need help deciding about cervix removal please

Hi!

Thanks for such a supportive site! Here's my situation and question, (sorry it this is a repeated post, but I didn't really find what I needed by using the 'search' function.)

I am about two months pre-opt... don't have the exact date yet. Have multiple fibroids and uterus currently the size of a 5.5 month pregnancy. Had a Burch done 3 years ago. At that time the Dr. wanted to do the hyst, but I declined for personal reasons. Now it must be done, the pain and bleeing are just toooo extreme.

Okay, so Dr. says she must do a lateral midline incision as the mass it too big to remove by the usual incision. (leaving the ovaries in place) She has requested the aid of a urologist so as to help define the ureter (?) and avoid damage during the surgery. She suggests removal of the cervix to avoid complications in later years, should I need more bladder surgery of whatever. She says I can decide about the cervix and change my mind up to the time of surgery if I want to.

Help!!! I don't know what to do. I can't help but assume that removal of cervix will affect future sex. I haven't had a sex life for the past 11 years, but there's still hope. I used to be very sexually active, with extreme uterine orgasms and large amounts of female ejaculate, so the whole process of losing my uterus has been very tough to deal with emotionally... losing the cervix too makes it even worse, but I want to do the best thing for my future health, of course.

Any feedback from those who have faced this decision would be sooo appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

Hi hmeurer,

Your situation is very similar to mine, massive fibroids pressing on liver, bladder and kidneys. At first I was told I'd get a vertical incision as they were worried about taking out my 1400kg uterus without damaging my other organs. I was so upset at this that my DR put me on Lupron to try and shrink the size of the fibroids though he didn't want to. I asked him to. He conceded, and guess what, it worked. My fibroids shrunk so much over the 3 month treatment period that I went down a size in clothing. The DR removed my massive uterus (kept ovaries) through a regular bikini line incision. Surgery was delicate and lost a lot of blood and I had to take the risk that if he couldn't get it out through the bikini line incision then he'd have to cut me up vertically too.

Please ask your DR if there is a possibility of taking Lupron. From reading other postings I gather it is extremely expensive in the US (I'm assuming you're from the US as the majority of the sisters are) but I would say it is worth every penny.

As for the cervix question I had the choice of keeping mine. Since there was nothing wrong with it I didn't see the point of throwing it away. I've never had a uterine orgasm but hey, I wasn't going to throw away the chance to was I now?

There is currently another thread running parallel the same topic to yours entitled 'Same question - any more answers'. You might find an answer to your query there. Good luck with the decision you finally take. Hugs.