[Kitty]

Who here has had a hysterectomy?

Did you have it before you knew you had MS or afterwards?

If you knew about your MS before you had surgery did you have to take any precautions other than what is normally necessary?

Did the surgery cause you to have an MS exacerbation?

Have you noticed any difference in how you feel now (MS-wise) versus how you felt before the surgery?

The reason I'm asking all these questions is I think I may need to have this surgery in the near (or not-so-near) future. Not an emergency but things have "shifted".......gravity is not kind.

Anyway, just thought I'd ask and get feedback from those of you have had this. I have to admit......the thought of getting rid of all this equipment I no longer want or use is tempting. It would eliminate several big headaches but I'm wondering if it might produce a few that I'm not aware of.

[doydie]

I had a hysterectomy 3 years ago. I have had MS since 1997. The surgery and since then has brought me zero changes in my MS. I was not having any hormonal or female problems before surgery, a tumor was seen when I had an MRI trying to identify problems with my hip. So I no longer have any of that equipment I don't need, am cancer free after surgery and feel good. Good luck.

[Dejibo]

I had my uterus removed the day my son was born. I had a rupture and they couldnt stop fix it. awful, just awful, but I had my ovaries. 1991 during a stint with breast cancer I had both ovaries out, and woke to find I thought I had died. They slapped an estrogen patch on me and I felt like the world was ok again. They removed the patch three days later, and I havent had an issue since.

I have been having hot flashes lately, but we think its part of the flare. I didnt know I had MS when my child was born, but boy it explains so much. I had a huge swing of post partum depression and loads of sx after, but no one knew what it was from, and everyone gave me the "you are a new mommy" speach.

I hope you feel better quick. Surgery has come a long way since I had mine done. Things are much better.

[Kitty]

A friend of mine had this surgery a couple of years ago. She was very apprehensive beforehand and put it off several times before just biting the bullet and going through with it.

She said afterwards she was kicking herself for waiting so long! I think they did it laproscopically and she only had a tiny incision. I didn't know they could do it that way. She was home within 2 days and hasn't stopped since! It's like somebody put a new battery in her. Her DH is thrilled with it, too. He's so funny. He jokes that they "exorcised" her and removed the beast within!

[ewizabeth]

I had one in December 2000 and it caused a flare up. It was the first time something really, really odd happened though I still didn't suspect anything like MS.

I had an old doctor and he only knew how to do the full abdominal surgery and I'm sure that had something to do with it. My recovery took forever, even for the sutures to heal! But they put me on a low dose estrogen pill and I've been on it since.

I don't regret it though because my uterus and ovaries caused me such havoc for many years and I was very anemic as well.

I would do it again but I would be prepared. I even think about a facelift now. Since I'm in sales, it might help. I feel like it would help me to stay competitive in business and sales and work longer.

[Lynn]

I had a hysterectomy in 2007, and was dx'd in 2001. I didn't experience a flare at all afterwards, and in fact, I would call that operation one of the best things I ever did.

I used to find that that 'time' would cause me heaviness, pain and mood swings so getting rid of those was great. I also have a blood disorder that makes my spleen 'eat' my platelets - so now my body doesn't have to produce all that replacement blood, they are lots better too.

Mine was an internal hysterectomy, so recovery was fairly speedy and incident free.

Good luck!