Back in December 2007, I went for my annual exam with my OB/GYN. I have my exams like clockwork each year and had absolutely no reason to think that anything was going to go wrong this time.
About a week after my pap, I received a phone call from my doctor's office telling me that my results came back abnormal. Instead of asking me to come in and repeat the pap as had been done a few years prior (which came out fine the 2nd time), they immediately told me that I needed to come straight in for a biopsy. I knew that it couldn't be good if we were skipping the retest in liu of a biopsy.
Had the biopsy done the week before Christmas. On the day after Christmas, I received a phone call from my OB/GYN (himself) at home in the middle of the day. My heart sank as he told me that my biopsy results did not come back well and that I needed to come into the office to talk about it. All I could do was cry.
I went into his office two days later and was told that I was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma In-Situ, the last level of cell changes on the cervix before actual cancer sets in. I was incredulous that I could go from having a perfect test result the year before to now having "almost" cancer within just a mere 365 days! He explained to me that AIS is a very aggressive form of cancerous cells and that they tend to grow from the inside of the cervix outward, which could explain why it wasn't detected earlier.
He referred me to a Gyn Oncologist to discuss my options and treatments. Both my regular OB/GYN and the Gyn Onc. strongly suggested that I have a hysterectomy, as it was the only sure way to get rid of everything. I was given the option of having the LEEP procedure to try to get rid of it, but of course, there was no guarantee that it would all be removed and that it would never come back again.
I did end up having to undergo LEEP along with a D&C to determine if the cells had spread to any other areas outside of the cervix (they had not, thankfully). Those procedures were performed together on 1/16/08.
My hysterectomy was set for 2/27/08. I battled with my decision to go through with it up until the day before. I wondered if I was making the right decision for myself...I wondered if I would have a chance at having another child if I simply went with the LEEP procedure...I wondered if I would end up with full blown cancer if I didn't have the hysterectomy.
In the end, it was far too risky for me to chance leaving everything in place for my family's sake - and for my own sake. I also have a history of Endometriosis, specifically on my ovaries - so we decided to go ahead and take those, too, so that I would (hopefully) not have to battle any more gynecological problems in the future. So my doctor performed my TAH/BSO at 10:00 AM EST on 2/27/08.
Recovery was taxing, of course - it was certainly no walk in the park, but now that I am mostly recovered, I'm feeling SO much better and carefree. To this date, I'm still struggling with energy and fatigue issues, but I'm confident that these issues will be resolved in the near future.
I'm VERY glad that I had this surgery. Of course, no one WANTS to go through anything even remotely like this, but I feel good that my doctor was able to recognize the problem quickly before it got out of hand and that he held my hand (figuratively) through this process.
The ladies here at HysterSisters also helped to hold my hand through this process, and I cannot express enough gratitude to those of you who shared your stories and gave advice. I believe I would have grieved myself to death before my surgery had it not been for this site. I am truly forever indebted. Oh, and the Swelly Belly Band is MUST HAVE!
Well, I just recently had my follow-up pap - came back just perfect!
So to those of you who are facing a hysterectomy far earlier than you ever imagined you'd have to have one - like me - hang in there! Come to this site often. Read others' stories. Ask for advice. And to all of my HysterSisters out there -
Abdominal Hysterectomy: TAH/BSO - dx'd w/ Adenocarcinoma In-Situ
