"To Keep or Not to Keep"

Hello Ladies! I am new to the group and here is my predicament ~
I am in a quandry about having a TAH scheduled for Nov 2, 2004. I am 36, an in-home child care provider and I have 2 wonderful children. My husband is a God sent and I am so thankful for him. I am questioning having my cervix removed. I do not have a history of any type of cancer. I do, however, already have libido problems because of anti-depressant medication and having gone through treatment for VVS. I cannot donate blood for myself because my hematagrits(sp?) are too low so I am anemic and taking iron supplements and the lady at the donor office at the hospital said it would be too risky for me to donate now. I have been reading through tons of websites and am getting cold feet. Any personal advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am 38 and kept my cervix.

I have noticed no difference with intercourse and my orgasms feel pretty much the same (strong vaginal contractions but no uterine contractions of course).

I've also noticed, because I kept my ovaries, that I still get that ovulation discharge. It's a wonderful reminder that my ovaries are working properly.

Your hematocrit shouldn't make any difference in which procedure you chose. A SAH is supposed to be slightly easier because less tissue is removed. There is no chance of vaginal shortening if you keep your cervix.

If you do decide to keep your cervix you might want to be screened for the high risk strains of HPV and discuss removing all endometrial tissue from the portion of the uterus retained to avoid the mini-period.

I'm not sure if the cervix has any affect on libido or not. The recovery period for both is about the same and long-term complications are low.

Take care.

Are you wondering about the cervix or the surgery in general? If it's the surgery in general you may want to check out the Hysterectomy Options and Alternatives Board (click here) at the top there is a great list with links to all kinds of alternatives.

Have you had a second opinion? Or discussed it further with your DR? Unless there is a medical reason to rush this surgery, you do owe it to yourself to be confident with your decision.

Have you read any of the Princess Stories? (click here) are just that - chronicles of the journey leading to the decision to have a hyst, the hospital experience, and recovery. Reading those you may see something that will help you.

Read and research as much as possible to help you, in conjunction with your DR, make the best decisions for you.

S

Hi,
I also was given a choice to keep my cervix or not. My surgeon has explained it will eliminate the risk of cervical cancer down the road, even though I have not had any problems with that. He also explained it does not effect your sex drive. I decided to have it removed when I go on the 15th of November. I don't want to worry about cancer down the road and I feel ok with the decision. I was worried at first, but I am saying goodbye to my old friend.
Debbie