Am I giving in by choosing hysterectomy?

Hello,

I am approaching two years since my hysterectomy. Today it remains one of the best health decisions I ever made. Prior to my surgery I was making adaptations to cope with a set of symptoms which were out of control. Each situation and decision is individual. For me surgery opened the door to saying good bye to a uterus that was no longer functioning normally.

My surgery was at a teaching hospital and I signed a waiver for surgery pictures to be taken. The morning of my surgery my surgeon asked if I had any questions. I said yes- " could you please take a picture of my uterus so that I can see it?" She agreed and took pictures on her cellphone which I saw later after surgery. I needed to see for my self why my uterus was causing so much grief. My uterus was the size of my surgeon's hand and looked like a small bowling ball.

Hopefully you can make a decision that brings you peace and renewed well being. Take care

I also believe that, for me, the peace that came with this decision came AFTER the surgery. There is so much angst in the unknown - the anesthesia, the surgeon's humanness, the post-surgery recovery - that we cannot possibly know before whether or not the decision is correct. Some people, like my own mother, are at peace because they see the positives of not having a uterus (not menstruating, no birth control worries, no cervical cancer worries - if cervix is removed), but I didn't care about that.

So, this anxiety you feel right now? This loss you are feeling toward your uterus? Normal. Don't worry about it. It doesn't mean you're making the wrong decision. It means you are a human being who had to make a very difficult choice. But, the wonderful part is that you got to make the choice, and you made the right one for you. Please don't let anyone, including yourself, ever tell you otherwise. You persevered through several years, and you're ready to move on.

When your surgery is over, you will have a recovery period that may or may not make you question your decision. During those first weeks, just allow yourself peace and rest. Know that your body is healing in its best way and give yourself time before you second guess. I am in Week 7 post-op and I was a slow healer, but today, I have zero regrets. My tummy has no pressure, my intestines are not squeezed, and I do not feel like I have something sitting on my bladder.

You will find peace after the anxiety. Believe in yourself. No one knows your body, your pains, and your history better than you. Take care. Be well.

Thank you Ealasaid and dschad. You offer kind words that are very helpful. I have been wondering about the post-op shift, and how the fears seem to go away afterwards.

I did basically get a second opinion today from a doctor's office that has only seen my records (wow! hurray for them for their kindness!). Two doctors said they would only do a hysterectomy, period. I'm relieved for more confirmation about my course of action.

Has anyone had issues getting their hysterectomy covered by insurance? I wasn't able to return my surgeon's insurance person's call on Tuesday, the day she called, and have not been able to talk to anyone at the office--just voicemail--since Wednesday. I'm getting a little freaked. I've already bought plane tickets--what if insurance doesn't come through in time? Is that a possibility? Any way I can expedite it? I can't imagine they wouldn't cover it.

Yeah. So now I'm worried that it won't happen.

Meanwhile, I'm crunching to do big projects around the house that I've been putting off and am exhausted. As much as I'd like to look through this site more, I just don't have it in me. I am grateful for everyone who has reached out. I can't express that enough.

PS. All the movement from these projects--pushes on my bladder. I guess that's proof that what I thought had been improved symptoms was really me doing very little in order to avoid them. How easily I am fooled.