should i have a hysterectomy? - Hysterectomy Message Board

4mygrls · 07-23-2005, 03:04 PM

Let me start by saying that I was scheduled for one but i canceled it cuz of my job. I just started there and they were not too happy about me taking off 6 to 8 weeks. i was afraid i would forget what i had learned. it's a career for me so my job is a huge deal. okay, so here's my problem. i have had a laproscopy done a few years back and he found endo and fibroids. I have had problems with my reproductive organs. I have had miscarriages and had to get some help to get pg the last time. I also have horrible pms and it has severely effected my daily living. I also have a fibroid now and pain so much of the month. as for the pms, i have tried everything. i can't take bc pill cuz it affects me emotionally and physically. i've tried the anti depressent route. it doesn't help much. i'm on them right now and not much help. i know my hormones are out of whack and really want a hysterectomy in the hopes that it will help with all of my problems. my question is has anyone had a hysterectomy for pms issues? i want ya'll to know though that the pms is the last reason to get a hyst. I'm looking at one because of fibroids and endo. oh, and for some strange reason, my periods have gotten shorter and lighter. is that peri menopause? thanks ladies

tajmahal · 07-28-2005, 03:00 PM

How old are you? That is so important with any hysto probs.

If your ovaries are still going to be active then any probs like endometriosis will be still going on even after hysto. And the old PMS will still be going on.

Maybe need to work out how much is just due to the uterus. Or were you thinking of total hysterectomy (meaning ovaries as well)?

It's tricky for you with a new job. If you can last out then it would seem to be better to wait until you have been there a while. Can take quite a few weeks to recover from a hysto. More like a few months really, so it's all a question of balancing how bad it is for you now with how your career is going. I was off work for 4 months with a hysterectomy + ovaries out + a repair.

Some of the Non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ponstan or Mefenamic Acid may help. This is also an anti-prostaglandin agent and has properties which help monthly pains, have you tried them? Try taking them before you are due for your pain rather than just when it has started then they can start working for you before it gets too bad.

Laura B · 07-29-2005, 11:30 AM

I don't know about you young people.

I'm a senior and had a total hysterectomy when I was forty. I was about a week in the hospital after the operation. I stayed home for another 2 weeks before I went back to work, full time. I remember walking slowly and carefully the first week or so back at work. So I only was off work for 3 weeks. Of course it also depends what job you have, I was behind a desk, if you on your feet all day it's a different story.

ktee_uk · 07-29-2005, 02:18 PM

Hi 4mygirls

When you are subjected to pms, endo and fibroids it can be a terrible ordeal and for some, the symptoms affect their lifestyle, relationships and work. It can leave you feeling in pain, lifeless, drained, and emotionally fragile. The hormones and drugs often prescribed can make you feel worse too so it seems like a constant downward spiral.

Your are right to seriously think through the surgery ..... it is a major ordeal to put your body through ...... there may be alternatives such as ablation so it is worth fully discussing it with your gyno and even get a second opinion.

i had a TAH (total abdominal so they took the cervix and uterus, leaving the ovaries and tubes). History of moderate to mild dysplasia, endo and adenomyosis, plus factor 8 blood clot deficiency. My pains were so bad that i would faint and blood loss meant aneamia. I had about 7 days each month where I felt ok ...... not so good for living a life eh?

Had the op end of April and went back to work start of July ...... still get pains in abdomen which feel like aching muscles and my scar still pinches if I lift something too heavy or drive too much (difficult as my work entails much travel) there is no way I could have gone back to work at 6 weeks ..... cannot believe just how tired i felt. Each persons experience is different though and many ladies do get back to normal much quicker. I think your level of fitness and age to start with need to be taken into consideration too.

Anyhow, good luck with your research and making your decision. You are not alone here and there are lots of people who can help you out. Please keep us posted

regards
ktee

daisy01 · 07-31-2005, 04:24 PM

I had a very large fibroid that was causing painful heavy periods each month, as i was nearing my 40's and had completed my family I opted for a hysterctomy. I recovered very quickly and went back to work i was problem free for 3 yrs.
last october I collapsed with horrendous abdominal pain,( worse than any labour pain and I have had 5 children) and was diagnosed with a small bowel obstuction that had caused 15 cm of my small bowel to become necrotic. I ended up with a bowel resection. The cause!!! adhesions had formed after my hysterctomy. my advice to you in regard this surgery is to get the surgeons to fully explain the implications of adhesions and what they will do to prevent them from forming. there is a gel like patch that can be used to put in between the intestines, internal organs etc to prevent them from sticking together. I have since discovered that gyne surgery is a major cause of adhesions. I am now caught in a vicious circle... the surgery I had to resect my bowel also leaves me at risk of future adhesion development as will any further abdominal surgery to remove them.
The choice is yours at the end of the day but for me...........
I really wish I had waited until the menopause when the fibroids would have shrunk by themselves