help fribroids!!!

help me i am soooo scared. i have fibriods the size of a volleyball. im schedule for the h at the end of the month, however i considering canceling because of my fears. such as recovery, sex, will my stomach still be bloated will i age faster. i now some has to be done, and i have been procastanating for awhile now. does any body now where i'm coming from.

You won't age faster because of a hysterectomy, and your sex life will probably be the same or better. I was really afraid too, and nearly backed out right before I got to the operating room. But I knew I'd end up there eventually (huge fibroids causing bladder and bowel problems) so I just decided to get it over with.

My recovery was pretty easy. My only regret is I didn't do it years sooner!

I'm having mine for the same reason. I had a large fibroid removed a year and a half ago just to have more grow back just as large. You do have other options but as for aging faster or sex I'm not worrying about it. I'm 30 and sex hurts now because of pressure and everything I have heard from real women it only gets better or stays the same, I can deal with that average . I kept going back and forth about my decision and then my period hit, HARD. It hurts, it's heavy and why live with that if I don't have to. Good luck and keep reading the posts, these women are sooooo helpful!

I ,too, had numerous fibroids, which is the main reason I had my hysterectomy. I had a LAVH and was up walking the next day, although slowly.I also went home the next day and was on my own during the day with no problems. Each day was better pain -wise and I only needed pain meds at night so I could sleep uninterrupted( would take tylenol during the day for a couple days and then didn't even need that. I do not feel like I aged since having the hyst, as a matter of fact, I feel much younger since I am not severely anemic anymore, nor is my stomach bloated. My sex life is great , and my husband says he notices no difference except I am no longer in pain. I wish I could have had it done 5 years ago.....Janice

I know exactly where you are coming from. I was diagnosed with an orange sized fibroid three weeks ago, and my surgery is scheduled for June 20th. Last week I got a major case of cold feet and had to go back over my pro and con list as to why I decided to have this surgery. My suggestion to you is write down every question and concern you have about the surgery, recovery, and life after recovery. Take that list, go see your doctor and make sure that every single one is answered to your satisfaction. I had a list two pages long and my doctor was great in answering them all. While you still might get a little/lot scared before the surgery, having your questions and concerns addressed helps to put some of those fears into perspective. The ladies on this site are also a wonderful source of support.

Hang in there!

Thank all of you who have replied. Im considering taking the experimental drug, but it's for 20 months and Im not sure if i want to take this drug for 12months everyday. I know i probably should just have the surgery and get it over with. my doctor said he would only have to take my uterus and everything else would stay in tack. the fibroids are on the outter walls of the uterus.

the fibriods are pushing on some nerves in my legs and when i touch my stomach its really tender. i hope my stomach go down after surgery. i know a lady who stomach seem even bigger after surgery. right now i cant even put a girdle on to help me.

im going for my second opinion this week, but i know what is going to be said.

GOD BLESS!!!!!

All I know is I'm too young to be feeling this old!

I believe the aging issue has a lot to do with your estrogen levels. I'm having my ovaries taken out with my hyst. I'm in peri-menopause now and I want to make sure I can take HRT post-op. In other words, my ovaries aren't doing much for me now so out they go. My DR explained to me that post-op I'll need a lot less estrogen than I was taking pre-op because the estrogen won't be taken up by my uterus, ovaries and these darned fibroids. In other words, the estrogen will be there working to keep my vagina moist, my skin plumped up, my bones strong, my brain functioning, and my breasts perky (or at least I won't see further dramatic effects from gravity).

I've been off of estrogen for three months now and I definately notice a difference. I can't think straight. I have to pluck stray hairs on my face. I have worsening issues with body odor. I have generally more aches and pains, too. When I was taking supplemental estrogen none of those things were an issue for me.

Do more reading and research. I don't think the removal of the uterus alone is an aging issue. It's the removal of the ovaries and whether or not you can take HRT afterward that makes the difference (as far as I can determine). Of the Real Life women I know, the ones who have had a hyst and are on HRT - ALL of them - look terrific! I feel like a blob in comparison.

[color=purple]: Hey sisters,

what about the bloating. well this is far more than bloating it's a huge pregnant looking belly. I have two really large fibriods and i want to know if anyone stomach has gone down a lot after the surgery with removing the fibriods. thats one of the main reasons i want to get the surgery. and has anyone had problems with getting moist during sex.

Your tummy will go down Lynn. Make sure that you take care of your self and not over do it. REST, as everyone else has said, is the main thing to keep in mind. I am 10 days post-op. My tummy is flatter, until the evening, then I know I was on my feet too much. I have not tried the intercourse, but outercourse is good! Girl get that darn volleyball out of your belly. To me, my opinon, those fibroids are just breeding grounds for other things. I had the works done, TVH/BSO, and am looking forward to a pain free life. I had a few the largest one being 7cm. I can not imagine the pain you are in..... take care of you!!!

I had three fibroids, one of which was the same size as my uterus. I have suffered with cramps, heavy bleeding and all that other stuff, but what got my attention was when pain developed during sex. DR diagnosed endometriosis and I had surgery for that last Sept. Turned out it was the fibroids getting bumped - still OUCH! Looked at other options but with the chance of them coming back, time for those puppies to come out of there!

DR took out my uterus and its buddies, but left everything else. I have two 1" incisions and a little hole healing in the bikini line of my stomach. My tummy went down, sex is great and although the advice from my other Hyster Sisters was to get a bottle of wine and a tube of Astro-Glide , I didn't need the Astro-Glide!

I feel great and recovery has been good. Although I had a good case of the butterflies the morning of my surgery, I am so glad I did it and it's behind me!

Good luck!

Barb