TLH: Has anyone ever woke up and been told....

...that everything actually looked okay? I'm so afraid I'm going to wake up from surgery and my doc will report back to me saying everything looked normal and I'm just crazy. I had a lap for endo in 07' and 3 weeks later I was having pain again. After coming out of that procedure, I said back then, that next time I have to any kind of procedure or surgery on my girlie organs, it's going to be to have them removed. I HATE being put under and am 150% sure I'm not having anymore children, so I was not about to put myself through several laps or other procedures to fix the problem for a few weeks. So I did a lot of thinking and researching and decided that this is as good as time as any to have the hysterectomy. BUT..... what if my doc gets in there and sees one little spot, or one little endometrioma cyst, she's going to think I'm crazy asking for such a drastic surgery.?.?.? But she even said to me on our first visit a couple years ago, endo is a funny thing, some women can have their insides covered with it and not really have any symptoms, others can have a little spot that causes constant pain. I don't think I'm covered with it, but I do know that I feel it over 3 weeks out of the month and my periods and ovulation is a nightmare. I start doubting in my "painless moments", so when I do have pain, I'm actually glad... I guess it validates all of this for me, or I have a very active imagination.
I'm just curious if anyone has woke up and actually been told that. I will feel so stupid.

I worried about the same thing. It seems like a silly worry when you KNOW you're in pain, but I still worried about it nonetheless. I reminds me of when I was 16 and my car would start making a funny noise but when I'd take my step-dad out in it, it wouldn't make the noise anymore and he'd think I was nuts. LOL

Of course, my surgery is through and they did find TONS of adhesions and my uterus was fused to my interior wall, so I know that I wasn't crazy afterall.

I have been thinking the same thing. I'm afraid I will wake and he he will say- I didn't do anything because it looked fine in there.

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Originally Posted by new_here i have been thinking the same thing. I'm afraid i will wake and he he will say- i didn't do anything because it looked fine in there.

meeeeeeeeee tooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are actually many women on the site with the same fear so you are not alone with your thoughts!

Also, there are women who did find out their pathology was completely fine following surgery. Sometimes the surgery still alleviated their symptoms, sometimes not. Hence, we strongly recommend ladies have second opinions, carefully weigh their pros and cons, and try any less invasive options first to make sure this major surgery is the right one for them and will hopefully take care of their symptoms.

As your doctor stated, the amount of endometriosis does not correlate with symptoms. Women with only spots of endometriosis can live with horrendous pain. Others, like myself, can have a endometriosis covered uterus and no pain to speak of prior to our hysterectomy. It makes no sense!

You do need to know that a hysterectomy is not a cure for endometriosis. The key is the actual removal of the endometriosis implants. Any endometriosis that is missed, as it sounds like happened with your first laparoscopy, can continue to cause pain and symptoms, no uterus or ovaries needed.

Is your doctor an endometriosis specialist? If not, you might want to consult with one prior to having surgery. The more skilled and knowledgeable your surgeon, the better your outcome can be. Not all doctors, my GYN included, have the skills necessary to recognize and remove all endometriosis. Thus, we can be left with endometriosis following a hysterectomy, continue to live with pain and symptoms, and require further surgery down the road for that remaining and new endometriosis. Since you have major concerns with being put under, you will want the most skilled surgeon you can find to minimize your chances of future surgeries for endometriosis.

Also, there are means of anesthesia that do not involve putting one to sleep. However, they are not compatible with all surgery types. You may want to discuss your anesthesia options with your doctor.

Best wishes! S

No

My doctor actually said I had more cysts than she expected. She found them in my fallopian tubes as well. She couldn't believe I wasn't complaining more.

I don't think your doctor would want to do surgery if you didn't need it.

My doc only wanted to take out my ovary (other had been removed prior). I said "No. Hyster. Take the uterus and cervix while you're there".

Come to find out, I was right. My adhesions would have robbed me of my uterus anyway.

My pathology was fine... if you mean the cyst wasn't cancer just a horrible ugly growth that could have eventually eaten me (well not that extreme, but it was a fat lil booger!)

Just make sure you're okay with your decision. The doc is there to offer you his/her medical opinion and sometimes while they don't agree with you, if they know this is really what you want, then that's what they will do. ^_^ Good luck!

I was afraid of the same thing!!

But sure enough, he found endo on both ovaries, behind the uterus, some fibroids starting and according to my pathology report, I had little benign cycts in my right ovary, and on the right tube, and inside the left ovary....and endo on part of my bowel....

Thanks for all the replies! I am confident with my decision, but there is still that little voice in the back of my head that's saying, "this is all in your head". I didn't make my choice overnight, I spent 3+ years thinking about it, actually, it's been on my mind everyday since I started having the pain again 3 weeks after the lap. I just want to get it over with, I'm 7 weeks away and although that seems like a long time, I know it'll be here before I can blink. In exactly 7 weeks, it will be my "night before the big day". It's just so weird to think about, this isn't like having a surgery to fix a broken bone. I hate not knowing how I'll be with the HRT afterwards..... It's the unknown that's driving me insane. In me heart, I feel like everything will be fine... better than my life now, but I just can't get my mind to wrap around the idea of not having periods or pain.

Girl I was so scared about HRT I thought my head would pop! But since I've been on my little green pill, I feel better than I can remember. When my doc checked in on me after surgery, I asked him what my ovary looked like. He said "Sweetie, I couldn't find it. That tumor had pretty much destroyed it. No wonder you've been going through hot flashes recently." And I'm post op 5 weeks and feeling like a new woman. I didn't know I was lacking hormones but now I realize I was pretty run down and cranky. Now, slap happy and glad to be alive.

You will do so well. It may be hard at first, but don't be hard on yourself. I still have my downs too but knowing that life is waiting for me to get back out there, I'm itching to taste it all. No worrying, no pads, no cramps, no pregnancy tests. I feel like I've dusted some chips off here.

I hope you feel the same way soon enough.