I want to keep my uterus, not because of having more children, but because I have never heard good stories about hysterectomies, be they partial or full. I always suspected that I would have more problems if they took it out than if they left it alone. It has become somewhat "fixed" and most days I look 3 or 4 months pregnant but I only have pain in that area when I am bloated.
My biggest complaint all along has been the pain where my GI doc says that my colon is attached to the abdominal wall. VERY, VERY painful! He knows that I have strictures in several areas and said that I probably have them in my small bowel, too. I think these adhesions are related to my GB removal 13 years ago but of course I won't know until they get in there and take a look.
I spoke with a woman yesterday that has had 14 surgeries and is a total wreck now and wishes she had never had surgery for adhesions at all. That's hard to hear but then I read what you wrote about them going in and being very "conservative" and it gave me hope that maybe I can DEMAND my surgeon to do the same???
-- KatieAt Fri, 6 Feb 2009, Donna C Boggs wrote: > >The only problems I have, currently, are from the one blasted adhesions that >attaches my colon to my abdominal wall. All the other adhesions have yet to >cause any problems that I can't live with. Sure, my bladder gets pulled out >of place and emptying it can take awhile 9I keep books in the bathroom) but >there is no pain. Having been through too many surgeries where, during >laparotomy, gloved hands were run the length of my intestines for check for >problems and laparoscopy masses of adhesions were cut through to get to the >colon adhesion, my current surgeon decided to try a different entry point >and avoid the quagmire of adhesions that are not causing my pain. He >reviewed the video of the previous surgery in order to get his bearings and >chose to place the trocars at my waistline and was easily able to maneuver >down to the lower right quadrant. I always ask (demand) that the surgery be >video-taped and a copy given to me with the surgical notes. I take the >video to a place in town that will convert it to a DVD and I keep it in my >medical file. We all have our own, unique, map of our abdominal universe >and I believe that our surgeons need to review that map so that they can >best assess where and how to get in, what to cut and why. > >I, unfortunately, had my uterus taken when I was only 34. I am 53 now. It >was thought, at that time, that without a uterus that endometriosis would >stop cycling. Since then it has been proven that endometriosis has its own >hormonal cycle separate and apart from a woman's reproductive cycle and will >continue to behave as endometrial cells do (swelling, sloughing off) even if >the organ that is supposed to hold all endometrial cells has been removed. > >Removing a woman's uterus to reduce endometriosis or adhesions is, in my >opinion, like having your leg amputated to "cure" toenail fungus. > >No need to cut your nose off to spite your face. Seriously. > >It has taken me years of research and experience to feel like I have an >understanding of this disease of adhesions. I know what to ask for and can >explain why I am asking. > >All I know is this, my surgeon and I both believe that doing as little as >possible during a lap will help preserve my over-all health and reduce the >adhesion response by reducing the amount of trauma inflicted on the >peritoneum. He and I are both very careful in making sure that my symptoms >are not being caused by any other health problem and I am vigilant about my >health. I get regular physicals, comprehensive blood work 2x a year >minimum. I always hurt in one spot. When the adhesions are cut in that >spot and my bowel is released, the pain stops. I feel better and am in less >pain when I wake up from general anesthetic that I do right before they put >me under. The "healing pain" is easier to deal with that the pain leading >up to me need for surgery. As the adhesions re-grow I have twinges of pain >- 3rd day, 3rd week, 3rd month (my own personal waltz) but they pale in >comparison to the debilitating pain that I have been in for months at a time >prior to any of the surgeries that I have had. > >What is the reason you are being given for a hysterectomy? > >Donna