Walk A Mile In My Shoes: Hysterectomy

Walk A Mile In My Shoes

As we all known when it comes to the female body there are so many different types of disorders and diseases associated with it. Through the years I have found myself giving advice to other women concerning these topics due to my history with many female issues. I felt it was important to continue to help others like myself and maybe offer them information that they may not be aware of. So lets begin, I started having female troubles in my early teens and the end result was a hysterectomy at the age of 22. Now I know some of you many be thinking that 22 is an extremely young age for such a drastic step, but unfortunately that was the only thing offered to me at that point. Basically I was told that was the only thing they could do to help me so I consented.

Now lets go back to the beginning. At the age of 15 I began to have severe stomach cramps (pains) which would double me over into fetal position and in tears. After several months the doctors still had no answer as to what the problem was. Unfortunately I found myself in the emergency room with a doctor who was convinced that the problem was my appendix and ready to cut me open. Fortunately the tests all came back clear, and he put the surgery on hold pending more tests. So after an overnight stay in the hospital and several tests later, the problem was finally found. I had, what was known at that time, as Polycystic Ovarian Disease AKA Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Info on this Disease:

Polycystic (pah-lee-SIS-tik) ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a health problem that can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, ability to have children, hormones, heart, blood vessels, and appearance. With PCOS, women typically have:

* high levels of androgens (AN-druh-junz). These are sometimes called male hormones, although females also make them.
* missed or irregular periods
* many small cysts (sists) in their ovaries. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs.

The cause of PCOS is unknown. Most researchers think that more than one factor could play a role in developing PCOS. Genes are thought to be one factor. Women with PCOS tend to have a mother or sister with PCOS.

Not all women with PCOS share the same symptoms. These are some of the symptoms of PCOS:

* infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
* infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating
* increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes—a condition called hirsutism (HER-suh-tiz-um)
* ovarian cysts
* acne, oily skin, or dandruff
* weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
* insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
* high cholesterol
* high blood pressure
* male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
* patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
* skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
* pelvic pain
* anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
* sleep apnea—excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep

Now that you have an idea of what this is, we can continue. The PCOS was found by an ultrasound and I remember the photos of my ovaries resembling Swiss Cheese with all the holey areas. The appearance of the "holes" were cysts all over my ovaries. The only treatment for this was to give me Birth Control, which was changed often to higher levels making my emotional state impossible to deal with. I was also told at the time that I would be unable to bear children due to this disease. Fortunately I was blessed with 2 children later, the doctors said it was impossible and I proved them wrong.

After the birth of my second child my problems began to get worse. I was still suffering with the PCOS and couldn't believe that things were getting worse. At this time in my life I struggled to function on a day to day basis due to the swelling and pain in my abdominal area. The doctors did numerous tests on me, and a few weeks later I was called in for the results. I was told that I had Pelvic Inflammatory Disease AKA PID, now at this time little was known about this Disease. They did not know how it was contracted and even still all STD tests came back Negative so I had not been exposed to anything that would have caused this. Now let me give you some information on this before I continue.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs (the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries). Normally, the cervix (opening to the womb) prevents bacteria in the vagina from spreading up into these organs.

PID causes different symptoms in different women. These may include the following:

* A dull pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen.
* Vaginal discharge that is usually yellow or green and may have an unpleasant smell.
* Irregular menstrual periods, such as extra long periods, spotting or cramps throughout the month.
* Chills, high fever, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
* Pain during sex.
* Low back pain.
* Painful urination.

There are several ways women can get PID. The most common way is by having sex with a person who has gonorrhea or chlamydia. These diseases are carried in the semen and other body fluids of infected people. During sexual contact, the germs spread to the woman's cervix. The germs can also infect the glands at the opening of the vagina, the urethra (passageway for urine) or the anus.

Sometimes women get PID without being exposed to gonorrhea or chlamydia. In these cases, doctors aren't sure why the bacteria in the vagina spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing PID.

Rarely, PID can also occur if bacteria infect your internal organs as a result of giving birth, or having a miscarriage, an abortion or a procedure to take a sample from the inside of the womb for laboratory testing. Sometimes PID can occur after the cervix is treated because of an abnormal Pap smear or after the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD). However, this is not common.

Now as I stated before, the doctors had no clue how I got PID and really didn't have any clear cut ways of treating me. I went through months of going back and forth to the doctor trying to basically get the pain to go away. And yes you guessed it, things began to get worse. At the age of 20 I had gotten use to being in pain and dealing with the problems with my female organs, however I did not anticipate what came next. I found my self in more pain, still doubling over and my menstrual cycle was about 2 1/2 weeks out of the month, also 3 times the normal flow. I stayed tired and flush never feeling like a real person. Finally I made another appointment with my doctor and a biopsy was performed to check for Endometrial Cancer. Unfortunatley the tests came back positive. Now to give you the rundown on Endometrial Cancer.

Definition of endometrial cancer: Cancer that forms in the tissue lining the uterus (the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis in which a baby grows). Most endometrial cancers are adenocarcinomas (cancers that begin in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids).

Estimated new cases and deaths from endometrial (uterine corpus) cancer in the United States in 2008:

New cases: 40,100

Deaths: 7,470

Endometrial cancer, one of the most common cancers in American women, begins in the cells of the endometrium, the lining of your uterus — a hollow, pear-shaped pelvic organ where fetal development occurs. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer, but there are other cells in the uterus that can become cancerous — such as muscle or myometrial cells. These form much less common cancers called sarcomas.

Endometrial cancer is often detected at an early stage because it frequently produces vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods or after menopause. If endometrial cancer is discovered early, removing the uterus surgically often eliminates all of the cancer.

Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer may include:

* Any bleeding after menopause
* Prolonged periods or bleeding between periods
* An abnormal, nonbloody discharge from your vagina
* Pelvic pain
* Pain during intercourse
* Unintended weight loss

Now that you have an idea of what this is, I can continue. During this time the doctors again tried using Birth Control to help with the symptoms. This did not do any good and basically as I see it a waste of time and money on my part. So the doctor decided to try a new method of treatment known as Lupron Injections, which were expensive. This medication is a synthetic hormone. When it is used, the body stops producing testosterone hormones in males and estrogen hormones in females. When the medication is stopped, hormone levels return to normal. Unfortunately after several injections which are given on a schedule, I believe mine was once a month, I still had no relief.

So in 2002 at the age of 22 the doctors had no other alternative other than a hysterectomy. I was devastated that there was no other recourse other than this dangerous and life changing surgery. Basically a hysterectomy entails the removal of all female organs. Again the following is information for my readers so they know the full extent of what I am discussing.

A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman's uterus (womb). The uterus is where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. In some cases, the ovaries and fallopian tubes also are removed. These organs are located in a woman’s lower abdomen (see image below). The cervix is the lower end of the uterus. The ovaries are organs that produce eggs and hormones. The fallopian tubes carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. ( I had what is known as a complete hysterectomy)

Hysterectomy is used to treat:

* Fibroids. More hysterectomies are done because of fibroids than any other problem of the uterus. For many women with fibroids, symptoms are minimal and require no treatment. Also, the fibroids often shrink after menopause. But fibroids can cause heavy bleeding or pain in some women.
* Endometriosis. This happens when the tissue lining the inside of your uterus grows outside the uterus on your ovaries, fallopian tubes, or other pelvic or abdominal organs. When medication and surgery do not cure endometriosis, a hysterectomy often is performed.
* Uterine prolapse. This is when the uterus moves from its usual place down into the vagina. This can lead to urinary problems, pelvic pressure, or difficulty with bowel movements.
* Cancer. If you have cancer of the uterus, cervix, or ovary a hysterectomy may be part of the treatment your doctor recommends.
* Persistent vaginal bleeding. If your periods are heavy, not regular, or last for many days each cycle and nonsurgical methods have not helped to control bleeding, a hysterectomy may bring relief.
* Chronic pelvic pain. Surgery is a last resort for women who have chronic pelvic pain that clearly comes from the uterus. However, many forms of pelvic pain aren't cured by a hysterectomy, and so this approach can be a permanent mistake.

Now, at this time the doctors assumed that this would be the end of my problems, besides recovering from the giant incision on my abdomen. Unfortunately that was not the case, my body was having adverse reactions to the hormones the doctors were giving me. I was having severe mood swings, bouts with depression, I was happy one minute and screaming at everyone the next. My hormones have been changed over 30 times with no help in site. I have gone for over 2 years now with no hormones at all. I realize there are many physicians who do not recommend this but after time went on I started to feel more like my old self again. I also realized when I needed to sign a waiver at my doctors office, not to sue if I got Breast Cancer, for him to give me the prescription for hormones. This was not something else I wanted to worry about.

The truth is after all the pain and years I would do things alot different. I never would have consented for a hysterectomy, I will never be the same again. It seems like the best solution at the time, but looking back I believe more could have been done. I wouldn't wish what I have been through on anyone, but I beg you to look into alternatives. Discuss everything with your doctor, find alternatives,and facts before taking the path I did. Medicine has accomplished so much since 2002, alternatives are out there as long as you take control of your medical health instead of putting your health soley in your doctors hands.