I found a doctor to do my hysterectomy! Yay!

[Lynn_Bodoni]

@Alice_The_Goon

I do agree that if it’s necessary, a hysterectomy is a good thing. I’m not judging anyone for wanting it done when medically necessary. It just seems to me that so many women and their doctors see it as no big deal, a thing to celebrate, even, getting rid of that pesky uterus. I know several women that have had it done for essentially no reason, or for the sake of convenience. I’m not saying anyone here is doing that, but it does happen, and I feel way too often. There seems to be almost a hatred in this country for the uteri of women past child-bearing age, as if it’s natural to just chuck it once it’s done it’s job. I’m not planning any more children, but I want to keep my babyholder as long as possible just because it’s part of the original equipment.

Good luck to those facing surgeries, though!

I think that they’ve really been cracking down on elective hysterectomies for some years now. I know in the 60s and 70s, a lot of GYNs saw a woman with a uterus that she didn’t want to use any more as a cash cow. I also know that a lot of women put up a big stink about it, not wishing to have body parts removed for no good reason, even if it would be more convenient to do so. This was a big, big issue in the women’s rights movement. Nowadays, hospitals tend to check the removed organs and see if a doctor is removing too many healthy ones.

[TroubleAgain]

Well, in MY case, it wasn’t so much my uterus as my cervix that was causing problems*. But hey, seeing as how getting rid of the mis-behaving cervix also got rid of a uterus I wasn’t using, then so much the better!

*Two LEEP procedures, biopsies, repeated PAP smears for years…I got really tired of it, especially since I wasn’t planning on having kids.

[Cat_Fight]

@cruel_butterfly

Thanks for everyone’s good wishes. I just can’t stop being excited about it! I never thought I would look forward to an invasive procedure, but I almost want to have a hysterectomy party…

You wouldn’t be the first!

[Shot_From_Guns]

@cruel_butterfly

Because of the queasiness I experience, I’m unwilling to try things like the NuvaRing, the patch, or that new hormone-releasing IUD called “Mirena” just because I don’t want to commit the time and expense only to find out that I have to feel sick every day or worse, end up with the same “irregular bleeding” that’s outlined in the side effects.

Moot point now, but my WAG is that the Mirena probably wouldn’t cause the same nausea. (Reasoning being that my hematologist recommended it for me, as I’m never allowed to be on regular hormonal birth control ever again, because it releases progesterone straight into your uterus instead of system-wide.)

Congratulations on finding a doctor who actually treats you like an adult with reasoning skills, though! Best of luck on a quick recovery.

[ENugent]

@Cat_Fight

You wouldn’t be the first!

Indeed.