Historectomy = easy way out

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BeautifyU

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I’m a brittle type 1 diabetic, hooked up to an insulin pump 24/7 and am taking several medications that are not safe for pregnancy. My doctors have told me on countless occassions that pregnancy would be a tremendous risk to my own life as well as the baby’s. I’m fortunate enough to have one adopted son and one who I did conceive and give birth to despite my doctor’s advice. Thank God, baby and me are fine after the whole ordeal, but it certainly wasn’t easy. I’ve always struggled with terribly painful and heavy mestrual periods and was recently diagnosed as severely aneimic, with iron levels so dangerously low they were opting to do a blood transfusion but I refused. I’m taking very high doses of iron and my numbers are up, but i can’t do this forever. They have to find the root of this problem and fix it. Turns out I have uterine fibroids, and one in particular is
significantly large, enough to be the source of this heavy bleeding and iron deficiency. So I can have it removed via embilization but that doesn’t guarantee they won’t grow back in a few years, or I can just get a historectomy and with the uterus gone there will never again be a fibriod, period,cramp, … or baby. Now, I’m cool with not having any more kids. It’s too dangerous to my health anyway, even my priest agrees to that. But why does my heart and soul tell me not to let them take away my fertility, the greatest gift God can give me - even though I definitely don’t want any more kids! Would it be morally wrong to take the easy way out and get rid of all these problems and concerns? I’m tempted, but something is holding me back. Opinions appreciated!
 
I’m not a doctor, but if the uterus is being removed in order to fix the fibroid problem, then there is nothing objectionable. But if the hysterectomy is performed primarily to remove your fertility, that presents a moral problem.

I think you are right to not want to give up your fertility, after all who knows what the future holds? Maybe you could safely bring a child into this world several years from now. If it’s possible to remedy your physical problems and still keep your uterus, you might want to consider that.

God bless.
 
You don’t say how old you are. If you’re close to menopause maybe you can ride this out. I’ve had similar problems with the fibroids and I’m hoping meno will kick in soon in which case the fibroids will shrink. Did the doctor tell you about the possibility of getting Lupron injections will will also shrink fibroids- although temporarily? Or a myomectomy, is it possible to just remove the fibroids? You are probably aware that having large fibroids itself will make it difficult to become pregnant and the possibility of miscarriage is greater. With all this in mind and if you still wish to have another baby you should get a second opinion. A hysterectomy is nothing to rush into.
 
If you are a young woman you may not want to undergo such a permanent solution. If you are getting close to menopause, you may as well have the operation, IMHO. I can’t see anything wrong with not prolonging unnecessary suffering and health problems, either way, though. It is only natural to want to hang onto what makes us women. I know a gal in her 70’s who had a breast removed even though it didn’t need to be and she was heartbroken over it. She is a widow and in such poor health she probably won’t see 80, but it was quite a blow to her just the same. It’s simply built into us to keep all our parts as long as possible. But, if you would truly be better off after a hysterectomy, I’d get it if I were you.
 
Pray about it and take your time, don’t hurry in your decision since once you have a hysterectomy thats that, my friend had one as did my cousin for medical reasons and my mom too for medical reasons and the down side is they all need to be on estrogen to feel ok and the side effect is a higher risk of breast cancer, so do your homework, if for medical reasons you have to have a hysterectomy see if you can keep your fallopian tubes ( I think thats it) so you will still produce estrogen naturally, then you won’t have to take hormones, because my mom said they are spendy and then you have to watch for the risks so much.
Your in my prayers,
Peace
 
I struggled as well with very painful periods, heavy bleeding and fibroids for many years. Mine got to the point where I never stopped bleeding and the fibroid was putting pressure on my bladder and intestines. I was in bed more than I was out of bed.

I finally made the decision to have my uterus removed, and it made such a tremendous difference in my overall health. One fibroid I had was the size of a very large grapefruit and was imbedded in the uterine wall, so the entire uterus had to be removed. I do still have my ovaries, though, which you should also be able to keep if they are healthy. This means I do not have to be on any artificial hormones.

I also struggled with infertility and was able to conceive but miscarried very early on (later, to find out, in part due to the fibroids). We have two adopted children (at the time of surgery only one) so I knew God could build our family in that way should He desire to do so (and He did! 🙂 ).

It sounds like you have good medical cause for the operation, but I know how you feel emotionally. Keep praying and trust that the right decision will come to you when the time is right. For me, it was so great to feel better, then to adopt another child and actually have the energy to care for them and do fun things instead of laying in bed!
 
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Celeste88:
You don’t say how old you are.

I’m 33.
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Didi:
I struggled as well with very painful periods, heavy bleeding and fibroids for many years. Mine got to the point where I never stopped bleeding and the fibroid was putting pressure on my bladder and intestines. I was in bed more than I was out of bed.

I finally made the decision to have my uterus removed, and it made such a tremendous difference in my overall health. One fibroid I had was the size of a very large grapefruit and was imbedded in the uterine wall, so the entire uterus had to be removed. I do still have my ovaries, though, which you should also be able to keep if they are healthy. This means I do not have to be on any artificial hormones.

I also struggled with infertility and was able to conceive but miscarried very early on (later, to find out, in part due to the fibroids). We have two adopted children (at the time of surgery only one) so I knew God could build our family in that way should He desire to do so (and He did! 🙂 ).

It sounds like you have good medical cause for the operation, but I know how you feel emotionally. Keep praying and trust that the right decision will come to you when the time is right. For me, it was so great to feel better, then to adopt another child and actually have the energy to care for them and do fun things instead of laying in bed!
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Well, my fibroids are miniscule in comparison to what you went through. (Poor thing!) Which is why I’m on the fence about taking such drastic measures. But the thought of never having to deal with another period, or worry about pregnancy - seems too good to be true. And my ovaries are healthy, so no hormone therapy would be necessary. I guess what I’d love to know is this, what does God want me to do?
 
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BeautifyU:
I’m 33.
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That seems very young for such a drastic surgery… I would get a second opinion, preferably from a gyno in a Catholic hospital.

You can also try contacting the Pope Paul VI Institute for their opinion. I know they are generally recommended for those seeking fertility answers, but as your’s is a case of fertile health- I would think they would have a lot of information for you.

popepaulvi.com/
 
I think that you definitely need to get a second, even a 3rd & 4th opinion.
I will say this:** I am very worried about your anemia and what it is doing to your long term health**.
I only wish that, on several occasions in my own life, that I had been able to convince the doctors that they ought to give me a blood transfusion when my iron levels were so low. (I have had to have open heart surgery to repair the damage that my anemia did to me).
Please take the transfusions if they want to give you transfusions. And please follow up with another doctor!
God bless you. You are in my prayers.
 
I would personally choose the lesser surgery.
2 reasons:
**1. I believe in doing the least invasive if possible in these situations. Living with a hesterectomy is not always the rosey picture they paint in the office and it’s best to keep what God has given you if possible. No one designs like Him.😉 **
2. You say, “something is holding me back”. This is a major and permanent elective surgery (since you have the lesser surgical option) - I would never recommend anyone do something like that if they have ANY reservations about it. Doesn’t matter what your reservations are, they should be 100% resolved before getting on that table because they might cause 100% regret afterwards otherwise.
God Bless,
 
Uterine fibroids are really horrible! I know - I had them, and did have a hysterectomy, at age 50. Yes, I was close to menopause (I presume, at my age, but had no symptoms of its approach), so my situation is somewhat different from yours.

My oldest sister also had fibroids - in her thirties. She first had a myomectomy – which removes all visible fibroids. But, there will be tiny ones left (as small as a **. **and they will grow.) So, it’s not that the fibroids will grow back - what is removed is gone - but that more will grow. My sister ended up having a hysterectomy at 37.

A young person, like the OP, will not experience menopause symtoms after the hysterectomy if her ovaries are not removed, and, therefore, will not need any hormone replacement therapy.

Fibroids grow slowly, and continue growing if not checked. There is a likelihood of shrinking after menopause, but that’s not much consolation to someone in their thirties who is already suffering greatly with them.

What to do? Yes, do get another opinion. Pray. Really ask yourself if the fibroids, the consequent heavy bleeding and low blood count is causing your life big problems. Then make the decision. If you decide to go for a myomectomy now, be very clear that you will very likely need a further operation - perhaps in only a few years, depending on how quickly the fibroids are growing. In your case, it may be that a hysterectomy is the better course.

Whatever decision you make - choose the best surgeon possible! Yes, that may be obvious, but don’t choose based on cost!! It’s your body that will be cut, and major surgery can be dangerous.

As well as that, make sure you follow your surgeon’s post-op advice to the letter! That is likely to include 6 - 8 weeks off work. No lifting - none! No driving until allowed (at least 4 weeks). No exercise other than gentle walking - when the surgeon allows that - for three months. I know people who ignored their surgeon’s advice and now regret it - even years after the operation they still complain about back ache, abdominal problems, etc., etc. I followed the advice I received exactly - even though I was impatient to get back to practicing Taekwondo!! I am thankful that I did, because I have no problems resulting from that surgery.

Best wishes for a prayerful decision and a good recovery, whatever option you choose.
 
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Della:
If you are a young woman you may not want to undergo such a permanent solution. If you are getting close to menopause, you may as well have the operation, IMHO. I can’t see anything wrong with not prolonging unnecessary suffering and health problems, either way, though. It is only natural to want to hang onto what makes us women. I know a gal in her 70’s who had a breast removed even though it didn’t need to be and she was heartbroken over it. She is a widow and in such poor health she probably won’t see 80, but it was quite a blow to her just the same. It’s simply built into us to keep all our parts as long as possible. But, if you would truly be better off after a hysterectomy, I’d get it if I were you.
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Please explain. No doctor would remove a healthy breast. There must have been cancer or the threat of it, which would render the breast unhealthy and life threatening. No one just removes breasts for the fun of it. She should be happy that there is medical care where breasts can be removed if she has cancer and the doctors tell her this is the safest means of treatment. Please explain.
 
Maybe because the woman was in her 70’s, and the cancer was progressing very slowly- they were considering not doing anything because she may naturally outlive the progression of the cancer.

This happened to my grampa who had prostate cancer diagnosed when he was 75. The choose not to treat it because the treatment would reduce quality of life and the cancer was progressing very slowly.

There are often quite a lot of treatments that may be more of a burden and risk than just living with the illness or disability.

Some docs who are used to treating young people may develop a philosophy that everything should be ‘fixed’ or treated, when in fact the quality of life for the elderly can be greatly reduced with these added treatments that can be considered elective when taking their age into account.

This certainly may not be the case- but to leap to the negative conclusion that the woman somehow didn’t appreciate medical treatments seems a little rash.

Maybe the poster doesn’t know, or doesn’t wish to share the details. And if they don’t, I have offered a logical explaination of how the post can still be true. Any further discussion on this really takes the thread off topic.
 
I would further suggest to take it to deep prayer during adoration. While my situation is different from yours, I still faced the similar dillema. I kept praying about it and getting conflicting thoughts. Through adoration I got one answer. I followed it and it has been correct.

In cases like this God will only give you one of three answers. Question: Should I have a hysterectomy? He will answer yes, no, or not yet. Anything confusing is not of God. As previous posters have said: get other opinions and be 100% sure before you do anything. I know God will grant you peace in this because He knows everything about your fibroids. If “every hair is counted…” then He knows the location and growth of every tumor. Trust THE Physician.
 
ovaries, that was what I was trying to think of in my previous post, my cousin had a hysterectomy at 36 (cancer runs big time in her family) she had some pre cancerous cells and terrible periods lasting weeks at a time and she just wasn’t o.k. with being on the birth control pill to help her periods(she is not Catholic) she was worried about the risks of cancer from the pill since her mom had breast cancer and her aunt did too, anyways, she had a hysterectomy but kept her ovaries so she doesn’t have to be on any hormones, becuase my mom had a full hysterecotomy in her later 30’s and boy, she sure wishes she would have kept her ovaries since she has been on hormones for 22 years and there are many risks with them, I think she takes progersterone pills and the side effects range from cancer increase to heart disease, ugh 😦
 
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BeautifyU:
I’m a brittle type 1 diabetic, hooked up to an insulin pump 24/7 and am taking several medications that are not safe for pregnancy. My doctors have told me on countless occassions that pregnancy would be a tremendous risk to my own life as well as the baby’s. I’m fortunate enough to have one adopted son and one who I did conceive and give birth to despite my doctor’s advice. Thank God, baby and me are fine after the whole ordeal, but it certainly wasn’t easy. I’ve always struggled with terribly painful and heavy mestrual periods and was recently diagnosed as severely aneimic, with iron levels so dangerously low they were opting to do a blood transfusion but I refused. I’m taking very high doses of iron and my numbers are up, but i can’t do this forever. They have to find the root of this problem and fix it. Turns out I have uterine fibroids, and one in particular is
significantly large, enough to be the source of this heavy bleeding and iron deficiency. So I can have it removed via embilization but that doesn’t guarantee they won’t grow back in a few years, or I can just get a historectomy and with the uterus gone there will never again be a fibriod, period,cramp, … or baby. Now, I’m cool with not having any more kids. ***It’s too dangerous to my health anyway, even my priest agrees to that. ***But why does my heart and soul tell me not to let them take away my fertility, the greatest gift God can give me - even though I definitely don’t want any more kids! Would it be morally wrong to take the easy way out and get rid of all these problems and concerns? I’m tempted, but something is holding me back. Opinions appreciated!
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Bolded by me.

It seems to me that nobody has adressed the fact that BeautifyU have talked to a priest who agree that her condition is dangerous to her health. If it’s a possibility she can seek a second opinion both with a doctor and a priest.
 
get a second medical opinion on the need for a hysterectomy, preferably with a doc who understands the hormonal impact. You already suffer from a disease of hormone imbalance, and hysterectomy is going to add to overall hormonal imbalance, especially of they take your ovaries to prevent future cancer. An endocrinologist and gyn should be part of this consultation.
 
BeautifyU, I am in the same boat as you minus the diabetes.

Please pray about it and let God guide you with your decision.
He helped me and still is guiding me as I battle with this problem.

My plan had been to have a second child and then get the hysterectomy. But I have not been able to conceive and am booked for a myomectomy in October… but still undecided whether to go through with it. I too take Iron (take with food and orange juice for better absorption into the body) as well eat lots of redmeat and spinach due to being anemic from menorrahgia.
I did have an embolization in 2001 but this did not shrink my fibroid much (also my OBGYN says that is the reason I may not be getting pregnant)
I did contact PopePaulVI institute as advised on this board and spoke with a clinic in Toronto (I am in Canada).

Next week, I go for a sonohystogram after which I hope to conceive ( with my son I conceived after a similar test)…

I wish you all the best with your decision. You will be in my prayers. PM me if you would like to talk.
God Bless
 
Run to the nearest library and have a librarian do research for you. Ask that this be done by the reference staff at the nearest large medical library; most public libraries can arrange this. Ask for latest info on the pros and cons of hysterectomy and treatments alternatives to hysterectomy.
Hysterectomy is forever. Do not let your ovaries be removed “just in case”, as a cancer preventative. This is nonsense. As it is, you could lose the overies later on. The clamping done during surgery can cause tissue death; so can scarring.
After hysterectomy, even one that was wanted, many women feel a deep sense of grief and loss. Unfortunately, society does not understand and allow for mourning about this. Estrogen therapy is needed if the ovaries are removed; the best source is a compounded estrogen made by a compounding pharmacy from natural plant (not animal or synthetic) sources.
 
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