My TAH story

I guess you could say my story started when I was 12, which is when my period started. I suffered debilitating pain for at least 10 days out of every month from that point on. There was never an explanation, either. Just "some girls can't tolerate the pain as well as others" speech to my mom and OTC pain meds that did nothing but cause me ulcers at a young age. The pain eventually had gotten so intense that by 16 I dropped out of regular high school and acquired my HsED (High School Equivalency Diploma, not to be confused with GED which does not give the actual high school credits for later college use) and worked a full time job twenty days a month for a man my dad knew. I was lucky enough to bear 4 live children, 3 of whom still survive to light up my life. My only daughter, twin to my oldest son, died at 23 hours old. To blame: bad blood flow to my uterus. I was told then that I would never be able to bear another child. Surprise Surprise, only a year and a half later, my middle son was born after I was told I was infertile. DR tied my tubes (not tied, but used plastic clips). Then a few years down the road, Holy Heavens above, my youngest son, a humongous baby weighing 10 lbs 2 oz, came screaming into the world. So no, fertility wasn't a problem at all. But by this time, my pelvic organs were destroyed. I suffered pelvic pain constantly, and my lower back began to bother me. I paid a visit to a chiropractor, thinking maybe parenthood had knocked some things out of whack, but she discovered the anesthesiologist had separated my L3 and L4 vertebrae with the epidural needle during my second delivery (didn't have one with my youngest or oldest) and over time the disk had become horribly herniated. Add to that, I was suffering uterine and bladder prolapse, which made the pain even more intense in my back and was creating constant bladder infections. Amazingly, it took 2 bouts of pain pill addiction, a small bout with a shallow cervical cancer, and another almost 15 years of suffering before I was referred to my current surgeon by my father's urologist of all people! This surgeon took one look at the damage visible on the ultrasound that he immediately put my on the surgery schedule. I visited with my dads urologist before my surgery and he suggested the gall bladder and kidney stones be removed while I was open for the hysterectomy, and that is how I was put in the fast lane to a package deal surgery. I am recovering still, 22 days out. I had hoped the surgery would ease my back pain some, but it hasn't helped at all. If anything it has added to it because of the weakness in my abs right now. But, fingers crossed, I will make it out the other side of this, as well!