LSH: Fibroids causing gastro issues: Am I rushing into surgery?

Hi everyone! I just scheduled my LSH for 2/1/17 and my nervousness and fear over the surgery is in overdrive and making me doubt my decision. I could only admit this here, but there is a part of me (and this will sound crazy) that isn't sure I'm in enough pain to warrant a surgery.

Background: After about a year of flare ups of swollen/bloated belly, constipation and lower back pain that my regular dr. chalked up to normal gastro issues to be treated with OTC meds, I mentioned it to my gyno during my annual visit and she ordered and MRI and ultrasound. That revealed 1 small fibroid in my uterus and one larger one (about the size of an orange) outside of my uterus/on the back side of my uterus. The assumption is that the larger fibroid is pushing on my bowels etc. and causing the gastro issues/lower back pain. I do not have the heavy bleeding or painful cramps that so many experience with fibroids. I feel a regular, non-painful "pulling" or "pressure" on one side of my abdomen and then atleast 1x a week I have a flare up with the painful bloating, belly pain, bowel issues, etc. The pain is not fun and can get me to the point I have to lay down but typically manageable with OTC pain meds and a heating pad.

On the positive side: The fibroids are small enough that I am a good candidate for laproscopic surgery. I'm early 40s and pretty healthy so I think I would handle the surgery well. I would keep my ovaries and cervix. I am able to take off work for the surgery and recovery and have family to care for me during the recovery.


But the question I'm wrestling with is - am I rushing into this?? I'm only assuming the fibroids are causing my gastro issues but what if they aren't? what if I have a true gastro issue and this surgery isn't going to fix it/isn't needed? My pain is manageable now - should I really have a surgery for a pain that is manageable? But then I think how crazy that sounds because who wants to wait until the pain is awful to have a surgery!?!

My husband reminds me that the fibroids may grow or multiple so I'd still have to have a hysterectomy at some point anyways and it could be better to have the surgery now while I'm a candidate for laproscopic. And of course there is the hope that the surgery will fix all the gastro issues which would be amazing. But I still doubt my decision. Is this normal?

I'm not asking anyone for an answer but if anyone has had similar symptoms or even similar self-doubt then I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

I didn't have gastrointestinal issues, but I did have groin pain and painful urination. I was told that the fibroids were pressing on something. I did see a urologist too before surgery, because I was worried the fibroids were not the issue.

Everyone agreed (3 Doctors) it was the fibroids, except, here I am 6 weeks out from a failed LAVH, turned TAH, and I still have groin pain and painful urination. So it obviously wasn't the fibroids. I had one bad period in my life, the one before surgery. I feel like the Dr's saw the fibroids and didn't look any farther.

If I had known that the groin pain and painful urination wouldn't be solved by the hysterectomy, I would not have done it. My recovery has been uneventful, but long. I wish I had the sunshine and unicorn experience many on here talk about.

It can be difficult to know if you are doing the right thing, especially if they "think" your gastro issues are caused from the fibroids but aren't 100% sure. You have about 5 weeks before your surgery so I would recommend getting a second opinion, especially by a gastroenterologist. They can look at your history and the results of your MRI and ultrasound and advise if they concur with your physician. Your husband is right, the fibroids may continue to grow and it sounds like you have been experiencing painful periods for years. A hysterectomy will certainly resolve that for you. I too had gastro issues and my fibroids were putting a lot of pressure on my bowels and bladder. In my case however I also had underlying IBS so my hysterectomy didn't resolve that part but did help in many other ways.

Take your time and don't rush into anything. Use the coming weeks do your research, talk to a gastro specialist and make sure all of your questions are answered so that you are comfortable with whatever decision you make.

Good luck and

I was also having a lot of gastric issues, feeling stuffed at times when I didn't eat much, frequent nausea, etc. I felt so much better immediately after surgery, I couldn't believe it. I also didn't have to urinate as much. I had my surgery on thurs, home on fri, on sat, went to the supermarket with my husband and bought everything in sight, even stuff I normally don't like. Everything looked good! I had a crazy appetite the first couple of weeks because I never really felt good before surgery. I let myself indulge in eating whatever I wanted for a couple of weeks, and then made myself eat sensibly. I don't know if this will be the case with you, but wanted to share my experience. Good luck!

Remember that the uterus is in the same general area as the intestinal tract - in fact, it sits directly in front of the rectum - so a fibroid in the back, like what you've described, can cause issues in there. As well, if the uterus is significantly enlarged, it can press on the stomach, causing issues there. Personally, I had a grapefruit sized fibroid pressing on my bladder, causing incontinence issues; my uterus was enlarged to 22-week size, and was pressing on my stomach, also causing issues with bloating and nausea - I'd feel sick right after breakfast. I was able to have my surgery done laparoscopically, and that completely resolved those issues. However, I do agree with Sarrie22 that you should have things checked out by a gastroenterologist, to make sure that this is the right decision for you. Best wishes for whatever you decide!

If you are unsure, ask for a referral to a GI for a colonoscopy. (Colon cancer survivor here). That being said, I have fibroids and lots of GI issues, usually involving gas, bloating, and loose stools. I had a colonoscopy in August and all was clear, so I'm hoping the hysterectomy helps with this!