No date set yet... still reading, and reading, and reading

Thanks for the welcome! I just received my copy of What 100,000 Women Know About Hysterectomy today and am looking forward to reading it.

I visited my primary care physician today and he and I are sure most of my problems are due to stress from my job and not anything serious with my body. All labs came back normal including the CT scan and the colonoscopy. My gynecologist is sure that my enlarged uterus and two fibroids are causing my pelvic tenderness and the lower back pain. I'm not convinced entirely and am looking forward to seeing my old gynecologist who tied my tubes 15 years ago for that second opinion!

This is why I've not set a date and I'm doing all the researching I can before I do!

ambersbug

hi...its great youre researching everything. i did the same thing...after reading non stop for weeks,i definitely knew what i didnt want (if possible) and knew exactly what i wanted. my dr offered me a "take everything" approach. i didnt like his attitude about taking my healthy ovaries and cervix. my second opinon dr offered exactly what i wanted..an lsh. i had just the body of my uterus removed (which was the problem) and kept my healthy cervix and ovaries. i avoided surgical menopause and life is good i dont regret anything..especially being fully informed of my choices before i saw anyone. i'm sure you'll be ready to make an informed choice soon..and if neither dr's choices make you happy, theres nothing wrong with a third or fourth opinion. you have time on your side.
good luck with whatever decision you make

Hi Ambersbug,

I agree with Dressedupinblue. Do all the research you can. A hyst is major surgery so the more we know going in...the better.

I also got two opinions for my fibroids and it is still one of the best things I ever. I am four years post-op now..and I am still so glad I was a candidate for a LSH.

Sending best wishes~

Mary

Thanks Sisters! This has been such a roller coaster ride and I've started to doubt my sanity! I am completely healthy from head to toenails physically and the only thing is my back pain, tenderness in my abdomen, and the heartburn. I think the heartburn is caused by stress and the other two things could be too. I am trying to change some things at work and see if that doesn't help a bit...

ambersbug

Hi Ambersbug ~
I am going through a regret phase right now. I had a supracervical abdominal hysterectomy (kept ovaries and cervix) May 7, 2008. I wish I had kept my appt. with the radiologist who performs uterine fibroid embolization. I had a mental block about putting tiny plastic pellets in my veins along with dead fibroid tissue in my uterus afterward. I just couldn't get past it no matter how safe the procedure. I was just "weirded out" and still kind of am but since going through major surgery, I am definitely more open to the idea. I can't say for sure if I would have changed my mind but it is important to gather all the information you can before making such a huge decision. I also did not know about MRI-guided ultrasound ablation until AFTER my surgery. Maybe that would have been a good option. If you are not having major symptoms and are close to menopause, your fibroids will shrink anyway. If I could do it over again, I think I'd try to save my uterus -- the whole uterine contraction thing, ya know!
Good luck with your research!

I had my surgery on the 27th and am so glad I did. I'm only 7 days out of the woods but feel as though everything will work fine once I'm healed. I really wanted my uterus to go so am having no regrets yet.

I never have had uterine contractions so I wasn't worried about that issue. I would have been much more cautious if I was geared that way. I had heard about the ablation and embolization but it wasn't only fibroids I was dealing with but my uterus being a 14 week pregnancy size.

I have no idea if having this surgery will give me my energy and old self back but I am sure that I will not miss my uterus contractions that were so painful every month all my life. I'm glad to have saved myself 120 months of that awful cramping.

I sure hope you find your way thru this tvmonkey! Since you're two months ahead of me are you feeling your energy level come back yet? I'm on day 7 and EXHAUSTED! I walked outside today for the first time and spent the rest of the day on the couch sleeping! LOL

Hugs!
ambersbug

Hi ambersbug ~

I'm feeling great right now two months after surgery. I saw my doctor recently and he said it was likely I would have needed a hysterectomy in the future even if I had the UFE. That eased my mind quite a bit. It is a bummer that the uterine contractions are not there but I'm working with it! It is so much better than all the negative stuff that came along with my fibroid...

My energy level is wonderful! I've walked nearly every day after surgery and I'm still going strong. There have definitely been days of total exhaustion, too. One day I'd be on top of the world and then, out of nowhere, I just wanted to chill on the couch all day. Go figure! After week 5 or 6, though, I haven't had any "whew, I'm tired!" days.

Everything is going very well for me. Thanks for responding. I'm going on a long bicycle ride tomorrow with my hubby and plan on getting back to running in another month or so. Glad you are happy with your surgery. Happy healing!

Thank you and you too! Doesn't sound like you're a tvmonkey at all! LOL