please help!!

Hi Everyone,



I am 27 years old and I have severe endometriosis and I have been struggling with the pain for several years. It has begun to effect my life in alot major ways. The doctors have tried several different treatments including surgeries and drugs. There are days where I wonder how I will get through them. My question is for somebody who has had the disease and has had a hysterectomy because of it, did the surgery help your pain? I am asking because I am seeing my doctor again next week and I am seriously considering asking for a hysterectomy.

Hi cmc1978 to Hystersisters

I had my hysterectomy for endometriosis so I can understand your frustration and pain

You will probably find a wide variety of replies as to weather or not the hystrectomy helped women with their endo. My surgery has been successful in treating my endo....Unfortunately there are women who have not had the same success I have read that the only way endo is cured is when ALL the endo is removed. Has your doctor ever recommended surgical incision. I have seen articles that say women will get the best long term pain relief from surgical excision of the endo.

http://www.centerforendo.com/news/gene/excision.htm

One thing to consider with a hysterectomy is that some doctors will want to remove the ovaries because the estrogen from the ovaries feeds the endo if there is any that was not removed during surgery. That would leave you in instant menopause at the age of 27. Menopause can have some very unpleasant side effects.

I wanted to share some articles from our resource database that may be very helpful with making your decision. It is very helpful to read and research all your options and also to get a second or third opinion from a different doctor before making your decision. Doctors have different methods of treatments for women with endo and there are precautions that need to be taken in order to have a more successful outcome.

Here is an article that explains using progesterone to treat the endo.

http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/ask/qa_endometriosis.shtml

Here are a list of medications used to treat endo.

http://yourmedicalsource.com/library...s.html#progest

Here is a link to our entire endo resource database.

https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/lin...n=browse&cid=6

Have you been able to find an endometriosis specialist to work with? Hopefully they will be able to help you with a good treatment plan to help you get some much needed relief of your monthly pain.

I have had to make the same decision you are faced with trying to relieve my pain for quality of life reasons. I know It is not an easy decision to make, please be sure to do some reading and make sure you are completely comfortable with your decision because there is no going back if your surgery is not successful.

cmc, I know all too well the pain and trama of endo. My hyst was surgery was #7 for endo. I have since had surgery #8 this past Febuary, only 9 months after my hyst. A hyst is NOT a cure. It is a treatment, that is all. I had Ovarian Remnant Syndrome after my hyst, this happens in about 20-30% of all women who opt for a hyst/bso for their endo. The main problem with a hyst for endo is very little endo is actually on your reproductive organs. It feeds itself and can actually come back even if you have your ovaries removed and don't take any HRT. Enod makes its own nerves and its own estrogen.
Before making a decision, may I ask what kinds of surgeries and or treatments you have has so far?
You may want to look here: www.endometriosistreatment.org
there is a ton of info there. Also the ERC website and message groups are great. http://www.endocenter.org/
Just do not go to the endoknow sites as they are Lupron/TAP sponcered and are only there to sell their drugs.
Take care,
Carrie