Hysterectomy for fibroids, hope I'm making the right choice

I haven't been on this site in a while and, by chance, I came across your post. I also had fibroids and fought the hysterectomy for over 5 years. Finally, when I was bleeding, or rather flooding, 17 days a month and with much pain, I went to one more doctor, hoping for that miracle cure w/o surgery, but nope! He was concerned that my basketball sized uterus might be pressing against my ureter tubes and slowly killing my kidneys. That had never been told to me before. So, at 48, I had a TAH. I planned on keeping my ovaries, but once he got in there, to his surprise, I had a lot of endometriosis and it was all over my ovaries, so they had to go. I recovered well and took HRT for 5 months, then I started weaning myself off and now, at almost 9 months post op, I am off completely. I do now have some hot flashes at night and some vaginal dryness, but nothing unbearable. I am MUCH happier w/o the bleeding and pain. It is a hard decision and one that only you can make, but please know that there are plenty of good experiences out there. Sure, some will have bad ones, but the majority are good. I think you'll be so glad when it is done. I didn't have the emotional attachment to my uterus like some talk about. Of course, I have 2 grown children and if I didn't have them, I'm sure I'd feel differently. To me, that uterus was just a big pain in my gut! God bless you as you go through this!

Many prayers and a quick recovery for you.

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Originally Posted by debpippin prayers and light for tomorrow indrani

Thanks deb

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Originally Posted by heres2u I haven't been on this site in a while and, by chance, I came across your post. I also had fibroids and fought the hysterectomy for over 5 years. Finally, when I was bleeding, or rather flooding, 17 days a month and with much pain, I went to one more doctor, hoping for that miracle cure w/o surgery, but nope! He was concerned that my basketball sized uterus might be pressing against my ureter tubes and slowly killing my kidneys. That had never been told to me before. So, at 48, I had a TAH. I planned on keeping my ovaries, but once he got in there, to his surprise, I had a lot of endometriosis and it was all over my ovaries, so they had to go. I recovered well and took HRT for 5 months, then I started weaning myself off and now, at almost 9 months post op, I am off completely. I do now have some hot flashes at night and some vaginal dryness, but nothing unbearable. I am MUCH happier w/o the bleeding and pain. It is a hard decision and one that only you can make, but please know that there are plenty of good experiences out there. Sure, some will have bad ones, but the majority are good. I think you'll be so glad when it is done. I didn't have the emotional attachment to my uterus like some talk about. Of course, I have 2 grown children and if I didn't have them, I'm sure I'd feel differently. To me, that uterus was just a big pain in my gut! God bless you as you go through this!

This is me to a t...I also put it off until I couldn't manage everyday life anymore. Even my reg Dr would tell me why don't I just go and have surgery. I would feel so much better. Sometimes reading doesn't help because in my mind I made out that at menopause everything would be ok. Menopause wasn't in sight and the last time I went to the GYN she told me I was starting to effect my other organs. That scared me enough to do something. She sent me to a specialist and I went in with an attitude because after talking to his office staff I though hes not gonna do anything. He didn't totally finish his exam and told me after I got dress to see him in his office. I was in surgery in less than two weeks. After sugery my GYN and the specialist came in and told my DH they delivered a 7 month baby(uterus) because I had waited so long they had other work they had to do to repair organs. Almost imediatly my back stopped hurting and I had been treated for hurting my back. Sneezing was a pain because I would sqeeze my legs together to keep from peeing myself. You don't know how many mornings I had to come change my clothes because of a cough or sneeze. The first time I got dressed and went out after surgery and didn't have to put on a pad was wow I can't believe how that feels!!! Sometimes we shouldn't be our own Dr....good luck!!!

I've been reading this thread with much interest. I am 42 and have fibroids which have been causing me increasing problems with heavy painful periods, flooding etc since I was in my mid-30's.
Just last month at my Gynaecologist appointment I made the decision to have a hysterectomy. I am ok with the decision to have the op but terrified at the same time as I have never had major surgery or even a general anesthesia. I haven't got a firm date yet but am on the list for February 2012.
I really want to say thanks so much for documenting your experiences - both good and not so good - it's really helpful and informative.

J..

J,

I had never had surgery either, never had anesthesia. I was so scared and dreaded it terribly. It was nothing! I didn't get nauseated afterward and just felt sleepy. I hope you have peace and a quick recovery!

I am amazed at the conversations we are able to have regarding pros & cons. This website is such benefit to us as we come to a new fork on the road. I applaud everyone for researching options & asking questions. Wishing you the best as you make these decisions.

Your story is very similar to mine, but I'm 43, and kind of wish now that I'd done it earlier. I've been having issues over the last 9 years (and had issues in high school, on the pill for 10 years, and was fine for 4). Unfortunately, there's such a stigma about talking about such things.

Be glad to have a doctor who advocates a solution and not just patches. Wish I'd found it earlier, but I was determined not to have one. Mine was after another D&C didn't stop the bleeding and was already in the hospital because I lost half my blood.

As others have said, now you can have your life back and enjoy it rather than plan things around your heavy bleeding and not being able to do the things you love doing.

I still have my ovaries thankfully, and that helps a lot. Hopefully, you can keep yours. Good luck and be glad you found this wonderful site. I haven't found anywhere else on the web to talk about these issues, too bad it takes surgery to get talking about these things.

Fpr those struggling with fibroids/bleeding: I started having problems in my early 40s. I took the pill for years, not so much for birth control, but to keep from flooding. Finally I decided to have an LAVH with both tubes and ovaries removed just after my 50th birthday. My mother had just died of ovarian cancer, an my older sister, who'd had such bad fibroids a few years ago she ended up needing an abdominal hysterectomy, was having ovarian cyst issues.
Afterward I felt much better but I did have some moments of depression. Even though children were not an option (I was 50 already), have LAVh seemed so final. Of course, some of my depression might have come from the fact I was facing the first Christmas without my mother.
I do not regret my decision. I am not on HRT and I have had very few menopausal symptoms- the last hot flash I had was in June.
Bottom line- this is an important decision. Take your time, and get a second- even a third opinion. I did, and I know I made the right decision for me. Best of luck.

I am so sorry to hear of your difficulty with fibroids. My sister and I have both had fibroids. I had four removed right before I got pregnant to help with the process. My sister had 15 removed one time. She's never been married and never had children. If I were in your shoes I would check around to see if a skilled surgeon might try to preserve your uterus and then try to possibly get pregnant after the surgery or freeze eggs. I know it does not allow you to have a vaginal delivery I had to have two c-sections. I can also tell you that after my myomectomy to remove the fibroids I felt awesome so energetic. I told the dr. he should get them out of every woman who has them. I don't know if this is helpful but I thought you might gain something from it.