Hi becca, I wish I had more hopeful news for you. The women I know who had a hysterectomy continued to have migraines. Which parts are you having taken out? There are 3 organs that seem to be involved in female hormones.......the ovaries, the pituitary, and the hypothalamus. Unfortunately, even when women have total hysterectomies, the pituitary and hypothalamus keep doing their thing.....which can keep the migraines going. The migraines seem to lessen when you reach the age when you would have naturally gone through menopause. What sorts of meds are you using for your headaches?

I'm baaaaccccckkkkk! The surgery went very smoothly and I actually feel pretty darn good. I am happy to report that the doc found no problems with the ovaries so they got to stay. The only time I've felt "pain" was Tuesday, just after surgery. They hooked me up to the pain pump and that was the end of it. I am now doing the oral narcotics and they have it all under control nicely. I have to say that it's soooo good to be back home! My skin crawls with the narcotics so having my own (cotton) sheets, pj's, towels, etc. makes all the difference in the world. So, all I can say at this point is that things are going very well, and it really was not all that bad after all :) I'm still very tired, though, so I'll have to settle in with a movie--I'm quite sure I'll fall asleep watching it, but that is just fine! Thanks again for your encouragement and advice--you guys have been super! I hope you are all having a terrific Thanksgiving day!

Hi linnea, It's a little disconcerting to hear that your gyne doc didn't have much to say to you. She should have told you that when our progesterone starts getting low, our uterine linings keep building up, which leads to more bleeding. Sometimes they give women progesterone pills to help. That's how my periods started going when I was in my late 40's. I refused the progesterone, and my bleeding got out of control. I ended up losing alot of blood and needing a D&C, and was put on hormones for awhile, to keep from bleeding again. It seems like your doc might want to do an endometrial biopsy or a transvaginal ultrasound, so she can understand why you're bleeding. Lots of women just put up with this bleeding during perimenopause. In some women, it just works itself out. For me, I think I would have bled to death. The biopsy of my lining showed that I had cells growing in a weird fashion.....which caused my bleeding. Plus, sometimes, the lining can actually get so thin that it bleeds constantly... But the cause of the bleeding needs to be determined. Are you getting tired easily from the blood loss? If not, I'd say give it a few more months, but don't overlook it too long. Once your hemoglobin gets low, it takes awhile to build it back up. Is there another gyne you could see?? Did she say anything at all about your heavy bleeding?

Hi all. The hysterectomy Monday went great. He was able to do the whole thing with no incisions -- all through the vagina! Not even any small incision for the laparascope. I don't know how he managed, but he said he just cut away at the uterus and the big fibroid and got them all out. Ovaries look great and stayed in place. I feel pretty darn wonderful. Spent one night in the hospital and came home before lunch Tuesday. I did have trouble in recovery -- apparently my blood oxygen level dropped and they couldn't give me any more pain meds for fear it would drop further, so I did hurt there for about five hours. The floor nurses gave me meds after I got up there and I felt better. Only mild nausea, and they gave me meds for that. No catheter upon waking, so I got to get up and go pee. I really think this is the way to go -- I do already feel "lighter" in the abdomen, not so squishy and heavy. My advice is ask your girlfriends and find a surgeon who's done a good job for someone you trust, and sign on with him/her. That's what I did and I'm not sorry. Then tell your surgeon your concerns, even the ones you think might be asking too much, like "I don't want a catheter when I'm awake." I did have some severe constipation, probably from the Vicodin pain pills. I took only two a day, but I suffered for it. I'm not taking any more and I don't hurt at all, just a little sore and tired. Oh, and don't try pushing the silverware drawer closed -- even that is too much of a push/pull action. They really mean it when they say NO PULLING ANYTHING. NO PUSHING ANYTHING. It will surprise you what muscles you use for that. He took my cervix, so sewed a flap at the end of it and sewed that to the muscles that used to hold up the uterus. Those muscles are attached to the back muscles. The big fibroid was fist-sized and pressing hard on my intestines. Gee, that explains the irritable bowel syndrome, eh? I swear to God, ladies, I feel so much better. Of course, I was really suffering there for about three years, and my body did me the favor of starting one last period last Friday just before the surgery. :) So yeah, bottom line, hysterectomy, regardless of how much it might have been abused in the past by the male-dominated medical profession, is sometimes exactly what a woman wants. Best wishes to all of you as you take good care of yourselves and one another, and research your options. You've been a great comfort and help to me. sincerely, Stony