Getting Nervous

I am having LAVH on July 8. Now that the date is getting closer, I am getting nervous! I keep second guessing myself. Do I really need to do this? My main problem and reason that I am having this done is heavy bleeding and severe cramps. I bleed so much that I have to wear heavy pads and tampons at the same time. Sometimes a tampon may not last me 5 minutes. I have had to leave work to change clothes and I stay home as much as I can during my visits from Aunt Flo in fear of messing my clothes up. But, now I am wondering if this is a good enough reason to have a hysterectomy done. My DR suggested it and explained that it will only continue to get worse. I am really excited about saying goodbye to Aunt Flo. I don't understand why I keep questioning myself

This is a hard decision to make. I questioned myself coonstantly as well. The best thing you can do is look at all the information you can find, and make an educated choice that this is the best option for you. There are some really good books on hysterectomy, reasons for it, and its alternatives. You're going to find a lot information is biased against hysterectomy, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. You will feel much better about your decsion to take this route if you have looked at it from all angles and explores all the options. At least this was the case for me, I was scared and uncertain but after all the reading I did, even the stuff that railed against hysterectomy, I felt comfortable in the knowledge that really was no better alternative. I am only 37, no kids, and I want to live my life fully. The only thing was going to make my giant fibroid go away was to remove it along with my uterus and this would allow me to live my life without the pain, bleeding and constant worry and preparation for it. That's definitely good enough for me. If you are still concerned after educating yourself about options, seek a second opinion. If the second doctor concurs with the first this may help ease your fears.
Good luck to you! I am 12 days post-op and getting better every day.

I feel for you - I just found out I need a TVH in six weeks or less, because of a severe uterine prolapse, cystocele and adenomyosis. Best wishes to you and know you are not alone. There seems to be tons of information on this site and I'm really thankful. Take care of you!

Thank you all so much! I am feeling better now thanks to my sisters;-) I know I need to have this done and maybe all my second thoughts will go down the drain now!

I had the same problem with heavy bleeding which caused me to anemic. Two years ago I chose to have an endometrial ablation and had a cyst removed from my right ovary. The ablation worked to slow the periods down but the cyst came back again. To make matters worse, I have endometriosis too. I chose to have my hysterectomy and now am 9 days post op. I am actually feeling better than I had anticipated but I am still taking it very slow. You can always get a second opinion if that makes you feel better. Good luck with your decision!

I think its human nature to question our major decisions. We instinctively know that whatever it is we're about to do is irrevocable and even with all the bleeding, pain and knowledge that its not going to get better, we still wonder if we're making the 'correct' decision.

I looked back at some of my other major life changing decisions and why I made them in order to get some perspective on having my surgery. It helped to make me more confident in my decision

Today is 11 weeks post-op. Its been slow at times regarding regaining things that I used to do effortlessly. At the same time, I can tell that my energy is being used for healing and not supporting a portion of my body that is getting worse every month.

Looking back, I'm glad I made the choice I did!

Frappe, at first I felt the same way you did.... It's just heavy periods with lots of bleeding, do I really need a hysterectomy for that????? But then I realized that fibroids were causing this and that those fibroids are only growing bigger, not smaller. By removing them now, I am fortunate to choose the least invasive surgery with the least amount of complications. Those fibroids can attach to your bladder and other organs which can make the surgery more tricky and more complicated. Once the fibroids are bigger, a laparoscopic surgery is out of the question. I also found out afterwards that I had a cyst on my fallopian tube in addition to the uterine fibroids. Another reason for the hysterectomy was my age; I am 46 and have children. Have already had lots of hot flashes and was ready to be done with those. A third reason was the family history of ovarian cancer. Now those ovaries are gone and I never have to worry about getting ovarian cancer. Good luck to you. This site is wonderful for sharing!