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I posted this on the fibroid thread but it applies to this thread as well...
I agree that a hysterectomy should always be a last resort. I would certainly question any doctor wanting to remove the uterus, ovaries, and cervix! A complete hysterectomy is only warrented for extreme cases in todays day and age.
1. Do the research, and make an informed decision. WWW.GOOGLE.COM
2. NEVER EVER have elective(non-emergant) surgery without MULTIPLE opinions.
3. Ask questions. The doctors are working for you. It is your LEGAL RIGHT to completely understand your situation. A REPUTABLE physician will do absolutely everything in their power to help you understand. If they don't see #2
You would like to think a reputable doctor would do everything in their power to help you understand. BUT, the fact is, they don't want you to know what really happens when you are hysterectomized/castrated. If I had known everything that I have found out from the Hersfoundation I would have never had this damaging surgery, yet alone be castrated. When you see the female anatomy (nerves and veins) you can see this is not a good surgery.
I have Endo (Endometriosis). I have dealt with it since I was 17 years old. Please find a doctor who is knowledgeable on the subject it can make a world of difference. Run don't walk, if the doctor has no knowledge, if the doctor seems unconcerned, if the doctor does not provide informed options.
The Endometriosis Association has some very good info out there on the net as well as books. Also with membership they will provide a list of doctors who provide Endo care.
This disease can be very painful, can cause infertility (I was only able to birth one child). What may work for one, may not work for another. You will learn what is best for you and your body. Please do your research and I wish you the best of luck as this disease can be a very long and sometimes traumatic journey.
You would like to think a reputable doctor would do everything in their power to help you understand. BUT, the fact is, they don't want you to know what really happens when you are hysterectomized/castrated. If I had known everything that I have found out from the Hersfoundation I would have never had this damaging surgery, yet alone be castrated. When you see the female anatomy (nerves and veins) you can see this is not a good surgery.
Whether the surgery is good or not is dependent upon the condition of the patient, the history of the [patient, and the physician patient relationship. This is a repeat of another posting.
Get the information, from credible sources, before making any decision. Ask questions, get answer for your physician. THEN- get a second opinion. Do not rely on web sites to make your diagnosis, or to recommend a modality of treatment. Nothing is set in stone, and there is no one answer for any patient.
For some, medication may alleviate a specific problem; for other surgery may be the only recourse. This is NOT a mutilation, as you will undoubtedly be told; it is a manner is which certain problems, unresponsive to normal modalities, are cured.
By far, the vast majority of physicians do explain what is going on. The question is: Is the patient listening?
AND- in case anyone has any sexist idea concerning this- that goes for males visiting a physician as well as females. So, save your time in the usual responses.
Why all this talk about hysterectomies? The OP hasn't said anything about a hysterectomy. I know plenty of women with endometriosis - including myself - who have not had a hysterectomy. There's no reason to scare her like this!
I was diagnosed with endometriosis just over a decade ago, but I suffered for years before that. Getting a diagnosis is hard, I learned, because this disease affects people very differently. I read somewhere (possibly on the Endometriosis Association's website) that the average patient suffers from endo-related pain for 12 years before she is diagnosed.
The only way a doctor can confirm the diagnosis is by performing a laproscopy. Basically, the surgeon makes a tiny incision at the patient's belly button and uses a scope to look inside the abdomen. If endometrial tissue is found, the doctor may elect to remove it. I won't go into all of the details here. There is much more information about this procedure on many website devoted to endometriosis.
Many women control their endo by taking steps to control their hormone levels. Birth control pills are one way. Other women need something stronger. A popular treatment is a drug called Lupron. Lupron basically works by temporarily shutting down a woman's reproductive system. It's kinda like going through menopause - complete with hot flashes and everything! - but it's meant to be temporary. Some women have had great relief through Lupron therapy. Others have hated it.
And that's part of the problem with Endometriosis. It feels differently for different people and some treatments turn out better for some people than others. You and your doctor just have to work to find what works best for you.
Just don't lose heart. When you find the right treatment for you, it makes a world of difference. And although endometriosis may make it more difficult for many women to become pregnant, I know many women with endo who've gotten pregnant numerous times. In fact, I used to work with a woman with endo who had 6 kids! So there is hope.
Check out the Endometriosis Association. Their website has a TON of information, so it can feel a bit overwhelming and scary at first. Don't let that get you down. It's a great resource & it helped me a lot when I was first diagnosed. The Endometriosis Association
Why all this talk about hysterectomies? The OP hasn't said anything about a hysterectomy. I know plenty of women with endometriosis - including myself - who have not had a hysterectomy. There's no reason to scare her like this!
I agree! Those of you debating the whole hysterectomy issue should leave it on the 2 long threads you've already engaged in instead of coming here & bringing it up when the OP hasn't even mentioned it!
[quote=eddiek;2412042]in reports from Cedars- Sinai hospital, there is no cure currently, although some medications will help reduce this conditions painful tendency, and shrink some of the implants. This condition, however, is not so far linked to any vitamin deficiency.
[quote]
I understand that the medical profession doesn't understand holistic health and nutrition, but I knew my boss very well, and he would not lie to me about this women that cured her endometriosis. Not only that but she was buying vitamins one day and I was talking to her then, and she bragged to me how her endometriosis had been cured. I wish that I had listened to my doctor in regards to this because having a hysterecomy changed my life in many ways. At least now-a-days they don't always give a total hysterecomy to women with endometriosis.
At least now-a-days they don't always give a total hysterecomy to women with endometriosis.
Exactly. It's EXTREMELY rare for a doctor to recommend a hysterectomy to a woman with endometriosis. That's why I don't understand why so many people keep posting about it on this thread.
I knew a woman who was extremely frustrated with her endo & she actually asked her doctor if he would please give her a hysterectomy. The doctor refused, saying that a procedure like that was far too extreme and that he would rather they work to find another solution. Eventually she went on Lupron, which gave her a lot of relief.
Most of the women I know with endo have undergone the following treatments.
1: A laproscopy during which the doctor burned off as much endometrial tissue as possible.
2: Birth control pills to control hormone levels and, hopefully, endometrial growth.
As I mentioned in my last post, some women try a drug called Lupron. I never went down that path. It seemed pretty extreme to me and my intuition told me that it wasn't right for me.
I have heard from various women who have had success with some treatments that might seem unconventional. Some women with endometriosis chose to become vegetarians. Afterall, those meat products - even milk - can contain hormones that, they feel, affects their own body chemistry. And there are other health benefits to going vegetarian, too, of course. Does this work for everyone? No. But as I said before, that's part of what makes endometriosis frustrating. There is no single treatment that works equally well for everyone with this disease.
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