Kamden
12-05-2002, 01:47 PM
I am posting this question for my sister. She has fivroids that are causing alot of problems and was told she will be given the choice of having a full hysterectomy or just her uterus taken out. We are trying to find any info. on which operation would be better for her. Thankyou
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Anonymity
12-05-2002, 02:37 PM
Has your sister had a second opinion? And a third?
The medical community is notorious for recommending hysterectomies when other options do exist. I don't know enough about hysterectomies or your sister to make any judgements, but I think that multiple opinions are in order.
Good luck!
P.S. My mom had the same condition as your sister and went through a hysterectomy when I was 4 or so. She's not sure to this day whether it was necessary, but she doesn't really want to know. She'd rather believe it was, since it kept her from having children other than me. I guess I just don't want your sister to have any regrets. She might regret only getting one opinion, but I doubt she'd regret getting two or more. Maybe she already has, and this whole post is irrelevant. Good luck either way!
The medical community is notorious for recommending hysterectomies when other options do exist. I don't know enough about hysterectomies or your sister to make any judgements, but I think that multiple opinions are in order.
Good luck!
P.S. My mom had the same condition as your sister and went through a hysterectomy when I was 4 or so. She's not sure to this day whether it was necessary, but she doesn't really want to know. She'd rather believe it was, since it kept her from having children other than me. I guess I just don't want your sister to have any regrets. She might regret only getting one opinion, but I doubt she'd regret getting two or more. Maybe she already has, and this whole post is irrelevant. Good luck either way!
Kamden
12-05-2002, 11:03 PM
Thankyou for your replies. She has been to docs for this but going to a specialist for the first time next week. She knows what choices she will be given and wants to learn about them before her appt. I will also check out that link you sent.
auntjudyg
12-06-2002, 01:38 PM
Two authors who have written about women's health and might have some helpful information:
John Lee, M.D. - What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About (Pre)Menopause
Christiane Northurp, M.D. - Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom; and The Wisdom of Menopause
John Lee, M.D. - What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About (Pre)Menopause
Christiane Northurp, M.D. - Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom; and The Wisdom of Menopause
Kamden
12-09-2002, 12:22 AM
Women's Bodies, Women's wisdom is a great book, I read it, thanks.
[This message has been edited by Kamden (edited 12-08-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Kamden (edited 12-08-2002).]
Anonymity
12-10-2002, 06:23 PM
Let us know what you find out! (If you're comfortable doing so, of course.) I hope everything works out for you and your sister!!! :angel:
simtusie
12-11-2002, 12:34 PM
Hey Kam-
My very dear friend just had a myoectomy (sp?) for her fibroids- she had several of them in there, one of which was the size of a grapefruit! She went through this fine and is able to get pregnant again. Perhaps that would be an option for sis? otherwise I highly recommend leaving the ovaries. I had a total hyst. 10 years ago and really wish I still had my ovaries, then I wouldn't be in the middle of this whole HRT controversy. Best of luck to her!! :)
My very dear friend just had a myoectomy (sp?) for her fibroids- she had several of them in there, one of which was the size of a grapefruit! She went through this fine and is able to get pregnant again. Perhaps that would be an option for sis? otherwise I highly recommend leaving the ovaries. I had a total hyst. 10 years ago and really wish I still had my ovaries, then I wouldn't be in the middle of this whole HRT controversy. Best of luck to her!! :)
ruth ann
01-11-2003, 06:19 PM
HI. I also had fibroids (7 large ones and numerous small ones). A myomectomy is good if 1. you still want children and 2. you have a very skilled surgeon who is able to sew together the uterus to make it whole again after removing the fibroids. In my case, the fibroids were located in the wall of the uterus, and it would have been difficult to sew the uterus back together again. A myomectomy requires greater skill from the surgeon, and is riskier. A hysterectomy is a very straightforward procedure, and it's really difficult to do it wrong. After trying everything under the sun (because hysterectomies are considered so politically incorrect these days)(statistics show that poor uneducated women, and a large percentage of women of color have hysterectomies), I finally had one, and have been very pleased. I opted for a "supracervical hysterectomy with ovarian conservation", which means my ovaries are still there, as well as my cervix. My abdominal scar is barely visable, sex is fine, and I don't bleed anymore. I highly recommend this type of hysterectomy for your sister.
ruth ann
01-14-2003, 01:27 AM
Mpathia makes an excellent suggestion here: Lupron. I'd forgotten about that. For many women, injections with Lupron can shrink the fibroids and you can avoid hysterectomy. For me it didn't work, either, though.It basically catapults you into a temporary artifical menopause which hormonally should cause the fibroids to shrink and maybe even disappear. Lupron is pretty strong medicine (it's also super expensive) and you have to be up for being menopausal for several months (hot flashes, etc.) to see if it shrinks your fibroids.
If hysterectomy is inevitable, keeping your ovaries if at all possible is an important option. As Mpathia points out, removing the ovaries will probably precipitate the need for HRT. My ovaries are still there, and my hormone levels are still normal.
I wanted to mention to you, Mpathia, the only possibly negative side effect of my abdominal hysterectomy, just so you can be on your guard. (Mine was Dec. 2001)
My obgyn told me to seriously lay off of any abdominal exercises after surgery. I was overly cautious about this, and really let my abs go really weak for way too long. In june following the surgery, I was lifting something heavy. I guess my abs were so weak from lack of exercise for so long that I herniated a disc in my back. This can be solved, but if I could do it again, I would have started gently getting my abs back in shape 6 wks. after the surgery. I think I could have avoided this problem if I'd understood that abs weakened by surgery can cause back problems. Good luck with your recovery, Mpathia!
If hysterectomy is inevitable, keeping your ovaries if at all possible is an important option. As Mpathia points out, removing the ovaries will probably precipitate the need for HRT. My ovaries are still there, and my hormone levels are still normal.
I wanted to mention to you, Mpathia, the only possibly negative side effect of my abdominal hysterectomy, just so you can be on your guard. (Mine was Dec. 2001)
My obgyn told me to seriously lay off of any abdominal exercises after surgery. I was overly cautious about this, and really let my abs go really weak for way too long. In june following the surgery, I was lifting something heavy. I guess my abs were so weak from lack of exercise for so long that I herniated a disc in my back. This can be solved, but if I could do it again, I would have started gently getting my abs back in shape 6 wks. after the surgery. I think I could have avoided this problem if I'd understood that abs weakened by surgery can cause back problems. Good luck with your recovery, Mpathia!