LAVH: Aug 3rd flipping out

I go day after tomorrow. I am really flipping out! I wish someone could look into the crystal ball and tell me if this is the right decision. My quality of life with pmdd is horrible. At that time now, a reminder of why I'm doing this. At least I have 2 happy weeks.I have been reading a lot on the post op board and hormone jungle. The more I read, the more I doubt that this is right. I could be giving up my 2 good weeks for every day being nothing but anxiety, depression, mood swings and hot flashes. I wish I knew.... I am the motor and main cog that keeps my family of 8 going. What if it doesnt work and i make it worse? I can't stay where I am because I am not the mother I am at the first weeks of my cycle. I spend the last 2 weeks in the fits of anxiety and dis pair crying hysterically all the time.I know it has the potential to make my life and families so much better if it works, scared to death reading all these posts though. What if I end up making it worse and I can't be the mom and wife I need to be. What if I make it worse and end up every day as bad as pmdd time?

I had mine done june 2 and am sooooo glad i did it every month i was lucky to have one good week. Have had hardly any depression and hope you have the same good luck.

Hi. I am 8 months post op today. I understand your anxiety about making the right choice. The dr couldnt tell me whether my strange fibroid was cancerous, so, I felt I had no other option. Thank God, it wasnt. My fear may have prevented me from exploring other options. Should I have seen someone else, gotten another opinion? Will it be better on the other side? No one can answer for you. My post op was much different from a laparatomy (similar to a c section) I had. It was harder than I expected, but, I felt great. My biggest hurdle post op? Bladder infections. Was I told this was a possibile side effect? No. What I did not know prior to my TAH is that there are many, many possible side effects that the drs cant/wont explain. You can see that from looking at the post op threads. You may trade pmdd for an assortment of other tidbits. Take a deep breath, say a prayer for Gods will and then listen for the voice of reason. I wish you well whichever you decide.

I can't tell you if you are making the right decision. Generally, I feel that doctors do tend to push women towards hysterectomy without giving alternate treatments enough of a chance. I had cancer, so there were no other options. I don't know about other reasons, though.

I can tell you that post-surgery is not a horror for most women. Yes, a very small percentage of women have a bad outcome. A percentage of women are like nothing ever happened. The remaining fall into a continuum in between those two.

For me, I am 4 months post-op. I have been taking HRT and Evening Primrose Oil since two weeks post, which relieved the night sweats and skin rashes. I never had emotional side-effects, but then again, I never had emotional PMS issues either.

My side effects right now are: swelly belly by end of day, particularly if I exercise a lot, my gums tend to bleed if I am not gentle with the floss, slight soreness on my right side sometimes and lack of sexual lubrication (easily resolved). Else, it is pretty much like nothing ever happened.

Hi, I'm 6 weeks out of a full hyster. i worried about hormones too but so far i am my old self, never felt moody, never had a hot flash, im 42yrs old . the doc gave me a 2mg pill once a day of estridol. the only reason i take it is because i dont want to get osteoporosis. im glad i did it! goodbye cramps, moodiness, bloating. im free to be me now!!!

If you have doubts you can always get a second opinion. Especially since yours isnt due to cancer concerns. more than one opinion may make you feel like your making the choice thats best for you.

cangerkan,
I am at 8 weeks post op. Tomorrow is my 8 week exam. I too had the same anxiety and second thought process as you. Insomnia and crying is all I did. My first post on this forum as a newbie was "57 am I too old." Read it if you wish as we sound very similar in our fears. I was totally floored by the wonderful responses on this forum. I thought menopause was coming to relieve me of my heavy periods. What happened was non stop heavy clotty bleeding that was turning me into an anemic slug. I didn't even have my 2 weeks of freedom any more. When I got the news I needed a hysterectomy I was shocked. I thought it could be fixed somehow in an easier way. I can't take hormones for another medical reason but I was put on them temporarily until surgery. I still bled though. I had suspected ADENOMYOSIS which can only be confirmed by a hysterectomy. June 6th finally came and as my life started to shrivel and get smaller I got to the point where I got real scared they may post pone the surgery.
Fast forward I am here now with no bleeding. She left my ovaries only under the direction they would come out if needed. My uterus had been the size of a 13 1/2 week pregnancy. I did have Adenomyosis. HOW DO I FEEL?? I have more energy now than when I was 18. My intermittent peeing issues are gone. All my pipes have been freed! My ovaries will shut down when mother nature decides and I will be like my mother and grandmother and let that happen. I can't take hormones any way. I am scaring myself because I actually want to have sex where as before I would avoid it as much as I could. I felt like crap for so long I didn't even know it. My only issues right now is annoying swelly belly and an odd stitch that is buggy. Trade that anytime for what I had endured.
I don't know what your issues are and why this is happening to you. I did not get a second opinion as I know my Dr is conservative, I have been seeing her for years and I have tons of confidence in her and there were no options in my situation. I couldn't drag on any more I was getting weaker and weaker.
I feel really good. I want to have sex. I am happy again. I don't feel any less of a woman. I have strength knowing my decision was the right one for me. I had a very bad organ that needed to come out before it totally ruined me. I have no regrets.
You too have the same thought process as everyone else on this forum did. Surgery is very scary. After surgery, well, everyone is different. It isn't fun and it wasn't a piece of cake for me but I lived and I know I feel the best I felt in years.
I did not read the post op forums before my surgery because we all heal differently. We are all unique and you can't compare your healing with others or even know what your experience will be. Don't put any unneeded pressure on yourself. I read them only after I started to heal and wanted to find out if some of the things happening to me were normal. Guess what, they were.
This is too long and I am sorry. I hope this helps a little at least. I am saying prayers for you that you get through this without too much more anxiety. I wish you well, God Bless.

OY on the UTI, I don't need any help! I already am on meds for urge incontinence and have to self catheterize because of high levels of residual (up to 700-800cc).

catomi, I thank you for your "say a prayer for God's will and then listen for the voice of reason". I know it is what I need to do, I know that you are right. I have been trying, really, I feel like the harder I listen, the more quiet it becomes.... Have you ever listened to a song called "Hello Lord" by Sara Groves? It is how I feel right now trying to pray....

am snowden, you are very reassuring. I am 40, so we are close in age too. I will hold on tight to your "free to be me" phrase. That is what I pray for more than anything! :-)

I first went to my primary (who has been through the PMDD ringer with me for many many years) and he agreed that it was time to explore this as an option and sent me to see my old gyno. My gyno also said that it is an option for me, if I want it. I have been through a lot with both doctors. I especially trust my gyno with anything. He took care of me and my babies when I went into premature labor at 21 weeks and sent me to the BEST doctors and hospital when I was 6cm dilated at 26 weeks. These babies would have died at anyone else's hand. I trust him. :-)

ellagal, I did go back and read your post. There is very useful information and, as you said, it seems that there are most of us who go through the same nerves. I so pray I can say the same, that on the other side, it is the best I have felt in years!

To all, thank you for the reassurance. I would love to say that I am less nervous, but I am not. At least I know I am not alone and I know that my feelings are normal. Doesn't help that one of the main reasons I am doing this is PMDD and I am in that time of the month. Fun. I VERY MUCH appreciate all the words of encouragement! Thank you.