Decision day looming!

hi all!

next tuesday is the day i confirm my decision with my gynaecologist - i am really leaning towards going ahead with the hyster, for several reasons.

1) i've prepared myself mentally
2) i've booked in for a xxx wax a couple days before surgery is scheduled
3) i feel it IS going to be the best decision for my health

i would like to ask tho if anyone has heard or come across information that endometriosis can be pre-cancerous, or if they've ever read any studies to suggest that. i was discussing this with a woman i know who is also scheduled for a hyster on Nov 30th, and that's the information she's come across - i just don't know on what info she's based this.

any answers/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

i'm sure i'll be on here Tuesday night to let everyone know my final decision, after i've had my consult with my gynaecologist! i'm almost sort of looking forward to it - i guess it's a definitive answer one way or another!

luv kaz x

I am not sure about that either but I am sure there is a Hyster Sister that does know and will share...
*I would be afraid to wax....that sounds more painful than the surgery!! LOL
Make sure you figure out which kind of Hyster will work best for you before you go in so you can discuss it also...
Hugs!

If you're still wondering if a hysterectomy is the right choice for you, it may be a good idea to postpone until you've had a chance to do some more research. Also, we always recommend having at least one additional medical opinion before undergoing this surgery since it is irreversible and it can have such lasting negative consequences for some women.

The Options and Alternatives message board here at Hyster Sisters is a fantastic resource of women who are exploring various options to either delay or avoid a hysterectomy altogether. It might be worth a visit before your consultation on Tuesday!

to you. Remember, we're with you every step of the way, no matter what you decide.

I second everything mjd2491 just said... Only I'm a bit more vocal about the second opinion part; as in ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS get a second or third opinion before consenting to any surgery! Ever.

If you do not have a life threatening condition, then you can always postpone surgery, and should, in my opinion, until you have ALL your questions answered and you are 100% certain this is the right treatment for you. Afterall, you can always reschedule surgery but you cannot go back and undo it. This is a permanent, life-altering surgery that will have physical consequences to your body (especially your endocrine system); just how much and how severe these physical consequences will be to your body, you won't know until it's too late to change. Therefore, it's very important that all these consequences are completely understood and acceptable to you before you make a final decision.

New thinking is that endometriosis is in breakthrough discoveries; have you considered a second opinion with a reproductive endocrinologist? This is the kind of doctor who is most likely, in my opinion, to be up on the latest with endometriosis. This is a combination gynecologist/endocrinologist, which is what endometriosis involves. (The reproductive part doesn't have to mean you want to have kids.)

This is one part of hysterectomy that I want to make sure you, especially, have considered... I see that you are young and an artist. There is no dispute in that hysterectomy alone jeopardizes the ovaries, more than half of the women who have hysterectomies will experience ovarian dysfunction or failure within 5 years of their surgery. The part I want to make sure you, an artist, has considered is more controversial but more and more research is leading us to believe this may be the case: the hormones and chemicals in the gonads (ovaries and testicles) may the chemicals that are largely responsible for artistic creativity. There have been many oophorectomized artist (women who had their ovaries removed) who complain of loss of their "creative juices" following surgery. I know this because I am one of those women and have since corresponded with many others who experienced the same thing. This has led me to talk to scientist and researchers who are exploring the phenomenon and they tell me they are finding a difference in brain waves. Also men artist who have had their testicles removed for cancers, etc. report the same changes. Of course this is contoversial now, but what if it holds true after research is complete?

The bottom line is that hysterectomy jeopardizes the ovaries, the ovaries are endocrine organs with far reaching functions besides reproduction and if you are risking your ovaries, you need to know, as much as possible about all their functions and what this may mean to you in your future life.

I hope that whatever decision you make, you will be at peace with it and yourself, and that if you opt for surgery, you will experience no complications and as few side effects as possible. Just please make sure you get a second opinion and have all your questions answered.

Best wishes for a long, happy and productive life,