OT - Calling women only please....

[Disney71]

Haven't read all 3 pages, so someone may have already mentioned it, but have you tried switching from tampons and disposable pads to cloth? I know it sounds odd, but I've found my velour topped cloth pads SO much more comfortable than anything else I've used, and I have noticed a significant change in the volume of blood and length of time. I did not have overly heavy periods by any means, but I did go from 7-8 days (w/ 3-4 heavy days at the beginning) to 4-5 days (w/ 1-2 heavy days at the beginning), and my cramps have pretty much completely gone away.

I've been using cloth for almost a year now, I think, and the change has been consistent since about month 3 or so.

I think there is something to this as well.... my body also reacts better to the cloth. And SOOOO much more comfy

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

Ok, well after being on the Depro Provera shot for only 3 weeks... I started spotting again. They have now given me a 'booster shot' of the Depro - so now I have a double dose in me.
Am I crazy or do these shots give you depression & make you very very moody? I am exhausted & very closed off. I don't even want to converse with anyone at home - I go & lay in bed, watch TV & want left alone! Holy crap if I have 3 more months of this I just may be crazy by the end of it all!!!!!

 

[woodkins]

Ok, well after being on the Depro Provera shot for only 3 weeks... I started spotting again. They have now given me a 'booster shot' of the Depro - so now I have a double dose in me.
Am I crazy or do these shots give you depression & make you very very moody? I am exhausted & very closed off. I don't even want to converse with anyone at home - I go & lay in bed, watch TV & want left alone! Holy crap if I have 3 more months of this I just may be crazy by the end of it all!!!!!

That is a lot of hormones to be taking at once. If you are feeling that "off" I would seriously reconsider this being a viable option.

If you don't mind my asking is there a reason why they have not suggested a Mirena implant? I have had one for over 6 yrs (you change it every 5 so I am on my 2nd) and one of the major benefits is a lighter period or in my case no period at all...haven't had one in 6 yrs! Because it is an implant it is also less hormones in your body as it isn't being taken orally.

 

[kchughes]

Endometrial ablation was the best thing I ever did for myself! Had a tubal ligation at the same time with minor bruising from the tubal. Back at work in 4 days and have not a had menstrual period in 2 years this month. I was having HEAVy periods every 7 to 14 days and required iron supplements due to the horrible periods. If you are sure you are done having kids, it is so worth it! Good Luck, whatever you decide.

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

She (the doctor) laid all the cards on the table... offered everything:
IUD
Depro shot
BC pills
Tubes tied & ablasion
and the hysterectomy

She said Depro would stop me completely (and it hasn't)
The IUD sometimes stops people (know too many woman that they bleed non stop with it in) makes me nervous to even try since she said the Depro would stop me too.
BC pills haven't helped at all.
and she said the ablasion will only slow down the periods, NOT stop them - therefore if I am going through a surgery & can't have kids after it anyways I will choose the hysterectomy... and with the ablasion she will do 2 surgeries 1 month apart - she will not do them together.
I just don't understand why it has to be so hard???? I know its just the hormones talking, but I am a mess right now & just want it all to end!

 

[woodkins]

She (the doctor) laid all the cards on the table... offered everything:
IUD
Depro shot
BC pills
Tubes tied & ablasion
and the hysterectomy

She said Depro would stop me completely (and it hasn't)
The IUD sometimes stops people (know too many woman that they bleed non stop with it in) makes me nervous to even try since she said the Depro would stop me too.
BC pills haven't helped at all.
and she said the ablasion will only slow down the periods, NOT stop them - therefore if I am going through a surgery & can't have kids after it anyways I will choose the hysterectomy... and with the ablasion she will do 2 surgeries 1 month apart - she will not do them together.
I just don't understand why it has to be so hard???? I know its just the hormones talking, but I am a mess right now & just want it all to end!

I'm sorry you are going through all of this. I will mention with the IUD my gyno said that they did not recommend the Paraguard brand because they had many women having almost daily bleeding, but had the opposite experience with the Mirena.

I personally would give the least invasive options a try first before committing to something as permanent and serious as a major surgery. You tried the BC pills and Depo, next try the IUD for a few months and see how that works, if you are still having issues then decide on the ablasion or hysterectomy.

Good luck with what ever you choose

 

[kchughes]

She (the doctor) laid all the cards on the table... offered everything:
IUD
Depro shot
BC pills
Tubes tied & ablasion
and the hysterectomy

She said Depro would stop me completely (and it hasn't)
The IUD sometimes stops people (know too many woman that they bleed non stop with it in) makes me nervous to even try since she said the Depro would stop me too.
BC pills haven't helped at all.
and she said the ablasion will only slow down the periods, NOT stop them - therefore if I am going through a surgery & can't have kids after it anyways I will choose the hysterectomy... and with the ablasion she will do 2 surgeries 1 month apart - she will not do them together.
I just don't understand why it has to be so hard???? I know its just the hormones talking, but I am a mess right now & just want it all to end!

Have you considered a second opinion? I know everyone is different, but I have not had a menstrual period in 2 years and my Dr. did the ablation and tubal at the same time. Unless you have complete faith in your doctor and her methods, I would get a second opinion. Even tho' i went back to my normal GYN to have surgery, I still got a second opinion. Of course, if you are a candidate for a lap hyst and want to just be done with it all, go for it. Down time is about 4 weeks for that. And yes, I am a nurse and go a little over board when it comes to research, second opinions, etc.

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

Its just taking so much out of me. 18 days straight just 3 weeks ago, on 2 birth control shots & bleeding again...
I am exhausted, moody, and just plain sick of it all. I feel overwhelmed with hormones & out of control of my own body & feelings right now.
I also have a strong family history of migraines until menopause... therefore pushing towards the hysterectomy. And a mother that had a hysterectomy at 18 due to endometriosis. So I guess all along I knew this would come - I just never knew how trying these times would be.
I am just at a loss - and feel I can't take any more

 

[clutter]

Honey, I'm with ya. Ive been wearing pads since the end of January. We have gotten the bleeding to (mostly) stop by oral progesterone. That, at least is giving me the time to make a decision. My choice is the ablation or the hysterectomy. But if my choice is the hysterectomy, I simply cannot do it until August. Sorry, I need my job. (My boss, who hates when people work from home says I can work from home. Seriously? Can't I at least get 2 weeks of peace?) So we'll see what happens when I go off of the progesterone. She says it should be a day of bleeding and be done. But that didn't work last time....

Good luck with your decision. But make sure you question her about the hysterectomy? Have you had surgery before? I have and I know that the lap option isn't an option. And that chances are I'll lose ovaries as well. Those are the things you need to know. (and know that she may agree to try lap, but be prepared for full surgery.)

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

Honey, I'm with ya. Ive been wearing pads since the end of January. We have gotten the bleeding to (mostly) stop by oral progesterone. That, at least is giving me the time to make a decision. My choice is the ablation or the hysterectomy. But if my choice is the hysterectomy, I simply cannot do it until August. Sorry, I need my job. (My boss, who hates when people work from home says I can work from home. Seriously? Can't I at least get 2 weeks of peace?) So we'll see what happens when I go off of the progesterone. She says it should be a day of bleeding and be done. But that didn't work last time....

Good luck with your decision. But make sure you question her about the hysterectomy? Have you had surgery before? I have and I know that the lap option isn't an option. And that chances are I'll lose ovaries as well. Those are the things you need to know. (and know that she may agree to try lap, but be prepared for full surgery.)

I have had surgery before (C-section, Thyroid surgery, Sinus surgery, 2 D & C's, Lasik Eye surgery, etc)
I too need to work around... well work! I am down to only 2 days of sick time left. So when would be a good time for surgery???
She (doctor) told me I have an enlarged uterus therefore from what I read it doesn't sound like a ******l hysterectomy will be feasable. So does that mean I am off work for weeks?
I am then up against full hysterectomy or partial? My family has a history of aweful migraines (including me) until menopause, so do I push myself into menopause to stop my ER trips & almost daily headaches??? But then you have the hormones suppliments that cause breast cancer... what to do????

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

Have you considered a second opinion? I know everyone is different, but I have not had a menstrual period in 2 years and my Dr. did the ablation and tubal at the same time. Unless you have complete faith in your doctor and her methods, I would get a second opinion. Even tho' i went back to my normal GYN to have surgery, I still got a second opinion. Of course, if you are a candidate for a lap hyst and want to just be done with it all, go for it. Down time is about 4 weeks for that. And yes, I am a nurse and go a little over board when it comes to research, second opinions, etc.

Well this doctor started as my 2nd opinion when my old Gyne wanted to do a hystorectomy 5-6 years ago (when I was 32). And she has been able to stop that thus far with other treatments... until now. So I do have a long line of faith in her. She is very honest & says "I could go straight for the surgery cuz it would make me more money, but thats now how I work - I want to do whats best for the patient & surgery isn't always that option". Atleast she isn't trying to rob me blind with unneccessary proceedures!

 

[ilovejack02]

Sorry for all of your issues . It isn't fun . Two years ago I had cysts and endo issues . I wanted another baby so dr went in and cleaned up all she could . Worked well for several months, no heavy periods , but then it all came back. My fault for not going on the pill like she recommended . Hubby is now really against having another baby and we are at having a hysterectomy now, but holding off because I am doing really well on the pill. I am taking the kind you take for 3 months at a time. I don't take the week off , I just keep going . Been 6 months since I had a period all is going well. I will eventually have the hysterectomy, but hubby had a torn rotater cuff and was off work for half of last year and now on a special project at work that he can't take time off from. Hopefully in the next year I can get it done so I can quit taking the pill . Hopefully it will go well for you if you decide to do it. I have talked to several friends that have had it done and all have been pleased .

 

[tlbwriter]

She (doctor) told me I have an enlarged uterus therefore from what I read it doesn't sound like a ******l hysterectomy will be feasable. So does that mean I am off work for weeks?

Probably. I had to have an abdominal hysterectomy due to my enlarged uterus. I was off for 6 weeks, and then went back part time for a couple of weeks.

I am then up against full hysterectomy or partial? My family has a history of aweful migraines (including me) until menopause, so do I push myself into menopause to stop my ER trips & almost daily headaches??? But then you have the hormones suppliments that cause breast cancer... what to do????

Well, there's one more possible option - has your doctor mentioned Lupron? It shuts down your ovaries temporarily and can sometimes shrink your uterus to the point where an ablation is a better option. I used it for 5 months and it did shrink my uterus slightly, but not enough. It did stop my periods for about 7 months.

 

[Sparkleshine]

I had a terrible experience with Depo. I got very moody, lost my sex drive, gained weight (it can increase your appetite), and I had bleeding/spottting for 4 or 6 weeks straight when I started it. I joked that it worked great for birth control because I was a fat moody mess

It is sounding more and more like it is time for a hysto.

Also wanted to add that hysterectomy surgery has come very far I had a girlfriend that had to have one already and they were able to do a laparoscopic hysterectomy with a much shorter recovery time.

 

[ilovejack02]

Well, there's one more possible option - has your doctor mentioned Lupron? It shuts down your ovaries temporarily and can sometimes shrink your uterus to the point where an ablation is a better option. I used it for 5 months and it did shrink my uterus slightly, but not enough. It did stop my periods for about 7 months.

AHHH, yes I totally forgot about Lupron . Some will say no no no, but it worked really well for me. I was on it for about 6 months while DH and I were hashing out to have another baby or not. It did help with my cysts quite a bit, which is what the point was to avoid surgery but once we decided no more babies, I got off and went on BC. It isn't for everyone , but I did ok on it. Hot flashes and sleeping was off, I used ambian to help with sleep. It is kind of a medically induced menopause. My Dr. wanted to try to shrink my cysts and endo to try to avoid surgery again. It did help, but once you are off, it all goes back to normal if not on some type of BC. It can temporarily help . As PP said though, maybe it would help enough to then have the ablation .

 

[mskayjay]

I have traveled your road and made a decision in haste because I was as miserable as you sound right now. I found an amazing website but unfortunately not until I was already in the prep stage for my second surgery (yes second....I had 3 in 4 years!). Please do yourself a favor and go to hystersisters.com and do some reading before you make a decision. You'll also find the site to be absolutely irreplaceable if you do have a surgery. When you have a bad night it is an amazing comfort to be able to talk to someone at 2AM when you're having the crying jags and think you're totally losing it and lo and behold......someone who is at the same stage of post-surg is having the same thing happen to them! Its a great site.

I will tell you briefly that I had an oophorectomy followed less than a year later by a hysterectomy leaving the left ovary in place to avoid the whole HRT issue. 2 years later complications put me back in for more repairs. It was and still is a major issue to have a hysterectomy and I only hope that you educate yourself on what to expect before, during, and after better than I did. It changes you in many ways and you need to be prepared.

Best of luck and if you need/want to talk by all means PM me.
hugs
K

 

[tlbwriter]

Also wanted to add that hysterectomy surgery has come very far I had a girlfriend that had to have one already and they were able to do a laparoscopic hysterectomy with a much shorter recovery time.

Unfortunately, since the OP has an enlarged uterus, a laparoscopic hysterectomy probably isn't an option.

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

Thanks for the hystosisters.com advice - been on there for the past few days.
Stopped finally for a day & 1/2... to only start heavier today. Very discouraged & upset!
Next step is Hysto, and it can't be vag or lapro due to enlarged uterus. Off 6 weeks - Ugh!
Anyone want to tell me what to expect?
Opinions on keeping or taking ovaries?

Thanks

 

[mickeyluvr004]

hang in there i feel your pain as im a 44 year old and about almost 2 years ago i went thru the heavy heavy periods passing clots and all and it was aweful not having any idea that my period was coming because it had a mind of its own lol.. tried the pill and that made me soo moody my husband begged me to get off it immediatly so then i decided to do the ablation and it didnt work at all i bled after it for a week and every month after that i thought it took awhile for it to stop but then realized as it started gettin heavier that there was something wrong, so on to the hysterectomy had that in dec and it was the best decision for me, doing soo well and not have to worry about it ever again.. do whats best for you but im glad i made the decision i did..

 

[mcraft17]

I am 34 and had a complete hysterectomy last year, I had heavy bleeding, pain and was in the er quite often and I finally couldn't take it anymore. When the dr did the hysterectomy he said I ended up having stage 5 Endo! It was really bad, I couldn't be put on hormones because it could cause it to come back. I have to say it was the best (albeit hard at first to decide) decision that I have made! I feel great and only had some night hot flashes for the first months or so and now no menopause symptoms at all. Hystersisters was a big help, you need to do what is best for you but thought I would share my experience.