Can anyone share hysterectomy experience?

[lusciousleaves]

My cycles are miserable. They have been my whole life, from anemia to extreme fatigue to cramps worse than labor contractions (I couldn't believe how little those hurt in comparison). A very compassionate gynecologist suggested I get an endometrial ablation to resolve the problems, and the extras associated with age. It was a failure and now everything is back to where it started.

I've been referred out to another gyn to discuss whether or not I'm a candidate for hysterectomy. I'm not so sure this is the path I want to take. The recovery period is long and I finally started feeling better and exercising again.

My plan was to continue on this little health sabatical and then in the beginning of the year get back into my former profession. It's a very physical job. We really could use the money, and I don't feel suited to any other kind of work. So you see, I don't want to take anymore downtime, suffer the after effects of anesthesia for weeks (anxiety, fatigue, irritability), or having to claw my way back to health again after a major surgery. Things are finally looking up.

Having said that, I regularly lose at least two days and sometimes four every month due to the severity of symptoms I experience. If I'm going to catch a flu or cold bug, it always seems to hit me at that time. My neuro symptoms often flare with my periods, and if I come down with something it's magnified 5x or more, sometimes with long-term consequences that need weeks to months to overcome.

This is a very tough decision. I want to do it, but I don't want to interrupt the good things that are finally happening in my life right now. It will likely be 8 to 10 years more dealing with these problems if I don't.

I'm hoping that anyone here who has had one might be willing to share their experience with the process, good and bad. I like going into these things armed with as much information as I can, being afraid to make the wrong choice.

[Bliss]

Hi, I've been there too. My periods were very bad and getting worse. I had a hysterectomy 2 years ago. It was the best thing I ever did. I was lucky, they did it vaginally. The recovery was easy. I went home the day after surgery. I was still off work for 8 weeks, doctors orders. But hardly any pain. Good luck.
Jen

[lisa1014]

I had a partial historectomy at 34 due to fibriod cysts (sp?). It was the best thing I ever did. I was back to work in 4 weeks and have never looked back!

I do still have my overies and cervix so I do not have to take hormones. I only wish I would have had my cervix taken out too because I am scheduled next Friday to have abnormal cells cut off my cervix.

Anyway, if you have the choice and you are not planning to have children then do it.

[Echo2099]

I had a a hysterectomy at 45. And like several others, I have to say it was the best thing I could have done for me.
My surgery was through the abdomen, but I was out of bed the next day. Yes, it was a bit painful, but tolerable.

My doc and I discussed HRT and weighed the pros and cons. I chose compounded HRT rather than pills and I've been happy with that decision.

[sewhappy]

I had a hysterectomy 3 years ago at age 50. I suffered for several years w/heavy, very long periods, anemia, etc... I was not a candidate for ablation, and had a few d&c's. I finally decided to do it and now wonder why I waited so long. I am very glad I did it.

I had a vaginal procedure and did not have my ovaries removed so recovery was easier and I did not go through immediate menopause. However, my doc did warn me that as with most surgeries, fatigue would be an issue for some time. That proved to be true for me. I was able to get back to normal life quickly and exercise, etc w/i 4-6 wks(can't quite remember exactly) but I did have to rest a bit more for several months. Then again, prior to the surgery I was very tired due to the anemia (and of course MS) so I'm not really sure if it was any worse.

Best of luck w/your decision.

[poohb3ar]

me too

i had full hysterectomy at 32, i'm 50 now.
the year before they'd done laproscopic removal of my endometriosis (sp?). It was back plus some within a year.

i'd been begging for a hysterectomy because i hurt so bad. cysts were busting all the time, mo. long periods, anemia, etc. plus i didn't know then that i had MS! couldn't understand how tired i was.

it was the most beneficial surgery i ever had, except C-sections for my babies! (have had 14!)
i told dr. to remove everything because i was't having abdominal surgery again. i did have to have the full incision because of the extent of my endometreosis.
he removed uterus, ovaries, appendix, and cervis. i was sent home in 3 days with hormone patch on my bottom.

i used them for at least 10 yrs. never had hot flashes or anything!
unfortunately, i got the stomach flu 2 days after coming home so that made recovery worse.
but i was back at work in a month.
if you absolutely don't want any more children, i highly recommend getting rid of the whole factory.
like someone else said, she's having cervix cell removal. i had that done 3x before hysterectomy. i decided to get rid of anything that might be a problem later.
no need to keep them.
it doesn't affect your intimacy unless you let it.
my DH & i celebrated our 29th anniv. last week and all is good!!!

take care.
i pray you make the decision that is right for you and all goes well.
let us know how you are doing, we care

[lusciousleaves]

Thank you for sharing your experiences everyone. It sounds like nobody regrets doing this, which makes it easier. I have another health hurdle to get through in the meantime, then I can see a gyn to discuss the options. We are done growing our family and have been for quite some time, so that's out of the way.

[notswedish1]

My Hysterectomy

Hello,

I was dx with MS in '03 and already have horrible periods. I would lose about 3 days per month of productivity and just sit in the bathroom. I knew I had fibroids (dx'd earlier in life during my pregnancies). I also knew that I was middle-aged, was not planning more kids and that I was dealing with MS AND missing work every month due to my crazy periods.

I went to my GYN and she was dubious. But just like I basically dx's my OWN MS, I kept going to her with more information about why certain solutions (ablation, embolization) were not the best ways for me. Finally, she put me on OCPs until I could get my anemia under control and my hemoglobin and hematocrit were high enough to have surgery.

I had a TAH (total abdominal hysterectomy) due to the huge size of my uterus in March 2007. After the surgery I was super groggy but she came into the recovery room to tell me that she almost couldn't recognize my uterus, that I had 8 fibroids inside of it and 14 on the outside.

I don't say surgery is for everyone, but for me it made my lifestyle so much better. I regained energy and stopped hemorrhaging monthly. I don't regret it at all. I feel like it is one less thing to worry about as far as my health goes. I kept my ovaries so didn't have any HRT to do right away. Now, 5 years later I find myself in menopause. That was the only weird thing. Without starting to have menstrual symptoms of menopause - I didn't clue in when the hot flashes started!

Best of luck and well wishes to the OP!

Inga

** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[fishead]

I am 48. I had numberous fibroids and had an ablation. 2 years later, the ablation "wore off" (hahaha) so I had to hysterectomy, and also had cervix removed.

You CERTAINLY need to weigh pros and cons of having your overies removed (oopherectomy). I chose to keep mine, so that I would still get the heart-healthy hormones.

I was out of bed within 24 hrs. It was very painful getting out of bed the first time, but all pain after THAT was certainly "doable".

Hope all goes well with your decision, no matter what you decide.

[poohb3ar]

want a laugh?

i've been very tired and my speech has been crazy.

in july i had a double mastectomy.
today i was shopping for one of those lace bandaus they've been advertising to hide cleavage (LOL!) and even use to lengthen hem. thought maybe that would allow me to keep some of my tops/ dresses.

i asked associate in lingerie if they had anything like those, because i had "a double hysterectomy' in july and would like one to cover up!!!
should have seen her face!!!
i didn't stick around to find one of them!

hope God blesses you wih an easy surgery and speedy recovery.

[fromptok]

good decision

I had a vaginal hysterectomy in April '07 due to fibroidal tumors...pain and heavy bleeding. I had to keep my ovaries because gyn said I was not a candidate for HRT due to smoking. Now I wish she'd removed them because cysts have been found on both of them. Anyways, I was up walking around that evening and went home the next day. I just took it easy for a few days and everything was good. Best decision I ever made...not having to deal with the monthly issues. Funny thing..every girl that comes to my home ends up needing a pad and I'm like well I don't have any...sorry...lol

[Spydre]

I had my hysterectomy just before I turned 26. When I was 24, I started having problems that all signs pointed to endometriosis - and I have a family history of that. I went from a two week supply of Darvocet lasting me a month, to taking it as prescribed, and was finally weaned off of it to Toradol, which caused me other problems.

We tried many things. The pill - which I told him wouldn't work because my epilepsy messes up with the efficacy - Lupron Depo, everything. He did an exploratory surgery to ablate the endo, but it was back within seven weeks. By that time, when I had pain attacks, I had to hold myself up on a wall, and my pregnant co-worker could lift file boxes easier than me.

The ablation was in, I think August of 99, maybe later, and March 1 of 2000, I was on the operating table again. They used an epidural, but made sure I was totally out, because I had horrible reactions with getting sick with general anesthesia. He left one ovary.

He followed up with Lupron Depo, a double dose this time, to make sure everything was gone before I went back to work. It wasn't a vaginal surgery, because again, with the endo, he had to make sure he caught EVERY cell, since I still had hormones.

I don't have problems with the endo anymore. I do still occasionally get cysts on my ovary, and had to be rushed to the ER once because one burst, and the pain was unbearable - that's the only time I've ever called my husband home from work, other than when I was pregnant with my 17 year old.

[lusciousleaves]

Spyder, I've had numerous ovarian cysts over the years. They are so painful when they rupture. I used to get one every 3 months, like clockwork. Then my GP put me on low dose birth control for about 3 months, and I've not had but one or two since. That was maybe 5 years ago. I have to say, though, the PMS after going off the birth control was worse than it was before going on it. I get severe PMS, mood swings, have to medicate for a couple of days a month just to keep from snapping over the silliest things. Now I have a great phone app that helps me track my cycles, and I can just pull that up and it will tell me how many days are left before it starts again. It's a life saver, because PMS sneaky and always takes me by surprise. You'd think after so many years, I'd know by now when it's going to hit.

Pooh, that's hilarious! I can totally relate to getting those words mixed up. LOL. Been stumbling over my words a lot today. Better be careful, or something crazy will come out! It's always good for a laugh, though, isn't it?

I do have a couple more questions about hysterectomy. I'm having a flare right now, on prednisone (bad, bad combo with PMS, OY!), taking baclofen round the clock, magnesium 500 mg/day, and here come the cramps. Both of my legs feel like they're big toothaches, and stiffening up, plus the twitching, buzzing, tingling, shooting nerve pain into the feet, legs and backside, etc.

Does this stuff calm down during that time after a hysterectomy? I know if you keep the ovaries, you still get the hormonal cycles, and I do tend to flare during that time if my system isn't balanced. Obviously, it isn't right now, or I wouldn't be having a flare. But the pain from the waist down every month in addition to the regular cramps and fatigue can be pretty intense. I'm hoping to hear a yes answer here, but would like to know for sure what to expect.

My other questions - does having a hysterectomy cause weight gain? If so, about how much? And, does it really change your enjoyment of sex? I've read it does, that it lowers the intensity by taking away a major source of vascular engorgement in the area. I was just curious if anyone here had that experience or could tell a difference.

Still pondering this, but obviously, other health issues have been moved to the forefront again. Found out I do have a fibroid, although nothing major and shouldn't be causing major symptoms.

[Wordsgood]

Oh dear, I just found this after replying to your other post about this. Guess we both have brain fog right now.

Anyway, if you trot over there you'll see my answer, but having just found this one and reading the other responses...

I should add that I had it done the "hard" way, meaning a 5 inch incision and 8 week recovery. And heaving lifting should be avoided for several months if at all possible, while your internal organs resettle and the area finishes healing. In terms of sex drive, my actually increased for the first few years and while it seems to be on a permanent vacation the last couple( ), I don't think that's so much the surgery as a combination of my other health issues and depression meds.

I still think that if you can, and you don't want more kids, go for it. It really can make a massive difference in your life.