Yes, that is true. However, once she had the triple bypass, she was well again. Fortunately, she didn't suffer from any other ailments. She died of a genetic lung issue she had been born with that I believe got triggered after spraying pesticides in her garden. She was dead within the year.
Dear aged too fast, thank you very much for being so open and sharing your experience and knowledge. I had no idea of all the negative conditions that can arise from a hysterectomy. My doctor never said a word! It didn't even occur to me about our uterus and ovaries being a placeholder but of course gravity! Wow lots to think about. I will definitely be researching more on it.
May I ask why you had it done unnecessarily?
My 2 largest fibroids are the size of a baseball and a golfball. I'm starting to have frequent urination and cramping. But mainly I was thinking it would eliminate my severe peri symptoms. I've been housebound for over a year now. But after reading your experience and having my gallbladder out (probably unnecessarily) a few months ago I'm also believing in keeping as many body parts as possible for as long as possible.
Ugh - I typed out a long reply and for some reason it didn't post!
You're welcome. Unfortunately, so many women learn of the negative effects first hand - after they've had the surgery. Their gyns were not upfront with them.
If anything, hysterectomy would worsen peri symptoms since removal of the uterus can impair ovarian function even to the point of complete failure. The ovaries in naturally menopausal / intact women produce hormones our whole lives - they merely switch from their reproductive (exocrine) mode to their menopausal (endocrine) mode. Ovary removal (which is oftentimes done at the time of hysterectomy) or ovarian failure (that happens frequently after hysterectomy) is a "surgical" type menopause aka "menopausal hell" or "menopause on steroids" ... certainly something to avoid!
But even absent the hormonal effects, the anatomical, skeletal and sexual fall-out from hysterectomy are troubling enough.
If you think you're close to menopause, maybe you can wait it out when the fibroids will shrink. If not, you may want to consider myomectomy to remove just the fibroids so you can keep your uterus and its life long functions. The reason hysterectomy is so prevalent is that it's easier / more profitable than myomectomy. Myomectomy takes more time and from what I've read insurance reimbursements aren't any better. Plus in the U.S., gyn residents are required to do a minimum number of hysterectomies but there's no requirement for myomectomies. I suspect that's why my organs were removed for a suspicious 9.5cm complex ovarian cyst despite the frozen section proving it was benign. Another financial incentive is that the da Vinci robots are expensive, both from a capital outlay and maintenance expense perspective. They have to keep using them to recoup all those costs.
I wish you the best in getting proper treatment...treatment that restores your health versus causing a whole new set of problems.