Anxious about 9/26 surgery

Have multiple fibroids and painful bleeding. I'm 54 so was hoping I would go into menopause naturally.
Am scheduled for full hysterectomy on 9/26. Since menopause is so close, wondering if I should just hang in until then and keep my uterine "support" system. Any thoughts appreciated. Am terrified after reading the HERS website about all the adverse affects.

Pelly,

Have you talked to your doctor about your concerns? There are reasons your doctor has scheduled a hysterectomy for you and he/she needs to explain the pros and cons to you. Can you live with "multiple fibroids an painful bleeding" for perhaps several more years - until you go into natural menopause? Fibroids don't just go away on their own either - they grow...! I'd be scheduling a sit-down with my doctor to address my concerns if I were you. Best of luck whatever you decide - your sisters are here for you! Remember, there are all kinds of horror stories - I dare say, most of them are probably blown out of proportion. Hang in there!

Donna

Pelly,
I, too, was terrified. I am 52 and had fibroids too. go ahead and have the surgery. It will be worth it. After the first couple of days there is hardly any pain. After all that painfull bleeding, this will make you feel so good. Be in control of your body and don't let it control you.
Good Luck
Peggy

Oh my! We all must do the same thing. I came across the same website. It scared me too, the long list of things that could go wrong. Then I started thinking that alot of what you read on the internet is "bunk".

I think the information given here by other hystersisters is more reliable.

I can't imagine that all of those things mentioned on HERS could happen so frequently. I believe I read that 30% become incontinent or something like that, and that is most likely false. I realized last night after another panic attack that I must stay away from reading other websites. It will be just Hystersisters until my date.

Good luck with your surgery!

Thanks Donna. Was feeling ok with it and trust my surgeon implicitly, but I read the site "HERS" that describes how your internal organs shift and lose support, causing all kinds of problems. I'm 54 so I should have gone menopausal naturally by now. Wondering if I should wait.
Thanks for your message - any thoughts?

I think you've got the right attitude. I'm going to read my fiction novels instead!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Pelly I think you've got the right attitude. I'm going to read my fiction novels instead!

I think alot of women have probably read that site. It just seems a little off to me.

There's nothing wrong with educating yourself, but probably not good to educate yourself too much if you know what I mean.

My hubby and I were talking about it last night. I just tend to obsess and read about things I'm worried about and get myself so worked up over it.

I'm not scheduled until Oct 20 and have a long way to go and wait. I wish I could just get it done and over with.

I have anxiety disorder, OCD, panic attacks, and depression. Reading that HERS site also freaked me out big time. I had to click off of it and go find something else to do.

I like the idea of just reading books you enjoy!

Have a great day!

when i found the hers site, i used it as a way to research what i was doing. i did more research on what procedure i wanted to have and i decided i wanted anything that was healthy left inside me. it can be a scary site to read but i did end up keeping my cervix and ovaries and only having the body of my uterus removed through a tiny incision by my belly button. it might not be the nicest site to read but it does make you think. as long as you are comfortable with your decision, dont worry about what that site says. just research all your options and be confidant. good luck

I thought about going to that site, but reading, and getting upset over that site, was not going to change that fact that I had 12 fibroids, and 5 ovarian cysts that needed to be taken care of. I am grateful everyday that I found this site. I trust the women here with their tips, advice, stories and humor. I trust my doctor, but most of all I trust MY decision to get back the life I had before fibroids and cysts took over. Good Luck

Hi, I had a lot of concerns, too, and was very willing (too willing, for my own good, I think) to live with an enormous fibroid sitting on the top of the uterus compromising my bladder. It was so large you could see it pushing up from my tummy!!! But I was very worried about hormonal shock and having even more bladder problems than I was already having. This thing was not going away, it wasn't getting smaller despite menopause. My doctor and I talked about my wishes very specifically. He knew I wanted (as dressedupinblue said) to keep everything that isn't diseased and so I have my ovaries and the cervix and I am so relieved to be rid of the uterus and its little alien I can't tell you!

Wishing you an easier path to this decision!