Hysterectomy at 34 in a month

I'm new to this sight. I have a hysterectomy scheduled 1 month from now and very nervous. I have had problem with my periods for years. We were fortunate to have a child but shortly after started having more problems. After finding out I have hydrosalphix, adhesions to my tubes ovaries and bowl leaving me infertle I started spotting daily in between periods and my periods became very heavy, long, and painful. After lyposcopic surgery, ablation and trying to control my symptoms with medications my doctor and I have decided the only thing else left is a hysterectomy. At this time the drs are unsure if I will be able to keep my ovaries or not. Any advice, words of wisdom, or encouragement would be great. I'm nervous about so many things. Bowel problems, menopause, pain, lack of sex drive are just to name a few. I'm hoping this is a great choice since I'm tired of spotting every single day for the past 3 yrs and the extreme pain that comes with my periods. Hope I can find some stories here to put my mind at ease.

Hi Kim62482 to HysterSisters!

I am so glad you found this site.

All of your emotions, feeling, fears, and anxiety are very normal. This is one tough surgery to face and digest. All of the unknowns after surgery can be difficult to wrap your brain around. And you just do not know until you are there.

For bowel problems: I have not had any bowel issues, and my surgery was over five years ago.

If they take your ovaries, you will be dumped into surgical menopause at a fairly young age. Here are some articles that may provide information:
Surgical Menopause vs. Natural Menopause
HRT, Heart Disease, and Surgical Menopause
5 Interesting Facts about Surgical Menopause
6 Tips to Help You Prepare for Surgical Menopause

I was rudely dumped into surgical menopause at age 46. For me it was MISERABLE. My GP put me on HRT and it gave me my life back. Speak to your doctor about what your options are, should you lose your ovaries.

Pain after surgery is different for everyone - some have little or no pain, while others have high levels of pain. I had moderately high pain, but it was controllable with narcotics and Motrin. I was off the narcotics after about 5 days. And I stopped the Motrin a couple of weeks after that.

Sex after surgery is different for everyone - some say is better, some say worse, and everywhere in between. Here are 10 Concerns about Intimacy after Hysterectomy.

I know this is such an overwhelming experience. Just know that you are not alone in this. We are here for you, and understand what you are going through.