Greta
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Posts posted by Greta
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I am still recovering from mine. It was 6 weeks ago today.
I had a tumor on my ovary that had to come out, so it really wasn’t a choice. After the surgery, lab work showed that there were other issues we were not aware of. So hopefully I will feel really amazing once I am recovered. The recovery process has been so long and so slow though.
I'm sorry that your recovery is going slowly, Jess. I sure hope you feel better soon. :grouphug:
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Thank you all so much for the help. I really appreciate every reply. I do intend to ask about organ prolapse, but overall I am feeling much more optimistic about things.
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:grouphug: I'm so sorry.
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I haven't had a hysterectomy, but I've talked about it with my doctor, who is also a good friend of mine. One thing she told me that gives me pause is that because the uterus provides support for the rest of the pelvic structure, removing it puts women at higher risk of bladder prolapse and vaginal vault prolapse down the road. More surgery is then required and it can be tricky and complicated to repair those issues. Just wanted to mention that because she said that many doctors don't tell women about the increased risk, and then they are caught by surprise when it happens.
I appreciate you pointing this out, Selkie. My doctor didn't mention this, so I will ask the surgeon about it at the consultation, and do some more reading online as well.
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I had a submucosal fibroid that was HUGE. Extremely heavy bleeding and severe pain. I was anemic for years. Couldn’t leave the house for 2 days per month.
Had a partial hyst several years ago (left ovaries in place) and have NEVER ONCE regretted it. My life is so much better! And no negative side effects at all (TeA is still great, didn’t gain weight, etc.).
I had wondered about those things specifically, so that's good to hear!
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I have not had one but both my mom and aunt had one in their 40s due to endometriosis. Both said it was the best decision ever.
My mom had ovaries removed (she too had chronic migraines) and she took hormones for a while and then tapered off. Surprisingly enough her migraines disappeared after her hysterectomy. She didn't know if they were being caused by her cycle or if it was just age made it better. She is thrilled.
My aunt left her ovaries and she too has done great. No regrets.
If my own endo gets to the point theirs was at I wouldn't hesitate to do it in a heartbeat.
Wow, that would be amazing! I am so glad that happened for her, but I think I probably shouldn't get my hopes up for that. I'll be happy if it at least doesn't make them worse.
Thank you!
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Yes! I still have my ovaries and based on other symptoms, they are still functioning. But I no longer have to stay at home one to two weeks a month, because the flow is too heavy to go out, wondering if this would be the day I met the limit set by my doctor and would have to head in to the ER for the excessive bleeding.
No more missing work.
No more missing kid activities.
No more anemia.
I had an ablation that was successful for a little over 4 years. That was a nice stop gap measure. But I began having other symptoms and turned out like you, having a cluster of large fibroids that were both contributing to excessive bleeding and reducing bladder capacity. I was not incontinent, but had the urge to go all the time.
I am very glad I had it done. I do think it's all about the timing - it's a permanent change that you don't want to do prematurely- but after years of heroic performance, there definitely came a time in my life to bid that uterus adieu. FWIW, my ovaries looked good via ultrasound, but I did go into the planned vaginal laparoscopic ovary sparing procedure fully aware that if my ovaries looked decrepit on visual inspection, they would be taken, and that if old scar adhesions posed problems, the procedure could revert to an old fashioned abdominal incision in the OR. I would only know what actually happened upon waking in recovery. So, I cleared my calendar for a full 8 week recovery just in case.
All went well and I feel better than I have in years! My doc told me after looking at my uterus that it was definitely a good decision to retire it. Also, she said that since they're learning that a majority of female reproductive cancers actually start in the Fallopian tubes, she'd take those too, and I was fine with that. Don't miss em!
So glad that you are doing so well now! And about the reduced bladder capacity - yeah, I've got that going on too. I forgot to mention it to my doctor, but I assume that it's because of the fibroid. (Maybe I should mention it to her, because she said my insurance company is kind of a pain, and we'd need a long list of reasons to convince them to pay for the surgery.) I used to be able to easily make it through the night without having to go to the bathroom, but now not so much. I'm having to go a lot more frequently during the day, too, though that's generally not a problem since I'm home most of the time.
Thank you so much for your feedback!
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Absolutely.
I was in pretty much your exact situation about thirteen years ago, when I was around 42. I was also severely anemic. I've had no reason at all to regret the decision to have a hysterectomy. My quality of life improved tremendously. Even though my fibroid was large my doctor was able to do the surgery vaginally, and recovery was a breeze.
That's so good to hear! I'm actually not anemic, which I attribute to the fact that my father has hemochromatosis, so I probably have a higher than average ability to absorb iron. But if this keeps up, I'm guessing it's just a matter of time.
Thank you for your post!
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...I guess my biggest question is, would you make the same decision over again?
My situation is that I'm 44 years old, in perimenopause, and I've always had heavy periods, but not like this. Wearing the biggest tampon (o.b. ultra - if anyone knows of a better one, please tell me!) AND pad (overnight maxi) that I can find, I will bleed through both of them in about two hours. On my worst days, I have so many accidents that I'm afraid to leave the house. So I went to my doctor to talk about an ablation. She said that sounded like a great idea and ordered an ultrasound to make sure all was well.
The ultrasound showed a large fibroid tumor right where the uterus and cervix meet. It's large enough that it's protruding into the endometrium, and because of its size and location, she said an ablation wouldn't really help. And even though I'm in peri, judging from my hormone levels, she said I will probably have periods for years to come, and there's enough estrogen still in my system to keep the tumor growing. So she recommended a hysterectomy instead.
She referred me to another doctor in her practice who is an experienced GYN surgeon (she doesn't do surgeries herself), and I have a consultation with him in two weeks. I want to go into that consultation as informed as possible, so that I know the right questions to ask. I'm reading what I can find online about risks and long-term consequences, but I'd love to hear what you all think as well. Assuming he agrees with her assessment, should I go for it?
Oh, and in case it would matter in your decision, she said they would leave my ovaries so that I'm not sent into a sudden and unnatural menopause and could hopefully avoid HRT (HRT would be unpleasant for me because of my chronic migraines), and that they should be able to do it laporascopically so my recovery wouldn't be too bad.
I'm strongly inclined toward doing it, because these periods are fairly life-disrupting. But I just want a reality check, I guess: is it crazy to have an organ removed because of heavy periods? I'm not having any other symptoms such as pelvic pain or bad cramping (yet?).
I appreciate any advice!
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Over 50? Go ahead and have that hysterectomy. You'll feel great and wonder why you waited so long.
:lol: I was just about to start a "should I have a hysterectomy?" thread!!! But I'm under 50. So can I go ahead and post it? :D
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That's so weird. It's funny how different people respond to different things...
I find keto is great for my endurance. When I first switched over to keto it took a few weeks for me to adjust, but then I quickly took off from there. I ran a half marathon in February in a fasted state and was very happy with my time. I feel like I have a ton of energy and I think my skin looks great ;)
I've also noticed my immune system seems stronger. I don't get headaches or heartburn anymore. I'm getting stronger in the gym - deadlifted 225 lbs this week :)
The weight loss was really just the beginning.
I'm so glad that it's working for you, and that you are feeling so well, and so strong, and so happy! That is awesome. My endurance markedly improved when I went off of keto, I mean for me it was really a huge difference. I enjoy exercise more now because I can accomplish so much more, and I recover more quickly, and I just feel so much better doing it. My skin looks better now too, so I have to admit my husband was right about that as well. But I'm glad you're not having those problems, and you are doing so well!
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I'm not sure how that would work for hyper instead of hypothyroidism.
I'm not either. My numbers were creeping toward hypo while I was low-carb (had started out normal). I really don't have any idea what effect it would have on hyperthyroidism.
I hope you are finding what works for you now!
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I'm curious... Were you eating a low carb/ high fat/ moderate protein diet for those years? I've been following a page on FB--lurking for a year. This particular page is distinctive in that they eat more protein than fat. So for me they would recommend I eat 120g protein/ 73g fat/ 20 net carbs. I've been blown away by the transformations I've seen--no gimmicks, no products. Improved blood work, too--cholesterol and thyroid.
And when I eat this way, I NEVER feel hungry. I can't even get that much protein in most days. So I tweaked my macros--a few more carbs, a little less protein. Still under 1300 calories.
btw, not sold on this woe yet. I've just been experimenting with it to see how I do. I'm not long term committed or anything.
I'm not trying to be contrary--just genuinely curious. I have no doubts that what you are recommending--Dr. Gregor-- is a very healty way of eating. I'm going to check it out, too. :)
I don't mind questions at all! I know that different people can have very different experiences with the diet. And I felt really good and loved it for the first several years - it was really only the last few years that my blood sugar and HA1c started going up, followed shortly by the cholesterol going up, and the onset of the other problems. Also, my thyroid numbers were still within normal, but not optimal, and getting worse as time went on.
Anyway, to answer your question, I was eating low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein. I didn't typically count my fat and protein grams, but I know my fat intake was about 70% of my calories, protein was about 20%, and carbs were 10% or less.
It was very good for appetite control. And it really seemed to make my immune system stronger. (Though WFPB has been great in that way as well, so I guess that's more about avoiding refined sugars than it is about total carb grams? Not sure.)
My husband was never happy about my choice to go keto, because he said it made my skin look unhealthy, and it dramatically reduced my ability to do any kind of endurance exercise. I ignored those things because I thought it was so great in other ways, that it couldn't possibly be that which was causing those problems. (Like, if it's good for me in this way, it has to be good for me overall, right?) So I would just advise you to keep an eye out for things like that, for slowly rising fasting glucose levels, for cholesterol levels that start creeping up, for any signal that your body might be in distress. But I wish you continued success with it!
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I want to second Selkie's recommendation for Dr. Gregor's book and eating plan. It has been absolutely life-changing for me. If you prefer videos rather than books, he has many at his website. (Though I want to be honest with you that my issues were different than yours. I was dealing with high cholesterol, chronic migraines, some anxiety, and about 15 pounds of excess weight. It helped with all of that, and also improved my sleep, my energy levels, my skin, my immunity, my allergies...)
I will admit upfront that I am anti-keto. I ate keto for 12 years (that's how I ended up with the high cholesterol, the chronic migraines, etc.). Even when I was an avid defender/promoter of the diet, I wouldn't have recommended it for you. It's been demonstrated that dropping carbohydrate intake below 50g per day reduces the body's ability to convert T4 to T3. I don't know what your exact thyroid problem is, of course, but I just wouldn't risk it.
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Poppy, I’m sorry if I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about a situation like a car accident where one person died and another survived, and the survivor was grateful to be alive.
It now sounds like you meant that someone who wasn’t even involved in the situation basically said the equivalent of, “better you than me.†I think that is awful, no matter how they phrased it.
Cat, I’m sorry that my response to you was based on a misunderstanding.
Oh, I get it now. I had a feeling I was missing some context somewhere ðŸ¤
Mea culpa.
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Yes, very good point. I think mostly it's unintentional, but it's also quite insensitive to say this directly to the person who is suffering when you're not. Absolutely.
Yes, I completely agree, and do want to say that I don't think (most!) people are being deliberately cruel. And I've said thoughtless things that I wish I could take back!
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But the post referenced at the beginning a survivor saying it about *their own experience*. It wasn’t someone on the outside of the circle. That would indeed require a different response than “aren’t you grateful God spared you but not that other kid†or whatever else is being imagined and imported in? It’s about the person saying it of their own experiences. Am I misunderstanding which individual you’re talking about?
I'm sorry I was unclear, I was thinking more about Poppy's experience than about what the OP posted. I should have specified that, because I completely agree with you that a survivor framing their own experience that way is completely appropriate and understandable. It's just not something that I think should be said to a survivor by someone who hasn't had to deal with that particular tragedy. (And believe me, I'm not claiming that I've always said the right thing in difficult circumstances! Far from it! Oh my, I wish that I had the wisdom to say the right, compassionate, wise things at the appropriate time, but I most certainly do not.)
I can say God graciously gave me a brain damaged son, and by God’s same grace he is alive. People look at me like I’m crazy. But whether they think it’s right or not by their worldview, it is my own reflection of my own circumstance in light of my own worldview and therefore s comment entirely appropriate to make. Saying it *of someone else* without them expressly directing the conversation that direction is not the best way to express solidarity and sympathy with their grief.I don't think that's crazy. I think you have amazing wisdom and love, Arctic Mama.
It’s not a Christian tool, but the circle of comfort is a very useful model to refer to in these situations. Let your proximity to the event and the person you’re speaking with dictate how much you say.Yes, I like that as well.
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But they don’t mean to be cruel. They aren’t being cruel to you. In that moment, it’s not about you. It’s about them being thankful to be alive.
Would you prefer that they apologize to you for having survived?
Certainly people should express sympathy to a person who has lost a loved one, but can’t they also be glad that they were spared the same fate?
I can understand being very sensitive to any kind of comments when we have suffered a personal tragedy. It’s a terrible time and it doesn’t take much to upset us. But afterward, when we think about it, I think we should try to judge people by their intentions.
If the person who made the comment to you was honestly saying that her life was spared because she was a better person and God loved and valued her more than He valued your loved one who died, I absolutely agree with you that she’s not just insensitive, but that she’s also an arrogant jerk! But if she was sorry for what happened to your loved one, yet still grateful that she wasn’t the one who died, I don’t think she was being intentionally cruel to you.
But it IS cruel to say that to someone who is suffering, whether that cruelty is intentional or not. The part I put in bold, that is precisely the problem. They are making someone else's pain all about themselves. That's selfish and myopic and completely inappropriate. If you want to express your gratitude that you were spared from some tragedy, you can do that in prayer or in other ways at other times. You don't do it to the person who wasn't spared!
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I am Jewish.
1. Neutral, with some sympathy. How awful to have one of your children murder another.
2 Mythical.
3. As with all Torah stories, there are countless interpretations of the story of Adam and Eve. Some commentators have argued that because they gained a knowledge of good and evil from eating the fruit, they could not have known before and cannot be held accountable for their actions. On this theory, the expulsion is not really a punishment but more of an inevitability -- Adam and Eve were innocent children but now they are adults who have to know right from wrong and are responsible for their actions. Other commentators strongly disagree and maintain the expulsion is very much a punishment for disobeying G-d's will. Along similar lines, many have historically seen the serpent as representing the "yetzer hara," our innate inclinations towards selfishness, that is perpetually in conflict with our "yetzer hatov," or our innate good inclinations. (One support for this theory is the fact that the serpent can speak, suggesting that it represents something within the human soul.) Other argue that the serpent is actually a Divine agent, forcing Adam and Eve to move beyond their animal natures and become fully human.
It is worth emphasizing that the idea of free will is paramount in Judaism -- human beings have the ability to choose between good and evil and are morally responsible for the consequences of those choices -- and the story of Adam and Eve very much connects up with that. Judaism does not have the idea of original sin.
4. There is an interesting discussion in the Talmud where the rabbis try to reconcile the two different account of Eve's creation -- the first in which Adam and Eve are created simultaneously and the second in which Eve is created second.
I just wanted to thank you for your post. It was very interesting to me.
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I haven’t tried this myself, just throwing this out there as a possibility:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/saffron-for-the-treatment-of-pms/
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I'm actually pretty strongly in favor of tougher homeschool regulations. And even I wouldn't support that. That's some serious over-reach, IMO.
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Launching into the Barney song is one of my favorites; they can't believe what they're hearing, plus that song is going to be stuck in their head for days. I can sing louder than anyone can talk. I also have no talent, so it's not pleasant, lol. If they ask you to stop singing, you say, "I'll stop singing when you stop talking about politics."
This has to be the most creative suggestion I've ever heard for avoiding political discussions, and it could certainly be applied to other obnoxious conversations or just people who are being jerks in general. I love it!!! I'm not sure I'm brave enough to actually do it, but I love it!
Edited for typo.
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I am so sorry. :grouphug:
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If you want to try some other types of salads, you might find some inspiration here: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/640461-seeking-suggestionsrecipes-for-non-lettuce-salads/
I really love cooked vegetables too. Roasted is my favorite. A good veggie-packed soup is excellent, and that's something that's easy for lunches because you can make a big pot at the beginning of the week, and reheat a little for your lunch each time.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRAIDYCAT!!!
in The Chat Board
Posted
Happy Birthday!