BSO..Pain, pain go away!!!!!

After years of battling endometriosis and ovarian cysts, I survived a TAH, in December 2010. Recovery was a little painful, but I made it thru and returned to work in late January 2011. To my surprise less than four months later, endo returned, this time attacking my bladder. These new problems caused severe pain and bleeding. In May 2011, I began two three month sessions of Depo Provera(I was on these shots before and they did not work, so nothing changed). After completing the last round of depo, things seemed to settle down, so I felt "okay, I can do this"...Well so I thought!!!! In May of 2012, my pain and bleeding returned with a vengance. This time causing severe back pain, and urging sensations from my bladder and rectum. So...I contacted my GI Dr., and he scheduled me for a colonoscopy. Unfortunately, the colonoscopy was not successful because of some sort of blockage which did not allow the scope to go thru. After a barium enema, my GI finally assessed the trouble as possible endo on my colon.....Fast forward now after all this I am scheduled to have my ovaries and tubes removed which hopefully will deliver some relief. This is the plan for 7/25, TLH/BSO,(Doctor hoping to treat all symptoms via lap.,but I advised him to belly cut again if needed), surgery set for 0730. Bowel prep night before, will be admitted for an overnight stay(so far), should be home by Friday, and looking at 3-4 Weeks out of work. Praying all goes well and looking forward to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!!

Hi Shay

I am sorry you are dealing with this, and that your endo has come back. Are you dealing with an endo specialist?

We have many women on this site who have had experience with endo. Hopefully they will see this post and respond.

I am sorry you are continuing to live with pain and issues related to endometriosis. I know how frustrating that can be.

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Originally Posted by Shay1974 To my surprise less than four months later, endo returned, this time attacking my bladder. These new problems caused severe pain and bleeding.

How was is determined that endometriosis was attacking your bladder? Did anyone check for Interstitial Cystitis (IC)? Suspected bladder endometriosis for me turned out to be IC, a condition being found in more and more women with endometriosis. Unless you have had a surgery to identify endometriosis on or in your bladder, I would strongly encourage you to find out if you have IC based on all you have shared.

Also, if you do have endometriosis on or in your bladder, is your surgeon going to be able to remove it? Many OB/GYN's cannot safely remove endometriosis from the bladder.

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Unfortunately, the colonoscopy was not successful because of some sort of blockage which did not allow the scope to go thru. After a barium enema, my GI finally assessed the trouble as possible endo on my colon.

Have any of your doctors suggested that the endometriosis could have penetrated the colon and that could be why the tests could not be completed? With endometriosis on my bowel walls and my bowels adhered to my vaginal cuff, my gastroenterologist was still able to do a complete colonoscopy. But others who have had endometriosis penetrate their colon had a situation like yours where the colonoscopy could not be completed. When endometriosis penetrates the bowel, a bowel resection is generally required.

Even with known endometriosis on my bowel walls, no testing done by either my gastroenterologist, urologist, or gynecologist ever showed the endometriosis or adhesions including CT scans with the barium enema and ultrasounds. Endometriosis and adhesions typically do not show up on any test and thus your gastroenterologist and surgeon may not fully know what is going on until during surgery.

If you do have endometriosis on or penetrating your bowels, you need a surgeon other than a general OB/GYN. An OB/GYN typically is unable to do any surgical procedure on the bowel walls. My own had to leave the endometriosis on my bowel walls alone, and that endometriosis was not addressed until I traveled to an endometriosis specialist. The specialist was able to successfully excise the endometriosis from my bowel walls without doing a resection. Even surgeons who can work on the bowels often are not able to excise endometriosis from it and instead automatically do a bowel resection. In my case, if the endometriosis had penetrated my bowel, my specialist would have called in the colo-rectal surgeon he works with frequently, but there are some specialists who have learned to do bowel resections themselves but there aren't many of them.

Will you have a colo-rectal surgeon on hand in case you need a bowel resection? Has your surgeon gone over what all that could and would entail?

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Fast forward now after all this I am scheduled to have my ovaries and tubes removed which hopefully will deliver some relief.

If you have endometriosis on your bowel walls and it is not skillfully and successfully removed, it can continue to cause pain and issues even if you have both of your ovaries removed. For one, endometriosis can create its own supply of estrogen so it can be self-sustaining, no ovaries or HRT needed. The key for successfully treating endometriosis is not the removal of our reproductive organs, but rather the skillful recognition and excision of the existing endometriosis implants. Thus, if you are not seeing an endometriosis specialist I would strongly encourage you to do so even if it means postponing your surgery. You need the existing endometriosis addressed, regardless of what is determined to be best for your ovaries.

By the way, I am endometriosis pain and symptom free today even with two functioning ovaries and having a stage IV endometriosis diagnosis with bowel involvement. The key to my successful story was seeing an endometriosis specialist rather than a local OB/GYN.

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Praying all goes well and looking forward to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!!

I do wish you well and hope you have carefully weighed all of your pros and cons, gotten a second opinion, are seeing an endometriosis specialist, and you understand the issues of surgical menopause and HRT with may or may not be allowed with an endometriosis diagnosis, especially if your surgeon is unable to remove all the endometriosis.

My goes out to all women with this condition so I am sending best wishes your way!

Thanks to Marestail and Weiser for checking up on me..Your words are so kind and encouraging...Let's start out by answering a few of your questions
1. In April 2011, My Urologist performed a cystoscope w/lab testing to confirm the endometriosis. My Urologist has been notified, and scheduled to be present.
2. After the results of the barium enema, GI seems to believe this endo mass has not perforated the sigmoid colon. GI diagnosis was not a confirmation, but just observation based on my history, xray from enema, and likelihood of the endo presence.
3. Unfortunately, here in Mobile, Al, I have not found an Endometriosis Specialist...closest will be Birmingham, 4 hours away. At this point, resources do not allow for these types of travel.
4. After dealing with endo for over twenty years, this disease has become like an old friend that only comes around when they need money..lol, advances in the skill of physicians and equipment has helped me to endure this long....so now everything is coming out! No need to keep my ovaries, won't be freezing any eggs(they are trying to push this process now), and definetly will not be having children. I have prepared myself mentally for this process and the thought of surgical menopause/HRT no longer worries me. I will follow up with my physicians, take the nessassary precautions with medications and checkups and wait for this fast speeding train to slowly come to an end. The wonderful thing about all of this is that I have a support system like hystersisters, along with the love and support from my family. I am so happy that both of you are doing well and have found a solution to your endo and other medical issues. Hopefully mine is just around the corner...Keep me in your prayers! TTFN