Women Problems

[pat57]

SOOOOOOOOOOOO I wanted to get "repairs" from having children. Shall we say put everything back where it belongs.

I knew it was gonna be surgery. Fine. But than he lays this on me. We need to do a hysterectomy first. Now I'm lookin at two surgery's.

Anybody been through this? I have all 4 of these.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/pelvic-organ-prolapse/types.html

At this point I'm planning to do this in the summer so I can plan ahead financially, and take a feww weeks off.

[delphicdragon]

Why do you need to have a hysterectomy first? Is he leaving your ovaries?

In the US doctors seem to want to do the hysterectomy to "prevent" ovarian cancer or something like that, but there's the whole hormonal thing on top of it. Even after menopause the ovaries still produce hormones. People in the US have the highest rate of hysterectomy in the developed world and it's the second most common surgery performed on women. http://womenshealth.about.com/library/blhyst1.htm

Sorry I'm coming across strongly. It's up to you, obviously, but is it possible to do the surgery for the pelvic organ prolapse without the hysterectomy? I say this only because our hormones are pretty mucked up all ready. Leaving your ovaries might help that. (Just a thought) Have your tried pessiaries? There's also a new surgery which is done robotically which new meshes that can be put in which hold better, as the prolapses tend to reoccur.

(My grandmother is living with pelvic organ prolapse and won't see a doctor about it - she had a hysterectomy 50 years ago. My great aunt (her sister) had the pessaries and was also told she needed a hysterectomy - went to see another doctor and he did the surgery without the hysterectomy - about 5 years ago)

Sara

[pat57]

I don't know the answer to any of your questions except that, no, I haven't had a pessary. I think they require a visit every 3 months to which I say ,no way. I think also its not an option for me because its not just the bladder.

I agree I should keep the ovaries I did not know they still produce hormones. after menopause so, thanks for that info! I also know taking the uterus out will

give me the best results and hopefully permanent fix. He was willing to leave it but was saying it may not "hold", pun intended.

The fact is, I was dumbfounded about the hysterectomy,and asked no questions about all this.

[willows]

I had a hysterectomy after I had Mike because of things falling out at very strange times , like shopping in Tescos' for a chicken times that is

I tell you , I've never looked back as far as this is concerned.

They left one of my ovaries but I did have an early menopause , with hardly any problems at all , I do take a low rate HRT pill each day and have been doing so for around 5 years now but other than this I'm fine .

Unlike most of the other patents in the ward I was on who had hysterectomies , the other ladies cried at the loss of thier ability to have children and had to have counselling , I was over the moon and asked if I could have my hair done instead !!! which of course they looked at as somewhat strange , becuase I should have felt sad , not happy after having the operation .

Ami

[Maxine]

Wow, sorry you had to hear your going to have two procedures done, when you thought it was going to be one--

Today these procedures can be done alomost on an out patient basis, but way back when my Aunt had to stay over a week.

All my Aunts had fibroids, but my mother never did, and barely noticed menopause other then her period stopping.

ODD thing, my period just stopped about three months ago, and I got hot flashes for about a month, and now no hot flashes, and still no period. I'm 49--------------this must be menopause---

I'm fortunate to not have female problems. I know so many people who do, and they would welcome menopause, or having a hysterectomy.

However, I know any procedure can be scary for us, and the recovery can be longer.

My mother in law had to have her bladder put back------she had 8 kids--------the last two being twins--- they lost her blood pressure when she gave birth, no one knew she was having twins. In those days (1965) they just pulled her legs way up, and she got her BP stabilized. They both weighed over 5 pounds.

Keep us posted so we can keep you in our thoughts and prayers when you have the surgeries.

Maxine :0)

[shannon]

A second opinion might be worth something.

Yes, the ovaries continue to produce important hormones, and loosing these may place women at greater risk for breast cancer.

Doctors are eager to do these surgeries, but as all of us on this forum know, doctors can be wrong.

Best of luck though!

[pat57]

Thanks everyone. Maxine and Willows your comments are reassuring. I like the sound of "these procedures can be done almost on an out patient basis, ".

I was planing on having it done in the summer. I might delay it if my husband gets laid off, we are , like everyone else - not counting our chickens till they hatch- in this current economic situation. I was told I'd need to take 2 weeks off from work.

[Sophia3]

I suffered from sick painful periods for years. FINALLY in the late 80's a wise doc said I did NOT need a hysterectomy (this was a third opinion) but had a messed up Pudendal nerve that was throwing me into labor type contractions everymonth. This got worse until Florinef pain pills no longer HELPED!! He found the pain on pelvic exam..and after they scraped me off the ceiling, a quick laser surgery fixed that. An earlier surgery with a young doctor for tubal ligation never mentioned the P nerve possibility...that could tie into ANS issues as well Ithink I read.

For years flooding continued and cramps. the horrible cramps and horrible loss of blood that made me bedbound LITERALLy 24 hrs for 1-3 days a month in the last many years.

After discussing ablations (HIGh failure rate) A nearby surgeon and a nurse I trusted that worked for my brother in law 18 years (he was OB GYN) said they can do hyst with lapaparoscopic surgery! I was stunned but still refused it for another 7 months. I had had enough and at age 50 had a partial hyst. I wanted to keep my cervix which I did (only after he made sure I did not have the condyloma virus (sp?)

He suggested he take out the ovaries at my age but I was adamant and said it could mess up my ANS stuff more *Grubb said things will change after menopause in my case, often not for the better?*

SO i was in the hospital over night and it was great. Anesthesia agreed with me and put me in a good mood for THREE days!

I do NOT regret my decision for uno momento!! I had been a 'hysterectomy hater and it's over done surgery' type for decades. While that is true it did help me not to ruin underwear each month, clothes and stop sleeping on towels. I felt so liberated!

Easy recovery ..and the scariest part was the bladder didn't want to work on it's own the first 3 days (COMMON after major abdominal surgery) I had to keep myself from doing things as all the healing was INSIDE.

So I do NOT understand WHY YOU are getting a hyst. If you periods make you SICK every month, DO it but DEMAND they keep the ovaries. It's your body.

But if you deal with monthly periods FINE just get the internal fix but I do know if the prolapse is SEVERE sometimes hyst is best and pessaries can cause infections or issues in some women. or maybe I am thinking bladder slings can cause a problem...I forget. Join Hyster sisters site. VERY HELPFUL to make decision and get thru the surgery. VERY SUPPORTIVE.

INVESTIGATE a surgeon that can do some things with a laparascopic version. Pain can be a horrible ANS trigger.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I celebrate in Nov having my uterus sucked out 2 years ago and it was something I wished I had done 10 years earlier.

[pat57]

sophia,

I haven't had a period all year. And I would have to say the prolapse is severe.

[MelissaCrystal]

My grandmother is pretty young and has had to have the bladder surgery twice now. She was so hesitant about getting it done the second time because her healing time was so slow. I hope you heal fast, because the surgeries are really worth it. They improved her quality of life SO much. I'm glad we talked her into it.