tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post1842711055541765825..comments2023-05-22T12:07:16.728-04:00Comments on 'Chronic Healing' located at: http://chronichealing.com/: "Jeanne's Endo Blog": Guest Blog - Roberta's Twenty Plus Year Rollercoaster... Roberta's Experiences Following Hysterectomy...Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454649048120118507noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-27912402750569284192009-03-25T15:08:00.000-04:002009-03-25T15:08:00.000-04:00Endochick,Thank you for referring your readers bac...Endochick,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for referring your readers back here to Roberta's story. I think her story is important because it includes many of the issues that women simply don't tend to learn about from their doctors.<BR/><BR/>My intention is to help women make informed choices. If they only ever get to hear the suggestions/urgings to have a hysterectomy and never get to hear about the potential consequences that could be associated with their decision, to me they have been robbed of the opportunity to learn the big picture.<BR/><BR/>I'm very sorry about what happened to your mother. <BR/><BR/>The bottom line for me is that patients have a right to make informed decisions. To my way of thinking, that may require obtaining information from a variety of sources. <BR/><BR/>As Roberta said in her piece, talking with patients who have been through it can be helpful.<BR/><BR/>JeanneJeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11454649048120118507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-74718126100413481552009-03-25T11:37:00.000-04:002009-03-25T11:37:00.000-04:00Thanks, Roberta for sharing your story. And thanks...Thanks, Roberta for sharing your story. And thanks Jeanne for posting it! I posted on my blog about this post to help bring more traffic to Roberta's personal story so hopefully more women can be helped by it! <BR/><BR/>My mother had a hysterectomy at the age of 28. While hers was unavoidable - she was bleeding to death, they still left an ovary so she would go into menopause. This resulted in her nearly bleeding to death internally from endo implantations that were growing for over 5 years as she suffered while dr's ignored her cries of pain. Finally that ovary was removed and she was cleaned out by a great dr. But she had adhesions from the hysterectomy. To this day she is dependent on sleep medication because of occasional hot flashes and chronic insomnia. She has headaches, body fatigue, and yes, gallbladder problems. When I spoke with her last week she couldn't even eat cereal without it bothering her! She has anxiety - really the list is endless. And she can't take hormones because her mother had breast and lymph node cancer and just passed away from a heart attack. <BR/><BR/>There's another lady I know who had her hysterectomy about a year ago and now looking at having gallbladder surgery here in a few weeks. Hers is full of stones! She's in constant pain and misery and can't eat. <BR/><BR/>Is THIS what the Dr's mean when they say "you'll be trading one host of problems for another?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-4251427410902170112009-03-24T09:26:00.000-04:002009-03-24T09:26:00.000-04:00Amanda,Thank you for your comments!The information...Amanda,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for your comments!<BR/><BR/>The information available regarding hysterectomy alternatives can get skewed. <BR/><BR/>Many people, I have found, tend to have very strong opinions about them one way or another and often patients don't get a well-rounded picture of the possible outcomes.<BR/><BR/>I have met <I>many</I> women who expressed that they didn't want a hysterectomy but felt desperate to do anything that might relieve some of their pain. <BR/><BR/>Often, these same women had not yet tried options such as Chi Nei Tsang, acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy for pelvic pain, Maya abdominal massage, homeopathy, etc.<BR/><BR/>Yes, questioning doctors and advocating for ourselves is crucial.<BR/><BR/>The fact that Roberta's first surgeon didn't feel it necessary to mention that she has endometriosis is just a classic example of the type of mistreatment endo patients so often get from the medical community. It saddens me greatly.<BR/><BR/>Yes, complementary medicines can really be helpful. Where I used to live, there was a really good reflexologist less than 10 minutes away. I used to go weekly. That was many years ago (11 years) and I still miss it!<BR/><BR/>Amanda, thank you for your detailed comment and I'm sure Roberta will appreciate your feedback.<BR/><BR/>Jeanne<BR/>xoJeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11454649048120118507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-39375200370833470702009-03-24T02:53:00.000-04:002009-03-24T02:53:00.000-04:00Thanks Jeanne for posting this and THANK YOU Rober...Thanks Jeanne for posting this and THANK YOU Roberta for writing it!<BR/><BR/>I have to say that whilst my mum and Grandma both had early hysterectomies (36 and 40) and they and several of the people I know of a similar age to my mum have told me they have never regretted having them I have always felt very uncomfortable about the thought of having one myself. I never knew quite why because everyone seemed to think they were a great idea, once you had had kids and didn't want anymore - but even at that stage the thought kinda scared me. It was just so final and it is really helpful and informative to read about the negatives for once rather than just the positives!<BR/><BR/>It does make me so sad though when I read such stories as these - the heartfelt pain and trauma people have to go through because of Endometriosis and the treatments that doctors choose for them... it's such a shame that because you feel so ill you are sometimes willing to try anything to make it go away! I had problems with my periods from the age of 13 or 14 I forget exactly when they started because for so long I was told they were just getting into a pattern - but in a way I was so naive because I was so young I didn't know that I could question what the doctor said - I've learnt to do that as I get older and I think that is one of the biggest things we can do - like when you had a doctor that didn't tell you about your endometriosis!!<BR/><BR/>I'm glad you're using complementary therapies - after my Lupron experience my uncle, who is a reflexologist, started work on helping my body get rid of the toxins (something my body is naturally very bad at - a session with him in his iridologist practise made me aware of that) and I'm sure I'd have suffered far longer if not for his help.<BR/><BR/>Thank you once again for sharing your journey and experience with us. <BR/><BR/>Amanda xAmanda and Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08459092806299564763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-29906878699061444882009-03-24T00:55:00.000-04:002009-03-24T00:55:00.000-04:00Isn't this a wonderfully written post?JeanneIsn't this a wonderfully written post?<BR/><BR/>JeanneJeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11454649048120118507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-88385461894279095542009-03-23T21:28:00.000-04:002009-03-23T21:28:00.000-04:00Thanks for the post!!!Thanks for the post!!!My Endo Journeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752744479527167274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-71837972124258256572009-03-23T15:26:00.000-04:002009-03-23T15:26:00.000-04:00Alicia,Thank you for your comments. Roberta has b...Alicia,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for your comments. Roberta has been through so much (including a great deal of behind-the-scenes things that didn't quite fit in her story). It is very sad to me to have watched her incredible struggles. I have such admiration for her strength and courage!!!<BR/><BR/>JeanneJeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11454649048120118507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314299443408924142.post-20210853418649394502009-03-23T15:14:00.000-04:002009-03-23T15:14:00.000-04:00Roberta,Thank you for sharing your struggles in th...Roberta,<BR/>Thank you for sharing your struggles in the hopes that it will make other women with endometriosis realize that a hysterectomy is not the end all/cure all for endometriosis. I must admit I used to think a hysterectomy was the "cure" until Jeanne informed me otherwise. I can't imagine going through that and then still having so much pain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com