Decisions to make. Help please!

I'm 49 and have had heavy periods for about 10 years. The past 2 or 3 have been horrendous, 2 days of being on washroom alert all the time. Used to have clots, but they have stopped but now flooding flow. Iron is very low.
I have a small fibroid, but that's new. Doctor suggested partial hysterectomy or rollerball ablation. Couple of other things too, but don't like the side effects of drugs.

My questions:
Doctor wants me to take Lupron prior to ea, but I'm against it. Anyone had EA without Lupron?
How about with a D & C
Or just a D & C?

If the EA worked, I'd be a happy camper, but I've heard of wierd things, happening, longer periods, spotting etc.

Guess I'm looking for all stories, good and bad to help me with this decision.

Not adverse to a hysterectomy, but it's hard to take time off at the moment, and like lots, wondering if I can keep my uterus through menapause.

Thanks for the site. We need it!

Hi, i just had aD&C and hysteroscopy. bleeding has gotten worse and pains are horrendous!!! Feel worse now than before. I wish I had just gone through with hyst. at this point. Dr. wanted to try other alternatives first though...should have stuck w/ my gut feelings regarding MY body....lived and learned...would not do it again......Just my opinion....hope some other gal here can help w/ your other questions!!! hugs and prayers,Brieann

Dear Gottafixthis:

Welcome to HysterSisters

Here is a link to a website and message boards about ablation: http://pub76.ezboard.com/bendometrialablationboard

If the ablation doesn't work for you, you can always pursue more invasive options after that. If you opt for hyst right away, you can NOT choose to go back & try the less-invasive options.

I hope you are able to find the right answers for YOU. I am sending huge cyberhugs

Hi Gottafixthis,

I was 46 at the time of my hyst last year. I did (3) months of lupron shots to shrink my fibroids enough for a LSH, a less invasive hyst.

It sounds like in your case your Dr. is prescribing lupron to temporarily stop your periods so your blood count will come up. Lupron is not for everyone. It causes temporary chemical menopause. My periods stopped for three months prior to my hyst. I also had hot flashes and night sweats. Lupron was a wild ride sometimes and it got me to my LSH.

You mentioned you might be a candidate for a partial hysterectomy which means removal of the uterus only. A SAH (Subtotal Abdominal Hysterectomy) and a LSH, which I had, are two examples of partial hysts.

Here is a Hyster Sisters link that goes over the different types of hysts. Just scroll down:

https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/vie..._articles_list

I think that is great you are checking out alternative methods to a hyst also. The more info. you can gather, the better the decision you can make for yourself.

Do not feel alone. We Hyster Sisters are here to help if we can.

Best wishes,

Mary

I think the option of trying the conservative approaches is good. You can always proceed after that to hyster if they don't.

Did your doctor do any other tests to determine what's causing your bleeding? From your description it sounds like you've got three different possibilities:

1. Adenomyosis - pockets of endometrial tissue within the uterine wall causing additional bleeding. This can cause extended periods, flooding and/or clots. There is no cure, but some women are helped by ablation, hormones or Uterine Artery Embolization.

2. Polyps - little growths filled with blood vessels. These are associated with flooding type bleeding and spotting between periods. They can be removed with a D&C or Hysteroscopy.

3. A bleeding disorder - Von Willebrand's disease is a clotting disorder which often goes undiagnosed in women but can cause wretched periods. If you have VW, you'd probably also experience nose bleeds and easy bruising as well.

You're very close to natural menopause, so a conservative, alternative treatment may buy you time to go through menopause with your uterus. Adeno, polyps and fibroids are usually not a problem after menopause.

If I were closer to menopause when I started having problems, I definitely would have gone for a D&C or ablation for my heavy bleeding and muddled through with a large uterus.

Take care.

Hi Gottafixthis,

Had balloon endometrial ablation on March 16. Didn't have the Lupron shots or D&C. Fibroid wound up being 4.5 cm. Dr. shaved off as much as possible (embedded in muscle of uterus) and then did the ablation. Went well. Recovery was painless! She made sure I had enough pain meds/anti nausea meds and I started on the Vicodin and/or Advil to keep on top of the pain. I don't take meds often as prefer not to take anything, but I'm so happy that I kept on top of the pain after the surgery.

I recovered quickly and never really felt bad so I overdid it 15 days later. Paid for it with 5 days of constant pressure/cramps. I was more uncomfortable than right after the surgery! Then I had a slightly elevated white blood cell count so took 2 antibiotics which made me feel terrible.

Still having discharge (varies greatly from each patient) and tired of wearing mini pads, but on the plus side I haven't had a period other than 3 days of slightly heavier spotting. I'm feeling better and better each day and gradually adding to my normal exercise routine.

I won't know the true results for several months (the waiting to know is very hard - still carry supplies everywhere!), but I'm so happy that I'm trying this first!! If it doesn't work, this new dr. will perform a TVH rather than the TAH! Keeping my fingers crossed.
I found this site after my surgery, but I've learned so much from it!

http://p074.ezboard.com/bendometrialablationboard

Good luck and God Bless!

Patty

p.s. I'm 45 and just didn't feel ready to have the hysterectomy, but had to do something as I kept becoming severely anemic due to heavy periods with large clots. I was so afraid to make plans because I never knew when Aunt Flo would want to join me (she ALWAYS knew when it would be something fun or when the flight attendent would say, "Remain in your seats".). It was embarrassing to have to keep telling DH and friends that it wasn't that I didn't WANT to do things, but that I COULDN'T. People don't truely understand when they haven't had it happen to them or feel like it's happening so you have to constantly "check"!

Gottafixthis,

I attempted Novasure ablation last year without Lupron prep before. I awoke in recovery to find that the machine would not work due to my uterus being larger than 12 cm. In retrospect it would have worked had I taken Lupron prior and my fibroids successfully shrunk. As it turned out, my tumors grew rapidly and very large, so I the ablation wouldn't have been a solution to my problems.

My Dr. then planned to do a Microwave EA (MEA) which is recommended for larger uteruses and ones with fibroid tumors. We never followed through though because of my tumor growth. In the past many women were required to have Lupron before surgery, but my Dr. told me it was not necessary for MEA. I did some research and found an abstract of a study comparing the results of women who had Lupron prior and those who hadn't. I cannot quote the exact statistics, but the success rate of both alternatives was nearly identical. The conclusion was that it was not necessary to do Lupron prep before MEA.

Perhaps MEA would be an option for you? Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Linda

Hi Gottafixthis

Just a word of warning on Lupron (if you are even considering it) for any sister who is anemic, heavy bleeding, clotting, etc.

If you are already anemic and have heavy bleeding, be aware that one side effect of Lupron is that it can cause much heavier bleeding on the next cycle.

This was a chance I could not afford to take.

I'm 54 and was waiting for menopause...I tried a D&C (worked for 4 days), they could not even get in for an ablation because I had a very large fibroid right in the endometrial cavity. I tried BCP's (very briefly) to slow the bleeding, but since fibroids are estrogen-fed, it caused it to grow VERY fast...and gave me migraines.

I would encourage you to try any less invasive treatments that might work for you. I would have, and did try - it's just that I waited so long, I waited myself into a corner and both of my opinions said the same - TAH. No other options.

On another subject, I would definitely encourage you to keep your healthy ovaries, if at all possible. I kept mine, however to my great surprise, I had a hormone test (FSH, LH, etc) in February and I am in the middle range of the numbers...so I am 'pausing' - with no symptoms at all. I have read of other sisters around my age - some who had already been menopausal for years, having ovaries removed and then being slammed with hot-flashes, night sweats and all kinds of symptoms, when they had none before. It proves to me what I had already read - that ovaries DO make a significant contribution even after menopause.

Best wishes in finding what will work for you.

joano

I'm 45 and I just had a hysteroscopic and laparascopic myomectomy nearly 5 months ago and am very pleased by the results. After 2 doctors recommended hysterectomy for my extremely heavy irregular bleeding due to fibroids (I was on the BC pill for 7 years before it stopped regulating my periods) , I went online where I found Hystersisters and other sites that helped me to decide which procedure would be best for me. I also found online the doctor who performed my surgery .
I was up on my feet within 2 days of the procedure and went on a short hike 5 days later.

For the first time in about 10 years, my periods are normal and I 'm hoping they stay that way.

Be aware that there are many doctors that will recommend hysterectomy because that's ALL they do.

I think it's a good idea to keep researching your options. And as many of the Hystersisters have suggested, it would be best to take a less invasive approach first before deciding on a hysterectomy.

Here's a site I found helpful:
http://www.fibroidsecondopinion.com/..._treatment.htm

Best of luck to you!
K