Every woman has different experiences with life -- and
with hysterectomies. I assume all medical approaches to deal with your periods
have been attempted, and your doctor has discussed all your options with you.
Why and when a hysterectomy is offered as an option depends on exactly what
problems one is having and what approaches have been tried already.
You know how much you suffer with your period. You know what you have tried
already. Your friends don't. For some women, a hysterectomy is the best choice
to alleviate their symptoms of pain or heavy bleeding. Unless you have
endometriosis, I would expect that your ovaries will not be removed. If the
ovaries are left, they will continue to produce hormones, and you will not have
any menopause symptoms until your ovaries give out in another 20 or more years.
Whoever told you that you will have to be on bedrest for three months is
wrong. You may not feel 100 percent for a few months, but you will be expected
to be up and about in a day or two. Your activities will be restricted for four
to six weeks, but this is not bedrest. If the hysterectomy is done through a
large abdominal incision, you can expect your healing process to be on the
longer side. If it is done vaginally or with the laparoscope, you will have less
postoperative discomfort.
The decision to have a hysterectomy is yours alone, with the input of your
doctor. Most women who are having problems significant enough to even consider a
hysterectomy usually say later they wish they had done it sooner.
