Hi jennylynne
I'm sorry you've been having these troubles with your periods and mood swings. I have to agree with (((Beth))) though, that a hysterectomy is a major life-altering surgery and should only be considered as a last resort when all other treatment options have failed and it is determined that you can't live with the current situation.
You mentioned having tried bcp's. Have you tried depo-provera injections? How about natural progesterone, either in oral or cream form? Lupron? It does sound like your troubles are hormonal; it would be so much easier though, to find something to regulate your hormones non-surgically, than to have to remove your uterus and ovaries and deal with surgical menopause.
The trouble with pre-menopausal hormone blood tests is that it depends on what part of your cycle you're in when you have the tests. Have you had them during the phase when your moods are awful and your breasts are sore? That might be telling.
I had similar symptoms to yours when I was much younger (teens and 20's). After I had children all my cyclical symptoms disappeared, my periods got lighter and I never had bad cramps again
Also, when I was using depo-provera as birth control, I never had periods at all, and did not experience any weight gain, mood swings or other negative symptoms. Some ladies have had different experiences with it; that is just my experience.
I did not have a choice about having my hysterectomy, so I would do it again if I were faced with the same decision again. But the road has been difficult enough since then that I have to caution you against heading down that path without first exploring every other possible option. While it might seem attractive to just remove the sources of the trouble, it's hard to see until you do it that it opens up a whole new set of problems which can be even harder to handle.
I hope you can use the time between now and August to explore every possible alternative to hysterectomy, particularly those which involve regulating your hormones without removing your uterus and ovaries. Also know that no matter what you decide, we are here to help and support you. I hope you are able to find some relief from your symptoms!
s,
-Linda