expected.

Are you having a vaginal approach, or abdominal? That too could influence you and your doctor's choices in this.

I realize that there are more questions than answers. For me, it wasn't really a choice, as my surgery was for possible ovarian cancer (which turned out to be severe endometriosis). My doctor did say, post-op, that he could have left one ovary, but I was 46, strong family cancer history, and my endo dictated trying to keep my estrogen to a minimum post-op. So you can see just how many factors entered into my decision!

Best of luck to you! Do take a look, also, at the Pre-Op articles . You'll find a lot of information that will help you along and that you can share with your family, too.

and hope that your surgery gives you back a healthy life again!

Audrey

Dear Monica,

I was diagnosed with prolapse when I was 42. My doc offered to remove everything *as long as he was in there* I got panicked & starting gathering info. There is no history of cancer in my family. I decided that I would keep my ovaries if they were shown to be healthy in the OR. My doc was able to look them over, and pronounced them to be in fine shape.

If you were not having a hyst, would you be asking your doc to remove your healthy ovaries? I am 4+ years post-op now, and my ovaries were recently pronounced still puttering away.

Get smart about your symptoms and your options, and make the best choice for YOU.

I am sending huge cyberhugs,