Female Sterilisation/Hysterectomy - anyone had either? Looking for advice

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

peachyprice wrote: »

Pigpen, symptoms of the menopause are unpleasant, and treatable/manageable the pain Blue Monkey is experiencing is like nothing on earth.

Short term, perhaps. Excluding renal colic, pancreatic cancer and a whole load of other incredibly painful things. But Pigpen is pretty clued up on pain, gynaecological and surgical.


But the pain and unpleasantness from osteopenia, osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, tooth loss from periodontal disease, cataract formation, all of which are at increased risk following a normal menopause at age 50+, therefore being even greater risk at an earlier one, probably outweigh the pain of cysts.


Basically, if ovulation is an issue, why not get long term contraception that prevents it? Certainly less risky than an elective surgical procedure.

And, from my time working in gynae, the consultants I worked for felt that they were mostly dealing with women whose men refused to accept the possibility that they won't sleep with someone else in the future. They had a very low opinion of the men, who have an extremely minor procedure compared to their partners.




However, I would suggest that you see your GP and get a referral to gynae as they can deal with the pain as well as discuss permanent family planning measures.

Errata

Ask for a referral to a gynaecologist, they will investigate, diagnosse and discuss treatment options.
Recovery time for me after sterilisation was two days and back to work, and 4 weeks after a hysterectomy, although the suggested time for that is six weeks.
Do check your health insurance for America, you will need to declare all your health problems and whilst sterilisation is a very minor procedure akin to having an awkward wisdom tooth out, a hysterectomy is a major surgical procedure.

blue_monkey_2

Thanks for all of your replies and experiences, really were helpful, thanks.

Errata, I never thought of that - for that reason I think I'll wait and deal with it when I get back then, just to be on the safe side. it'll only be a few exra months of wait.

Jojo, I've tried all of the long term ones and they all stop having an effect after just a few months - this is the problem I have and the doctor just kept on changing them, I had the marena out when I had a laporoscopy as the doc said it was clearly not working anymore. Yes, ovulation is the issue.

I did not think of the insurance side of things so to err on the side of caution I am going to put up with it for a few more months, just my luck something will happen and I won't be insured. So for that reason I am glad I asked. I am going to speak to someone next year and see where we go from there.

Pigpen, I thought this would be the case, that the ovaries would still work and thus not sold my problems, just need to stop ovulating but the long term implants/contraceptions are having no effect. I think I am going to get a new pill or Depro again, it'll only last a few months but will do until I am back from the states.

Humphrey10

If depo works for a while, maybe you just need the doses closer together, it's worth asking your doctor/nurse about it at least.

ceridwen

I can only say what my own personal experience of female sterilisation was and it boiled down to "Basically a piece of cake/walk in the park" in my case.

Having said that - I was in my 20s at the time and pretty darn fit. Thus - I ended up thinking "NO problem" and walked round the neighbourhood with the friend I had taken with me to find a restaurant to eat my dinner in later that same day and was surprised to find I had no appetite for it:rotfl:. When I came back to my home location and went to see my doctor to tell him what I had had done because the stitches were pulling (and I couldnt understand this - because I had been told they were ones that would dissolve of themselves - but they WERENT:mad::mad:) I couldnt understand why he promptly virtually shrieked and picked up his phone and ordered me a taxi to take me back home again after the appointment (literally a 15 minute walk away).

So - in hindsight and going through it again for me personally - I wouldnt have believed they would be efficient enough to give me the dissolvable stitches they said they had given me and assumed they would be non-dissolvable ones (and not, correspondingly, cut them right down to the skin:cool::eek:). Apart from that bit of inefficiency:mad: on the part of the Clinic and my not realising I wouldnt have an appetite for any dinner on the first day - then ...yep...piece of cake in my case. My only regret is that I darn well had to pay for this:mad::mad: - and couldnt have blimmin' well got it otherwise (despite the fact I've saved the Welfare State LOADSA money by doing this...).

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Hysterectomies - hmmm...depends on the hospital...depends on the woman. I personally rejected the idea for myself - because I had read about the number of women who suffer side-effects from this operation subsequently and it was a noticeable number. I had also read that it takes weeks to recover.

With my sterilisation - I was just fine personally a week later (even in my doctors' opinion....) and just got back straight into "life as normal" (apart from being "careful" for the length of time the clinic told me I needed to be - in case of unwanted pregnancy - after the Op.).

No regrets whatsoever personally - other than I would like my darn money back that I had to pay for this:mad:. (Shoulda kept the receipts - because the Op. itself and the associated expenses would probably be about £3,000 in today's terms - which I would like back....just in case I ever see the chance to get repaid...). It was just such a relief that I had the absolute certainty that - no matter what happened in Society after that time and even if things went "back to the Dark Ages and unmarried women got refused the Pill" it simply wasnt possible for my body to spring an unwanted pregnancy/resultant abortion on me and that was one HUGE potential problem I had been able to "nip in the bud" in advance of it doing so:D:T:D:T

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I am surprised your husband isnt prepared to have this operation himself though - in view of the fact that its an easier one for men than women AND you have the health problems you have personally to contend with already......

webitha

ooh interesting thread...im booked in for my sterilisation on the 24th of this month

am hoping to be ok for the 29th as i have a halloween party to go to lol

catkins

I had a hysterectomy over 20 years ago when I was in my late 30's. I kept one of my ovaries. I had it because I had a fibroid the size of a football in my womb. I had very heavy periods which lasted over 7 days. I used to flood even with a tampon and a towel. My womb being so large was pressing on my bladder which was horrible.

I had the op on the Friday afternoon, had a shower Saturday morning and went home Sunday! My surgeon said he believed that most surgeons make the mistake of getting women to take it too easy. He believes if you are reasonably young and fit then you get up the next day and walk about. He told me when I got home not to do anything stupid but otherwise to try and carry on pretty much as normal. He told me I could do housework but not anything heavy like hoovering or changing the bed! He said being told you should not lift a kettle is just stupid. He also told me to make sure I walked every day which I did.

Friends and work colleagues that have had hysterectomies have all stayed in hospital for about 7 days, not being allowed to even get out of bed for 2 days and they have all had problems. It took them much longer to get over the op and none of them went back to work before 6 weeks.

I had 4 weeks off work but I could honestly have gone back after 2. I had no problems whatsoever. No pain nothing. I felt fantastic compared with how I felt before it.

blue_monkey_2

ceridwen wrote: »

I am surprised your husband isnt prepared to have this operation himself though - in view of the fact that its an easier one for men than women AND you have the health problems you have personally to contend with already......

Thanks for the advice C, I am glad that it worked out for you. I think they must find it weird that a woman does not want children.

As for the bit above, no doubt being his macho self (ha, right!!). I was annoyed about it too with the amount of jabs, tablets, coils, etc... I've had to have over the years and he cannot even do that one thing - I appreciate it is a big thing but it would be one less thing to worry about. I am going to tell him I am going to see the doctor about it and he needs to save 2-3 weeks holiday next year to look after me as I'll not be able to lift or get the kids to school/clubs. He might actually give it some thought then and realise I am being serious about it.

I am going to make an appointment tomorrow to get the pill or jab, at least stop these pains for a while.

murphydog999

Just my experience. I had a hysterectomy because of endometrosis when I was 35. The pain was pretty similar to how you describe - could hardly walk, sweating and almost passing out with pain, terrible bowel and back pain. I went through 2 years of various treatments which never worked, plus a laporoscopy. I never wanted kids, but would never had been able to conceive anyway.

It was an easy decision to make as it affected my life so much, so I made the decision to have it done just before xmas when it was quieter and my husband had more time off. Everything had to come out, there was hardly any pain, I was out in 3 days - they got me up on the second day - and I had the same advice as a previous poster, take it easy but do stay mobile and active. I was back to work part-time in 4 weeks and full-time in 6.

I'm on a very good low dose HRT and life is sooooooo much better.

I don't know if this will help, I just know that, if like you say there could be another 15 years of pain to come - and it is likely to get worse - for a few weeks inconvenience isn't it worth it? I hope you get support in whatever decision you make.

JBD

I had a sterilisation through keyhole surgery. I didn't really have any recovery time, I didn't need any painkillers. Having said that I didn't have a 7 year old disabled child to look after. So yes, I would think your husband would need to step up to the plate and help out.
Sorry I can't advise you on your other health problems. I hope you get some help for them.