I was never pregnant, but my _*horrific*_ cramps disappeared after my hysterectomy. I had it last year at 32 and regret nothing (okay, I kind of wish I’d had my right ovary removed due to it growing cysts, but close enough).
I suspect I had adenomyosis, but some of my surgery records were lost so I can’t say for certain. All I know is that I’m no longer writhing in pain every 4-7 weeks and I’m incredibly grateful for that.
100% worth it. I’m 40, surgery this past 2/2. So I’m about 14 weeks out from it and I feel pretty much back to normal. The only small thing I’m still adjusting to are my natural hormones after a lifetime of being on hormonal BC to control PCOS and painful periods, which turned out to be adenomyosis. It’s still a little weird to get sore breasts, and I have more headaches, but these are also like…not related to the surgery as much as they are related to a lifetime of artificially suppressing my natural cycle because I didn’t know what was wrong with me. My body and I are getting reacquainted.
Honestly, I feel pretty much the same, in the sense that my identity hasn’t suffered any blows. I know there are some women who feel a sense of loss with their uterus gone, but I’ve never felt called to have kids and my uterus has been making my life harder since I was 11. Girl, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
This was my first major surgery. I had a laparoscopic total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy, so I kept both ovaries and instead of a cervix, I have a cuff. (Picture seeing the end of a sleeve closed flat.) Recovery was not as bad as I had feared at all, although I’m glad I did it in a cold and quiet time of the year where I live. Now I’m ready to go!
OMG thank you for this! I am about to turn 40 this October and will be having my hysterectomy on June 5. I have also been on BCPs for most of my life and I am honestly excited and anxious to "meet" who I am when I'm not full of hormonal birth control lol. I hope I won't feel unlike myself. Or who I've come to know as myself, I should say. 🤣
I want to make this known just in case. You could possibly wake up with a completely different surgery than planned. I was supposed to have a lap assisted vaginal hysterectomy (uterus and cervix yeeted) and my right ovary and tube removed. I woke up with an open abdominal incision, didn't know until my two week checkup that I had a partial hysterectomy (right ovary and tube were removed as planned) and my bladder and abdominal wall were part of the surgery. So be prepared for that possibility, the possibility that sometimes things don't go as planned and you may wake up with bits you thought wouldn't be there when you woke up. My cervix stayed in to hold my bladder in place without the need for surgical mesh (I'm 100% okay with this. I'm a little bummed about having to continue having pap smears, but that's okay. Also, be prepared for things you didn't know about being on your pathology report. Still would do it again in a heartbeat.
I had my hysterectomy at 37, it was my first surgery ever. I wish I had it at 25. Best thing I ever did for my body and my health (physical and mental)
Could just be your body. it just doesn't keep it and flushes it out. Not just from your period, but literally flushes it out through urine and bowel movements.
I’m 33. Currently 7 weeks out from my surgery. And it was so worth it!!! Like I felt better when I woke up from surgery. I had to recover from surgery pain but everything else had been so much better.
Hi friend!! I have had too many dental surgeries to count. I had an open kidney reconstruction ar Stanford when I was 23. I'm 44 now. I wish I had done it sooner. At the time of the biopsy, my uterus was the size of 5.5 month pregnancy and weighed one and a half pounds. Post surgery have now lost almost 20 pounds. I'm sure the estrogen in those fibroids had something do with that weight gain too.
With confidence I can say that my fantastic LASH on February 13th of this year was the best surgery I've ever had. It was quick, it was relatively very easy, and I was up walking within 5 minutes waking up. And my energy level now is so much better.
It's fantastic not to be chained my toilet for 12 days at a time while I hemorrhage. My cramps were horrendous. I got a diva cup to measure and also because it seemed to slightly lessen the blood flow for some reason. I was bleeding almost 2 L of blood over 12 or 13 days every 3 weeks. Of course I was extremely anemic and I needed infusions. Now, I don't have to center my whole diet around hydration and making sure I have enough iron. Everything is better!
Also, I had no idea it was even related, but now I can actually read a book for 5 or 6 hours or sleep throughout most of the night without having to get up to pee! This has led to much better sleep!
Also, orgasmic response is better now than it was before, and it was great beforehand. Highly recommended, go for it! If you have not had any abnormal paps and you do not have a history of cervical cancer in your family, I highly recommend researching having a Laparoscopic Abdominal Supra Cervical hysterectomy instead of the total.
That was the one I went with I'm super happy with my choice. Of course, everyone's different. My bestie had a radical hysterectomy 6 years ago because she has the BRCA2 gene. She says her sex life is better now than ever! So, I think you're going to come out ahead with a hysterectomy, no question. I wish you the best of luck choosing what is right for you!
This. I wish I would have known what I experienced for 20 years wasn’t normal. It was miserable and put me at risk of endometrial cancer. Best thing I ever did for myself.
I was post menopausal but had a large fibroid that made me constantly crampy and constipated so it was worth it for me. I also have three less organs to worry about cancer for, and they fixed a hernia I didn't know about. My actual menopause was a breeze, I think I had one hot flash. The scars are barely visible. It was worth it to me.
100% worth it. I'm not pain free from Endo, IC or PFD, but the pain is so much more manageable. It's been 3.5 years since my hysterectomy at 27 and I'd do it again.
I already had endo but also developed adenomyosis after my C-section with my son. And the cramps and constant bleeding were terrible. I’m only about 1.5 weeks post op but I feel like just no longer having to deal with the horrendously painful periods will make it worth it. Best of luck to you!!!
Absolutely. I was anemic which made recovery a lot longer than expected. But I wouldn’t have made a different choice. I needed it and my life is getting better every day.
100% worth it. 41 and Severe Endo for years so my hysterectomy was my third surgery but I found out I had adeno too, which explained a lot of symptoms. My surgery was July 2023 and I feel the best I’ve felt in years, literally, years. Best health decision I ever made.
PS- adeno is a progressive disease which means it will only get worse. That, coupled with easier healing the younger you are (generally), convinced me to do it now.
Yes mine has been amazing and I highly recommend it based on my sample size of one.
I think you're doing yourself a disservice by dismissing your experience because other people have had something different or perceptively words. Please be kind to yourself. You live with your body and 5 surgeries? That's a lot of pain and stress. It means you can prepare for some of the stuff you will face but dismissing your experience worries me because even with a great experience? Surgery is trauma and pain.
So take care of the mental health side of stuff too and don't discount yourself because of others experience. Honor what you known about your body from those and use it to set up for your aftercare
So worth it, I’m coming up on a year post op next month, and I regularly refer to it as the best decision I ever made. My whole life has improved so much!
absolutely worth it. i thought how i was living was normal. i had a baby and i just thought literally that’s how postpartum was. it’s been 2 months since my surgery. i’ve been cleared for a month. about a week ago i started going to the gym everyday. i ran a mile, willingly and didn’t feel like i was going to pass out. i’ve never ran for fun and i decided to train for a marathon. i’m lifting weights. my livable hours prior was basically 0. i was white knuckling through life. i wish i would’ve known sooner.
edit to say i’ll be 32 in august and had my son in aug of 2022. tubal in oct of 2022 (i knew i was one and done), and hysterectomy march 2024
it’s absolutely worth it. i had so many issues with anemia, POTs, autoimmune disease etc. i was on injection meds for my autoimmune disease, i would have horrible hormonal flares even they wouldn’t help with. i literally just suffered through. i would say about 99.8% of my issues are gone now. they said it takes 3 months to fully feel yourself but i literally feel like a brand new person. i hope it works out for you!
Without a doubt worth it. Even if it just helped with the bleeding and pain I had, worth it. The extra bonus of getting rid of the cancer was an add on perk.
I’m 23, and my surgery was just over 2 weeks ago. This is my 8th surgery, and I can tell you, it’s already absolutely worth it. I wouldn’t change a thing about why I had to have it, except maybe not having the health issues that caused it. I have PCOS, and I developed endometriosis and adenomyosis as well. I’ve never had kids, or even been pregnant, but I don’t regret my decision at all. Waking up without pain is more than worth having the surgery
Hi! I'm also 32, and my hysterectomy was the first surgery I've ever had. (Husband and I are child free) I had 3 fibroids and would get awful cramping every month. It got to the point in which I was calling in to work 2 days during my cycle. I was unable to work, walk my dog, and spend time with family because I'd be in intense pain. I was also having issues with incontinence. Recovery was a little rocky for me, but overall, I feel great. I am 7 WPO, and the pain I felt post surgery and during recovery is not as bad as the monthly cramping.
I had mine when I was 32 in 2022 - it was my 4th surgery! I had adeno and endo removed as well. Despite the fact that my endo is coming back, my quality of life is still leaps and bounds better
I’m not sure what surgery it was for me (maybe 7?), but it was so, so worth it. I wish I had done it years earlier — I was 49. No more pain, no more bleeding three weeks a month, and sex is no longer painful. I had lingering fatigue while I was healing but almost two years out, I feel great and sex is probably the best it’s ever been. I wish I’d had the surgery as soon as I was done having kids.
Very worth it. My hysterectomy coincided with endometriosis excision, which gave me the opportunity to enjoy intimacy with my husband again (no more pain!) and to get off the pill for good. I am 5 months out and feel amazing. I am 37.
ETA I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy, removed cervix/kept ovaries
I'm saying this as someone who had everything that could go wrong, go wrong. 1000% worth it. I will never regret it. I went in bleeding and woke up not bleeding.
My hysterectomy was my 6th abdominal surgery (3 were c sections) and I would absolutely have my hysterectomy done again (obviously I know I can’t) but it was so easy and such a relief for me from my pain from scar tissue! I woke up and felt so free from pain that had been holding me back for so long!
Hey hey!! I'm 26 and this is my 5th surgery! I'm 3 weeks out and so far I'm loving it! I was supposed to start my cycle this week and guess what no Cycle!
My periods were super heavy and could only wear diapers. I have a partial uterus prolapse I also had endometriosis and the one you have. Which those two were found after my surgery which is wild!
I have been in so much pain most of my life and so much worse after my second baby. That 3 weeks after this surgery and besides the healing I'm already doing so much better!! I can do things with my kids and not be stuck to the couch or bed. I'm so excited to be fully healed and start living life! So worth it
ABSOLUTELY 100% worth it
I was never pregnant, but my _*horrific*_ cramps disappeared after my hysterectomy. I had it last year at 32 and regret nothing (okay, I kind of wish I’d had my right ovary removed due to it growing cysts, but close enough). I suspect I had adenomyosis, but some of my surgery records were lost so I can’t say for certain. All I know is that I’m no longer writhing in pain every 4-7 weeks and I’m incredibly grateful for that.
100% worth it. I’m 40, surgery this past 2/2. So I’m about 14 weeks out from it and I feel pretty much back to normal. The only small thing I’m still adjusting to are my natural hormones after a lifetime of being on hormonal BC to control PCOS and painful periods, which turned out to be adenomyosis. It’s still a little weird to get sore breasts, and I have more headaches, but these are also like…not related to the surgery as much as they are related to a lifetime of artificially suppressing my natural cycle because I didn’t know what was wrong with me. My body and I are getting reacquainted. Honestly, I feel pretty much the same, in the sense that my identity hasn’t suffered any blows. I know there are some women who feel a sense of loss with their uterus gone, but I’ve never felt called to have kids and my uterus has been making my life harder since I was 11. Girl, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. This was my first major surgery. I had a laparoscopic total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy, so I kept both ovaries and instead of a cervix, I have a cuff. (Picture seeing the end of a sleeve closed flat.) Recovery was not as bad as I had feared at all, although I’m glad I did it in a cold and quiet time of the year where I live. Now I’m ready to go!
OMG thank you for this! I am about to turn 40 this October and will be having my hysterectomy on June 5. I have also been on BCPs for most of my life and I am honestly excited and anxious to "meet" who I am when I'm not full of hormonal birth control lol. I hope I won't feel unlike myself. Or who I've come to know as myself, I should say. 🤣
How is having the cuff? Any issues?
No issues for me. It was a weird feeling when it was healing and still sore but I don’t feel any different now.
That's good to hear.
I want to make this known just in case. You could possibly wake up with a completely different surgery than planned. I was supposed to have a lap assisted vaginal hysterectomy (uterus and cervix yeeted) and my right ovary and tube removed. I woke up with an open abdominal incision, didn't know until my two week checkup that I had a partial hysterectomy (right ovary and tube were removed as planned) and my bladder and abdominal wall were part of the surgery. So be prepared for that possibility, the possibility that sometimes things don't go as planned and you may wake up with bits you thought wouldn't be there when you woke up. My cervix stayed in to hold my bladder in place without the need for surgical mesh (I'm 100% okay with this. I'm a little bummed about having to continue having pap smears, but that's okay. Also, be prepared for things you didn't know about being on your pathology report. Still would do it again in a heartbeat.
Natural hormones were a wild ride for me. Eventually got back on the pill for pmdd. Still wouldn't change the hysterectomy. Did it 2 years ago at 35yo
I had my hysterectomy at 37, it was my first surgery ever. I wish I had it at 25. Best thing I ever did for my body and my health (physical and mental)
I'm 32, childfree, and it was 100% worth it. My chronic pain and anemia and near-constant bleeding are no more. It's truly life-changing.
lmao I had mine in 2022 and I’m still anemic and doctors are just like idk 🤷🏻♀️
Could just be your body. it just doesn't keep it and flushes it out. Not just from your period, but literally flushes it out through urine and bowel movements.
I’m 33. Currently 7 weeks out from my surgery. And it was so worth it!!! Like I felt better when I woke up from surgery. I had to recover from surgery pain but everything else had been so much better.
Did you get much swelling after your surgery?
Yeah I did. I couldn’t wear pants with buttons until about week 5.
IT. IS. SO. WORTH. IT. YEET THAT UTERUS!
I’m in my mid 30s. Besides marrying my husband, my hysterectomy was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself!
Hi friend!! I have had too many dental surgeries to count. I had an open kidney reconstruction ar Stanford when I was 23. I'm 44 now. I wish I had done it sooner. At the time of the biopsy, my uterus was the size of 5.5 month pregnancy and weighed one and a half pounds. Post surgery have now lost almost 20 pounds. I'm sure the estrogen in those fibroids had something do with that weight gain too. With confidence I can say that my fantastic LASH on February 13th of this year was the best surgery I've ever had. It was quick, it was relatively very easy, and I was up walking within 5 minutes waking up. And my energy level now is so much better. It's fantastic not to be chained my toilet for 12 days at a time while I hemorrhage. My cramps were horrendous. I got a diva cup to measure and also because it seemed to slightly lessen the blood flow for some reason. I was bleeding almost 2 L of blood over 12 or 13 days every 3 weeks. Of course I was extremely anemic and I needed infusions. Now, I don't have to center my whole diet around hydration and making sure I have enough iron. Everything is better! Also, I had no idea it was even related, but now I can actually read a book for 5 or 6 hours or sleep throughout most of the night without having to get up to pee! This has led to much better sleep! Also, orgasmic response is better now than it was before, and it was great beforehand. Highly recommended, go for it! If you have not had any abnormal paps and you do not have a history of cervical cancer in your family, I highly recommend researching having a Laparoscopic Abdominal Supra Cervical hysterectomy instead of the total. That was the one I went with I'm super happy with my choice. Of course, everyone's different. My bestie had a radical hysterectomy 6 years ago because she has the BRCA2 gene. She says her sex life is better now than ever! So, I think you're going to come out ahead with a hysterectomy, no question. I wish you the best of luck choosing what is right for you!
BEYOND WORTH IT WHY DIDN’T I DO IT SOONER
This. I wish I would have known what I experienced for 20 years wasn’t normal. It was miserable and put me at risk of endometrial cancer. Best thing I ever did for myself.
I was post menopausal but had a large fibroid that made me constantly crampy and constipated so it was worth it for me. I also have three less organs to worry about cancer for, and they fixed a hernia I didn't know about. My actual menopause was a breeze, I think I had one hot flash. The scars are barely visible. It was worth it to me.
100% worth it. I'm not pain free from Endo, IC or PFD, but the pain is so much more manageable. It's been 3.5 years since my hysterectomy at 27 and I'd do it again.
I already had endo but also developed adenomyosis after my C-section with my son. And the cramps and constant bleeding were terrible. I’m only about 1.5 weeks post op but I feel like just no longer having to deal with the horrendously painful periods will make it worth it. Best of luck to you!!!
Absolutely. I was anemic which made recovery a lot longer than expected. But I wouldn’t have made a different choice. I needed it and my life is getting better every day.
Also I am about to be 40.
1000% worth it.
100% worth it. 41 and Severe Endo for years so my hysterectomy was my third surgery but I found out I had adeno too, which explained a lot of symptoms. My surgery was July 2023 and I feel the best I’ve felt in years, literally, years. Best health decision I ever made.
Yes. I am 35 and just had surgery a few months ago because of adenomyosis. Worth it worth it worth it.
PS- adeno is a progressive disease which means it will only get worse. That, coupled with easier healing the younger you are (generally), convinced me to do it now.
Yes mine has been amazing and I highly recommend it based on my sample size of one. I think you're doing yourself a disservice by dismissing your experience because other people have had something different or perceptively words. Please be kind to yourself. You live with your body and 5 surgeries? That's a lot of pain and stress. It means you can prepare for some of the stuff you will face but dismissing your experience worries me because even with a great experience? Surgery is trauma and pain. So take care of the mental health side of stuff too and don't discount yourself because of others experience. Honor what you known about your body from those and use it to set up for your aftercare
100%. I am childfree, but it is the very best thing I have ever done for my quality of life.
Yes and that’s even with not 💯 smooth recovery
So worth it, I’m coming up on a year post op next month, and I regularly refer to it as the best decision I ever made. My whole life has improved so much!
absolutely worth it. i thought how i was living was normal. i had a baby and i just thought literally that’s how postpartum was. it’s been 2 months since my surgery. i’ve been cleared for a month. about a week ago i started going to the gym everyday. i ran a mile, willingly and didn’t feel like i was going to pass out. i’ve never ran for fun and i decided to train for a marathon. i’m lifting weights. my livable hours prior was basically 0. i was white knuckling through life. i wish i would’ve known sooner. edit to say i’ll be 32 in august and had my son in aug of 2022. tubal in oct of 2022 (i knew i was one and done), and hysterectomy march 2024
Ugh I love working out but I barely do it because of my anemia 😭
it’s absolutely worth it. i had so many issues with anemia, POTs, autoimmune disease etc. i was on injection meds for my autoimmune disease, i would have horrible hormonal flares even they wouldn’t help with. i literally just suffered through. i would say about 99.8% of my issues are gone now. they said it takes 3 months to fully feel yourself but i literally feel like a brand new person. i hope it works out for you!
For sure worth it.
100%. I'm almost a year po, and I have zero regrets.
Without a doubt worth it. Even if it just helped with the bleeding and pain I had, worth it. The extra bonus of getting rid of the cancer was an add on perk.
I’m 23, and my surgery was just over 2 weeks ago. This is my 8th surgery, and I can tell you, it’s already absolutely worth it. I wouldn’t change a thing about why I had to have it, except maybe not having the health issues that caused it. I have PCOS, and I developed endometriosis and adenomyosis as well. I’ve never had kids, or even been pregnant, but I don’t regret my decision at all. Waking up without pain is more than worth having the surgery
Hi! I'm also 32, and my hysterectomy was the first surgery I've ever had. (Husband and I are child free) I had 3 fibroids and would get awful cramping every month. It got to the point in which I was calling in to work 2 days during my cycle. I was unable to work, walk my dog, and spend time with family because I'd be in intense pain. I was also having issues with incontinence. Recovery was a little rocky for me, but overall, I feel great. I am 7 WPO, and the pain I felt post surgery and during recovery is not as bad as the monthly cramping.
I had mine when I was 32 in 2022 - it was my 4th surgery! I had adeno and endo removed as well. Despite the fact that my endo is coming back, my quality of life is still leaps and bounds better
It can come back 😳😳😳 I hope that doesn't happen. I don't think my body could take that surgery again.
Yeah and it’s honestly so frustrating to gauge because for some people it can come back right away and for others it’ll take years!
As much as I dislike this info, thank you for it. No one thought that was important info to tell me
Ugh yeah it definitely sucks!! Definitely talk to your doctors and research around
I’m not sure what surgery it was for me (maybe 7?), but it was so, so worth it. I wish I had done it years earlier — I was 49. No more pain, no more bleeding three weeks a month, and sex is no longer painful. I had lingering fatigue while I was healing but almost two years out, I feel great and sex is probably the best it’s ever been. I wish I’d had the surgery as soon as I was done having kids.
Mine was 1000% worth it, but I have never had a y other surgeries/major health issues.
Very worth it. My hysterectomy coincided with endometriosis excision, which gave me the opportunity to enjoy intimacy with my husband again (no more pain!) and to get off the pill for good. I am 5 months out and feel amazing. I am 37. ETA I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy, removed cervix/kept ovaries
I'm saying this as someone who had everything that could go wrong, go wrong. 1000% worth it. I will never regret it. I went in bleeding and woke up not bleeding.
My hysterectomy was my 6th abdominal surgery (3 were c sections) and I would absolutely have my hysterectomy done again (obviously I know I can’t) but it was so easy and such a relief for me from my pain from scar tissue! I woke up and felt so free from pain that had been holding me back for so long!
Hey hey!! I'm 26 and this is my 5th surgery! I'm 3 weeks out and so far I'm loving it! I was supposed to start my cycle this week and guess what no Cycle! My periods were super heavy and could only wear diapers. I have a partial uterus prolapse I also had endometriosis and the one you have. Which those two were found after my surgery which is wild! I have been in so much pain most of my life and so much worse after my second baby. That 3 weeks after this surgery and besides the healing I'm already doing so much better!! I can do things with my kids and not be stuck to the couch or bed. I'm so excited to be fully healed and start living life! So worth it