Hi Karin
I can certainly understand how scary it can be to make a decision about having a hyst: it's a major surgery, regardless of how it's performed, involving the removal of at least one organ... and that organ is linked, in so many ways, to our feminity.
I had my hyst, 4 years ago, due to a very large fibroid that was causing lots of problems. By the time I had my hyst, it was the size of a 24 weeks pregnancy!!! The worst problem I was having was constant and very heavy bleeding, but I was also having some excessive pains and crampings, lots of joint pains, especially in my knees and my right hip, back aches and lots and lots of mood disorders. Furthermore, I had absolutely NO libido and was starting to doubt if I had any feelings left for my wonderful DH. As if that wasn't enough, I also ended up with a Stage 3 Rectocele, due to the size of the fibroid pressing on my internal organs and to having delivered two relatively large babies (both over 9 lbs). Yet, despite having all these problems, I still hesitated and it was only when the rectocele was diagnosed that both me and my doctor knew that the time had come to have the surgery... And I still questionned whether or not having the surgery was the right move for me.
You see, one of the things I realized at about three months after my hyst, was that I had been sick for soooo long (4 years by the time I had my hyst) that I no longer knew what being healthy felt like. That's one of the reasons I could just suffer through it. Sure, I knew that I had absolutely no energy, no quality of life and that I was putting my family life in jeopardy through the violent mood swings (I was yelling at my kids
all the time) and the lack of feelings for my DH. But I didn't realize anymore that this was not the "real" me.
Having the hyst brought normalcy back to my life: I now have a lot more energy than I did, and here I am at almost 50. I can enjoy activities with my kids that I never would have dreamed of being able to do. I have lost 50 lbs, bike to work every day, in the summer, enjoy ice skating in the winter. And, most of all, DH and I have an absolutely normal and wonderful love life, in all aspects!!! In short: I'm living again!!!
However, having the hyst has also brought other, unforeseen problems. I'm not mentionning these to scare you or to depress you, but to balance out my post: I have no regrets about having the hyst, but that's mostly because, by the time I had it, I knew it was right for me. I know that my doctor didn't mislead me or trick me into having this surgery. I went into it knowing about my options and about some of the risks. That makes a very big difference if problems show up: they're easier to accept, because I knew the pros and cons and was part of the decision process.
BTW, yes, the LSH is apparently a whole lot easier than the more traditional TVH or TAH. However, I had a TVH and had relatively
no pain in the early weeks, so was very pleasantly surprised in that respect. The type of surgery you have depends on several things, including the reason for the hyst, your special circumstances and your doctor's familiarity with the procedure. Also, one of the things I've learned is that there is always the risk that a TVH or LSH can turn into a TAH, should there be complications.
One thing I've learned, both from personal experience, and from years of reading and posting on Hyster Sisters, is that a hyst is a major surgery. I think there is a good portion of our members who have the hyst and find that they are back to normal within 2 or 3 months, and never have complications. For them, it really was the right move and I am sooooo happy for them. There are others, like me, who end up with annoying problems. Those problems are not life threatening, but do serve as a constant reminder that the hyst either didn't resolve all the problems or brought along some new ones. However, for me and for others, the problems are still much less than the pre-hyst problems were and, once again, having the surgery was the right thing for us.
However, there
are those of find out that the surgery either didn't resolve the problems or caused some new, much more serious ones. Some of these members find themselves wishing that they never had the surgery, or had known about the risks.
The problem is that you never know, ahead of time, which category you'll fall in. And the type of surgery you had has very little to do with it: there are members who had a TVH, a TAH, a LAVH or LSH who are now trying to find answers to their ongoing problems. And it doesn't matter if you go into the surgery with a positive outlook: I've always been an optimist and was sure that, by 3 or 4 weeks post-op, I'd be enjoying my "vacation" until I went back to work.
Again, I'm not saying this to scare you, because, for one thing, I'm convinced that the hyst was the right thing for me. For another thing, I strongly believe that you need to do what's right for you, based on your doctor's recommendations. But you need to feel confident that it was
your decision and that you know that it will be the best thing for you.
If you're not sure, you can always wait until the time has come. There are members who booked their surgery and then ended up cancelling at the last minute. Some of them went back a few weeks/months later, when they were ready... others decided to investigate other options. One thing I know is that you can always go back later, but you can't turn back the clock once you've had the surgery.
I do wish you the best of luck in your quest for answers. Be assured that your Hyster Sisters will be with you, regardless of your decision.
Am I TOO tolerant of pain and suffering?
I'll post to the post-op thread my further thoughts on this...but to KMoon and others in the decision process, I'll just say that you know your body better than anyone.. You know what you can tolerate and what you can't. Get all the information you can, and step forward with a positive attitude knowing that your choice is right for you.
