I have extremely heavy periods and surgery was one of the options.. The other options were just waiting it out which could be years or try an D&C.. Ovaries are good.Not thrilled about surgery but if my quality of life is better then I will. I’m just worried that I could make it worse-- having more problems later than just waiting it out.. Thank-you.
Have you a diagnosis as to why your periods are so heavy? mine originally were down to my having polyps, I didn't have any treatment for those , things did clear up and I sailed through the menopause then the bleeding began again 3 years further down the line, I was then diagnosed with stage 1A endometrial cancer, where I was concerned hysterectomy was definitely worth it regardless of some of the lingering minor problems since, are you on TXA or other meds to help with the bleeding?
Phoebe
Hi Kelly
I too had heavy periods which got continually worse. I was sent for ultra sound and found to have large fibroids. I was put on Zoladex for 18 months and as soon as it was stopped I went straight back to square one. I was then referred to a consultant who suggested a hysterectomy as I may not have gone into menopause until age 58.
I ended up having a full abdominal hysterectomy 7 weeks ago as my womb was to large to remove keyhole. Everything was removed including ovaries, tubes, womb and cervix.Its still early days and apart from tiredness and swelly belly I'm recovering fine. Best decision I made.
Wishing you lots of luck with whatever decision you make.
hi there sorry to hear you are having a tough time. I am 46 and i recently had total abdominal hysterectomy with tubes and ovaries removed. i had mutliple fibroids which did not respond to conservative treatments. i was originally offered a hysterectomy 2 years ago but wanted to see if things improved. I think I almost got used to not being able to go out for three days every two to three weeks. everyone is different and you may be lucky but in my case things got worse and I ended up with severe anaemia and became very poorly in hospital needing blood transfusions. i was so ill i was left with no choice but to have the surgery and now it is done I am looking forward to feeling better and being able to go out when I want and go swimming etc without the worry of the dreaded period! good luck with whatever you decide x
The diagnosis is Menorrhagia. I wasn't offered any meds for the bleeding-- just D&C, to wait or have hysterectomy. So glad they caught the cancer in time and it's working for you... So many ppl have major problems.
Sigh... that's too bad that the meds didn't stop the bleeding permanently! I wasn't offered anything.. I'm 50 and I may several years to go..
I can relate to NOT leaving the house for too long during my periods.. Just awful really. I do take iron and so far my iron levels are good. I do have 1 fibroid, it's not large but she doesn't like where it's positioned. My friend just had her surgery in April and has been pleased with it. And we were just talking about how 'freeing' it is with no period!! I couldn't go to my water class today due to the heaviness. And when we plan an outing that's the first thing I get concerned is 'oh no, what if it's a heavy day' for me.. Hope your up and about real soon!
Hi again,
You could ask about meds for the bleeding they work wonders, I only ever took half a tablet and the bleeding would be under control almost instantly, I lost almost half my blood volume at one point so it really helped me, long term it might not be considered advisable I don't know, it would certainly give you some relief occasionally, I was on Tranaxamic acid or TXA, might be worth an ask. Good luck
Phoebe
I'm 52.I would go back to the doctors tell them your quality of life is non existent and how you are feeling. I was exhausted all the time and had several accidents at work! You will get a referral to see a consultant.I kept putting my operation off because of work; I will never put work before my health ever again. Its still early days in my recovery but I know I've made the best decision as I already feel like a new woman.
You need to look after you. It makes you feel very lonely the situation you're in. If there isn't anyone you know thats going through the same thing.
Joining this forum has really helped me and what lovely ladies are out there suffering in silence that have been so helpful.
Right-- quality of life is not that good now... I'm soaking everything so quickly.. I will seriously think about doing the surgery after the new year. In the meantime I will ask for something for the bleeding. My mom had her surgery at 40 and that's one thing that she noticed was her energy was back to normal and no more periods to deal with. The reason that I'm concerned was because there are ppl who believe surgery is wrong unless cancer, etc.. A uterus was made for the womens body and should stay there. But yes, ultimately I need to do what's best for me.
Are any of you worried about HRT? I know they have risks but some ppl still need them. I believe bio-identical is the better choice.I'm starting to get mad that I have to push this along to get to the next phase-- although it could be years if I wait for it to come naturally. It's really a gamble if I'll be ok or not. Thanks for allowing me to vent-- such a big decision. Especially with the weight thing-- that's scary!!! I don't want to gain any more weight.
Hi Kelly
I didn't think twice Kelly your health is more important.I'm one of those minorities that never had the pleasure of having children but I don't dwell on that. I put all my love into my nieces and nephews. You are still a woman with or without a womb but you'll be a happier one when you can live your life without constant bleeding and hormone fluctuations.
Good luck xx
hello Kelly
I've had a hysterectomy year and half ago for prolapse but I was 50 and already gone through early natural menopause at 45. I totally agree with the other ladies with regards your health and quality of life. I'm sure it's no fun having to put up with that each month. my dear friend suffered just like yiu each month and in a lot of pain had a hysterectomy and havent looked back,nomore pain,heavy bleeding and days hidden away because it robbed her of her quality of life. how old are you hun? do you have children yourself? take your time and gain as much knowledge as you can. also my mum had hy9 at age 39 due to bleeding fibroids and she has been brilliant now age 83 and no issues at all. good luck my friend. x
I believe if yiu watch yiur calories and exercise there us no reason to be afraid if weight gain. I think its a but myth about weight gain which fet women all in a tizz. I'm not saying women dint put weight on but whether its directly connected to the surgery. my professor Urogynacologist completely disagrees but everyone feels different in this. I really watch my portions and have still kept my weight the same. good luck
Hi Kelly, So here is my experience on hysterectomy. I had mine at 43, the reason actually was chronic pelvic pain no Dr. could find my problem. I had heavy bleeding like you for a few years prior with chronic anemia. OB recommended a Uterine ablation which worked very well to control the bleeding, should have been all that needed to be done. After researching myself I found that alot of the time heavy bleeding that occurs before menopause is normal, it's basically unbalanced hormones. Has your Dr suggested progesterone to balance the estrogen dominance that could be the problem? Mine did not and that might have been all I needed from the start, worth checking into. So I had undiagnosed pelvic pain about a year after my ablation and Drs. were stumped. They said uterus and everything looked normal on imaging but that the pain I was having could have been from the scar tissue in my uterus. I went 10 months in pain and trying to find a Dr. that knew my issue ( and I saw many). I was desperate for pain relief. Finally I agreed with a hysterectomy hoping that was the answer because no Dr. could tell me. They took the uterus, cervix, left ovary (it had alot of cysts but normal ones it turns out) and both tubes. They left the right ovary for hormones, although it failed right away and I ended up on HRT 4 months later. The surgery wasn't what I needed because I still had the pain, went back to the Dr. and they recommended Pelvic floor physical therapy and you know what that was answer to all my pain it finally was diagnosed and went away with PT treatment (8-9 months) that was all I needed, not a hyster at all. I had Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, bacially muscle issues. Now I have hormone issues that were still trying to balance, been 3 years and they still aren't completely balanced I don't feel, although its better. I have sexual dysfunction not having the same outcome and orgasms I once had with my spouse, thats the sad part for us. I don't feel I have the same blood flow to my genitals and lack of uterus/cervix has definitely changed gratification in that department for me not to mention I have no limbido but when I do have sex it just doesn't feel the same. I can manage a clitoral orgasm but very small/ minimal compared to orgasms before surgery. So this is just my story and wanted to tell you that it's not always a happy ending for everyone. Now I would not recommend it for my issue or even heavy bleeding if they can help the bleeding other ways until natural menopause occurs, unless you are diagnosed with a type of cancer then hysterectomy would be best. Take your time to think about, because even though I did and had a hard time deciding, no one ever talked to me or told me about the negatives of having this surgery. :-(
hi hun I agree about removing organs unnecessary but its not that's yiur health usnt being affected. I dont see the point in keeping the uterysvif its not functioning correctly. I didn't think twice and I had a prolapse age 50 but went through early menopause naturally at age 45. I can assure you can yiu will feel soo much better. my mum had her hys at 39 as she bled constantly and couldnt live like that.she is now age 82 and no issues at all.xx
I hope your right about the weight gain... I'm trying to lose a few pounds now...
Thank-you for sharing your experience and I can't believe it was mostly due to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. I am taking my time with this decision. So many what-if's and it's not one size fits all. Take care.
For some reason the bleeding/cramps was more than usual. I got nervous about what surgery to do (lack of sleep and iron must've caused my anxiety to go haywire) so I called my Dr. The nurse was concerned about how often I was changing tampons/pads so she got me in this morning. We decided to go with the D&C for now-- it's scheduled in about 3 weeks. She also gave me Norethindrome (progesterone) to stop the bleeding for now. Not crazy about progesterone but I guess it's just for about 3 weeks. She said that the D&C helps many women go into menapause BUT everyone's body is different so time will tell. If it builds up again and I notice problems, I will schedule another appt to go over plan B. I'm hoping this is it-- fingers crossed.. : )
Kelly
I wish you lots of