Hysterectomy - the Experts Speak Out: NAME THAT DOCTOR AND HOSPITAL

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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

NAME THAT DOCTOR AND HOSPITAL

I am Nora W. Coffey, president of the Hysterectomy Educational Resources and Services (HERS) Foundation.

When I was thirty-six years old, I was hysterectomized and castrated by Robert Giuntoli, at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, and his assistant Douglas Rabin. I was not informed by Giuntoli or Rabin of the consequences of the surgery, therefore my surgery was unconsented. The anesthesiologist and nurses who participated in the surgery were complicit. The hospital enabled them.

Giuntoli and I agreed that he would perform exploratory surgery to determine if the ovarian cyst that was symptomatic was malignant. If it was not, he would perform a cystectomy, removal of the cyst only. If it was malignant, he would remove my uterus and ovaries. The cyst was benign. In direct contravention to my expressed wishes and the agreement with Giuntoli, he proceeded to remove my female organs.

The removal of my female organs destroyed my health and well-being and ruined my family, professional, and social life. No longer healthy, strong, vibrant and sexual, I turned my attention to finding the answers to what was wrong with me that stumped the 25 or more doctors I saw in the first year after the surgery. I found answers in the medical library at the University of Pennsylvania, next door to the hospital where Giuntoli and Rabin collaborated. For the next two years I walked by the hospital every day to get to the library. After two years of research I understood full well what had been done to me. I have dedicated every day of my life since then to providing that information to other women.

Watch the female anatomy video on HERS website. Then, unless you are actively involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit, give your name and the name of the doctor(s) who removed your female organs and the hospital that enabled them. You have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide from, you have done nothing wrong. By telling the truth you shine a spot light on the doctors and hospitals ruining the lives of another woman every minute of every hour of every day of every year. 621,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the USA alone. That's not just a number, it's much more than a statistic - it's women's bodies, women's lives.

Do not let the doctor who ruined your body, your health, your sex life, your family life, your career, your professional life and your social life hide behind the good doctor persona and the hospital walls that shield them.

It's time to speak out, it's time to expose the doctors who failed to inform you of the consequences of hysterectomy and castration. By giving your name and the name of the doctor and hospital we can smoke them out of their protected environment. Together we can stop this from being done to another generation of women and girls.

It must be made unacceptable, it must be stopped legally. Sign the petition to show your legislators that you demand a law that protects women from the violent medical practice of hysterectomy and castration.

Labels: cysts, Douglas Rabin, fibroids, hysterectomy, Ms Magazine blog, orgasm, ovary, Robert Giuntoli SR, sex

205 Comments:

At January 7, 2009 at 7:00 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Shalodi, gyn-onc at Cleveland Metro Health Hospital did the hysterectomy and my useless 2nd opinion from Dr. Peter Rose, Director of Gynecology Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic as well as Cleveland Metro Health Hospital (Shalodi's director) could have prevented this from happening, but went along recommending abdominal hysterectomy and whose office called and left messages twice to schedule surgery by him. I'm sobbing as I'm writing this, even though I was hysterectomized almost 3 years ago. If I could relive that moment...I would RUN not walk out of both offices!
At January 7, 2009 at 10:19 PM , Gracie said...: The doctor and hospital/clinic that castrated me twenty years ago was Dr. Jerome Gundersen who is now retired of Gundersen Clinic in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

He never told me about any alternative surgeries to remove the pea-sized fibroid. He never told me the after-effects of the surgery, only that my life would be so much better!

Your life doesn't get better, only worse. You learn to live with all the aches and pains.

When I see him, I would like to do to him what he has done to me. He can go on with his wonderful life and probably is wealthy from all the hysterectomies and castration he has done over the years. I am left with what little life I have. I am not the vibrant, energetic person I was before my surgery. Dr. Gundersen has taken my life, my career and my well-being from me. I am struggling to survive from day to day.

We can all work together to get a law passed and we can help other women by naming our doctor and clinic who has destroyed our lives so other women can avoid them and find a doctor who does alternative surgeries through the HERS Foundation.
At January 8, 2009 at 2:35 AM , Anonymous said...: Struggling with severe endometriosis for years, most every doctor pushed me to have a hysterectomy (including a doctor whose name eludes me, because it was when I was 22 and didn't even HAVE endo, just hard periods).

The man who ruined my health and my life, whom I went to see for a chronic pain in my left lower abdomen--who did not even order a CT scan, dye test, MRI, or even a simple Xray to find the cause (which later proved to be a damaged nerve, which healed on its own)...who did not explain to me the outcome of castration, nor how it would affect my body, mind, and thyroid problem...who performed an exam and said, "There's your tomato," indicating my uterus on the colon wall, which I mistunderstood to mean the small tumor I carried....who told me that I would be fine with a patch slapped onto me, and "return to work like the secretary out front" , whom he had just castrated...who never asked if I wanted children (and we desperately did, for the past 6 years!)....who did not even SEE me after the horrible butchery, not even when I appeared in the ER in extreme pain night after night with constant bleeding....

This man is/was the HEAD SURGEON of the GYNECOLOGY DEPARTMENT at the MAYO CLINIC in Scottsdale, AZ...Dr. Xavier Magrina.

And when the unknown pain persisted after the hyst, I was told (through closed doors, not face-to-face) to go to the pain management center at the OTHER Mayo Clinic. And left weeping alone on a table.

I was seriously ill for the next two and a half years. My weight, right after surgery, dropped to 101lbs., and I am 5'10". I have been sick ever since, having had previous thyroid problems (no thyroid due to radioactive iodine years before).

On the lab report, my uterus was "pink, smooth" and healthy. Remaining ovary had little cysts. Very little evidence of endo. And mostly simple ADHESIONS from previous surgeries--which would have taken less than 10 minutes to remove.

The $$ spent AFTER that surgery, struggling with hormones, has been almost twice the cost of the surgery itself. I never heard from Mr. Magrina again. He has no idea that he ruined a young woman's life, and almost cost me my marriage. And I was suicidal, when I realized I was worse than before, had been lied to, and there was no one to help me.

But he got his money, and we are still in deep credit card debt.

DO NOT GO TO THIS MAN. DO NOT TRUST A CLINIC simply because it is supposed to be "the best in the country" or famous.

BTW, the clinic had the cheek to send me their monthly newsletter, like I was an alumnus patient or something....the first one I got was all about how they rescued a woman from some South American country who had some torn tissue and female problems. The assistant MD to the doctor who destroyed me--took this woman into her own home in Scottsdale, helped with the pelvic reconstruction surgery, and didn't charge her a dime. That was to show how wonderful and caring and kind-hearted these two surgeons were. Boy, was I angry!

Diana

PS The reproductive endocrinologist who did the three laser surgeries, told me he would do a hysterectomy next. He also refused to help me with any fertility treatments. I believe he is in San Antonio now, doing strictly IVFs---Dr. Frank de Leon, who was applauded by the Natl Endo Society for being a great endo doctor. (He didn't even keep up with the latest research.)
At January 8, 2009 at 7:07 AM , Anonymous said...: I went to see Dr. Shea Moses at Southern Women's Health in Flowood, MS about endometrial ablation. I was having very heavy periods and had tried birth control pills with no luck. She scheduled an ultra sound because I told her that I had a uterine anomoly. She also told me that I needed an endometrial biopsy. She wanted to write me a prescription for a narcotic before I had the biopsy, but I told her that I couldn't take it because I would be driving myself to the procedure (which was going to be done the next day). She did tell me that it wouldn't be pleasant, but I told her I would take a lot of Extra Strength Tylenol and would be fine.

I did go to the procedure the next day as planned having taken 6 Extra Strength Tylenol and a XANAX. The procedure was quick and relatively painless. She knew what I had taken and told me in her office afterward, "I don't want you making any decisions right now because you have taken a Xanax."

A few days passed and she called to tell me that I did not have endometrial cancer and we talked about the surgery. I said ok as long as we can get it done soon because I am out of school (Grad School) for Christmas and it will be the longest break I will have. We scheduled the surgery for a week later after I was done with finals.

The day of surgery, I waited forever to get into a room. I was still unsure of whether I was making the right decision or not. I was put into a room later that afternoon. My husband (who is a dr.) and a "friend" (who by the way had told me that having a hysterectomy was the BEST thing she ever did) were with me. When the nurse came into my room to explain surgery and have me sign a form, I FREAKED OUT and said I wanted to leave. My husband started getting my things and I was leaving. The nurse called Dr. Moses, who was in the OR, and told her that I was leaving. Dr. Moses called me and told me to just wait on her, that she would be right there. The nurse then gave me a XANAX to calm me down. (remember that Dr. Moses wouldn't let me make decisions in her office because I had taken one). I remember not a thing after that. My husband tells me that the doctor came in my room and talked to me and I agreed that I wanted to continue. I vaguely remember being in the holding area and telling a nurse that I was scared. I am assuming that I was given Ativan at the point, because the next thing I remember, I was waking up in my hospital room.

My husband tells me that after my surgery, Dr. Moses came into my room and showed him a picture of my now removed uterus and told him that is was healthy. I wonder if this is standard procedure to show a patient's family pictures of removed organs or if she was perhaps trying to score some points with my husband because he is a surgeon?

The day after surgery, I remember her being in my room and telling her that I wish I had never had it done. Her words to me were, "Oh well. Hindsight is 20/20." Needless to say, I did not go back for my 6 weeks checkup. She did call, and I repeated what she had said to me. She denied remembering saying that.

I did go back a few months ago to tell her about some problems I was having and basically to let her know that I had been severely depressed about the surgery and its negative affects, which I was NOT warned about. She told me that I just needed to "get over it".

Remember that name if you are in the Jackson, MS area. Dr. Jennifer Shea Moses at Southern Women's Health. She operates at River Oaks Hospital. By the way, she came recommended by friends. And so you know, the "friend" that came with me to the hospital that day.....I won't even talk to her anymore. I hardly consider her a friend. I have been in therapy for over a year about this. If I could figure out a way to kill myself without screwing up my kids, I would do it because I do not want to live like this anymore. I have nothing but contempt for this woman. The only good thing to come out of this is that I NEVER have to go to the doctor again. Don't tell me I should. Because I won't go. My husband thinks I need to see a doctor about my gall bladder. But it will be a cold day in hell before I EVER trust anything another doctor says.

Thanks for letting me vent. I am not saying that ALL hysterectomy should be banned. But for simple heavy periods, I don't think it is the right answer. If I had had cancer, then I am sure I could accept this a little better.

Oh yes, while she was showing my husband the healthy uterus that she removed, she commented that I did have some endometriosis on my ovaries....she left those by the way.
At January 8, 2009 at 7:44 AM , Anonymous said...: I made the previous post about Dr. Shea Moses, and I would like to add one thing.

I have no doubt that there ARE women who benefit from hysterectomy. Dr. Moses actually told me that I was the ONLY woman who had ever come into her office and complained about having the surgery. I doubt that, but I agree that some probably are grateful.

She also mentioned to me that she had seen the "Nazi websites" that downgraded the surgery and scared women out of having the surgery. She didn't mention this one by name, but I can guess. I have also seen the websites where women celebrate the "freedom" they experience from having the surgery. I was on that site as well, and chastised when I talked about how I was having adverse emotional reactions to what had been done to me.

I have talked to Nora Coffey on the phone. She is a wonderful woman. The purpose of her website is not to scare women, but to inform them of the consequences of having this surgery unnecessarily.

So if you are a woman who happened upon this site and disagrees with any of the postings here because your experience was different, then you should not post here. We are happy that you are not unhappy about your surgery. If you haven't walked the walk, however, then you can't understand.

By the way, I asked my husband, the surgeon, if I could make a donation to this cause. He said he would have to "check it out". He came back later and told me that it wasn't something he could get behind. (Can you see how great our relationship is since the surgery?). In fact, he just left the house a bit peeved because I showed him the post I made previously. But don't be afraid to post your experience! You are not committing libel or slander. You are sharing your personal experience and part of that is naming the person(s) involved. Knowing that you are not alone may be the first step to your healing.
At January 8, 2009 at 9:15 AM , Gracie said...: I will never understand why the doctor talks to the husband or even have him recommend the best option for his wife about the surgery that will be done on you, the woman!

Would he also ask the woman if we should ok taking a man's gonads? This is our body and only we should make the decision after we have been informed of ALL the complications, alternative surgeries and the after-effects this surgery will have on our life.

There are so many divorces because of the husband making this decision for his wife after she is sedated for the surgery or even during the surgery.

IT IS STILL A MAN'S WORLD, ISN'T IT? Woman even have to fight for the right to keep her organs.

SHAME ON ALL THE DOCTORS WHO HAVE DESTROYED OUR LIVES.
At January 8, 2009 at 10:03 AM , Anonymous said...: My uterus was removed by Dr. Crystal Johnson with Three Rivers Ob/Gyn in Columbia SC Dec. 2005 due to heavy periods that culminated in passing out and having to have 2 units of blood in the ER. I asked why a burning of the uterine lining wouldn't work, but was told it wouldn't fix my problem. When I awoke I had, (and still do) a numb section about 20 X 8 cm along the inside area of my left thigh and constant tingling in my left foot. I was told.. "a nerve was damaged during the surgery...it happens,"
no apology, no compensation. My sexual desire is almost non existent-- we had a wonderful healthy sex life of 3 to 4 times a week before the surgery. I have developed pain in my hips. I still have my ovaries but the surgery threw me into menopause. I tried the Vivelle estradiol 0.0375 patch but it caused abdominal pain. So, I'm on my own. Flax seed oil helps with the hot flashes and night sweats. I miss having a sex life and a normal left leg, and being pain free.
At January 8, 2009 at 3:02 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Shea Moses poster again...

My husband didn't really make the decision for me. He didn't want to be involved because he knew there would be a negative outcome of some form (his words..) and he didn't want to be held responsible. But I DO have some ill feelings against him and my so-called friend who KNEW that I was having second thoughts and did nothing to help me in my semi-conscious state. I feel that her showing my husband the pictures after surgery was nothing more than a lame attempt to do some "doctor bonding". My husband is a surgeon. It is like some sick little society that they belong to.....always looking for approval from the next one. When I told my husband that I had posted here he gave me a peculiar look. When I said that I was doing nothing wrong and that I was only sharing a personal bad experience from my viewpoint and didn't feel that I had to "protect" a doctor, he was a little peeved.

I know there are doctors associated with HERS. I am curious as to their reactions to our postings...
At January 8, 2009 at 11:40 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Ruth Schwartz, of Rochester New York, performed the unnecessary hysterectomy/oopherectomy on me for fibroids and stress incontinence at the age of 51.3, before menopause, 18 years ago. This Dr. is now deceased. While practicing, she used herself as an example of one who had a hysterectomy to sell her trade(what she had been taught to do in medical school-remove a woman's reproductive organs). I had known Dr. S. for over 30 years and in her latter years, wondered why this formerly, very attractive woman aged/changed so much. After having been the victim of this surgery, I learned the hard way. After she performed the hysterectomy on me, and after years of learning about what actually hd happened to my former young and healthy body , I met a woman who relayed her experience to me with Dr. Schwartz. She told me that Dr. Schwartz said to her, "what are you afraid of, I have had one". Imagine! She had said something similar to me before I submitted to this devastating surgery. Dr. S. asked me on my yearly visits how do you stay so thin? Was she jealous? She was always planting little seeds in my brain, preparing me for the final pelvic clean out, and scaring me. She was doom and gloom. Once I met a woman in the waiting room that came out of an exam all smiles, heaving a sigh of relief, and saying "I am ok!" Of course she was ok! The odds are with us. Uterine cancer is a small risk, and ovarian cancer even smaller! I tried to plan my appointments to Dr. S. just after my period when my uterus would shrink down. But the last time I went for an exam, I happened to go just before my period and she said, your uterus has grown, really scaring me! I knew it wasn't much different than usual, but she scared me so. She also said the uterus was so big that it was pressing on my bladder and causing the stress incontinence. So I discussed having a hysterectomy with her. She could not look me in the eye when she recommended removing the ovaries since I had about a .5% chance( so small) of getting cancer of the ovaries. Little did I know that other parts of the body are at greater risk for disease in a woman as heart disease and stroke which are at an even bigger risk after hysterectomy without the natural estrogen which has beneficial affects to every cell of the body plus the many other hormones secreted by the uterus and ovaries that are part of a woman's intricate hormonal system, a miracle of nature. All of this interplay of the hormonal system(thyroid, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, etc) is changed after this surgery and can never be replaced. The sacrificial lamb that I was, I said ok to the removal of the ovaries, if that is what she recommend, and laid down for the slaughter. B.H.(before hysterectomy), I was vibrant, strong, energetic, sociable, sexual, had dark hair (with no gray), good skin (with no wrinkles or waddle under my chin, no skin kerotosis, very few skin problems), good bones(with no ostopenia), good eyes(with no signs of cataracts), slept well, accomplished a lot, had no muscle spasms or cramps, had no tinitus, aches or pains, no major depression until the surgery when all of this changed and every part of my body aged rapidly and the aforementioned healthy parts of my body(life) crumbled. The stress incontinence worsened. I learned that hysterectomy should never be done for stress incontinence. There are all sorts of alternative treatments including stress incontinence clinics, kegel exercises,etc. There are medications and other treatments. The other thing I learned(among many other things from Nora Coffey and the Hers foundation, thank God for her)was that fibroids are never cancerous, have a growing spurt before menopause, and usually shrink after menopause. The unnatural change of life resulting from this unnecessary, devastating, nasty, horrible, surgery for benign conditions is utterly inconceivable in this civilized day and age. Women are victims of this barbaric, uncivilized, life changing, disastrous, outrageous, damaging, debilitating surgery which simply must cease for benign conditions! Medicine must change! If it refuses to stop teaching doctors to do hysterectomy for benign conditions, it is obligatory that women unite and change society from accepting and falling victim to this barbaric, unnecessary, medical practice that is so lucrative to the gynecologist at the expense of our sexual/reproductive organs!
At January 9, 2009 at 6:55 AM , Anonymous said...: Well, I just checked, and it worked with this test. I do not know what happened with the first post. I did not do anything differently. It is late now, and I will send my message/information tomorrow. I will state, at least for now, and happy to give the names of the doctors who devastated my life...

Bibi

Dr. Anthony Ramsey
Dr. Rote (Partner)

Medford, Oregon

I am glad to get the word out about them. The hospital I had the surgery done at was Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Oregon. I had a Hyst. due to two small benign fibroids, and the doctor also wanted to take my ovaries and appendix; along with a small piece of skin on my labia; which was never any concern of mine or my husband's concern. It was 'Cha-ching, Cha-ching, Cha-ching' with him. Hey, more later. But in the meantime; bless all you ladies out there, and the men who post here. I also say blessings to the women who have not felt any problems after a Hyst., but what is not realized is you are among the very, very few. You are a minority, and also there are so many women who are afraid to speak up about problems. Isn't this amazing in it being in this day and age that women can be subjected to this devastation and castration of their bodies. But hey - go figure...Women weren't even allowed to vote until 1919.
(Pretty sick when we really think about it, huh?) We are still in a 'Fetus' stage with being heard about our bodies, and as one said here, it still is a "Man's World", but this has to be changed. How dare any woman post on any site against what this or any organization as this stands for or put down we who have suffered so tremendously. Shame on them, shame on the doctors, shame on the whole lot. I mean it. I have come from being a vibrant, very sexually active, hard-driven woman, to now a shell of a female. It is all due to this Hysterectomy. Ask anyone who knows me. I have lost friends over this. They do not know what happened to the gal I was. How do I explain this? Well, let us take for example; if a man had his balls cut off, and his penis cut down in half, what sympathy and understanding would he get? Need I say more? Not one woman who posts here, and even the ones who don't, but suffer as we do would disagree with this comparison. Oh, you lucky women who did just fine after your Hyst., and more power to you, but do not shun us; because, for one, I imagine you are not being forthright with all your physical mode now, and also, I fathom you did not have the 'balls' to begin with...
At January 10, 2009 at 12:19 AM , Anonymous said...: At the age of 30, on November 1, 1980 I was castrated by Dr. Morgan Smith from Abington Hospital in Abington, PA.
I requested that a fertility specialist be present at the surgery to preserve my organs. I was assured by Dr. Smith that a fertility specialist would be present. After taking Dr. Smith to court, it was revealed he had the fertility specialist "on call" the day of my surgery. Prior to the surgery, Dr. Smith said that the cysts on my ovaries were life threatening. He scared me to think that the cysts were filled with PID and that if they burst I would die. Well the post operative results were endometriosis in the cysts. I won my medical malpractice case on the grounds that I had "lack of informed consent".

My second opinion was from Dr. Robert Giuntoli the same doctor who castrated Nora Coffey. He was going to do a laproscopy first but was going to have me sign a form (prior to the surgery) that he could do a hysterectomy if it was necessary.

The surgery has had lasting effects on my body and mind.

I was thankful for having Nora Coffey and the HERS Foundation to counsel me on the different things that were happening to my body after this surgery. I have known Nora for 27 years and she has dedicated her life to helping women and to stopping doctors from castrating women unnecessarily.
At January 11, 2009 at 10:55 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. William Bradford, Lancaster, PA, May-Grant Associates, Lancaster PA.
Lancaster General Women & Babies Hospital 690 Good Drive Lancaster, PA 17604.
I woke up after an unnecessary TAH/BSO w/ unilateral oophorectomy in hyperthyroid storm, cut in half with no cancer found and de-sexed. I was physically assaulted and insulted beyond the boundaries of inhumanity by, Dr. William Bradford and May-Grant Associates, Lancaster PA. I have been permanently physically, mentally and emotionally damaged by the group of so called doctors who removed my sexuality, endocrine health, health and sensuality by deceit for profit, legally.
One in three women in the U.S.A, 22million women alive today, did not become de-sexed by being told the truth. The women are being lied to medically and the numbers of de-sexed women prove it.
At January 12, 2009 at 7:32 AM , Anonymous said...: I was castrated and mutilated in St. Louis, Missouri for a benign cyst by the following:

Richard C. Muckerman II
St. John’s Mercy Medical Center
2 post graduate year medical students

I don't recall being told that 2 PGY students would be present.

St. John’s campus has Muckerman Drive and Muckerman Garage. One would think they would be "safe" with a doctor having this visibility but, obviously, that’s not the case. (I don't know if the street and garage are named after ob/gyn Muckerman I or ob/gyn Muckerman II.) Knowing what I now know, this should have been a red flag since this is probably just reflective of how much money the Muckermans generate for the hospital as all of us castrated women know how the doctors and hospitals are in this together!

Sadly, the insurance companies have the power to stop it by only approving less invasive treatments or procedures except in those extremely rare cases where more drastic measures are needed. Why aren't they? I can only surmise that the hospitals and doctors have lobbyist groups with deep pockets!

Dr. Muckerman lied about my condition leading me to believe that my life was in serious danger. He and his nurse rushed to get everything approved so that I had very little time to discover the truth about the horror of this surgery. His nurse told me not to worry because I was thin and healthy and would be fine. Dr. Muckerman even referred me to an oncologist and then did NOT follow his recommendation. He did NOT tell me ANY of the facts about hysterectomy and castration. He did NOT tell me that my lifetime risk of ovarian cancer was less than 2%. Nor did he tell me that I'd be trading that for a much greater risk of osteoporosis and incontinence and a 7 times greater risk of heart disease. He did NOT tell me the importance of both the uterus and the ovaries to overall lifetime health - physical, emotional, mental and sexual. The only thing he told me was that "hormones can be easily titrated" which is another LIE. My uterus and one of my ovaries were PERFECTLY healthy.

My castration had an immediate and profound impact on me as I felt totally dead in every way and still do despite being on hormones. Depression and anxiety hit me like a brick wall and hormones have had minimal impact. I think about suicide most days but don’t want to put my family through that.

I should have left his practice when he got into the lipodissolve and "medical" spa businesses. I guess they are a good fit for his business model since hysterectomized and castrated women usually gain weight and age RAPIDLY. I’m just glad that now bankrupt Fig Lipodissolve owes him $108,000+ and hope he never gets it!

My family is in the process of ending our patient relationships with doctors affiliated with St. John’s Mercy Medical Center.

How do all the medical residents that observe and/or assist with hysterectomies and castrations live with themselves? Do they also have no conscience? I know there have been residents that have refused to observe or assist with these surgeries. I can only hope that this becomes a trend and that the ethical medical professionals begin to speak out against those that are unethical.

I also wonder what all the pathologists think when they are presented with SO MANY healthy female organs. I suppose it has no effect as it's a "normal" every minute occurrence!

And the other enablers?
hospital officers
anesthesiologists
nurses
ob/gyn & gyn oncology office staff

What do they do with all these healthy organs? I don’t believe I gave my consent for my organs to be used for research or training but I’m sure that doesn’t matter! Since they get 600,000+ uteri per year and over 300,000+ pairs of ovaries, I’m sure they have plenty! Well actually, maybe not QUITE 300,000+ PAIRS of ovaries since some gynecologists are "nice enough" to leave an ovary. But as we know (as do they), chances are that it usually fails shortly after the hysterectomy anyway.
At January 12, 2009 at 3:39 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Kim of Simi Valley Hospital hysterectomized me. I remember having doubts and was crying before I went into surgery feeling something foreboding, since I was crying they gave me something in my IV, then I woke up in the recovery room. I was in my mid 40's and after having given birth 5 times was told my uterus was prolapsing too much and the only solution was to remove it. The nurse practioner, Karen, had been a former assoiciate and had worked in Labor & delivery at Tarzana hospital. She now was working for Dr. Kim in Simi Valley. I was given no alternatives, no warnings, no adverse side effects, nothing. The nurse practioner even had a hysterectomy herselff 6 weeks previous to her recommending one to me. After I had recovered, I figured out something was terribly wrong. My body absolutely did not respond in the way it had previously in a number of ways. f a "10" was what I felt in sexual response, it now was a "2." I thought they "broke" me. I went back & spoke to the nurse practioner and asked her why she didn't tell me anything about how profoundly my sexuality would be affected, her answer was, "Well, if we tell people, and they aren't experiencing it, then they think something is wrong with them." I said,"ARe YOU KIDDING ME? YOU DIDN'T THINK THIS WAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO TELL ME???" I have yet to talk to the Dr. who did the surgery. Although I see her infrequently I can hardly look her in the eye. My thoughts are,the only reason to get a hysterectomy would be if you had cancer, or were 90 years old & celibate. If you want to be celebate the rest of your life & have no sexual feelings or very little response, and a whole bunch of other problems everyone has named, go for it.
I felt I was duped. Being a nurse, I trusted my fellow healthcare professionals to be honest with me. Boy was I wrong. I wish I would have researched it on my own. I wish I had heard of this website before I consented to ruining my life, ill informed though it may have been. My poor husband was the one who connected the symptoms when he found me crying about my losses.
At January 12, 2009 at 3:53 PM , Anonymous said...: I had a typo on my anonymous post, but I'll fix it here just the same. I was talking about my sexual reponse and meant, "IF" (not "f") I were to rate it before the hysterectomy I would say my sexual response was a "10" post hysterectomy it is now a "2" somedays it is not even that. With 5 children the loss of maternal feelings is also devasting. I feel I am a meaner person. As far as bowel control, either it takes forever or the need is immediate. My hair is falling out. No uterus, no orgasims. Is this enough to sue a doctor for? I guess it would be too humiliating, but the time has passed, you hae to do it within a "year of the injury" anyway. Someday, I hope someone is brave enough to do it & that would be the only way to set precedence, sue for lack of informed consent and for a ton of money. How do you put a price tag on robbed sexual response, and health issues that are resultant? I still think this is the only way. If all the OB's are sued for doing uninformed hysterectomies, they will surely stop & inform patients.
At January 12, 2009 at 4:28 PM , Anonymous said...: I commend you ladies for posting the names of the predators that did this to you. If I wasn't involved in a lawsuit for an unnecessary hysterectomy, I would do the same. It is true that all the other medical staff is in on this scam to harm women. Every "medical professional" involved in my care knew that there was no informed consent, much less any consent at all. They all went along with the criminal doctor like business as usual and put me under anesthesia without my knowledge and amputated my reproductive sex organs. To say I feel attacked and assaulted would be an understatement. As women we learn to keep our eyes open and protect ourselves from predators, but no one would ever imagine that the worst predators in the United States are gynecologists preying on women behind closed doors with the cover of being a "healthcare professional". This is the worst atrocity of the century and it is being ignored by those who could stop it. How can they all collect their pay checks and go on and live their life after they do this or watch this done to a woman every day? It is sick beyond sick.
At January 12, 2009 at 8:13 PM , Anonymous said...: As far as a lawsuit, a lot of states have passed tort reform which makes it even more difficult to sue. And some have also shortened their statute of limitations. Again, it's all in the best interests of medical "professionals!"

Keep in mind that there are exceptions to the statute of limitations such that, in some states, the clock doesn't start until the "injury" is discovered although it's probably difficult to get an "extension."

I talked to several top medical malpractice lawyers and every one of them said I had a case but they would not take it - primarily due to tort reform where non-economic damages were slashed in half and the fact that juries are hostile to plaintiffs in my county. Amazingly, one of the lawyers I consulted won a breast reconstruction case where one nipple was off-center. Sad that a cosmetic problem resulted in an award and I could not even sue! Although this case occurred before tort reform passed. There was only one really arrogant male chauvinist lawyer (like my castrator) who actually said "I'm sorry you're not so horny for your husband." I wanted to slap the sh#@ out of him. He obviously didn't read or listen very well because he acted like that was the only problem and I had a whole list of others.

Of course, another problem is the number of hysterectomies. They're so common that it's incomprehensible to people that they can be so damaging. I know that's part of what went through my mind when my long-time ob/gyn played the cancer fear card!

Yes, and a lot of women that have had the surgery are just as guilty as the medical personnel. One castrated woman actually hugged me and told me not to worry because I'd be ok. I avoid her as much as possible and would like to speak my mind. I actually sent the HERS newsletter with the article "What women do and don't tell other women about hysterectomy" to one woman who had the surgery several years before me and who I actually consulted pre-op over the phone. I hope she's plagued with guilt every day of her life. And I never used to be a vengeful person.

That's why we have to keep fighting and speak out about the truth.

It's a very sad, sick world we live in!
At January 12, 2009 at 8:44 PM , Anonymous said...: To Anonymous (1/12 post at 3:53 P.M.)

I too have lost my maternal and general feelings of love which has been beyond devastating. My therapist said that didn't make sense to her because people don't "fall out of love." I replied that I could not explain it - it's just that way.

And I've since read that the uterus is actually the organ of maternal love and bonding which makes sense.

Here are some excerpts from Wikipedia about oxytocin:
It is best known for its roles in female reproduction:
it is released in large amounts after distension of the cervix and vagina during labor, and after stimulation of the nipples, facilitating birth and breastfeeding, respectively. Recent studies have begun to investigate oxytocin's role in various behaviors, including social recognition, bonding, anxiety, trust, and maternal behaviors.

Bonding. In the Prairie Vole, oxytocin released into the brain of the female during sexual activity is important for forming a monogamous pair bond with her sexual partner.

Maternal behavior. Rat females given oxytocin antagonists after giving birth do not exhibit typical maternal behavior.[13] By contrast, virgin female sheep show maternal behavior towards foreign lambs upon cerebrospinal fluid infusion of oxytocin, which they would not do otherwise. [14]

(13) ^ Van Leengoed E, Kerker E, Swanson HH (1987). "Inhibition of post-partum maternal behaviour in the rat by injecting an oxytocin antagonist into the cerebral ventricles". Journal of Endocrinology 112 (2): 275–282. PMID 3819639. http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org/cgi/content/abstract/112/2/275.
(14) ^ Kendrick KM, The Neurobiology of Social Bonds
At January 12, 2009 at 9:46 PM , Anonymous said...: I just reread Nora Coffey's hysterectomy / castration story and just wanted to thank her for dedicating her life to this cause. She has worked tirelessly for 25 years and I suspect it's been very difficult to see the carnage on a daily basis.

Thank you Nora! And I also want to thank everyone else at HERS for their undying devotion to this cause!
At January 16, 2009 at 6:47 PM , Anonymous said...: On a Dr. Phil show that aired on 1/15/09 about Rage, there's a woman with a young child whose rage is totally out of control. In talking about it she said that she had the problem before but she was given a total hysterectomy and since then it just blew it totally out of control. Of course, the issue of the "total hysterectomy" was not addressed by Dr. Phil. Of course.
At January 16, 2009 at 8:49 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Phil didn't delve further either on the show about the uterus transplant. He questioned where they would get a healthy uterus to transplant. The doctor replied that most uteri that are removed are healthy and that the problems resulting in the hysterectomy are usually hormonal.
At January 20, 2009 at 11:26 AM , Anonymous said...: My story is similar to Nora's and the doctor who castrated me and at the age of 37 totaly destroyed my sexual life is ellen b. smith in Austin, TX. I can't belive that these doctors or rather crooks are still getting away with it!
At January 25, 2009 at 2:06 AM , Anonymous said...: I am so grateful to have found this website. I almost had a hysterectomy for fibroids. Finally, I found a doctor that was for keeping a woman's organs. I had never heard of this foundation and found it accidentally as I was searching the internet for answers. I am so sorry for all the women that have had unpleasant experiences.
At January 25, 2009 at 7:33 PM , Anonymous said...: Well, I just read these latest comments. Oh, how it hurts me to hear each individual story. I will say the one about Nora... yes, we should be so grateful she has dedicated herself to this cause (along with all her comrade staff and Rick).

I get so angry, yes angry. It is so frustrating with what one posted in being so hard to get compensation legally for what doctors do. I did the same with pursuing this avenue with lawyers, and not one person would take my case. I went to five GYNs afterwards to try to get answers and help as what was wrong after my Hyst., and not one was helpful. I begged for an internal check (a laprascopy). I was refused. Oh, and get this... this GYN who said "No" to this would not do it due to my other disease/syndrome of RSD (a nerve disease I had even prior to the Hyst.). She said, "I would not want to take a chance to further damage/complicate your RSD." Well, why didn't the doctor who did the Hyst. on me think of that? He very well has created/furthered complications with my RSD by doing the Hyst., but did he think of that? No, but this GYN did. I had a Hyst. due to fibroids! I would give anything to have those fibroids back along with my uterus!

Getting back to the legal and doctors. Again, I tried, but felt the doctors I saw afterwards were almost aiding the doctor who did the Hyst. on me, by shunning me off. I had one 'specialist' (who I drove 300 miles away to see) passed me off with saying I had 'Fibromyalgia', and to seek help for that. I did see another specialist for that. He gave me Xanax. As if that is going to treat the pain in my abdomen daily, the back pain I have whenever I bend over, the fatigue and lack of drive, the gagging I have whenever I brush my teeth, the lack of sexual drive (all since the Hyst.), but "give her a pill", and send her on her way...

My deepest concerns are GYNs know the damage done to women, but continue to perform these unnecessary surgeries. Yes, I would love to sue the doctor who did this to me. I would feel completely justified because I feel he knew this also. He also should have been concerned about doing the surgery on me; as that other GYN was with doing a Lap. on me - knowing I had RSD. How hideous is that? I wish I could see doctor who would go inside of me (physically) to see the damage done with that Hyst., and my 'Gut' feeling is there would be profound and awful discoveries. Who can I go to??? If I could get this, and then prove this Hyst. has messed up my insides; yes, I would seek legal advice (point of discovery), but also know what is wrong. I am so open to advice on this. If anyone knows a good doctor... (Help!) For god's sakes - the back pains alone are reason to question there is something wrong...

All take care out there. I have a heart that goes out to all of you who have been castrated like me. I read the latest too with the "Paying for the Bailout". What a fiasco!

Blessing to all!!!
At January 26, 2009 at 4:51 PM , Purpose said...: My doctor was Raphal Juarez in Henderson, NV. I was only 40 years old. He said at 35 we keep the ovaries at 45 we take them. You are right in the middle so he told me woman do better taking everything and I will feel better than I have in my whole life. That started my 5 year nightmare. I did not have a computer at the time to research nor had I ever known a program on this subject. I asked more doctors and nurses and they all said the same thing. You don't want anymore kids and you don't want ovarian cancer so take it all. I would have risked ovarian cancer over this anyday. It has given a once vibrant, thin fun person more suicidal thoughts and taken me to the depths of hell. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are my new friends , 35LB weight gain, not remembering any names of anything, aging, grey hair instantly, the worst depression ever, not going with my friends anywhere, the mood swings, the lightheadedness I have met from this devastating surgery that women have no idea what they are getting into. When they wheeled me into surgery I can remember telling him, I still don't know what to do, keep the ovaries if they look good. I realize now if I would have kept my ovaries I would have breezed right through it but of course he took them, I guess you make more money that way. My passion in life is to change things. I do not want another woman gettting a hysterectomy on my watch. The book is started and the ways to prevent it is all there. I am the big mouth that can go on Oprah. Starting with that stupid birth control pill that screws up your health and uterus that no one tells you about. I have went to Mayo Clinic. What a joke as I left for a presciption for water pills and antidepressants. There is hope all you women need to get on bio identical hormones, I am starting to get myself back after so long but not very many doctors are versed on the right dosage. It has taken about 10 doctors and $50K out of pocket of my own money to try to get me back. Suing that jerk for millions of dollars would never repay what he had done to me. Telling my 10 year old I wanted to die was my lowest point in my life. I kept praying and begging God to just let me die. I have to believe I went through this for a reason. I have to believe, I can get things changed. One out of 3 woman get hysterectomies, we need to get this stopped.
At January 27, 2009 at 11:33 PM , Anonymous said...: Wow! Dear McGallagher - Would I love to talk with you. Please let me know if you are willing to share, and I will email you. I am 'Bibi'. I feel we have, well, as so many others here, a lot in common. It was just what you said with the Fibromyalgia and other statements; I would like to contact you. Please let me know. We are all so much taken by these doctors. I, in one way, have my heart broken each time I read another comment. Yet, if I didn't, I think I would give up myself. It is a great avenue to read these blogs to know we are not alone, and there are those of us who can relate, and may have found some kind of treatments to help. Please - again - let me know. My email is: Tonileahens@charter.net.

Anyone else - with avenues of helpful ideas; I am so open to it. I am so 'sick' of feeling sick after this Hysterectomy. I want this so badly. Yes, we want to help and promote this to not happen to one other female, but this is great to have a way to hear if even one 'bleak' of hope is out there for those of us who have already suffered. Let me know.

How do we get the word out to women with all of us stating specifically these individual doctors in various cities and states? Any ideas? This blog is great, but what about the women who don't have a computer; or don't think to go to a website as this great HersFoundation.org? Any thoughts on this?
At January 28, 2009 at 4:26 PM , Anonymous said...: Dear McGallagher,
Your words ring true and clear, honest and heartbreaking. It is horrifying to feel like you wish you would die to spare you from the suffering the de-sexing operations cause a woman. I know and can say it is such an inhuman suffering the gynecologists are causing women knowingly. My child is older than yours and said, "mom, you don't even look the same" while I had a similar conversation with my grown child in mind bending pain. It is helpful and comforting to talk with other honest women about these unthinkable medically induced sex organ amputation maladies.
I get head pounding headaches and nausea when I try even small amounts of estrogens or bio-identical hormones now (after trying many, including a doctor of pharmacology, using the spit hormone test and blood tests) and wish you the best with your quest to find some of the missing link between now (female sex organs removed) and then. Keep us posted on how over time your quest to find some normalcy with bioidentical hormones pans out. You can't use brand names on the Hers blog, but I would be interested in the amounts you will be using.
And yes, this sex organ amputation of the female population perpetrated by the gynecological medical industry by deceit for profit must be stopped by law.
At January 28, 2009 at 11:41 PM , Anonymous said...: Isn't it so interesting we, who post here, are so willing to give the names of the doctors/hospitals where we were castrated? It is a great way to 'get the word out', but I still get back to what we can further do. As I said, there are those who don't have access to a computer; then, those women being told they need a Hyst., but might not think to go to this site. I, like I have heard others who post here, wish I would have known about this site before I had my Hyst., and I would not have had it. I am elated when I do read where some have found this site, and from reading, decided not to have a Hyst. (YEAH!!!) It does not help any of us with changing the things we deal with now - after having a Hyst., but I know it gives us a smile when we do hear the women who post here, who are grateful they found this site and changed their minds. (I am sure Nora and all with her staff feel they have done something HUGE, when they hear comments as this.

I just find interesting too; in all the posts I have read here from women who have been castrated with a Hyst., we have so much in common, and say the same things; i.e.:

1. We all seem to have been told by the doctors who performed the Hysts. on us that - "It needs to be done" to save us.;

2. We are told we will "Feel so much better..." after we have the Hyst..;

3. Some of us are told we "don't want anymore children, so what is the problem? Why do you need your uterus/ovaries?";

4. We are told our "Sex life will be the same, if not better". My doctor winked at my husband as he said, "Think about it. No more 'Bloody periods'".

5. We are given the 'Scare tactics' such as with "Ovarian Cancer". So... "best to take it all." (I quote from my doctor.) My doctor, as I can imagine some of you out there also were advised to take out some other things; i.e., my doctor said, "While I am in there, I should remove your appendix. You don't need it, so why not take it out; so you won't have any problems with it later on down the road." He also wanted to remove a 'birthmark' (best way to describe it) on my labia. It would be like a 'freckle'. It has never bothered me or my husband, but as I have remarked before; here we go with the "Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching", and he was trying to (as I see it now) get as much money as he could out of this. My appendix? (Give me a break...)

6. We all feel the same; in that, we feel our doctors were money making mongrels.;

7. We all seem to face so many of the same physical problems in the aftermath.;

8. We seem to all deal with our spouses not understanding. We deal with family (our children), and friends not understanding either. "You've changed, Mom." I am grateful my oldest daughter is old enough to remember me from before, and knew what a hard working, vibrant woman I was. My son is not as able to relate and remember this. This, in itself, breaks my heart. But, my point is: I read these same comments here from others. Family cannot realize what we are going through. I wonder about the divorce rate increase with women who have suffered through a Hyst., and their husbands just can't tolerate the 'change'.;

9. There are those of us who have tried to seek legal help, but get nowhere.;

10. We get 'passed' around to other doctors, trying to seek help and remedies. We are told we have something else going on. We are told we may have (as in my case) "Fibromyalgia". We are given antidepressents and other weird drugs to (and sorry to say, but this is how I feel) 'shut us up'. It is such a joke.;

11. Not all of us, but so many of us have had 'suicidal thoughts'. This is the most sick part of what these doctors have done.;

McGallagher, you said that you have to believe there is a reason you went through this. I reach that attitude also. I listed these points to state it is the very cruel basis. We all have realized through this; that we have either, been told the same things, experienced the same things, and deal, in the aftermath, with the same things. This has got to be so incredible; in itself. So... why is this not stopped? This is not an isolated situation. The Hers Foundation is doing their best to be affirmative with doing just this... getting this information out, and having women realize this is not an 'isolated' matter.

I would love for two major things to happen:

1. There is a legal measure put into action (just what Hers is trying to do)- where women must see this video, for one; but, also, must sign some legal form that they have read some list of the severe complications, like in a brochure, and must sign at the end; stating they have read all the complications which can arise, and other women have had realized after a Hyst., and really, really list everything...right down to:

'Sexual relapse' - No desire to want to have sexual relations any longer. (This ought to spark something in a woman with that comment alone). How about listing the back pain associated after a Hyst.? How about listing the severe fatigue that follows after a Hyst.? How about listing no drive to do anything? How about listing that one's body feels worse than before, and all these symptoms do not go away. How about listing that family/friends may think you are different? How about saying one may have 'suicidal' thoughts? (Talk about 'sparking'...)

There are many more all of you out there can add to list on this brochure of information to advise a woman before she considers to have a Hyst., and this brochure is the one which needs to be out there. Of course; with all the Hers Foundation has to make available. Their video, alone, should be enough, but what women can hear too is first hand... what people as us have gone through and experience now. How I wish I would have talked with someone as myself who had gone through/experienced what I did and do now. I wish I could have read something as this... with other women's comments. I guess I get back to had I known about this website before I had my Hyst., and read... I would have 'ran', not walked out of that GYN's office.

Oh golly, I am trying to make a profound point here with all this too. Why does it take a group of hard driven and dedicated people as with Nora and her comrades to be the few who are trying to stop this? This should be so PUBLIC with awareness for women, and not just one of the few ways to find out about the horrific complications of having a Hyst., and if one does not have a computer?

On a final note... what does 'Informed Consent' truly mean? I never heard anything from speaking with my doctor about any complications with a Hyst., and he only talked about how much I needed to have this Hyst., and done right away. I have posted about this before, and feel it was a 'scare tactic', only because he had his staff most likely inform him my great insurance would be lapsing after another month; if I did not go with COBRA. I was with a great company with great benefits, but was on disability leave due to a complicated nerve disease. My insurance was going to cancel if I did not switch to something else. I think they saw I had such great insurance at the time, and tried to take advantage of it - while I was still on it. Is that not sick, or what...? They knew I would have to switch, but could not ask me when or what, so my feelings are... "Let's get her in there, while we know she still has this insurance." Ever heard, "Wish I could be a fly on the wall?" I wish I could not have only heard conversations over my patient account with this, but looked at my internal patient file; to see what would be in there. See, I could not figure out why the doctor pushed me so quickly to have this Hyst., but now feel I have my answer. Oh, he said, "Due to your fibroids, and the heavy bleeding; we can't afford to wait even one more month on this surgery." I thought, "Gee, I have been dealing with these periods for a couple of months; what is a couple more so I can research and think about this?" He then relied on involving my husband (as my husband was there for this one important appt.), and again, did the 'winking' of his eye, and trying to persuade my husband to persuade me into having this surgery done right away. I will never forget getting home with my husband after that appt., and he had (the doctor) convinced my husband I needed this surgery right away. Do you know, I have had my husband read many posts here. He is so sorry now that he pushed me into having the Hyst., and is as mad as I am. He feels badly (well, he suffers now too). My husband knew this once over achieving woman who could not stand to have her house in any dissaray and unclean, vibrant and active female, and... the one who would most likely promote love making on any given morning, afternoon, and/or evening. He regrets this; in that, he has not had sex for almost six months now or longer. I could care less, and he knows me. I was a 'sex kitten' before.... seriously. Again, I would be the one to surprise him by putting on (I use as one example) a 'French Maid' outfit.

Let me just say... He would love to have words with that GYN now.
I say to him also - "How would you like your sexual feelings taken from you?" He, being a male and very hetrosexual, could relate, and said, "Why live?" Of course, he was kidding, in a way, but he is a man, and has a sex drive. I do not question how he survives right now. I wouldn't blame him if he had an affair... of course - in his mind, but poor guy; yet, he was the one who pushed me into this, and feels badly for listening to that GYN. and prodding me to do the Hyst., and also regrets that he sees how much I suffer now, and have changed. Yes, changed into a 'Shell' of a woman.

As McGallagher said (again) that she trying to believe this has happened for a reason. I only hope I can find that reason. I made this list to promote the idea that we are all realizing the same symptoms, frustrations, aftermath with a Hyst., and this is too much for we women to have to let this continue with not only ourselves but for this to happen to even one other female. I want help personally. I want to feel better. I want to go back to the way I was before. How can I do that? Is there a miracle out there? I want so much for this to not happen to one other woman. Is there a miracle for that? There has to be a way for not only legislation, but this to be known right now. Legislation takes time, and I just bet there is one (if not more, so many more) who is unaware of this, and having this castration done to them tomorrow. I wish I could reach them right now - with all my heart, to stop them from having it. All of you out there are feeling just the same.

I went to the Hers Foundation conference in Pasadena. I look back and wonder how I even made it. I am not physically well. I went to get answers. I did not find any for myself, but did find, most importantly... I am not alone.
I was so struck with one person I met there, and it was during a break. She was only 27. She was told she had to have a Hyst., and listened to her doctor (had the fear put in her). She was crying during this break. She said, "I wanted more children. I found out afterwards, the surgery was not necessary. My husband has left me. I have a four year old son, but with all that has happened, and the way I am now - my husband has left me." It was so horrible to hear her story. Her life was so changed due to this doctor, and she is so YOUNG! I gave her a hug, and I did not even know her; outside of meeting her during this short break. This should not have happened to her! I am sorry her husband did not stay with her, and who knows if the marriage would have survived anyway, but this was something that did not help, and only burdened the relationship severly. Plus there is a child involved already. (Oh, I want to shoot that doctor...) How awful for her to find out the surgery was avoidable; yet, she believed, at the time - as I did - it had to be done.

Okay... I have vented. If all this was happening to men... (need I say more?)

Hey, add to my 'List'. If my back pains were the only symptoms, and as bad as they are - that would be enough for me to tell someone not to have a Hyst.; in that, I live with this chronic pain daily, and would rather have a 'bloody period' over these anyday. To talk in given bigger terms... to have a life being destroyed should be enough... How dare these doctors. Being my doctor a male... I would love to have him experience what I do, and walk around with a 'half penis' and no 'balls'.

Please anyone, email me to give me anything which has worked with helping with symptoms.

I am so respectful of all you out there, and wish you the best. Thank you for listening...

Gracie, your words are always insightful...
At January 29, 2009 at 10:13 AM , Anonymous said...: Hi Bibi

I have back pain and other complications too. I have been in physical therapy which has helped a little with the back pain. The pain never goes away just gets a little better. Sorry I don’t think I have any answers for you. I have tried something’s. A few days ago I went to see a doctor. The nurse was taking my blood pressure when I told her there are complications to a hysterectomy that the doctors won’t tell you. I mentioned loss of pelvic support and the sexual aspect after a hysterectomy. Depends on the situation I speak up. I don’t spend a lot of time explaining, I just try to make a quick discussion just to grab there attention. If the person wants more information they will ask and then I tell them more. I also see one more problem in all of this. I was not given any other options. Most people trust doctors so they just accept that they need a hysterectomy. I was confused and frighten, didn’t know what to do or how to handle it or where to turn for help. I feel we need to tell women what are all the options out there, because the doctors won’t tell you. To find a doctor who will do what you want them to do. I think we need to education the public on how to be aggressive with doctors and not let them intimidate the patient and families. I tell people about the Hersfoundation and to call them. That way they have someone they can talk with and find out what your options are other then a hysterectomy. Where else can you find out the truth? They can also direct you on how to handle the situation and maybe find a doctor in your area. I don’t know what else to do or have any other ideas right now. I do know we need to get the word out. I am sorry you are so uncomfortable, or should I say in pain. Your words are insightful and helpful. I agree Gracie words are too.
At January 29, 2009 at 1:15 PM , Anonymous said...: I wonder if anyone has yet made the connection between the medical community's lack of respect for women's precious organs.....and their lack of respect for unborn children?

To me, it is one and the same. And when the latter became commonplace, then what followed naturally was a complete disregard for the whole reproductive system.

Diana
At January 29, 2009 at 6:07 PM , HERS Foundation said...: Diana,

You referred to the medical community's lack of respect for the female organs and for unborn children as somehow being connected.

I don't see any connection whatsoever.

Hysterectomies have been performed since the 2nd century AD, long before abortions were done.

In 2004-2005 when HERS led the nationwide protest against unwarranted, unconsented and unwanted hysterectomy many people thought that hysterectomy was the same as abortion. In fact, there is no relationship between the surgical removal of the female organs and the termination of a pregnancy.
At January 30, 2009 at 9:49 PM , Debbie Quest said...: Clayton S. Wilde OB/GYN ST.Marks Hospital, Salt Lake City, UTAH took my youth from me, I just had my second child, at my two week check up, my doctor, informed me that I had cervial cancer and with my serve endometriosis, I needed a hysterectomy, I had just had my child and was suffering from baby blues. I told Dr. Wilde that I wanted another child someday, he said I would most likey never have another one and I needed to save my life to be here for the two children that I had and I should feel lucky I had them. I was devastated, but I trusted him, I did'nt want to die of cancer. The next thing I knew I was waking up from surgery and he stood above me and said, how lucky I was because there was no sign of cancer, but I would be free of pain from my endometriosis and monthly periods. He did a full hysterectomy, both overious, everything gone. I just wanted to die, my baby was only two months old and I could not even care for him when I got home. My life changed on that day, I have NEVER been the same and I never well, its final, done, over, no going back!!!! The saddest part of all is I was only 23 years old. I lost my husband shortly after, when my sex drive disapeared, and he told me I was no longer a women, that I could not give him anymore children, my depression was so servier I tried to kill myself serveral times. I wish I could take it back, I've suffered now for over 24 years. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT NAME CLAYTON S. WILDE OBGYN SLC, UT ST.MARKS HOSPITAL.
At January 31, 2009 at 12:42 AM , Anonymous said...: Debbie, I'm so sorry for what you've been through. It's brave and courageous of you and all the other ladies here to post the names of the doctors who did this. I can surely understand the feelings of suicide. What more cruel thing can someone do to a woman than amputate her sex organs without medical basis after deceiving her? I was in my early 40's when a doctor sliced my organs out for no reason other than to make a profit. I was lied to and deceived into surgery and never even consented to the surgery. I woke up without my uterus, ovaries and cervix. I am tormented every single day. I truly understand your heartbreak and devastation. It is even much more horrendous to know that it was done to you at the young age of 23 and worse, just after you had your baby. Describing these doctors as sick criminals is an understatement. I can no longer get aroused, I have no sexual feelings, and my ability to have an orgasm has been diminished so severely that it's virtually non-existent. We all understand here. Keep speaking out and telling the world what was done to you. Hugs.
At January 31, 2009 at 9:41 AM , Gracie said...: Dear Debbie, I cry for you and all the women including myself that have been mis-led and deceived into having a hysterectomy and castration. I too just about took my life because you have no one to turn too especially the doctors that tell you it is all in your head. You now have the HERS Foundation and all the women on here that are here to help you.

Please get your friends and family to go to this sight to watch the DVD 'Female Anatomy' and sign the petition.

I would like to write an editorial for your newpaper or I could email you some of the editorials I have written for all the local newpapers. Just contact the HERS Foundation and they will give you my email.

We all need to help other women to prevent this from happening to them. I would like your ex-husband to read these comments because we are the experts. It is always sad when we read story after story what doctors have done to us, our home life, our careers, our dreams and our zest for life.

I am go glad you named your doctor and clinic. You might prevent other women in your city from having this life-altering and barbaric surgery from happening to them.
At January 31, 2009 at 5:20 PM , Anonymous said...: Dear Debbie,

What has happened to you is an awful tragedy. By reading your story I felt so sad and helpless, I can't explain! How cruel is this system to hurt a young woman in this way- to destroy her life!
Castration happened to me when I was 41 years old- I also wanted to commit suicide- I did not, because of my daughter, she was 12 years old, when this happened to me.
I struggled for years to find some relief from this obvious surgery. I also have been betrayed, as I thaught to be in danger because of cancer! In truth, I only had a little benign ovarian cyst- and my doctor, whom I trusted, took away my ovary.
My first ovary doctors had taken away also because of an ovarian cyst- when I was 14 years old! I have been a child indeed- and the doctors in my home country semi-castrated me at this young age! I could'nt have children- and so I adopted my daughter. And as my second ovary had always a cyst- they started me to frighten because of cancer! And a FMEALE doctor said: "It is better to make the surgery-you have a daughter - and you have to be careful about your life- because of her!" And so I agreed to the surgery ... And then I went through hell. I know what you have gone through, Debbie- and for you it was certainly much harder, because of your young age!
I have found the website of the HERS FOUNDATION by searching each day on internet for months after this damend surgery- I was so desesperated- and Thank God, Nora Coffey from HERS answered and helped me to survive!
I am living in Austria- so far away from the USA - and every day she send an email to me. I waited for this email like a little child always with tears in my eyes- and these mails in the first year after my surgery saved my life!
Debbie, I don't know why you have to go through all this- I wish I could take it away from you- but this is impossible- as it is impossible for all the women here on this blog.
But by outing yourself with your tragedy- you can help other women, educate them and warn them!
And I am sure, that this big injustice done to innocent women will be written down one day in all medical books as barbaric facts! And future generations will hardly understand the stupidity and the brutal ignorance of our system now! The more science knows about the importance of the female gonads and the uterus because of the hormones and the interaction between all organs and the anatomic facts- the more these senseless surgeries will loose their authorization!
Debbie, I hope from all my heart that you will find some relief by good doctors now- who are able to limit a bit the big dammage done to you!
I myself have found relief in hormones and in shiatsu exercices.
It is never as it has been before- but I have had to learn to live with my transformed body!
The severe injury of my soul- only God knows it ....

I founded the first support group for hysterectomized and castrated women in my home country. So I am in contact with other women who have to bear the big impact and the pain of the surgery.
We are writing down our stories now- we wat to make a book with our storie- so that the medical community can read in a book what they have done to us!
And one day, it will not be able to ignore this facts any more!
I have this dream- and I will not shut my mouth- this is my major task now. If I would stay in silence- I would make myself guilty, I think.

I even went to court- I lost my process against my surgeon- as in my home country it is nearly impossible to win against a doctor in a case of gynecology!
But I am convinced that there will be another more powerful judge- who will call to account- one day!
And this consoles me!

Debbie thank you for your courage! And I wish you all the best!

In solidarity
rosa
At February 5, 2009 at 5:41 AM , Anonymous said...: I have fibroids that cause severe bleeding and pain during my period. I am essentially unable to leave my house because of the bleeding and the necessity of changing sanitary products about every 15 minutes over a three-day time frame. I am 47 years old but (fortunately or unfortunately) do not seem to be very close to menopause. I am definitely done having children. I have a great sex life with my husband and don't want to mess that up.

I know many of you have it worse than that, but after living with this for a number of years, and having it get steadily worse, I am tired of it.

I have considered several options over the years with my ob-gyn. I am told that she believes removing them isn't a good solution -- they grow back relatively quickly. For a number of years I had said that I preferred to live with them rather than to have surgery. However, they seem to be growing. She recommended hysterectomy. She would leave my ovaries but remove the cervix. She uses a procedure/machine called the Da Vinci.

I was not willing to have a hysterectomy, and I wanted more options, so I got a 2nd opinion. I was specifically thinking in terms of the uterine artery embolization procedure. The 2nd ob-gyn said that although I could get a hysterectomy, the placement of my fibroids suggested that a Uterine Artery Embolization procedure would work. (She also said that the fibroids are not growing at an unusual rate, in her opinion). I am now scheduled for an MRI and a consultation with the radiologist who would perform the embolization procedure.

So I have been online this evening looking for information about that. I had been told that it was an easy procedure -- extremely low risk -- etc. I specifically asked the 2nd ob-gyn about the dangers of the "pellets" migrating to other areas of your body and causing damage and she said that that wouldn't happen. But now I come upon your website and I am scared to death. Although I know you all have been through painful experinces and have been treated in an inexcusable manner by your doctors, your information makes it seem like there is no acceptable alternative for dealing with the massive bleeding that some people's fibroids cause. So although I am trying to navigate the site to figure out how to ask this question, I will start by asking it here: what am I supposed to do? Do any of you support a woman doing anything to resolve this? While it is shocking and barbaric that you all have been treated in such a manner, it is also shocking to me that there should be so very few options for women suffering with severe bleeding and/or pain from fibroids.
At February 5, 2009 at 9:03 AM , HERS Foundation said...: With regard to alternatives for fibroids that are causing significant symptoms, myomectomy is a good, constructive solution. The doctor who told you that it's not a good option may simply not have the skill needed to perform myomectomy. That's frequently what doctors say when they know they're not very good at performing a surgery, instead being up front about their lack of skill. It's often an issue of ego.

It may be helpful for you to first read HERS fibroid "lecture":

http://hysterectomyinformation.blogspot.com/2007_06_20_archive.html

With regard to uterine artery embolization, you're right, there is a very significant incidence of serious adverse effects.

If you would like a referral to physicians who have consistently good outcomes with myomectomy, contact HERS at 610.667.7757.
At February 6, 2009 at 4:26 AM , Anonymous said...: Thank you so much for the feedback.
At February 8, 2009 at 4:04 PM , Anonymous said...: Dear Debbie,

My heart aches for you to have been castrated at the young age of 23 with two young children. I know all too well the devastation of this surgery - it not only zaps us of our joy for living but it "severs" the loving connections we have with our husbands/partners, children and other family and friends. Not to mention the devastation on our sex lives. No one can totally understand unless it's happened to them.

I too was suicidal for a long time and wished I'd died on the operating table. Only then would my family have been assured of an award for malpractice. I talked to many lawyers who said I had a case but with tort reform in Missouri, any award would not sufficiently offset the cost of the lawsuit.

The insurance companies and medical community (including the states' medical boards) enable these perpetrators. When will the madness end?

My mission now is to stop this from happening to other women. I've been very vocal on many forums and have exchanged emails with many women telling them the truth about hysterectomy and referring them to HERS for help in finding doctors who preserve women's organs. Any doctor that does NOT preserve these vital organs for benign conditions is not living up to his or her Hippocratic Oath which is "first, do no harm."
At February 12, 2009 at 7:30 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Lori Wendricks.
Dean East Clinic
St. Mary's Hospital
Madison, Wisconsin

I put my total trust into her when she told me I would be perfectly fine after an LAVH.

Reason for surgery: Heavy periods.

My life: Ruined...Totally ruined.

Never to be the same again! After almost 4 years my full story is still way to painful to write.
I live with the emotional and physical pain every single day of my life. There are days I wish I would have died on that operating table. It would have been a blessing than to live the hell I live day in and day out.

I am no longer the woman I once was. I am a stranger to myself. There are a few family members etc..that just don't understand or won't let me forget it. So how can I try and get past it all when no one understands or cares to really try to? They rarely mention the good I have done before the surgery. The woman I was long ago.

I am a victim! Some just want to bring up mistakes due to this very unneccessary surgery! That isn't easy for me to try and move forward with my life. I would like to see them walk in my shoes for one day.

I am tring as hard as I can. It is still a struggle each and every day.

Please note: I have been having some computer issues. If anyone out there had totally lost there maternal instinct and deep sense of love they once felt before a uterine removal please email me at Nuzki@ymail.com. I can use all the support I can get. I am also very curious to see how many of you have had these two very devasting adverse effects. Among the others we share.

I will try as I can to check my email. I am a blogger on this site but having a problem changing my email. Once again, due to computer issues.

Thank you and thank you Norah!
Janie
At March 16, 2009 at 8:42 PM , Anonymous said...: I had a cystic right ovary for years. When I was 47 I noticed a marked growth and went to my GP. She, right off, did STD's ( ?? ) and then sent me off for tests and to see a OB GYN. His name is Dr. Brian Reutherford in Grass Valley, Ca. In his office he recommended one thing, total abdominal hysterectomy. The tests showed a clear cyst but, in his words, " There is a little cloudiness there so I am thinking cancer". He provided NO options and told me several times,' "I would GLADLY give my wife and even my daughter one " "It will only save you more surgeries down the road". I was fine. I was hitting menopause and having NO trouble. Was looking forward to it in fact. Not knowing any better I did sign the release in his office but came back down to earth at home. I was concerned about the cyst as he kept pressuring me with 'cancer' so I decided to go in for the cyst removal. I did not sign the release when I went to admitting and informed the nurse I would not be allowing a hysterectomy. When I was gowned with the IV in my arm in pre-op the doctor came in with a release form for a total abdominal hysterectomy. He proceeded to tell me " You need to sign this in case I get in there and find I have to do a total hysterectomy". I would not. He then added, several times, " I PROMISE I will do it ONLY if it is necessary". After several minutes and finally trusting his word I signed. Naturally, I woke up gutted. He told my husband and mother in the waiting room that my uterus " Looked bad" and that my left ovary " Looked bad", also. I got all my records and there was NOTHING wrong with anything other than an ovarian cyst. It has been 2 years of hell.
At March 21, 2009 at 12:49 AM , Anonymous said...: To the poster,Diana, back in January...

I found your comment comparing the treatment of the unborn to the treatment of female organs....very,very interesting.

I,too, see this connection-it came to me as I was reading many posts here on this blog.

You see,the connection for me isn't a literal one as HERS responded to. Rather, it is a connection based on morality and ethics. A lack of respect for the unborn is common and widely accepted in the medical community, and in the American society. To take away the sex organs that God gave us women to bear children and keep our bodies running smoothly with dignity is immoral and unethical. The connection is lack of morals,ethics, and dignity when it comes to human life.

My memory is gone since I have been hysterectomized and castrated, so I am not going to provide stats here, but I am certain, that the majority of women who seek abortions are never educated and clearly informed about the ramifications to herself-lasting her lifetime.

That is no different than a woman seeking/or being told she needs to be hysterectomized/castrated-without the education and clear information that the results from this surgery will have on her for the rest of her life.

Furthermore, the medical community and society are MUCH more comfortable with the term abortion, than,say....murder,torture,or mutilation.

AND....the medical community and society is MUCH more comfortable with the terms hysterectomy and oophorectomy....rather than castration.

I see this very clearly-lack of morality,ethics and dignity.

I thank HERS for providing women with the ability to make an educated,informed choice in regards to keeping their sex organs.
At March 21, 2009 at 10:36 AM , HERS Foundation said...: If you want to support creating a law that will compel doctors to provide the information women need before they are told to sign a hysterectomy consent form go to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saynotilyouknow/
and SIGN the PETITION. You have the power to help HERS stop this from becoming the legacy of the next generation of women and girls.
At March 21, 2009 at 7:42 PM , Anonymous said...: I did!! :-)

And...I am passing the info on to as many people as I am able to.
At March 21, 2009 at 9:16 PM , Anonymous said...: Can a "Class Action Lawsuit" be made from this horror? How is it legal for a gynecologist to ask women "if they want to have more children" if the woman's life doesn't depend on the question, please explain.
I was still fertile and able to have a child. I want to have a child now and would like to bring a lawsuit against the doctor because he made me decide on future children based on a benign condition...is this possible?
At March 28, 2009 at 6:03 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Stacy Jenkins of Waterford, MI at St. Joseph Hospital did my hysterectomy. My family doctor referred me to her. She did a SAH on me. She gave me ablation as an option that in her opinion would not work, a shot to stop the bleeding that was not covered by my insurance(that cost to much for me), and a hysterectomy. She wanted to do a TAH but I would not agree. I only had fibroids which caused excessive bleeding. I think this was radical in hind site. There were more options that I have learned about since the surgery that might have worked.I had even told her that we were saving up to get a tubal reversal to have a baby. Do you think that mattered to her, not enough to try other treatments first. She wouldn't even do a bikini cut citing that my uterus was to big...but my girlfriend got a bikini cut with a 22lb uterus. Now my stomach looks like a big *ss and I have scarring at the bottom of the incision.She said my sex and orgasms would be the same and they are not. I no longer have strong orgasms or uterine contractions or spasms. I feel like all of urine doesn't come out when peeing. I am depressed and have suicidal thoughts. I no longer want sex with my husband. The bad thing about all of this is when you complain about all the side affects to the same doctors who gut you like a pig and take your womanhood they act like your crazy, it's just you who has these problems, it's nothing they did wrong.

If you are considering a hysterectomy do your homework, try other treatments, realize there are side affects and more problems that come from this surgery. I have lost myself after this surgery.
At March 29, 2009 at 5:13 AM , CT said...: To anonymous who posted on March 28, 2009 at 6:03 PM. I know exactly how you feel. I have felt very depressed and suicidal nearly every day. I was treated like a lab rat with no rights. I did not even consent to the surgery, nor was I even told I was being put under anesthesia. I had an emergency situation that did not necessitate a hysterectomy. I had normal periods all my life and one tiny fibroid smaller than a pea on the outside of my uterus, yet I woke up with my healthy uterus, cervix and ovaries amputated, and I was lied to about why it was done. I only found out the truth when I ordered my medical records. I am still in shock about what happened to me and still find it hard to digest that these so called doctors are legally able to lie to women and amputate their reproductive sex organs with no repercussions. Now I have chronic abdominal pain, joint pain, bone pain, and back pain now. I have severe hot flashes and I'm dripping wet most of the time and am bloated constantly. I had the most wonderful orgasms all my life and now they are diminished to the point that it makes me sick to just try. I tried to have sex once and not only did it physically hurt, emotionally I couldn't bear having sex with my new mutilated vagina. I've read story after story on here and the internet where women have been lied to and lured into this surgery. It's hard to imagine how these doctors can be so cruel and calculating, and worse why it is legal and others just stand by and do nothing? I was always a healthy person and now I am a mess. I don't know what to do with myself. I'm so sorry you were lied to also. Please stay here with us and speak out about this. My only hope is that one day it will be stopped. Thank you so much for posting the doctors name. It will help other women save themselves. I asked Nora to give you my email address if she has yours. Please write me if you want.
At March 29, 2009 at 8:14 AM , Gracie said...: SHAME ON YOU DR. STACY JENKINS, ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL, WATERFORD, MICHIGAN.
I am so glad you named your doctor and hospital because it will warn other women in your area just what kind of doctor she is. She disregarded everything you wanted all because she had dollar signs in her vision.

I suspect she didn't know how to do any alternative surgeries and it was easier for her to 'clean house'.

Dr. Jenkins didn't care how you looked afterwards by not giving you a bikini cut. I also had to fight to get a bikini cut. It is so obvious doctors do not care how they cut us up along with no regards to our health and well-being afterwards.

Oh yes! We have all heard that we are the first one they have heard complaints from. My doctor told me if I keep complaining he didn't want to see me anymore. I walked out the door and never came back.

I had a hysterectomy along with castration for a pea-size fibroid. I didn't know about myomectomies or polypectomies. He told me nothing would change and I would feel better than ever. We all know that is a lie.

It took me 2 years of searching to find answers as to why I was feeling so bad. I ran across an article in a magazine that listed the HERS Foundation. I quickly called and to my amazement found out I wasn't the only one.....

I wanted to take my life also but had two precious little boys that I just wasn't able to leave. I wasn't able to keep up to the job that I loved. I had all the side-effects but the worse one was being nauseous all the time and to this day after 20 years still am.
I along with all the women that write on here knows exactly what you are going through.

We want you to fight with us to get a law passed by telling other women your experience and to go to the HERS Foundation sight and watch the DVD 'female anatomy' and sign the petition to get a law passed for doctors to hand this DVD to every women they prescribe a hysterectomy. It should be our choice after we are informed, not the doctors.

You will hear some women say it is the best thing that has ever happen to them. It might be for alittle awhile, but alot is taking place inside and outside of your body that you may not realize until years later. They aren't connecting their side-effects to their surgery. Some women do not admit they have lost their sexual feelings for fear they will lose their husbands. The men already know there is a difference when doctors remove your cervix.

I only wished that we could castrate each and every doctor who has castrated us. If this many men were being castrated there would have been a law passed years ago! And, lets take out Dr. Stacy Jenkins ovaries, uterus and cervix and tell her she will feel better than ever.

I find it fascinating that doctors will go out of their way to save men's testicles but not think twice about taking our testicles/ovaries.

The doctor that took the life I knew and loved was Dr. Jerome Gundersen of Gundersen Clinic in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He took away all my dreams and my career of hair styling and owning my own salon which I had wanted to do since I was alittle girl. He also took my zest for life and of course my health and well-being. The one thing he didn't take from me was my maternal feelings and my determination to fight so the next generation (our daughter and granddaughters) do not have to go through what we have gone through.

Leave Dr. Jenkins a message to go to the HERS Foundation Site and read "NAME THAT DOCTOR AND HOSPITAL" and see her name in highlights!
At March 29, 2009 at 9:31 AM , Bibi said...: Dear Anonymous,

First of all, you are not ALONE!!! I, as so many (and correct in stating, I am sure) millions of women have been through just what you have experienced and are still dealing with. My heart goes out to you. I am so sorry you are going through this. Isn't it just horrifying what women have to suffer with in the aftermath, not told of options, not told of what they will have to live with, and feel doctors just send them off after the damage is done; plus, feel they are making it up, over exagerrating, and yes, even crazy. The other sad facet to this is a woman having to suffer with family and friends who do not understand. It sounds like a horror movie; yet, it is happening to women! I have experienced all of this, and I had two fibroids which I also found out afterwards could have been taken care of by other options than a Hyst., and also could have done nothing and let 'Mother Nature' take her course...

But, Anonymous, I mainly write this as your comment about being so depressed and suicidal thoughts. Please hang on. This blog, thanks to the Hers Foundation, is a way to communicate with others, like yourself, and who really do understand what you are going through. We are here to listen and help. I wish I could hug you right now. Just do not give up!

I have felt the same before. I want to kill the doctor who did this to me; well, verbally. I wish he could feel what I feel, and live with it. How dare doctors get away with this, and all for the almighty dollar. I wish I could go back in time, and have run out of that doctor's office when he first mentioned "Hysterectomy". What is done is done; however, and how do we move forward? By reaching out and communicating with women who have been through just what you have - again, you are not alone! Remember this as being most important. I want to ask you to contact me asap, and I will talk with you. Please email me by contacting HERS at hersfdn@earthlink.net or calling 610.667.7757 and they will give you my email address and phone number. Please contact me right away. I would love to talk with you. You can call me, and I will call you right back also...my dime. When you call, and I don't answer; just leave a msg.; as I am usually home, but sometimes do not get to the phone quickly enough (on crutches). You can call me anytime. I don't care how late it is. Don't worry about that one bit. Please, please call me.

To everyone out there, "Hello" and hugs...
At March 29, 2009 at 10:09 AM , Gracie said...: That is what is so valuable about this blog site. You can get ahold of the HERS Foundation and get women's email addresses or phone numbers in your area and talk with them. We do know what you are experiencing and believe you! Please let us-the experts help you.

Sometimes it is hard to get your family and friends to believe you. My family knew right away I wasn't feeling well. I was the hyper one in our family always doing things for everyone and organizing all our family events.

Why would anyone want to lie about how we are feeling? No one wants to feel like this. So empty and lonely.

I tell women to stop going to an OBGYN for check-ups because they are trained to do surgeries and during one of those visits will find 'something' wrong with you. You will be told that you are going to die or get cancer if you don't have the surgery. Then after, they ship you off to every department in the clinic especially if you say you feel depressed (more money made from hysterectomies).
At March 30, 2009 at 12:17 AM , Bibi said...: Hello everyone,

I just read the latest posts. To all of you, bless your hearts. We seem to all be in the "same boat". Where is this boat sailing? We hope to help stop this insanity which has been done to us. Gracie, you brought up, with a comment relating to doctors pushing other people to see; i.e., further tests, other doctors, etc. to go to with complications after a Hyst., and how true! I dealt with the same. I kept saying to the GYN who did my Hyst. (and first said this right after my surgery) that something was wrong. Oh, he had an answer for this. He said, "It may take up to six/eight months before you feel back to par. Sometimes, it may take a year, but believe me, you will feel so much better." Well, I waited, and after the seven month, enough was enough. He said the same thing as so many others have posted what they heard from their GYNs too. After my concerns of feeling even worse and added problems, he said, "I have never heard of anyone feeling badly after her Hyst." When he said this, and at the time, I thought I was a unique subject. I also thought it could have something to do with a nerve disease/syndrome I already had: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD or CRPS for short). A statement about that shortly. Anyway, he scratched his head, and said he felt I should seek another opinion by another GYN. I did. I saw two different ones. One was of no help. The other, a woman, only referred me to a specialist at the OHSU Hospital/Clinic area in Portland, Oregon. Oh, I also, before this went to a specialist - a Gastro doctor, and had all these tests done; including a colonoscopy. I did ask this female GYN to do a Laprascopry (sp?) on me to check my abdominal area. She said she would not due to my RSD, and did not want to take a chance to do further damage to me. (Gee, why didn't the GYN who did the Hyst. on me think of that?) I even had a CT scan done on me.

So, I go to see this so called specialist GYN in Portland. It was so hard for me to get there - to make the trip. I did, and when I got into his office; it was a "Wham, Bam, Thank you, Maam." He said he felt I had Fibromyalgia, and should seek a specialist for this. I did. He was of no help. He tried to put me on Xanax. I took two days worth of those and tossed the rest. I bring this up because of Gracie's latest post here. How right she is, and I have been there, done the same. I guess I get so mad that this doctor said, "Oh, yes, you defintely have Fibromyalgia; and we need to treat it." It is all so hideous!!! I won't list all the doctors, tests, expenses I have seen/done/incurred, but all are from the Hyst. I had performed. Everyone else is fine and well; except me! I understand the point you are making so well...

Gracie and CT, if you can, please contact me. I would love to converse with you.

Hugs to all - Huge Hugs!
At March 30, 2009 at 7:14 PM , Anonymous said...: HELLO, MY NAME IS HOLLY HARDING AND IM 45 YEARS OLD. LAST SEPTEMBER I HAD A HYSTERECTOMY AND EVER SINCE THEN MY LIFE SEEMS NOT WORTH LIVING. I WAS OUTGOING, THE BELL OF THE BALL,ATHLETIC,ALWAYS HAD A SMILE AND ALWAYS MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH. NOW IM THINKING ABOUT ENDING MY LIFE DAILY. IM SO ANGRY WHAT THIS DOCTOR PUT ME THROUGH, I ASKED ALL THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND HE SAID THIS WAS THE LAST RESORT. I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A MOTHER AND NOW THATS BEEN TAKEN AWAY. IM IN CONSTENT PAIN AND DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN ANYMORE. MY LIFE AS I KNEW IT SEEMS TO BE OVER. I SEE NO REASON TO GO ON WITH MY LIFE. I KNOW THAT SOUNDS SELFISH, BUT THE PAIN IS SO BAD, I HAVE EXAUSTED MY AVENUES. READING THESE BLOGS THOUGH AT LEAST LET ME KNOW THAT I WASN'T ALONE. THANKS
At March 30, 2009 at 9:07 PM , Bibi said...: Hello (again) Everyone,

In my last post on March 30th, I also wanted to mention this, and pertaining to Gracie's last post:

I am scared and concerned about seeing another GYN, due to what has happened to me and not only because of the GYN who did the Hyst. on me, and his treatment, (or should I say "lack of"?), but the other GYNs I have seen since. Not one of them understood me, would listen to my real physical problems after the Hyst, etc., and my point is this:

I, by being this way, may have something going on, which should be looked after. My intimidation refrains me, and feel the same as Gracie with not seeing another OB/GYN doctor or recommending one see one. Isn't this sad? I have been prodded by my older sister to have a mammogram done. She is saying I am stupid not to. Well, I am scared they will find some little thing (and yet, benign), but lead me on another 'Wild Goose Chase' of doctors, specialists, tests, etc., and in the same boat as with the aftermath of my Hyst.

I did discover a small (very small)bump on my left breast when I was 27 years old. I did have it checked, and low and behold, it was nothing; except, it was because the doctor said, "You're pregnant, and this is why you have this benign little bump showing up." It was a Fibro-cystic condition which shows up more pronounced when a woman gets pregnant. He said nothing to worry about; except, that little lump in my tummy which would get more pronounced! I was ecstatic I was pregnant. It is just that I feel if I have a mammogram; they may discover the same, but have me go the gambit of ruling out anything else, and so many will make money off of this, just as with my Hyst.. I am sorry to say, and this intimidation may be wrong in some's opinion, but can you truly blame me?

I am very, very grateful, and should share this; in that, I do have a great doctor I do see. He is general practioner. He is one of the few doctors I have seen over the years I trust. I know he is genuine, has a heart, and will try not to lead me astray. He is so benevolent to all I have been through; not just with the Hyst., but the RSD, and... I also had two bouts with Spinal Meningitis. That was the first time I met him. He was the ER doctor on duty when I went in the ER with my first 'bout' with Spinal Meningitis. He ordered a spinal tap right away. He may have saved my life. It came up positive, and I was admitted and treated by him and another infectious disease doctor he recommended. I say this because there was a sixteen year old girl in my area who about six months after my first 'bout' with this, died from Spinal Meningitis. It was in the paper, and it was found out that she did go into the ER one evening, and the doctor on duty sent her home with some medication to treat a severe headache. No spinal tap was done. Had there been one done; this could have saved her life by discovery, and then treating her for this, as I was.
Come to find out, she did not have insurance... Is this why I had my Hyst., and done so 'right away'? I had excellent insurance at the time, and we know this is all checked beforehand. What concerns me with the doctor who did the Hyst. on me and saying I needed it done before the end of the year was very, very interesting...

I had insurance thru a company I was working at. I had to quit due to complications with my legs and the RSD. Both my GP and orthopedic doctor said I could not work. I quit. My insurance thru this company (again, excellent)was; however, due to cease after the first of that next year. I really believe this is why he pushed the Hyst. to be done so quickly. Oh, and heaven forbid for me to have been given any further time to research Hysts. and alternatives for fibroids! He used scare tactics as, "You cannot afford one more horrific period, and lose anymore blood from having another one. Your blood counts show you are so anemic, and this really worries me." I could cry right now with the factor that I wish I would have known then what I know now. Also, I was so pushed into this surgery by this doctor, and also my husband; as he was there at this one appt. with me when the doctor expressed this, and also (as I said before in a previous post)winked at my husband when he said, "Think about it, no more bloody periods." How crude!
My husband was surely thinking of my welfare, but had faith in this doctor, at the time, just as I did, at the time.

Would I go to another OB/GYN? No way. Only if I hear from one of you thru HERS who can recommend a good doctor to see. I am 'All Ears'...

Again, Hugs to all!
At March 30, 2009 at 9:14 PM , Nora W. Coffey, HERS Foundation said...: Holly,

I am so very sorry this was done to you. Everyone who posts on this blog understands what you are experiencing. And we know it's a living nightmare.

I'd like to tell you a little of my own experience and why I founded HERS.

I was 36 years old when I was hysterectomized and castrated by a colleague at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Like you and most women, I did the right things. I asked good questions. I got five opinions. At best, they were all wrong, at the very least they lied about the consequences of hysterectomy.

I won't lie to you. The gynecologist who did this to me, Robert Giuntoli, ruined my body, my health, and my life.

I, too, thought seriously about suicide. But I realized that if I ended my life then my life must have been pretty meaningless. And it wasn't, like you I had a full, rich life, filled love and laughter. My life was more important than allowing it to become another drop in an ocean filled with women's blood.

I can't change it for me, hysterectomy and castration can only be done, it cannot be undone.

But you have the power to change this for the next generation of women and girls. HERS is working on changing the law to compel doctors to give HERS short educational video "Female Anatomy: the Functions of the Female Organs" to every woman before she is told to sign a hysterectomy consent form. We have made great progress, and we need all of the help and support we can get. We've got a tough fight ahead, but we can do it.

You matter. Your life matters. You can help HERS stop this nightmare from becoming the legacy of the next generation of women and girls.

Two women who posted comments would like to offer you their email addresses. If you are interested in contacting them please send your email address to hersfdn@earthlink.net and we will send it to women who would like to network with you.
At April 3, 2009 at 12:31 AM , Mattie said...: For over fifty years the medical industry and gynecologists have relied on a relatively inaccurate tissue test the "Pap Smear" to diagnose cervical cancer and HPV. American women have been subjected to bear their naked bodies to gynecologists and medical doctors to be tested for over a half century. Most women in the "United States Of America" will agree, they have been taught since menstruation they were ticking time bombs vaginally and "must" disrobe to avoid becoming a female organ cancer statistic. Every year women and young girls after menstruation would be subjected to this humiliating ritual awaiting the results of their future fate. Take all of your clothes off and be vaginally invaded with gloved hands and cold medical instruments or die, basically.

There is no medical reason to get naked to be tested for possible female organ cancer anymore. An accurate blood test for the detection of cervical cancer is approved in the "United States Of America". It is called the, "CSA Blood Test".
At April 5, 2009 at 12:08 PM , Anonymous said...: An attorney has filed a lawsuit against my gynecologist/surgeon. So I can't say the doctor's name right now. In my case, I needed a hysterectomy. The problem is my doctor suggested and planned a LAVH. I was consented for a LAVH at my pre-op appt and at the hospital the morning of my surgery. However, I woke up the next day having had a TAH. I feel like I was butchered against my will and consent. I had post-op complications because hte hospital let me vomit for four hours after my surgery which ruptured my big incision, internal sutures, caused hematoma, echymosis, and other problems. Starting with my surgery, I have been in severe back pain, numbness in hand and feet, weak muscles in legs, and severe pelvic pain. I feel a pulling and tugging feeling in pelvic area no matter how I move my body. I can't work much. It hurts to stand, sit, lie down, and to move. I'm in pain all the time. My doctor didn't help me after surgery. I've gone to many doctors and none of them will help me because they want to protect their peer. They said to just take anti depressants. Finally, after much persistance, I got a referral to a pain management doctor. He diagnosed the back pain as Sacroiliitis. It can be caused during surgery due to body placement. He referred me to physical therapy. I went to an "Internal" physical therapist who works on women. She diagnosed severe pelvic floor dysfunction, said that my abdominal muscles were not even engaged any more, found entrapped lymph nodes, scar tissue, and my bladder and vagina are stuck together due to adhesions. She said my abdominal wall was retricted. It is so painful all the time! I have no life and it's been a financial disaster. I now have an appt to see a doctor about doing a laparoscopy for removing the adhesions. I don't know what will happen with my lawsuit. I'm told that doctors win by lying and that all the hospital people will lie to protect her. My doctor wrote false information in my medical records to cover up her negligence so always get copies of your medical records from doctors, hospitals, and out-patient surgery centers right away. I was shocked at what I read in my records! Full of lies and medical errors. If you are in pain, find out if you have Sacroiliitis and try to find a PT that does "internal" work on pelvic floor dysfunction. I will post more info when lawsuit is decided. Hang in there everyone. If you need a hysterectomy try NOT to have a TAH. Find an expert who does Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy. You don't need to be butchered with a TAH.
At April 5, 2009 at 12:09 PM , Anonymous said...: An attorney has filed a lawsuit against my gynecologist/surgeon. So I can't say the doctor's name right now. In my case, I needed a hysterectomy. The problem is my doctor suggested and planned a LAVH. I was consented for a LAVH at my pre-op appt and at the hospital the morning of my surgery. However, I woke up the next day having had a TAH. I feel like I was butchered against my will and consent. I had post-op complications because hte hospital let me vomit for four hours after my surgery which ruptured my big incision, internal sutures, caused hematoma, echymosis, and other problems. Starting with my surgery, I have been in severe back pain, numbness in hand and feet, weak muscles in legs, and severe pelvic pain. I feel a pulling and tugging feeling in pelvic area no matter how I move my body. I can't work much. It hurts to stand, sit, lie down, and to move. I'm in pain all the time. My doctor didn't help me after surgery. I've gone to many doctors and none of them will help me because they want to protect their peer. They said to just take anti depressants. Finally, after much persistance, I got a referral to a pain management doctor. He diagnosed the back pain as Sacroiliitis. It can be caused during surgery due to body placement. He referred me to physical therapy. I went to an "Internal" physical therapist who works on women. She diagnosed severe pelvic floor dysfunction, said that my abdominal muscles were not even engaged any more, found entrapped lymph nodes, scar tissue, and my bladder and vagina are stuck together due to adhesions. She said my abdominal wall was retricted. It is so painful all the time! I have no life and it's been a financial disaster. I now have an appt to see a doctor about doing a laparoscopy for removing the adhesions. I don't know what will happen with my lawsuit. I'm told that doctors win by lying and that all the hospital people will lie to protect her. My doctor wrote false information in my medical records to cover up her negligence so always get copies of your medical records from doctors, hospitals, and out-patient surgery centers right away. I was shocked at what I read in my records! Full of lies and medical errors. If you are in pain, find out if you have Sacroiliitis and try to find a PT that does "internal" work on pelvic floor dysfunction. I will post more info when lawsuit is decided. Hang in there everyone. If you need a hysterectomy try NOT to have a TAH. Find an expert who does Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy. You don't need to be butchered with a TAH.
At April 8, 2009 at 8:12 AM , Anonymous said...: It has been almost a year and a half. I haven't gotten over it. I cry every day. It physically hurts me to know that my life can never be saved. I have written a letter to this evil doctor telling her what she has taken away....my life...my children's mother...my husband's wife. Life isn't worth living anymore. And I am certainly tired of living it like this. There is no hope to be had. And the idea that I would stay alive just to get the message out to other women is preposterous. I deserve to be happy again. And I will be. But you keep on doing what you do. I hope you help thousands, maybe millions, of women to make a better decision than the one I had made for me.
At April 8, 2009 at 9:46 AM , Anonymous said...: Being involved in a lawsuit myself against a doctor who lied and performed an unnecessary TAH BSO on me, I can tell you that yes, they all lie to cover their asses. My medical records are also laced with lies, inconsistencies, and falsified documents. It's sickening what they do to women, and worse, how they lie and scam to vindicate themselves.
At April 15, 2009 at 5:22 PM , Mi GifT said...: I am in utter horror as I read all of your stories. The same stories over and over.I cannot believe that there are so many stories, situations, experiences. Feelings so like mine.

My un-needed total hysterectomy was in 2005. Performed by

Dr. Michael Seikel
OKC Baptist Medical Center

Head of the OBGYN Unit
Same man who delivered both of my daughters.
I man I thought I could trust after being my doctor for 22 years.
A Dr. who told me this would be the best decision I would ever make.
A Dr. who said he would not perform a hysterectomy unless it was a life or death situation.
He was right, it was a death situation, he killed me.
I awoke to hollowness, both physically and emotionally.
I asked him when would I start to feel like my old self again?
He smiled and said "You won't" That by having a hysterectomy I have aged my body and mind
about 10 to 15 years. And I am now in menopause."
That was how I was told.

I have been a Shut-In since 2004.
6 months ago I started forcing myself to leave my front door. Now I leave my home about once every couple of weeks. I apologize in advance for being so lengthy, but this is the first time I have ever had a chance to express myself in over 4 years. Thank you for listening.
My counselor says I am agoraphobic.
Mabey.
Mabey I am afraid of being invisible.

The suicidal thoughts are overwhelming in all of us.
I say ENOUGH!!
Why is it that we Americans were so horrified with the castration of women in the African tribes, and it was discussed on nearly every news program (60 minutes, 20/20, National Geographic...) until it was finally outlawed?
IS not what doctors doing to us the same?
Just because they have medical licenses society says it is OK?
Just because we weren't castrated by a tribal leader makes it OK?

We have to do something MORE!

I AM ANGRY as I know you all are.

If we all still had our organization, our clear thoughts and feelings, our passion and our SEX DRIVE (confidence) I know that this would not still be an issue.
We would have made sure things changed. Remember when we were whole, we went to demonstrations, protests, we stood our ground with important issues.
Now that we have been castrated society looks at us as an unequal.
Humans, without even knowing anything medical, look at us different, respect us less, listen to us nada!

It is not their fault I think,
but it is the change of our phermones. I believe that others sense us now as damaged, unimportant, not sexually viable any longer.
Our phermones (Our smell of sexuality) that are sent to others, give confidence, give authority, encourages others to respect us.
It is an animal behavior that cannot be helped by others and definately makes us feel sexually disfigured
We are an animal being, and phermones, which come from our sexual organs, change after hysterectomy's, which then change the way society reads us, therefore changing the way society reads us.
I believe this is why we are not the same strength, the same spirit the same person as before.

I was a very strong business women for 20 years, I caught eyes walking down the street, in a conference room, or in a motivational meeting. People usually listened to me and mabey not agreed, but at least respected what I had to say.
NOW, I can't even get a Dr. to listen to me,
a counselor, a family member.. NO ONE!
It seems actually, people try very hard to NOT have ANY eye contact.
I used to be a very physical person, a person who depended on eye contact throughout conversations, Now people avoid any kind of eye contact.
Even my own mom couldn't, wouldn't look at me.
I pleaded with her that things were off, Just look at me I said, She said she saw nothing different. That is was all in my head, ( I was 80 lbs heavier and my complexion sallow)
Now for the first time, I feel like I am not crazy.
WE ARE CHANGED!

It seems as if the human race doesn't care any longer.
I feel as if I have no place here any longer
No worth or need
I miss hugs
I miss life.
I miss passion.
I miss my spirit
And I am tired of crying.
Something has to be done!
SOMETHING!
At April 22, 2009 at 1:19 PM , Anonymous said...: To Mi Gift, you really said it all. I've also found that no one will listen. I was also given an unnecessary hysterectomy, ovaries, uterus, cervix, everything for no reason. Like you, I did not agree to it. What I find even more devastating is that, like you said, no one will listen. These doctors are committing a crime, yet no one is doing anything about it except the HERS Foundation. All my life people listened to me, but now when I've been lied to, attacked and mutilated, no one wants to hear about it. It is the most devastating horrific thing I have ever encountered. If a doctor amputated our leg for no reason (we'd be a lot healthier), everyone would feel sorry for us, but since they amputated our sex organs which can't be seen, they just look the other way. I don't get it. I can't even imagine why this is allowed to go on for one second. When a woman says she was deceived and her sex organs were removed w/o any medical basis, the government and the media should be all over it, but instead it's just silence except for those of us speaking out here. It's a sick world, and the U.S. is even sicker for allowing this to go on.
At May 13, 2009 at 11:30 AM , B said...: I am in a similar position to Anon Feb 5, 2009 5:41 AM

I am not sure who will see this as it's the last comment in an old long thread. The condensed version of my story is I am 28. I have three children. I had a complicated third pregnancy with retained tissue that had to be removed three weeks later via a D&C which we ended up doing in my OB's office under no anaesthesia (sign #1 that my OB is a hack).

Currently (approx. one year later) I am in near constant uterine pain and bleed more weeks than not. Her diagnosis from this Monday 05/11 is Adenomyosis from the trauma of childbirth and the horrendous in-office D&C (although she would never say the latter) and she is, of course, recommending a hysterectomy...
At May 13, 2009 at 12:33 PM , Mi Gift said...: This is to "B"
"B" See more doctors, get more opinions3,4,even 5 until YOUR gut tells you NOT THE DOCTORS tell youitis right to do so.
I know it seems like a headache and its annoying sitting and waiting in doctors offices and they think you are a quack for asking sooooo many questions but it is YOUR life and you have to live it. You might even do some research and find a compounding pharmacist or a DO or someone who believes highly in HRT just to see what their opinions are and what drugs and hormones you would be having to take and how much they are going to cost you and how they are going to make you feel. Remember all this will be worth it because no one will tell you but they ARE removing your sexual organs and I don't care how much HRT they give you it will never be the same as before.
Also, you might ask to be put on birth control pills (highest dosage possible) that way you can see how your body will react to the estrogen.
My body would not absorb it, made me nauseous and gave me brown age spots on my face.
So now they have to put me on creams, arm creams, thigh creams, vaginal creams UGGG, at $300.00 a month they still don't do the job
100%. Not even 50%.
So now is the time to research, research, research.
Your life is in YOUR hands!
After all you don't want to loose your "naughtiness" :)
Good luck!
At May 13, 2009 at 7:21 PM , B said...: Thank you Mi Gift. I had decided I would get a second opinion-but now I am convinced and perhaps will not stop at two. You are correct it can be a pain and seem expensive up front to "needlessly" visit several doctors when already given a diagnosis and "cure" but the numbers you threw out for HRT are ridiculous. I'm only 28 (so the timeline of cost for HRT could be lengthy) and I'm sure those numbers aren't even your beginning.

So, thank you-I'm listening.
At May 13, 2009 at 10:15 PM , Mad as Hell said...: To B,

Have you contact HERS to schedule a consultation? They should be able to provide some direction and possibly even refer you to a doctor that can be trusted. Once you go under anesthesia, there's no guarantee that you won't wake up minus your uterus and/or ovaries! Unbelievable? Yes! Does it happen? Yes, a lot! Having your consent form specifically state that no organs are to be removed is not even a guarantee.

Good luck! Post back with your success; we want to hear from another woman saved from this lifelong hell!

Oh, and please "tell those doctors off" that suggest hysterectomy. Give them a piece of your mind!
At May 15, 2009 at 11:56 AM , Anonymous said...: I think one of the hardest things for me, and it is ALL hard, is the fact that people do NOT want to hear about it. They kind of give me the sad eye thing and then I can almost feel the eye roll. The ' Enough already '. The just get on with it.

I don't want to get on with it
At May 15, 2009 at 3:44 PM , Mi Gift said...: Does anyone know if anyone anywhere would do an ovarian transplant? Or stem cell therapy to grow a new ovary?
I know this sounds crazy but I am almost at the crazy point, If ANYONE KNOWS please tell (Why couldn't it be done?
It doesn't have to be here it can be anywhere , India, I don't know.
But I figured out that the transplant costs would still be less $ than HRT and prescriptions plus you could at least feel halfway like a woman again.
At May 16, 2009 at 3:17 PM , CT said...: I read a Gynecology Medical Journal from 1903 on Google, and they talked about how they did an ovary transplant in a rabbit and she conceived. Not only have they known how to do that for over a hundred years, they've also clearly known that hysterectomy/castration causes considerable damage to a woman. In the last hundred years, all they done is looked for new ways to hysterectomize women instead of helping them. It's sickening.
At May 17, 2009 at 2:00 AM , Anonymous said...: I went to see Dr. Lloyd Trujillo in Colorado Springs for irregular and heavy bleeding. Before examining me, he said he believed I had cancer. In the second appointment, he said I had a tumor that must come out and I needed a hysterectomy. During pre-op, he asked me if I wanted to keep my ovaries. I wondered why he would ask me that during a pre-op appointment. I asked him if it would be Ok to keep them. He chuckled and said, "Oh, for now". I had a bad feeling inside about the doctor and the way everything had been handled. I drove to another doctor for another opinion before the surgery and heard the word "fibroid" for the first time. I did not have cancer or a dangerous tumor after all. I received a series of iron injections through a IV because my iron was dangerously low and had a D&C. I feel much better now and take prometrium and have not had a period for several months. I think I am in menopause. Every few months, I go in for a sonogram to check my uterus lining and fibroids for growth. Last month, my lining was thick and I got a biopsy and learned I am OK. I will continue to check my lining and uterus every few months to make sure everything is OK. As it turned out, my few and small fibroids were not giving me any problems. I only have a hormone imbalance. The book, "What your doctor may not tell you about menopause" was very helpful in understanding the natural hormonal changes a woman goes through. I was very naive in the beginning but fortunately I saved my organs and avoided emotional and physical problems that would have lasted a lifetime. I am so thankful I followed my intuition and fled to other doctor's offices for other opinions and saved my organs.
At May 17, 2009 at 2:23 PM , CT said...: To Anonymous. So glad to hear you avoided this barbaric surgery. Your story is all too common. Women are being lied to by the millions so that criminal gynecologists can perform unnecessary surgeries. You were lucky that your second opinion didn't try to do the same thing. Some women have gotten more than 10 opinions, all the same. They lie that it might be cancer, and when it isn't, they amputate your organs anyway. It's nice to hear that someone avoided it. Thanks for posting. Why is our government allowing this to be done to women?
At May 20, 2009 at 11:38 PM , Anonymous said...: I find the stories by the women on this site shocking and unfortunate. I also had a vaginal hysterectomy recently but my experience has been totally the opposite of the other women. The day after surgery I was up and walking with no pain or even bleeding! Even a month later I feel totally normal. I also had a D&C with blood transfusions a month before the hysterectomy, also with no pain or bleeding.
At May 21, 2009 at 7:29 PM , Anonymous said...: I am glad you are happy with your decision. Many women, myself included had no problems before, during or after surgery. The problems take a while to surface.

The issues that show their ugly heads in 6 months or so are more than most can deal with. Yes, you will have them too. Did you check out the WHOLE web site? Watch the video and read the blogs and facts? These are not made up.

I am wondering why your doctor recommended a hysterectomy? Were you informed about alternate surgeries or treatment so you could make an informed decision? Were you told of the consequences of having this surgery? Did your doctor tell you about hormones and there affect on you? Did he tell you that you will no longer have uterine orgasm? Sex will forever change?

Please enlighten us a bit.
At May 21, 2009 at 10:49 PM , Debbie Quest said...: I so sorry to hear that your doctor did this to you. I am glad to hear you came through it well and feel good at this time, but sorry to burst your bubble but give it a few months, you may not notice at first but slowly you will see what this horrible surgery has truly done to you. I'm sorry for you, and everyones life that has been ruined. My story is here, I was only 23 years old when it happened to me, I am now 46 and have suffered in so many ways for 23 years now, but you have no choice but to try to learn to live with it, but your life will never been the same. Good luck to you but any doctor that still performs a hysterectomy should not be praised, there are too many other proceedures that can be proformed these days.
At May 22, 2009 at 11:04 AM , Mi Gift said...: To Anomonous ~ 6 comments up ~
I have been worried about you ever since reading your "NOT WANTING TO GET ON WITH IT" Are you gonna be alright, not alright as in alright cause non of us are alright anymore, but are you OK? Please let us know you are OK.
Thanks
At May 22, 2009 at 7:23 PM , Anonymous said...: I am curios as to the posting from anonymous who just doesn't understand why we are so upset here. Where did you go? Post and run?
You, my dear, are one month out, correct? You have a LONG WAY TO GO. I went in to surgery for removal of a cyst. A benign cyst. My doctor took EVERYTHING. 'Everything' was healthy. Yes, I felt fine after surgery. I did not feel bad BEFORE surgery!I was extremely fit and recovered easily. Except for feeling raped as I was castrated and hysterectomised with out my concent, I felt fine.

Give yourself 6 months to a year. Let us know when you cannot control your emotions, are ANGRY for no reason, cry for no reason, cannot find a combination of hormones to make you feel better than ever as your doctor promised. Wait til the pounds pile on. Sex becomes a thing of the past. You look at your husband and kids and feel nothing. The fatigue sets in.

Partial list. You will understand.

I am really wondering why you posted this and left?? We would value your input.
At May 22, 2009 at 11:54 PM , Mad as Hell said...: To anonymous who had a hysterectomy a month ago and has had the opposite experience from the women on this blog -

First of all, do you really feel fine? Why are you surfing the net about hysterectomy if you're feeling fine and have no concerns? I too was up and walking almost right after my surgery and cooking dinner for my family the day I came home from the hospital. I felt fine (except, as another poster said, I felt raped).

But as the months went by, I realized that this was a nightmare that never ends. I first realized what was done to me about 3 months post-op when I was reading a steamy scene in a novel and I felt NOTHING! Then the RAPID AGING started. Although I was fortunate to not gain weight, my physique changed. My flat abs started protruding as my spine compressed from the ligaments that were cut to remove my uterus. The curve of my back disappeared making my butt appear flat. And I know it's going to get worse.

And this was all for a benign cyst on one ovary and a training opportunity for two post-graduate students.

If your ovaries were spared, then you may be one of the "lucky" ones whose ovaries continue to produce hormones. However, I suspect that even if they do, as time goes by you'll be angry at what your doctor did to your body and health just like the other posters. I hope when this happens, you aren't like a lot of hysterectomized women and act like "it's the best thing I ever did" but instead are truthful. Only then can hysterectomy be stopped and the next generation be saved from this horror.
At May 25, 2009 at 12:18 PM , Anonymous said...: AS A REGISTERED NURSE I TOO ALMOST WENT THROUGH WITH A TOTAL ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY. DR HEATHER APPELBAUM,WITH LONG ISLAND JEWISH HOSPITAL, NY, WAS VERY PUSHY INSISTING IT WAS THE BEST THING FOR ME, SEEING I DIDN'T WANT KIDS ( WHO TOLD HER THAT) & CANCER- HOW COULD SHE DETERMINE THIS WITHOUT A BIOPSY OR AN ONCOLOGIST!! ILLEGAL... SHE ALSO DIAGNOSED ME WITH PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE & OVARIAN CYST, WELL AFTER SHE KINDLY PROVIDED ME WITH DR'S WITHIN HER PRACTICE WITH SECOND OPINIONS--SAME AS HERS. AFTER I COMPOSED MYSELF, I GOT MY MEDICAL RECORDS & FOUND A REALLY GOOD OB/GYN, WHO DID A BIOPSY, FOUND NO CANCER, THEN GAVE ME OPTIONS, I HAD A MYOMECTOMY & I HAVE ALL MY ORGANS INTACT, NO FIBROIDS, NO OTHER DISEASES FOUND.
I AM SHOCKED AT THAE ARCHAIC PRACTICE OF REMOVING AN ORGAN WITHOUT DISEASE, I WONDER IF A MAN NEEDED HI ORGAN REMOVED, WOW, WE'D GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO FIND A WAY OF AVOIDING THAT SURGERY.
I WAS LIED TO BY DR HEATHER APPELBAUM, SHE EVEN LIED IN HER MD NOTE, SHE NEVER GAVE ME OPTIONS, SHE NEVER SPOKE TO ME FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES, SHE WROTE 50 MINS, I AM SO DISAPPOINTED, I HOPE NOBODY EVER IS A VICTIM OF SUCH A DISGUSTING LACK OF COMPASSION. LUCKILY I NEVER WENT BACK TO HER, HER INCOMPETENCE IS DISAPPOINTING, AS A FEMALE YOU WOULD THINK SHE'D HAVE MORE SENSITIVITY TO A WOMAN. SHE NEVER RETURNED ANY OF MY CALLS, SO UNPROFESSIONAL, I GUESS SHE REALIZED I KNEW WHAT SHE WAS UP TO.
At May 25, 2009 at 12:19 PM , Anonymous said...: A so called "woman" posts, stating how wonderful she is after "she" had her "sex organ amputated", like women don't "need one"! Women who have had a hysterectomy are "sex organ amputees" medical fact.
People who say they don't have any medical problems after having a "sex organ amputation", are encouraging others to join them in their misery.
At May 25, 2009 at 12:37 PM , Anonymous said...: addendum to dr heather appelbaum blog-- by the way, a myomectomy is the removal of fibroids only, leaving the uterus & ovaries intact, difficult & tedious, but worth it for the patient.
At May 25, 2009 at 2:49 PM , HERS Foundation said...: B,

The only way to diagnose adenomyosis without removing the uterus is with an MRI. It's important that the written order the doctor gives a woman to get an MRI does NOT say suspected adenomyosis, or clinical history of adenomyosis. If adenomyosis appears anywhere on the order to get the study done it will the radiologist in that direction, which would not be a truly independent opinion.
At May 27, 2009 at 3:23 PM , Anonymous said...: Any one feel as bad as I do for attacking the med student?? Some of the posts were over the top. Granted, it is the time to approach doctors but this poor guy was bombarded!

I think HERS needs to tone down the web site a tad as to not scare away first time lookers. I have heard numerous times from people I tell about the site, that HERS is just trying to scare and intimidate women. Make it a bit 'FLUFFY' so people are not feeling, for lack of a better word, bullied. Women facing a hysterectomy are having a hard time anyway. I feel that the friendly voices on the other sites draw them in. All those stupid ((HUGS)) and stuff.

Not everyone wants or accepts the truth thrown in their face. They need it in doses.
At June 1, 2009 at 3:43 PM , Anonymous said...: WOW! Did I post that?? FLUFFY??? Sorry,I think it was the wine talking!
At June 15, 2009 at 11:48 PM , Anonymous said...: I went to Shea Moses in Flowood, Ms. I see there was a previous poster. I just didn't complain to her. But I am suicidal. I know how...just not when or where. This is no way to live. Constant pain...feeling like a freak.....non-sexual....she is a liar and a fraud.
At June 16, 2009 at 8:43 AM , Anonymous said...: Thanks Nora. But I am too ashamed to tell anyone what has happened to me. My friends, except for a couple, don't even know I had this surgery. You are right. My whole life is destroyed. And I just can't find the will-power to want to live this way for another 40 or so years, regardless of any "difference" I could possible make. I have become a recluse of sorts, only going out when absolutely necessary. My kids don't even add joy to my life anymore. What is done is done. And there is nobody that can help me. I can't think of anything that would anything about this whole situation any better. Hopeless...that is probably the best word for my life now. I don't trust ANY doctor anymore. Not even for the simplest things such as bronchitis. Life, at this point, is pure hell. I keep thinking things will get better as time passes, but they don't. Is there anyone that could offer any hope?
At June 16, 2009 at 9:30 AM , Anonymous said...: I feel the same.I rarely sleep all night.I see no reason to get out of bed.Lately I have been telling my husband to go get a girlfriend.Funny thing is,I MEAN it.I don't even care.At least HE should be happy.I know where you are coming from. I,too,know 'how'.I,too, will not go to a doctor again.I wanted to sue but my doctor has his lies covered up very well.He will continue to do this horrible thing for many years.If I try to tell people they do not want to know.I am over reacting.I was stupid.No one cares.
At June 16, 2009 at 12:26 PM , Gracie said...: We all know what you are going through and yes we probably all wanted to take our lives at one time or another. To the Mom's with children: please don't take your life because your children need you no matter how ill you feel right now.

My surgery was 21 years ago and everytime I wanted to take my life I would look at my precious two boys and think, I can't leave them for someone else to raise. I had waited a long time to have children and this was not the way I wanted to leave them thinking it was their fault if I took my life.

You have the Hers Foundation and all the women writing on this blog to help you through this. I never knew for years there was help out there because I was told by dozens of doctors it was all in my head. I knew it was from the surgery and searched for answers and finally found the Hers Foundation and what a blessing that was!

I just decided one day that I was going to pick myself up and not let the doctor win. I started walking and eating right and fighting these doctors and hospitals by writing editorials in the newpapers how this surgery destroys a woman, her husband, career and health.

Once you feel like you can help us fight, we need you to get a law passed. Don't be ashamed because it is not your fault this happened to you, it is your doctor. AND, yes, it is hard to sue these doctors that are doing this barbaric surgery and destroying our lives. They are protected by the courts and by our government.
At June 16, 2009 at 8:11 PM , Anonymous said...: I too was suicidal. But, like Gracie, I decided that I would not let the doctor (Richard Muckerman II) and hospital (St. John's Mercy Medical Center) that did this to me destroy my life and the lives of my loved ones.

I am now on a mission to expose the truth about this horrible abuse of women. Like Rick Schweikert told me, it's the doctor and hospital and everyone else involved (doctor's office staff, oncologists, nurses, anesthesiologists, pathologists, etc.) that should feel the shame, not me.

I have been networking with a lot of other women who have had this surgery to get support and provide support. And since 1 in 3 women has a hyst by the age of 60, there are plenty out there! I figure if all these women can go on, so can I.

I hope you make the choice to live and join us in the fight to end this atrocity.
At June 16, 2009 at 8:34 PM , Anonymous said...: Ya know, I have been to SO many attorneys. But I am not injured. I am not dead or brain dead or in a wheel chair. I am not hurt enough to bother with. I am not enough to bother about. Go away. OK
At June 16, 2009 at 9:13 PM , CT said...: Anonymous, I know exactly how you feel. It feels like not only does no one understand, but no one cares either. These criminal doctors have done an excellent job with their propaganda to the general public. People don't actually think this surgery is any big deal, and the fact you can't see it makes it hard for others to understand. I've felt so many times like I am so alone and no one cares. I am still shocked every day to wake up and find that this is my reality. These "doctors" are nothing more than criminals masquerading as healthcare professionals. They probably even drool when they look at an intact woman, just thinking about how they can cut out her sex organs. I think of suicide often, but on my better days, I think, why should I harm myself? I didn't do anything wrong. I am not the one who should be harmed. It's very difficult to find an attorney for these cases, and even more difficult to win. Medical malpractice cases are very difficult even when it's blatantly clear, but if there's any confusion, they are almost impossible. I don't know what your situation is, but I would suggest to keep trying. It may not get you anywhere, but it might, but don't take it personal. This is the harsh reality of what we've all learned about the U.S. Medical people can do anything they want to you and no one cares or does anything about it. It's shocking, sickening, and maddening. These criminal doctors want us to shut up and go away, because then they can just keep doing this to more women. Don't shut up, don't go away.
At June 16, 2009 at 10:18 PM , Anonymous said...: I forgot to mention that the hysterectomized women that knew I was having this surgery should also be ashamed for not being honest with me. One even hugged me and told me I'd be okay - just be sure to work only 1/2 days the first week back to work.

Shame on them!
At June 17, 2009 at 7:15 AM , HERS Foundation said...: To Anonymous...Is there anyone that could offer any hope?
I can offer hope in that you are a very honest woman who is telling the world the truth about how it feels to be surgically physically changed so drastically. In reality what you are saying is medically expected after sex organ amputation operations concerning women and men.
Now we know that you are sane and reaching out. The saddest thing of all is that it is embarrassing for women. The gynecological medical industry "banks" on women, by the tens of millions, being "too embarrassed" to admit what was medically done to them. Warranted "Anger" is healthy and will cause change..."HAVE LAW".
At June 18, 2009 at 10:47 AM , Anonymous said...: I will confess to once having thoughts of suicide. Yes, hysterectomy and castration can take you there quickly.I lacked the courage. That- and hubby was there telling me what a selfish thing it would be.
A nurse that I know tells me that infants with a severe bowel infection will be treated and that, at times, digesting matter will be routed out of the body, around the treated gut, and then back into their GI tract. Why? Because despite all the medicos knowledge, skill, medicines, machines, etc. the human body can balance itself better than they can. Despite having a one to one ration of nurse to patient, despite all manner of monitors, IVs, and machines.
So falls the medico's cruel fallacy of HRT right along with their use of the eupheism of "surgical menopause" instead of castration. Ah, yes, the words found on this list are not "fluffy"...but, then, I cannot stoop to their pond scum level. I say leave it to bastards to bastardize language.
Ah, but I digress. Anonymous, obviously, I did not kill myself. And extended time has proven that it would have been a huge and, yes, selfish mistake. For you see, while my children were grown at the time of my contemplation, time has brought this old woman a daughter and grandchild who need her so very desperately.
You see, my grandson, who is two, is special needs and can do nothing for himself. No day care will take him-- and it wouldn't be safe there for him anyway.
Anonymous, he possesses a quick mind but a quicker smile--despite his daily struggle in a painful body that refuses to obey the simplest of commands.
Don't you see? If he can sweetly persevere, then how can we do any less?
There is an old saying that, "That which does not destroy me, makes me stronger!" When I share it with you, I share my own mantra.
Nora, is right in that you can help us save other women. And who knows what else will come your way-
and who and to what extent you'll be letting someone else down if you go? Do not let the medicos take anymore from you, nor, from your family! Be stubborn in this!!
You've asked for help, so, here I will try by telling you what helps me. I have found one bottled thing that helps me with the sadness: fish oil. There is some reasoning behind it. The ovaries secrete oxytocin, the hormone of mating and maternal behaviors as well as being a stress reducer, muscle contractor, and a vasodilator. It is my lay belief that the loss of oxytocin is as crippling an endocrine loss as any. Well, there is an ingredient in fish that is chemically very similar to oxytocin. Which is not to say that this, or, anything else is a cure, but, that it could be worth a try to see if it helps. The many benefits of fish oil are well documented in medical literature. I take the triple omega 3-6-9 with flax, fish, and borage oils.
At June 18, 2009 at 10:49 AM , Anonymous said...: Continuing anonymous "B": I also use the natural progesterone creme sparingly and a bio identical estrogen patch. Again, these aren't cures; however, they do help me to function.
Concerning progesterone, an ovarian steroid, it seems a Grady/Emory research project lead by David Wright (published in April's 2007 Annals of Emergency Medicine) on "severe traumatic brain injury" showed a 50 percent reduction in the mortality rate for those treated with progesterone as compared to the placebo group. For patients with "moderate brain injuries," the study showed less disability in the progesterone group.
And an Emory neurobiologist, Donald Stein, has been working for more than 20 years on progesterone. "In fact," Stein has said, "progesterone is a neurosteroid." It is present in high levels in pregnant women-40 to 60 times higher than in women who are not pregnant- because it helps to keep the fetus healthy and "provides nourishment to growing nerve cells."
Stein has been testing progesterone's effectiveness at treating stroke in animals. Preliminary results, Stein said, are promising: substantial reduction in the damaged area- the brain tissue that is dying because of a lack of blood- after a stroke if progesterone is used..... Interesting, eh?
Btw, this is all despite the progesterone treatment being delayed in starting for an extended amount of time while they obtained informed consent.
My personal opinion is that, with rare exception, the gyn field stands alone in its' widespread abuse of the doctrine of informed consent. Hence, the desperate need for the HERS Foundation, Nora, and for the HAVE Law.
At June 18, 2009 at 4:13 PM , Anonymous said...: This all just amazes me. Especially since my (doctor) husband told me just the other night that the research shows that 90% of women are HAPPY that they had a hysterectomy.

I saw my therapist today, after two days of triple dosing on Xanax and wine. When I expressed my feelings of not having any feeling during sex, his comment to me, and I quote, "ok, so you won't ever feel good during sex again. But you can still have sex with your husband. He will still enjoy it".

May they all rot in hell.....as far as thoughts of my own suicide being selfish, I think it is much more selfish of those who tell me not to kill myself that I should stay alive for them, my kids, etc. That I should just "get over it", and live for other people. I am a freak and am too ashamed to tell anyone what has happened to me for fear of being looked at as an "it" and not a woman. My kids don't need me, not as I am. They need who I used to be, and that isn't coming back.
At June 18, 2009 at 8:21 PM , Anonymous said...: First, the studies showing 90% happy following hysterectomy? There's an old adage that addresses that one, too: "figures lie and liars figure." My belief is that the medical research showing such happiness is designed to show that from the start. We must consider who does these studies as well as who funds them-and why.
Then there's the many women who cannot face the truth- even to themselves, much less to others. I always try to keep in mind that these women are endocrine deprived and, perhaps, less responsible for their actions.
If anyone is looking for validation, it should be easy to find in gyn's own dated texts (which can be available online).
As to the "ok, so you won't ever feel good during sex again. But you can still have sex with your husband. He will still enjoy it".
My opinion is that that is way beyond insensitive. I'd see about getting someone new. There are therapists who specialize in patients whose troubles center around their medical treatment. You might be able to find a better fit among their ranks.
Concerning hubby's using the selfish argument to keep me here..
He fought very hard for me. Sometimes, the ties that bind turn out to be our anchors in the most violent of storms.
I'd not have you go under. Remember fast the ties that held you. For myself, I clung desperately to my memory of loving this man and our children.
Doctor or not, mates can have a difficult time dealing with hysterectomy's many negative consequences. Additionally, our spouses can feel that they didn't protect us...
I've often wondered if there isn't an element of domination involved when one does this to another's wife.
At June 19, 2009 at 12:27 AM , Anonymous said...: I have to come back to this thread, despite that I am not sure of what else to say. I cannot truthfully tell you that you should hang in there because you'll soon recover. No, it has been a decade for me and recover is still not a word that I would use, though, the medicos falsely tout it loudly and often enough...but I can tell you that it won't always be as raw as it is now. I can tell you that the human spirit is nothing if not resilient. I can tell you that you're a priceless woman.. that a nameless poster can easily recognize this from afar. That it is to the medicos' everlasting disgrace that they couldn't see your value, couldn't appreciate your worth. It is they who are impoverished of spirit. Let it be them alone who cannot live with themselves.
At June 19, 2009 at 12:36 AM , Anonymous said...: I never had children. Never wanted any. Never had time. I liked me. I liked being alone and EXTREMELY busy and active and happy. I am now alone and tired and unable do and am very, very unhappy. I had lovers. Lots. They were wonderful. I have nothing now. I had the most beautiful arms. I had such a beautiful body. I have become a blob. I cannot look in the mirror. I hate myself. Suicide will be a blessing. Selfish?? Hardly.
At June 19, 2009 at 1:09 AM , HERS Foundation said...: The majority of women posting on this blog understand your loss and the terrible betrayal that has destroyed your life.

But you have the power to change this for the next generation of girls and women. No one can undo the harm done to you. There is no remedy. And no one can give another a reason to wake up every day. Only you can decide if making our society a safer place for the next generation is something worth living for. For myself, it is the only reason. I will not let Robert Giuntoli take that power away from me. I will not put my life in anyone else's hands again, and I will use every waking hour to put an end to this tragic abuse of women. They will never give it up voluntarily. We must take it away from them.
At June 19, 2009 at 8:04 AM , Mattie said...: Anonymous "Doctors Wife",
What "medical specialty" is your husband practicing in? How long ago were you hysterectomized?
I agree with the above poster who suggests; omega 3,6,9, fish, flax and borage oil. I agree with the progesterone link to the mind and the light use of "natural hormone replacement" after these deceitful sex organ amputations. It does not "cure" a hysterectomized woman but it can help to some degree. It has taken almost 3 yrs. for me to put post hysterectomization suicide on the "back burner".
Legalized Gynecological Unnecessary Sex Organ Amputation/Castration by deceit for profit is; gruesome and epidemic to the point of legal theft by deception, legal physical mutilation by deceit, legal human cruelty, legal human torture and legal medical absurdity....The medical facts don't support the gynecologists deeds and actions.
When I was hysterectomized a psychiatrist said she couldn't council me because quote: "that would be opening up a can of worms". The psychiatrist then suggested another colleague. I found the first psychiatrist on a list given to me by the head of the psychiatry dept. of a large hospital. The psychiatrist was yawning while I was explaining what was medically done to me. Do you think the psychiatrist had heard this before?
At June 19, 2009 at 9:26 AM , Mattie said...: Correction to my above post...The psychiatrist said: "Now that will be opening up a "can of therapy".
At June 25, 2009 at 11:32 PM , Anonymous said...: Have any of you been on U Tube?? Put in 'unnecessary hysterectomy'. Or just 'hysterectomy'. It is so sick. There is footage. There are doctors advertising. I just peeked and had to see if you all knew. I am going back to u tube now.
At June 26, 2009 at 6:27 PM , Gracie said...: Yes, I goggled U Tube and hit hysterectomy. You will be able to watch the surgery. Great advertising by these doctors. Remember ladies, a hysterectomy is a hysterectomy is a hysterectomy no matter how it is performed. The damages by this surgery is life-long. The consequences are many!
At June 27, 2009 at 12:26 PM , Anonymous said...: Hi Mattie,

I am Doctor's Wife....believe it or not, he is a SURGEON! My feeling is that he should have told that stupid gyn that you do NOT give a patient XANAX when they tell you they do NOT want surgery. You give it to them if they are nervous, but still want it. To say that our relationship is in the tank is putting it mildly. I hate him and her (the gyn who did this to me). it has been a year and a half since the surgery. I have no intention of "celebrating" my two year anniversary.
At June 30, 2009 at 9:26 AM , Mattie said...: Doctors Wife..Your honesty about how hysterectomy changed you will help many women understand the permanent damage caused by the surgery.

It's not a medical mystery that amputating a male or females sex organs causes physical and sexual dysfunction, it is a medical fact.

It is alright to talk about how you are feeling, we understand on this blog, no medical mystery here. Set up an appointment with HERS and let us know how you are dealing with the pain you are feeling.
At July 9, 2009 at 2:38 AM , Anonymous said...: I am in California. I had a talk radio program on the other day and a very well known 'doctor' had a woman caller question her feelings post hysterectomy. He told her, and the listening audience, that there is NO MEDICAL PROOF that women have the problems she was 'believing' she had as a result of her surgery. He then went on to state that men and their 'male menopause' is a well documented medical fact. I believe, but could be wrong, that this was a Dr. Dean Adel (spelling?) program. Amazing!!
At July 14, 2009 at 4:27 PM , Mad as Hell said...: We should all email Dr. Dean Edell about how hysterectomy and/or castration has changed us physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually and how it's affected our relationships and every aspect of our lives. Here's his email address - drdean@healthcentral.com.

Let's inundate him with emails!
At July 17, 2009 at 7:20 PM , Gracie said...: I emailed Dr. Dean Edell and told him about the HERS Foundation and how having a hysterectomy and castration affects your life, marriage, career and health. I hope everyone will do the same.
At July 18, 2009 at 11:17 AM , Mad as Hell said...: I wrote to Dr. Dean Edell "challenging" him to educate himself and stop being an enabler in the fraudulent hysterectomy industry. I included several links to the HERS Foundation - home, DVD, adverse effects.

Someone should call into his program with this same "challenge."
At July 18, 2009 at 11:54 AM , Mad as Hell said...: Forget the email to Dr. Dean Edell. I got a failure notice - Remote host said: 553 mailbox drdean@healthcentral.com is restricted (Mode: normal). Figures!
At July 31, 2009 at 7:00 AM , Anonymous said...: "doctor's wife",
Are you still with us.? Have you been able to continue living after the betrayal and physical medical maiming against you, called hysterectomy? Please let us know.
At August 1, 2009 at 10:33 AM , Anonymous said...: St. Louis, Missouri's St. John's Mercy Medical Center states the following on its Graduate Medical Education website:

"The large number of surgeries provides rapid advancement in the acquisition of surgical techniques. Abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies are the bread and butter of the gynecological inpatient rotation..."

It also states:
"Approximately 1,600 major cases and 1,000 minor cases occur in the five Gyn-dedicated Operating Rooms. Residents evaluate the patients in the preoperative area and participate fully in the surgical procedures under the guidance of the attending staff and faculty."

Here are stats from the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Residency Directory:

Co-workers: 5,821
Physicians: 1,177
Licensed Beds: 979

Patients: Obstetrics (Indicate the approximate annual figures for each procedure listed below by hospital.)

Deliveries, total 7,114
Cesarean deliveries 2,388

Patients: Gynecology (Indicate the approximate annual figures for each procedure listed below by hospital.)

Major surg for invasive neoplasia 297
Abdominal hysterectomies 548
Vaginal hysterectomies 452
Urinary incontinence procedures 352
Operative laparoscopic procedures 474

Approximate typical resident experience (total for 4 years)

OB EXPERIENCE by Surgeon(S) & Assistant(A)
Spontaneous deliveries S=308 A=53
Cesarean deliveries S=210 A=19

GYN EXPERIENCE by Surgeon(S) & Assistant(A)
Abdominal hysterectomy S=102 A=7
Vaginal hysterectomy S=163 A=17
Surgery for urinary incontinence S=34 A=5
Vaginal probe USG S=200

Chair: Octavio Chirino, M.D. (Permanent)
Phone: 314-251-6881 FAX: 314-251-4376
Program Director Dionysios K. Veronikis, MD (Permanent)
Phone: 314-251-6826 FAX: 514-251-6918
Residency Contact Person (if other than program director): Kay Edwards
Phone: 314-251-6826 Email edwakr@stlo.smhs.com

Ironic that this Catholic hospital sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy even allows these surgeries for benign conditions since the Roman Catholic church has always considered castration to be mutilation of the body and therefore a severe sin.

Their actions are in conflict with their mission statement
"Rooted in Jesus’ healing mission, and faithful to the Sisters of Mercy ministry tradition marked by justice, service, excellence, stewardship and respect for the dignity of each person...."

How is castration acting out of respect and dignity??
At August 6, 2009 at 7:15 AM , Bibi said...: Wow, with the "Mission Statement" with a Catholic Hospital. I never thought about this, and will be sure to copy and save for future, and be in my letter I am preparing to send to my GYN who mutilated me.

To Anonymous who wrote on Jan. 7th, 2009 (I am sorry, it has been awhile since I have caught up reading this section of the blogs. Oh, my God with that Dr. Shalodi, and the other opinions you sought. That is sick. When I read this, my heart ached for you.

Isn't this crazy; in that, we all say the same thing with so many things, and we do not know each other? You stating if you had known you would have ran, not walked out of "both offices". That is just one comment. We hear the same statements from doctors after a Hyst.; i.e., "I have never had another patient have any problems."

The worst and reocurring statement is this: "I'm sobbing as I'm writing this." I have said that before when posting, and read it from others. Talk about similar and shared aftermath problems with this insane act. I am crying right now after just reading this of what you posted. There are times when I read the blogs and have to stop. I get so upset to hear what women have gone through. My heart breaks for another fellow human being with the mistreatment. Even though it happened to me also; my compassion is out to those like me who have to endure the same.

I wish all who read this well. We are not alone. Thank our 'lucky stars' Nora, Rick, and all the wonderful people at the Hers Foundation are there. I wish I could state all the names. I hope they know how much they are appreciated also.

Again, if anyone lives in the Medford, Oregon area and sees a GYN by the name of Dr. Anthony Ramsey, RUN, do not walk out of his office. He is out to make a profit, and I am beside myself I put my faith into him, and my 'life'. How dare him with what he knew, and lied to me with so many questions I posed to him before the surgery, and said, "You will feel so much better. Your sex life won't change a bit. Won't it be great to not have anymore bloody periods?", as he gave a 'wink' to my husband who came for the 'Pre-Op' appointment.
Can you believe this? He actually winked at my husband! Now, my husband would like to take his eyelashes, and pull those up and over his forehead...
At August 12, 2009 at 4:34 PM , Anonymous said...: "Dr.'s wife"....I'm still here, but I don't know for how much longer...

I filed a complaint with the MS State Medical Board....about her violating my privacy rights and drugging me with Xanax to get me to sign consent forms. I wish I could post her 4 page response. Nothing but lies and bullshit that she knows is nothing but bs. So the Board closed the complaint. F**K all of them....may they rot forever in a pit of lava and fire.....

Keep doing what you are doing. They say the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Squeak louder. I'm finished....
At August 14, 2009 at 7:28 AM , Anonymous said...: "Dr.'s wife"....I'm still here, but I don't know for how much longer..."
Dr.'s wife,
Don't give them the satisfaction! Expose them!
At August 18, 2009 at 6:32 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Mike Guiler treated me for nearly 12 years, I had developed problems with my mences. He offered me 1 option-hysterectomy. My husband and I discussed this and we only want the uterus removed therefore we can have a surrogate mother and I will not suffer the long term ramifications of menapause at barely 30 y.o.

He tells us that I have several huge fibroids and endometriosis. He promises to leave the ovaries unless they are cancerous.

He lied, he took both ovaries..he lied..I did not have fibroids..he lied I did not have endometriosis!!

Not a day goes by that I would love to know that he has been surgically castrated. Just so he could see how horrible and lonely you feel when you have no libido to make love to your spouse, when you suffer sleepless nights from insomnia, suffer longterm bouts of depression and then have to worry about breast cancer and lung cancer from the hormones we must be on forever.

I just wish I had listened to my family and friends and never had the surgery. Sure, I'd be having heavy periods, but what is a heavy period compared to being lied to, violated, and essentially raped of healthy organs that were meant to help maintain my being a healthy woman.

Dr. Mike Guiler at Central Baptist Hospital will have to speak for his actions one day. I just pray every night that he has stopped doing unneccessary hysts on women.
At August 19, 2009 at 7:56 AM , Anonymous said...: Gynecologists in America must be stopped by law. Here is a link to another legal case ended by American law in favor of the Gynecologist and Hospital.
"We the people" demand justice against these legalized biological gynecological attacks against women and their famalies.
Law enforcement must be allerted to these atrocities.
Link:
http://www.kentuckylawblog.com/2007/09/ky-courts-more-.html
At August 19, 2009 at 9:10 PM , Anonymous said...: To Anonymous who was castrated by Dr. Michael Guiler,

I'm so sorry he did this to you and at such a young age without children. How dare these sickos that call themselves "doctors"! Did you by any chance file a complaint with your state's medical board and the insurance company that approved your surgery? I doubt it will make a difference but if enough of us make our voices heard, maybe some day it will. If nothing else, it will be a hassle for the doctor and may make him squirm a little.

I looked at his ratings on ratemd - http://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/104701/KY/Lexington/Guiler- and noticed that someone posted that a U.S. doctor's average hysterectomy rate is 5-10 per year and he does 140 per year. Knowing that 600,000+ women are hysterectomized every year in the U.S., the 5-10 average per year is laughable!

Keep up the fight to stop this atrocity!
At August 26, 2009 at 12:02 PM , Anonymous said...: Women should never enter a Gynecologist office until it is safe, by law, to enter one.
At August 27, 2009 at 3:07 AM , tubal reversal said...: the doctors usually serve the humanity so the doctors try their level best to prevent the patient from the disease.
some time it happened that the doctors suggest somthing but it does not work well.
any how this block is very informative for every one. now the tubal reversal is a process that is in my mind that every person must collect the info about the tubal reversal because the tubal reversal make the desires complete.
At August 27, 2009 at 12:01 PM , Mi GifT said...: W~H~A~T!!!!
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!
Those Dr's know EXACTLY WHAT THEY are doing!!
When they go in in an exploratory manner that means to EXPLORE not to take (steal) anything or should I say the "C" word. (I can't STAND to say it aloud. It makes me cringe just thinking of what happened and it happened 8 years ago.) Move forward - HUH - Easy for him to ssay.. he still has his balls!!
At August 28, 2009 at 11:49 PM , Anonymous said...: "There is only one thing that I repeatedly think about that would give me payback satisfaction and that is to see my OBGYN have his testicles and penis removed during a routine check for cancer!"
At September 6, 2009 at 11:06 PM , Anonymous said...: St. Louis' Missouri Baptist Medical Center's spring 2009 mailer included an article titled "A miracle hysterectomy." As all women on this blog probably know, this is just an "advertisement" for the robotic system called the da Vinci.

But any article about hysterectomy would be more aptly titled "A permanent nightmare hysterectomy." Anyone who's had one knows that there is NO recovery from a hysterectomy regardless of the technique(s) used. And the nightmare only gets worse over time. It is, plain and simple, a permanent, life-altering, anatomical, endocrine NIGHTMARE!
At September 14, 2009 at 1:52 PM , Mi Gift said...: Koodos To Dr. Oz!! Finally someone acknowledged that 83% of hysterectomies are unneccessary!!
He should have gone into it deeper and also talked a little about the ovarian or total hysterectomy but even an acknowledgement may start the ball rolling!! He stated that you MUST get a second and even a third opinion before going through the surgery. But I really wished he would have been a little more blunt and discussed that Total hysterectomy is equal to that of castration.
At September 15, 2009 at 12:31 AM , Anonymous said...: I was shocked that he went as far as he did with revealing the truth about unnecessary hysterectomy. Doctor Oz actually started the conversation about unnecessary hysterectomy for Fibroids on his first show. He warned, women don't need a hysterectomy for fibroids. I hope he talks more about this subject and tells women that ovary removal is female castration, too!. Doctor Oz must have a show about the hormones and substances produced by the uterus and ovaries. The recommendation he gave to get a second opinion was not enough information. Women lose the ability to uterine orgasm after hysterectomy. Medically women experience endocrine system havoc after sex organ amputation (hysterectomy) and ovary removal (female castration).
At September 15, 2009 at 7:44 AM , Unknown said...: Just checked into your site as my doctor recommended removal of uterus at age 54. I have suffered from bad periods when I was younger - for years, constant UTIs and resultant kidney infections. I had a Burch procedure for urinary incontinence at age 45,I wish I had researched more but I fell for the line that the doc would 'fix' everything, and was too embarassed to share my issues. Worked for about 3 weeks then had ANOTHER within a year, another doc wanted to do a hysterectomy and said "I'll sew it up nice and tight". Also assured me it would get rid of UTIs - I came out of the surgery with a UTI! The doc didn't believe me till the urinalysis came back - I could smell the infection in my urine but I no longer had pain as the muscles and nerves ahd been cut. Ever since then I have felt awful, that all my insides are in the wrong place, in a pouch hanging low on my belly, and now have fecal incontinence as well as urinary. Sex is painful in some positions and I have other issues of discomfort. I did have a sling inserted 4 years later which is what I should have done in the first place! Still not 100% successful and the doc was not willing to listen to my concerns. She wanted to clean out the 'kink' in my colon just as I was waiting to go into surgery. I refused that time. I wish I had my hyster sisters to talk with. I have experienced many of the same symptoms that have been expressed by other women who have gone the total route to hyst. My lifestyle and relationships have changed completely so that I no longer have the freedom to travel and try to stay within distance of a bathroom. AND I still get UTIs. I feel suicidal at times wondering how much worse this will get as I get older. I read success stories (MORE magazine last month about Cedars-Sinai doc) and I get excited to try something again but my body will never be the same again. I agree with all the comments about the docs supporting each other. Just like hairdressers, no doc wants to admit that another did such an incompetant job. Thank you for allowing me to vent. I will not consider a hyst after reading all these posts.
At September 15, 2009 at 4:24 PM , CT said...: Joanne, I'm glad you found this information before it was too late. These doctors will come up with any reason to perform a hysterectomy. Thanks for posting, it's great to hear when someone is saved.
At September 18, 2009 at 1:57 PM , Anonymous said...: Bless all the women that have the guts to tell the truth! I am surrounded by family members, my sister, nieces, sister in laws and friends that have had a hysterectomy and they all tell me that is was the only and best thing they could have done! What the hell is up with that? I have been dealing with a very painful ovarian cyst, after waiting several months to track it my ob/gyn recommended removing it along with my ovary and fallopian tube and of course anything else if it looks "suspicious" . Telling me that she wouldn't wake me up to ask me if she saw an "area of concern". This was all after I voice my wishes to not even remove my ovary, why couldn't she just take out the cyst. I set the time for the surgery, went home and started listening to my inner voice. Not listening to this inner voice thing has caused me considerable grief over the years (I'm 48) but I had the "gut" feeling if I went under for this surgery I would wake up with a complete hysterectomy! With that realization I cancelled my surgery and found HERS, bless Nora Coffey. I am still in pain but trying the natural route of vitamins and castor oil packs, now I need to find a doctor that isn't a hysterectomy happy freak, but after reading all these blogs I am not feeling too good about that. There should be a listing of ob/gyn's that embrace natural alternatives to surgery! In the mean time I am feeling scared and depressed about what is going on with my body as so many women do which puts them in the vulnerable position of agreeing to surgery! There needs to be some OPTIONS out there!
At September 25, 2009 at 1:04 PM , Anonymous said...: To Anonymous who filed a complaint with the MS Medical Board. You said you got a 4 page response from the doctor. Did the Medical Board provide this to you when they closed the case?

I filed a complaint with the MO Medical Board and only got a letter from the Board saying that they determined that the doctor did nothing wrong (can't recall the exact words). Of course, they never even interviewed the oncologist to whom I was referred by my ob/gyn even though the ob/gyn didn't follow the oncologist's recommedation to remove the diseased ovary. Instead, the predatory ob/gyn waited for the frozen section results (benign) and then proceeded to remove my perfectly healty ovary and perfectly healthy uterus. However, the oncologist's records are very suspect as they had significant "errors" making it appear that he enabled the ob/gyn while coving his own butt (e.g. sister had ovarian cancer which she didn't plus some other errors). So he basically chose to protect his referral business (and his "buddy") to the permanent detriment of my health.

And, I wasn't even supposed to have time to see the oncologist per my ob/gyn. Yes, the whole game of rush to get it out because it may be cancer...

I hope this $5M win for the Chicago woman gets the ball rolling on more hyst lawsuits finding in favor of the plaintiff. But only a law will end this atrocity.
At September 27, 2009 at 9:43 PM , pam said...: Back in 1961, at the age of 11, I started my first period. Every month, I had severe cramping for the first day or so, would miss school, stayed inside, avoided playing/gym, etc. Then, at the age of 20, I experienced cramping similar to a belly ache but lower. As quickly as it occurred, it had gone away. One week to the day, the same cramping, but, unknown to me was the reason. Called my GYN's office and they scheduled me for an appointment right away. Sent me home with oral medication to relieve calcium deposits. The Dr. believed that was what I had. Well, that just gave me extreme diarhea, so the Doctor told me to stop the medication. Everything seemed fine for about 2-3 months, then, without warning, I woke up with back pain, showered and went off to work as usual. But as the day progressed, the back pain became worse. By the end of the work day, I was unable to stand straight, so, bent over, I drove myself to the Gyn's office. Upon examining me, I almost jumped off the examinination table. I was told that a D&C might be all I needed, but if no, an exporatory would be necessary. The hospital date was set, pre-admission testing was complete, so off I go. One Sunday in April of 1971, I entered that hospital, I was prepped for surgery the next morning. My Mom was there, a nervous wreck, my Dad had passed when I was 14. And a couple of my closest friends kept my Mom company. When they brought me back from surgery, I was feeling nautious as they did not have the stomach pump on. I know I slept for three days, had no idea what happened to me, as my Mom could not tell me. But, I remember telling my Dr. that I don't care what you do, just so I can have children when I wake up. I was single and dating at the time. Well, one of the partners came in on Thursday and told me what happened, a total hysterectomy, severe endometriosis, one cyst the size of a grapefruit and the other the size of an orange, I had hemraged, etc and that I could always adopt. I did not know what endometriosis was, so asked my Gyn about it. He told me to go to the library and get a book ! Maybe I should have gone to the library First. I was a mess for at least 5 yrs, broke up with my boyfriend, played the field way too much, because I thought no one would want me as I couldn't have their child, What good was I ! Couldn't watch a movie on TV with children, I would just sob. Took estrogen up until about 3 yrs ago, I am now 59. Felt like a guinea pig all my life, mix it with progestrin, no higher dose, no lower dose, no don't take at all. What in God'd name did I have done. Many times thought I would have been better if I had died. Married my first husband partially because he had two young children that lived with us, not the Mom. Divorced after 11 yrs. On and On and yet, I still don't know if I should have had that surgery. I'm always tired, depressed, high PB, High cholestrol, asthma, underactive thyroid, acid reflux, low iron is the latest and that causes me to get dizzy. Arthritis, adhesions, bad back, no sex drive, extreme vaginal dryness, I've even bled, so forget intercourse, low self esteem, low confidence. I've always felt like I have a bruise, a hurt so strong, but no one can see it. Believe me, its there and will be with me till my dieing day. My tears would have probably filled a swimming pool by now. But I do thank God for my friends, my husband of 6 yrs and the little family I have left. There are many blessings in my life, but having a child of my own would have been my contribution to God's world. Please get third , fourth and fifth opinions, if need be. I don't know how much knowledge was there in the beginning of the 70's, but I do know that I had none till after the fact. Don't let that happen to you. Read, research, ask questions. Thank you for this site and allowing all of us to share our thoughts on this tragic event. God Bless, Pam
At February 3, 2010 at 10:19 PM , Janet said...: The butchers name is Dr Ashraf, who works out of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The referring butcher was Dr. Michael Zinnser from Washington Hospital OB/GYN practice, Washington, Pa.
I was butchered and castrated in November 2008. Since then my life has become one long freakish nightmare.
I'd also like to personally thank Joan Naim, RN. at MBRCC, who told me 'Everything will be o.k.'. Hmm.. gee Joan, nothing is ok, especially after being lied to, not once, not twice, but more times than I could count.
I'm sure that removing a borderline ovarian tumor could have been done without removing all my sex organs. And, BTW, I do have my medical records which proves their lies.
Again, thank you for ruining my life, and my future and giving me even less faith in the medical profession. Next time I get really sick I'll just let nature take its course.
At April 17, 2010 at 2:05 PM , uninformed said...: This is a democratic activice group that is indangering woman health care. Common sence will tell you if you have a positive pap smear you need a hysterectomy in most cases. This surgery CAN NOT be performed with medical back up to show the surgery is needed.
Their conferences are heald to make money for the Democratic party as if they are doctors and know the medical field.
The fact that they support flibously law suits speakes for what they are all about.
At April 25, 2010 at 12:26 AM , Bibi said...: Sorry, but I do not get what "Uninformed" means with the comment posted on April 17th, 2010. Could you elaborate on what your are referring to and getting at? Plus - what points are you trying to make here?
At April 25, 2010 at 1:16 AM , Bibi said...: Well, I hope "Uniformed" responds here, but after I posted just now, I thought of the conference, and hope this specific site will have more women post here with the "Name That Doctor And Hospital" after this conference. The laws need to be put into effect, but with this conference; at least, I hope to see this "specific" site overloaded with women naming just this: "Name That Doctor..." to get the word out about any doctor who is (and any hospital as well) who is known to be performing unnecessary Hysterectomies. Ladies - WRITE!!! Get the word out about the Hers Foundation and these sites. Do you know that the more we share; the more we perhaps save?! Oh, Heaven forbid that any family member of mine or friend who I have and know have this done, and not aware and taken by a greedy doctor/hospital. I will just die if they have not come to me first, if they know what I have been so diligently promoting, and even just stating to go to the Hers Foundation website and read this, if nothing else - just this one blog area with "Name That Doctor" site alone. I am trying, and this is why so great for females to post here; as it is my one way to say to anyone - "Just read what these women are stating and trying to do to help by ensuring another female not go through the misguise of such doctors." For Heaven's sake - every woman should read these blogs. I wish, with all my heart, I would have been able to. I was too late finding out about the Hers Foundation, and too trusting in a long time GYN. Never again, and never to anyone I love. I swear by this and made an oath. 'Not my daughter'; especially...
At September 10, 2010 at 8:06 AM , Karen said...: Hello and thank you for your posts. My name is Sally and I am now 46 years old. It has now been 8 years of pain (lower back, abdominal,migraine) and severe clotting and bleeding. I have visited many doctors and all of them have told me that I need a hysterectomy. I even had exploratory surgery and was told I had "mild" endo. I have fought this tooth and nail. I started doing research online, typed in "alternatives to hysterectomy" and found a doctor that told me I had adenomyosis. He operated on my uteris but DID NOT remove it. He is against this and did inform me of the cons of hysterectomy. He also told me that I did not have endo. I no longer have clotting and my bleeding is very light. However I am still experiencing lots of lower back pain and abdominal pain. I also suffer from cyclical migraines. Once again I am being told the only solution is hysterectomy and once again I am fighting it and looking for a doctor willing to work with me, not against me.
At September 10, 2010 at 8:24 AM , HERS Foundation said...: NOTE: Please do not comment anonymously. Use either your real name or an alias so that people can follow your comments. If you post anonymously we will assign an alias to your comment.

Thank you for your cooperation!
At November 2, 2010 at 3:32 AM , Pamela said...: Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Felipe Videla. Not a day goes by I don't detest this man. Initial referral was for bladder lift. A successful sales job resulted in full hysterectomy. No medical indication previous to visit with him. He "discovered" a stage 2 uterine prolapse, which could only be produced when I stood. He honest to god, literally, said to me, "it will be easier to get to the bladder with 'those parts' [uterus, cervix] out of the way." He assured me the cervix and uterus have nothing to do with sexual function. Yes, I did ask. WHY, WHY, didn't I listen to my intuition? Records I reviewed show he got it by Blue Cross by calling it Vaginal Vault Prolapse, which happens when the vaginia itself slips down, collapsing outside the body. Vault prolapse is caused most often by hysterectomy. Anyway, my disability case comes up this month because I cannot work due to nerve damage, neuropathies, cognitive impairment, and, ... incontinence. All the hell I went through and I still pee myself.
At February 6, 2011 at 1:51 AM , Mary said...: Dr. Sean Lambert of North Pointe OB/GYN Associates located in north Atlanta, Georgia. He said hysterectomy was the best option to treat my uterine fibroids. Being only 43, and only having fibroids, it seemed a radical solution. When I questioned him on what other options there were, he seemed annoyed, shrugged, and said it was up to me.

After researching myself, I found an additional, much less invasive option known as either UAE or UFE (uterine artery embolization or uterine fibroid embolization, respectively) to treat uterine fibroids. Gynecologists are not trained for this and cannot perform the procedure; it has to be done by an interventional radiologist, thus the gynecologist's reluctance to offer it as an alternative option to hysterectomy.

My intuition began to kick in and I started to feel that perhaps my gynecologist was more interested in the revenues to be generated from my decision, instead of my best interests and options available for the treatment of fibroids.

Finally, after much additional research, I found and viewed the HERS female anatomy video, which answered all of the questions I had, and many I didn't even know to ask or consider. And disturbingly, the video revealed that some of the answers the gynecologist gave in response to my questions were, at the least, simple untruths. For example, when I asked if there were any potential problems once the uterus was removed in relation to the surrounding organs moving, he told me that it was just like when you take a soda bottle out of a cooler filled with ice, that the ice just falls in to fill the void, no problem at all. And that there would be no damage to nerves, that he LOVED doing hysterectomies and was very experienced and it was just a few ligaments...and the list goes on.

Thanks to the HERS video, I did not have the hysterectomy, had the UAE procedure two years ago, with an excellent outcome, but I will never forget how close I came. As many others have stated, listen to your intuition. I am still so disturbed about this two years later, and am glad to have this forum to "out" these doctors. I wonder what recommendation they would give to their own daughters?

Mary
At February 20, 2011 at 3:20 PM , Gutted said...: Mary,
I'm glad you researched and were spared the life-long horror of hysterectomy!

Be sure and rate Dr. Sean Lambert on every rating website you can find to warn other women. Same goes for everyone else on this blog - rate your organ-robbing doctors on every rating website you can find. They need to be exposed!
At May 5, 2011 at 5:07 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr Brian Retherford formally of Grass Valley, Ca. Now, relocated to Wyoming. WOMEN BEWHARE!!!

DR BRIAN RETHERFORD FORMALLY OF GRASS VALLEY CALIFORNIA NOW MAIMING WOMEN IN WYOMING. CAUTION!!!

Dr Brian Retherford is a man who will take your life for profit. BEWARE!!!!
At May 20, 2011 at 7:25 AM , 4d ultrasounds said...: Hi, I found your post really helpful. Thanks for posting such informative content. Keep posting.
At June 14, 2011 at 1:40 PM , Anonymous said...: These doctors need to be shamed and publicly humiliated to change their ways. Otherwise they will be continuing their money making scam peacefully behind closed doors. However possible and I would be open to making phone calls, acting difficult questions, and berating these docs.
Maybe there needs to be a class action against the orgs that are claiming this surgery helps women when they are just aiding the furtherment of an unnecessary procedure. I'm sure there have been studies on hysterectomy and the after-effects. Can you imagine placing ads in the paper asking others if they have also been faced having an unnecessary hysterectomy by "so and so doctor". I guess that's for the brave, but if you have nothing to lose at least you can find others they may have similar experiences and come up with a plan to take it to court or the medical licensing board.
At June 27, 2011 at 9:10 PM , Sh-t Disturber said...: EVERY woman who was not told the consequences of hysterectomy by her surgeon should be taking every avenue possible to get justice and expose these doctors. Some suggestions are:

1) Pursue legal remedy with a medical malpractice or personal injury lawyer. Remain anonymous until you can confirm that they have no conflict of interest with the surgeon.

2) File a complaint with your state's medical board

3) File a complaint with your health insurance company

4) Rate/review your surgeon on every website you can find - doctor rating websites as well as business listing websites. A web search of the doctor's name or gyn practice should bring up these sites.

5) Gather the facts about hysterectomy and print them on postcards and mail them to the doctor. Just think of all who may see them and get educated while also exposing these scammers.

6) Write your legislators

Don't give up!
At July 15, 2011 at 10:34 PM , violet said...: El Dr Luciano R. Belizan, at Shady Grove Hospital in Rockville,MD.did the hysterectomy.He refered to it as if it was something of little importance, he talked so casually about it. He told me hysterectomy was the partial removal of the uterus and it was not invasive. He did say I was not gonna be able to have kids, but hey when they block your fallopian tubes you can not have babies, but it can be reversed and then you can have kids. I may have been under that impression, I still can not believe that I let them do such savage thing to my body.They mutilated me!!!. Although he knew I suffer from depression,and I cried in his office because this decision was causing me anxiety , he went on with the operation. At age 45 he said I was too old to have kids.Little does he know that a woman in india had a child for the firt time at age 70!!!. Doctors should not have the right to kill women's dreams, at any age.
Two weeks after the surgery my depression depened severelly when I understood to the fullest extend what had been done to me. In my opinion men shouldnt be performing this kind of surgery, they do not have the ability to even imagin how women can feel after loosing this vital part of your body and it's vital for your emotional well being. Hey they removed the fybroids and my hopes too. It feels like somebody broke into my house and stole everything and no othe furniture can be placed in that house anymore, I have to get used to an empty house, to sleeping on the floor, to live without watching tv,without been able to cook my favorite food,and of course I will never be able to throw a party, but that does not matter 'cause you I'm not intered. they just altered my world forever, while the Dr. who did this can eat delicious and warm food in the comfort of his fully furnished and confy home.
At August 9, 2011 at 3:54 PM , NIna said...: I am 41 and have NOT had a hysterectomy; however, I do work in the medical field. I can give you a list of OB/GYNs to steer clear of if you want (Tulsa area), but I think the best prevention is women educating themselves and learning the word "NO!" I haven't been able to find a decent OB/GYN in years and have switched my female care to a midwife, took some doing but it was well worth it. I got the best yearly exam I have ever had from any OB/GYN, she even looked in places a doctor never has (underneath the cervix) to make sure there was no growth or anything suspicious there.

Also, a lot of doctors these days seem to be telling women they have cancer when they do not. Unless you have had a biopsy DON'T BELIEVE THEM, it is a sales technique, I'm sure, a lot of times (da vinci robot). However, this is beyond unethical. If I had a doctor tell me this and it was not true, I would nail his a@@ to the wall.
At August 9, 2011 at 5:36 PM , Mad as Hell said...: Yes - cancer scare tactics and even false claims of cancer are very common. Sickening that they get away with this! Where are the class action lawsuits?

I'm constantly trying to warn women on forums about these tactics, the overuse of hysterectomy and the adverse effects. Yet, most of these women believe their doctors instead. It doesn't even usually make a difference to cite ACOG's February 2000 report saying that 75% of hysterectomies are inappropriately recommended.

The insurance companies are a big part of the problem. Not only do they usually not require proof of proper diagnostics but their reimbursement rates are set to favor organ removal.

And we all know the states' medical boards are a joke!

Here's a recent article about a doctor convicted of 40 counts of felony related to unnecessary gyn procedures - http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fake-surgeries-20110805,0,4932474.story

It's hard to even bring a civil case when these should be criminal (assault and battery)!
At September 7, 2011 at 12:44 PM , Anonymous said...: To all women: Think LONG and hard before letting ANY Dr. castrate you!! Some women will tend to belive a woman dr. more than a male. There are women who say that its wonderful being castrated and mabey some are happy with it,but for many it reduces them to dispair! Many doctors think that when a woman reaches 40 then she can give up the overies and she will enjoy sex more without them. One lady doctor that I know really belives this! Why? Because she had a complete and her sex life took off and for her she enjoys sex much more now. This is not true for all women!
At February 10, 2012 at 4:27 PM , Ann said...: I was not even 31 years old when I saw my general physician, Dr. Carol Baker, for heavy periods. She was quick to tell me that I could be helped immensely by having a hysterectomy. I had told her previously that my husband and I had decided not to have children and so she thought that my having a hysterectomy would be no big deal. She said it would relieve my suffering... I told her I'd think about it and that I wanted to see a gynecologist about it before I made any decisions. She did not want to refer me to a gynecologist and seemed miffed that I would ask. (wth???) Luckily I found out that my insurance does not require a referral for gynecology. So I went to the gynecologist without Dr. Baker's knowledge....

I went to the gynecologist and discussed it all with him. After examining me he seemed shocked by Dr. Baker's suggestion that I should have a hysterectomy. The gynecologist put me on oral contraceptives and that helped my bleeding quite a lot and the pain I was having each month got a lot better too.

When I went back to see Dr. Baker she again brought up the idea that I should have a hysterectomy. Thankfully I was able to tell her that I had discussed it with my gynecologist and that he thought it was totally unnecessary. She had a very bad attitude towards me after I relayed what the GYN had sated and I felt distinctly uncomfortable with her. I got a different primary care physician shortly after that, I just did not want to deal with her anymore.

Coupled with all the other stories on this site, I find my experience to be all the more disturbing. I can't believe how quickly Dr. Baker brought up major surgery as a cure for menstrual bleeding! And she just kept harping on it... what if I hadn't had the input from the gynecologist? Maybe I would have succumbed to Dr. Baker's pressuring?! God, what a horrific thought....

BEWARE of THIS PHYSICIAN:
Carol Baker, MD is the Assistant Medical Director of the Westland, Michigan Family Medicine Center and a Faculty member at Oakwood Annapolis Family Medicine in Wayne, Michigan

THIS GYNECOLOGIST SAVED ME from Dr. Baker's horrible hysterectomy idea and DESERVES TO BE COMMENDED:
Dr. Frank Anderson, University of Michigan Canton Health Center
At February 16, 2012 at 10:17 AM , Gutted said...: Ann,
I'm glad you were spared the life-long horror of hysterectomy! You were very lucky since there are many gyns who would have needlessly given you a hysterectomy.

It's despicable that your primary care doctor even suggested this! I suspect she would have gotten some sort of "kickback" from the surgeon and/or surgical center. It's even possible she was jealous of you or disliked you. Sadly, that is known to affect the care we get. As consumers of medical services, we must beware of being conned just as in any other industry.

Be sure and rate this dangerous doctor on doctor rating websites to warn others.

Also, if you don't mind, please copy your story over on the current HERS blog "The Tide is Turning."

Thanks for posting! And please spread the word about the evil-doers in the hyst industry.
At July 11, 2012 at 8:27 AM , liddy said...: Dr Emeka Okaro a Consultant at Barts Hospital London UK scared me into ovary removal and hysteroscopy and destroyed my life . From being a happy confident person I am now pysically destroyed. I now have constant burning pain, exhaustion, stomach pain, dramatic hair loss and unrelenting thrush.

This man was only interested in the money he could make by performing an operation. After three weeks of bleeding and pain after the operation he offered me another one to find the cause. Ran from his office. Ten days later I was admitted to hospital by my gastroenterologist in terrible pain. I saw a second gyne who looked at the scans I forced Emeka Okaro to give me and said that in his opinion neither operation was necessary. I am 63 and my life is now a round of doctors appointments to find some way of living. I no longer work or have a sex life. I am also now partially bald.

Beware this Emeko Okaro and always get a second opinion. I can only hope Emeka Okaro name comes up on web site searches.
At July 11, 2012 at 9:34 AM , Kathleen said...: EMEKA OKARO, CONSULTANT AT BARTS HOSPITAL, LONDON. GET A SECOND OPINION. UNNECESSARY OPERATIONS RUINS LIVES.
At July 14, 2012 at 9:34 AM , Dr Mahesh Chand Jain said...: Dr Saroj Kanta Mudgil working at Rohtak, Haryana, India removed uterus and ovaries of my wife on 28.06.2012 without my consent and despite explicit oral instruction on 27.06.2012, not to do anything more than Dilatation and curettage since besides being husband of Mrs Sanju Jain, I was also the physician attending her(my wife) and I had already put her on Medroxy Progesterone Acetate to control her difficulties. As a result her haemoglobin had increased from 10.2 gm/100ml to 11.8 gm/100ml on 23.6.2012. I am a qualified medical doctor and this fact was brought to the notice of Dr Saroj Kanta Mudgil
At July 14, 2012 at 9:37 AM , Dr Mahesh Chand Jain said...: Dr Saroj Kanta Mudgil working at Rohtak, Haryana, India removed uterus and ovaries of my wife on 28.06.2012 without my consent and despite explicit oral instruction on 27.06.2012, not to do anything more than Dilatation and curettage since besides being husband of Mrs Sanju Jain, I was also the physician attending her(my wife) and I had already put her on Medroxy Progesterone Acetate to control her difficulties. As a result her haemoglobin had increased from 10.2 gm/100ml to 11.8 gm/100ml on 23.6.2012. I am a qualified medical doctor and this fact was brought to the notice of Dr Saroj Kanta Mudgil
At July 14, 2012 at 9:47 AM , HERS Foundation said...: I am so sorry this was done to your wife. It is an outrage under any circumstances, but even more so when the woman's husband, a doctor, tells another doctor explicitly that nothing more than a D&C should be done. I hope you and your wife will bring action against this high handed doctor to be disciplined. If you go to HERS website and fill out the Contact form HERS will email information to you and your wife.
At September 1, 2012 at 5:37 PM , liddy said...: I am still bleeding, still having a terrible yellow discharge, balding half way back crown. Six months since Emeka Okaro, consultant at Barts Hospital, scared me into an hysteroscopy and ovarian removal. I have aged 10 years in six months. No sex life, no going out socially. This man saw a vunerable woman and made his money.
At September 2, 2012 at 9:56 AM , Gutted said...: liddy,
I'm so sorry for your losses! I know all too well what you're going through! I lost over half my hair very quickly post-op and my skin aged rapidly. Before I was gutted, I looked 10 years YOUNGER than my age. Within 5 months post-op, I looked 10 years OLDER than my age. These changes along with the hormonal fall-out put me into a suicidal depression.

I too was tricked/scared into having my organs removed partly to train gynecology residents to remove organs that 98% of the time should NOT be removed. All my gyn should have removed was an ovarian cyst or one ovary.

Some people claim that unnecessary surgeries aren't done with socialized medicine. But this is not the case. It looks like you're in the UK. The UK and Canada also have high rates of unnecessary hysterectomies and castrations.

These surgeons are plain and simple EVIL!
At September 2, 2012 at 10:13 AM , HERS Foundation said...: Liddy,

Is the bleeding you're experiencing discharge from your vagina or rectum? Was the cause found in your second unnecessary surgery?

If only we had connected prior to your surgery, it is doubtful you would have proceeded. We at HERS, and everyone posted on the blog, understand what you are living with, and how the surgery destroyed your vitality and love of life. Sex is one of the most important parts of what gives women and men energy, vitality and a feeling of well-being.

Although, as you know, there is no "cure", there may be some things that can help cope with some of your losses. Visit HERS website at www.hersfoundation.org and fill out the contact form to be emailed free information. If you would like to schedule a telephone appointment to speak with a counselor you can email Jacqueline at HERS at jkabak@hersfoundation.org. Appointments are usually made with a phone call, but for women who are not in the US appointments can be made by emailed, then you would call HERS at the scheduled time.

You have enormous support and understanding from millions of women who know the tremendous losses caused by the surgery. Together we can end this epidemic of hysterectomy performed on women who have not been informed of the damaging consequences.

Everyone who reads this should go to www.hersfoundation.org and sign the Petition supporting legislation to require women be informed of the consequences of hysterectomy and castration.
At September 2, 2012 at 10:13 AM , HERS Foundation said...: Liddy,

Is the bleeding you're experiencing discharge from your vagina or rectum? Was the cause found in your second unnecessary surgery?

If only we had connected prior to your surgery, it is doubtful you would have proceeded. We at HERS, and everyone posted on the blog, understand what you are living with, and how the surgery destroyed your vitality and love of life. Sex is one of the most important parts of what gives women and men energy, vitality and a feeling of well-being.

Although, as you know, there is no "cure", there may be some things that can help cope with some of your losses. Visit HERS website at www.hersfoundation.org and fill out the contact form to be emailed free information. If you would like to schedule a telephone appointment to speak with a counselor you can email Jacqueline at HERS at jkabak@hersfoundation.org. Appointments are usually made with a phone call, but for women who are not in the US appointments can be made by emailed, then you would call HERS at the scheduled time.

You have enormous support and understanding from millions of women who know the tremendous losses caused by the surgery. Together we can end this epidemic of hysterectomy performed on women who have not been informed of the damaging consequences.

Everyone who reads this should go to www.hersfoundation.org and sign the Petition supporting legislation to require women be informed of the consequences of hysterectomy and castration.
At September 26, 2012 at 6:20 PM , liddy said...: Dear Gutted

Thank you for your helpful post. I feel that there is nothing left for me to live for I really do. From being proud of my appearance I rarely look in the mirror and when I do I do not recognise the old woman reflected. I am 64, previously looked 55 now look 70. Like you at least half my hair has fallen out in 5 months. EmeKa Okaro Ovary Removal London Independent works at Barts Hospital. Told me there would be no side effects. At the other end I have a yellow discharge and now bladder problems.
At September 26, 2012 at 9:33 PM , Tamera said...: Ladies, I feel your pain, I too suffered for 25 years after I was castrated by my OB when I was only 23 years old, “a full radical Hysterectomy” with no explanation of what was going to happen to and that it was going to devastate my life, after my husband left me, because he thought I was going crazy and no longer a women and several suicide attempts that followed, antidepressant, sleeping pills, etc, seeing doctor after doctor, begging for help and getting none, I knew I was going to just curl up and die, I wanted too, I felt dead every day.
At September 27, 2012 at 4:29 PM , Gutted said...: Tamera,
I'm so sorry this was done to you! If you didn't post your doctor's and hospital's name on this blog, please do. If you don't want to use your real name, use an alias. It may prevent another woman from being mutilated by this doctor.
At September 29, 2012 at 10:25 AM , Tamera said...: Thank you "garage cleaning service" for your kind words, and I am so glad you found this site, it is filled with wonderful information and awareness for women faced with the difficult choice of having a Hysterectomy or the painful result of suffering from one. As a woman who has suffered from this injustice, I feel these women's pain; I understand their sorrow and frustration, as I suffered for so many years. I just want to help them find the information they need to save their own lives, to stand up for their health and to know that they can get better, that they don't have to suffer. I am just a regular person, a wife, mother, grandmother, business owner, and a women frustrated by the medical community. Who is trying to save my own life and be here for my family, not just in body but to really be present to live each day to the fullest, I have found that again. I want women to know that the help is out there you just need to seek it out, do your research and don't be afraid to not only ask but demand the help you need, find your voice and spread the word, that's what I am trying to do, reach as many women as I can. Love to all of you!
At September 29, 2012 at 10:44 AM , HERS Foundation said...: There are some things that have helped some women get a degree of relief from some of the numerous post-hysterectomy problems caused by this damaging surgery. Any relief of the pain and other problems is helpful. Having said that, it is important to acknowledge that there is no remedy, there is no cure for the loss of uterine orgasm, lower back pain and hip pain, heart disease, Parkinsons Disease and many other post-hysterectomy problems.

To create the impression that these problems can be solved and you can be as you were before the surgery is not only invalidating of hysterectomized women's experiences, it is dangerously misleading.
At September 29, 2012 at 11:08 AM , Tamera said...: Thank you for your comment, I respect and understand your opinion. As a survivor, no longer a victim, I know that nothing can make a woman whole again from the devastation this surgery can cause. You’re correct that everything that has worked for me from Bio-identical HRT may not work the same for every woman. I want to bring awareness to women that they can find some relief in their lives, that they can improve their quality of life, no longer be a victim, but a survivor. Those butchers took our power away, I want to let women know that they can have it back with their own voice, to make their own health choice and not to give up. That's what I am trying to do. Love to all :0)
At December 14, 2012 at 10:04 PM , June Gardner said...: The doctor who bullied and threatened me into a totally unnecessary Radical hysterectomy by fabricating I had cancer, then proceeded mutilating my healthy cervic, shortening my vagina in the process, my healthy uterus that never gave me a scrap of trouble, my fallopian tubes, my hearlth ovaries and healthy pelvic lymph nodes, and botched it so badly in the process (after lying through his teeth and telling me he'd done hundreds of these surgeries, but in truth he was practicing laparoscopy so as to complete his training and getting promoted to Assistant Professor in gynaecology). He totally mislead, misinformed, bullied and threatened me until I finally gave in. His name is Martin Oehler and he works at a Women's hospital in Adelaide S.A. Australia. He is very dangerous to women's health, and very sadistic in his approach. Please keep your guard up, and do NOT let him operate on you.
At December 15, 2012 at 9:09 AM , HERS Foundation said...: Thank you for naming the doctor who removed your female organs. They should not be anonymous, you are sounding the alarm for other women.

You did it, June, thanks for your perseverance in trying to post - success!
At December 17, 2012 at 12:26 PM , Debbie said...: Dr Sebastion Faro MD and Dr Constance Faro MD at Womens Hospital of Texas. Sebastion Faro was my gyny and Constance Faro ended up assisting him in surgery. I had to pay cash for her to help because insurance would not pay for 2 doctors. 09/28/2009 I had surgery. I was diagnosed with a uterine prolapse and had suffered from extreme pain and bleeding for years. They did a complete hysterectomy, rectocele, cystocele and put in a pelvic mesh sling. My life is upside now. Mesh is a nightmare with multiple issues. It protrudes about a 1/2 inch. Dr Faro did try to trim it twice but it didn't help. I bleed after walking, can feel it moving, it pokes me from inside from shifting I think. No sex because the net cuts my husband. Fatigue, no or low energy. So many more problems that I cannot begin to list them here. I have gained weight, am depressed, lost total interest in life. This is the exact opposite of how I was before surgery. I hope this helps at least one woman make a better decision than I did.
At January 9, 2013 at 7:54 PM , Anonymous said...: Dr Robert Miller, Cairns Private Hospital, Queensland, Australia. 2006. I was manipulated into consenting to a hysterectomy at the age of 47 by Dr Miller who deceived me into believing that uterine fibroids were a life threatening condition and that if I didn't have the hysterectomy, I would bleed to death. I was not provided with information about alternative treatments (including just doing nothing other than wait for menopause; nor was I warned about the likely physical, psychological and emotional adverse side effects. Dr Miller is nothing short of a butcher. He took one of my healthy ovaries for no reason at all. When I complained about the way I had been treated I was told that I didn't need a uterus and that I should be glad I didn't have periods anymore. Dr Miller's response to my formal complaint was that hysterectomy was the "only cure for heavy periods". This response was deemed accpetable and my complaint file was closed. I am still hurt and angry about what happened to me.
At February 24, 2013 at 1:20 PM , Linda said...: Dr. Peter Beller, Hartford Hospital, Hartford ct. 4/13/11 was "my" day. I too had heavy periods. Dr. Beller, for lack of better terms-"ran me through the express lane" to get this done. He did not check everything, and now I live with a hernia. The hernia is so big that the local docs are afraid of it. I left Hartford, mostly because of their lack of care and went elsewhere. Sure enough, elsewhere got an ear full from Hartford and now they have dropped my care as well. So here I sit, permanently disfigured, forever at the mercy of entitlements until I die.My life is a shambles. My boyfriend left me. I can't do anything without wearing an ab belt (see boyfriend leaving) and I am in pain all the time....and the funny part about all of this---I am the bad guy.
At February 26, 2013 at 1:44 PM , Gutted said...: Linda,
I'm sorry that you too were taken advantage of by a gynecologist! I hope you've taken every step possible to get some sort of justice even if all you can do is post reviews on every website on which he has a listing. We have to stop this horrible abuse of women!
At April 1, 2013 at 11:54 PM , vicki.childress said...: After reading these stories. I have to wonder how long will it be until a woman (or a woman's husband) puts a bullet through one of these doctors head.........Just saying...I hope I live long enough to see the day.....
This will not stop until doctors see it as a liability.
At April 5, 2013 at 11:48 PM , vicki.childress said...: I would like to warn women of Dr. Pam Paley of Pacific Gynecology Specialists in Seattle, Washington.
She works in a group of Gyn Oncs. I was encouraged to have genetic testing after being diagnosed with DCIS (pre-malignant breast cancer). I have a strong family history of breast cancer but no ovarian cancer. Well......Let the fear mongering begin...As of July 2010 I had never given ovarian cancer a second thought by September 6th 2010 I was totally desexualized, barely escaping with one breast....Both Ovaries, tubes, Uterus and cervix...GONE!!! and here is the kicker...NO CANCER...So far the only casualties of genetic testing are womens sex organs (breast, ovaries, uterus....)...imagine that. Women so trusting of doctors much to our peril. We have grown up in a society that has portrayed the female sex organs as bothersome, painful, and god forbid the darn uterus gets pregnant....
Doctor are not stupid, they know exactly what they are doing.
I would caution any woman reading this to stay away from MDs. I would consult with a naturopath. Most problems are our stress and hormone imbalance...not a dysfunctional organ.
At April 8, 2013 at 7:42 PM , Gutted said...: Vicki,
I'm so sorry that you too were mutilated in the name of "health care." Thank you for sharing your story and the name of your perpetrator (seems I've heard of her before).

I read Paley's bio (she doesn't deserve the title of Dr.) on the group's website and it made me puke. The focus of her business has been cancer "risk reduction strategies" using a compassionate and caring approach. If that isn't a bunch of BS!! No one with an OUNCE of compassion would remove sex organs absent confirmed cancer. And now she has her robotic skills to lure women into thinking it's a "safer" surgery.

When will these perpetrators be treated as the scam artists that they are??
At August 5, 2013 at 9:09 AM , Cassandra said...: Has anybody been given a hysterectomy by Michael Quinn in Melbourne/Australia?
At August 24, 2013 at 8:59 AM , Susie said...: I don't know what to do. I understand there are awful complications to hysterectomy and at 28 I DO NOT want to lose my uterus, but they believe I have adenomyosis and the pain and bleeding are destroying my quality of life. What alternatives are there? I have tried every birth control method with no success, all other issues have been ruled out. Myomectomy won't help since there is not one specific area of growth. UAE is useless for adeno and has it's own list of problems. I would keep my ovaries and cervix. I just don't know what else I can do!?!
At August 24, 2013 at 9:00 AM , HERS Foundation said...: Susie,

How was adenomyosis diagnosed? What tests have been done? Ultrasound, CT scan, MRI?
At August 26, 2013 at 9:09 AM , Susie said...: They are diagnosising me based on symptoms and the fact my uterus is tender. My ultrasound shows nothing but a normal sized uterus, healthy tubes and ovaries. The laproscopic exploratory showed no signs of endo per pathology, but scar tissue of unknown etiology on my uterus, despite never having an abd surgery before. I have begged for an MRI and the ultrasound where fluid is injected into the uterus. If they had a definate diagnosis I would at least have peace of mind. They say these tests are not accurate and are unreliable. When I asked my doctor (myfavorite of the three opinions I have had) She stated my uterus is not globular, boggy, or enlarged. She said it does not have an adenomyosis appearance but that she has rulled out all other issues. She is actually a great doc and has taken the time to discuss options, alternatives, and the surgery with me. I can see some docs are not like that. The third opinion I obtained said, well I wouldn't push you in either direction but I do love to operate. WTF!?! I don't care if you like to operate. The same doc refuses to prescribe pain meds for my ongoing pain with bleeding. In my opinion by refusing to manage my pain, she is wanting to rush me with out giving me time to make the most informed decision for myself and my family.
At August 26, 2013 at 9:10 AM , Susie said...: I should add I have four children, born with in 6 years. I often wonder if I didn't give my uterus time to heal between and caused the problem. But I am blessed to have had them and done so young, who knows if I would even be able to have children now.
At August 31, 2013 at 4:30 PM , vicki.childress said...: Susie,
Where do you live? How old are you?
Do you have access to a naturopathic doctor?
I have not had personal experience with adenomyosis but I would look into dietary/supplement options.
Also, I have heard that acupuncture may help with pelvic pain.
The worse that could happen is it won't work.

Vicki
At August 31, 2013 at 4:32 PM , vicki.childress said...: You are very smart and don't let a doc wear you down.
After reading your case
I have to ask again....where do you live, city - state and are there good naturopaths or acupuncturist available.
I am a RN and have heard that acupuncture can be very effective at pain management.
I have had acupuncture and it did help with my situation. I was not having the same issue as you but it could help.
I never had pelvic pain or heavy bleeding I was fearmongered out of my uterus and ovaries due to having BRCA 2 mutation. After I had the surgery, I confronted the doctor about why she removed my uterus and she hung her head and said that she wish she hadn't. Doctors are SOOOOO removed from the after effects of these surgeries and are a bit sociopathic in that they do not have a conscience about what they do.
It is a decision that I frequently regret, so hang in there.

Vicki
At August 31, 2013 at 4:33 PM , vicki.childress said...: Susie,
I have left several email responses, but was unaware of them not making it to you. That is why I have so many posts, that did not go through.
At August 31, 2013 at 4:35 PM , vicki.childress said...: Children are a blessing, but, as you know, your uterus has functions other than child bearing. So don't let a doctor convince you that your 'finished' and 'don't need it anymore'.

Don't beat yourself up..as a RN, I have never heard of too many pregnancies causing anything other than a tired mom.....Maybe you just need some rest and take some time to yourself. I know that is hard with children, but any little bit could help.

When I was going through my health issues....after the whole thing was over....I kept thinking..."All I needed was some sleep"...

Vicki
At September 2, 2013 at 12:30 AM , vicki.childress said...: Susie,
Yea, another RN. Now I can talk shop. What is your hemoglobin? Are you less than 7. My sister was walking around with a hemoglobin of 6. In addition to iron supplementation and eating a lot of iron rich foods (beans, red meat etc.) she took Chorophyll...It accesses your iron stores and will increase your available iron within a week. Go to your health food store and get some. It is a liquid and looks like motor oil, but it works. You still need to continue with iron rich food until your bleeding gets under control This also may help your tiredness. Are you taking any sleeping agents? Is there anyway to just take a Ambien for one night and get a good nights rest. I am not an advocate of sleeping pills, but when I was sick I think I would have been better able to handle the stress and the decisions that I had to make if I had just slept good one or two nights. Please take some time to rest, that may be all you need to balance your body...How is your weight? How is your diet?
At September 2, 2013 at 12:33 AM , vicki.childress said...: The other thing Susie. I wanted you to call an acupuncturist. I don't think they are that expensive. Also, surprisingly some insurances are covering some naturopathic docs. Probably not a preferred provider but may cover some. Ask your benefits administrator.
At September 2, 2013 at 11:37 AM , HERS Foundation said...: Susie,

An MRI is the only reliable way to diagnose adenomyosis. You can tell the doctor who you think is most likely to work with you, that you have decided that you need an MRI to feel confident that you are making the best decision.

If an MRI confirms adenomyosis, there are ways to control the symptoms without taking your female organs. Many issues are too complex to discuss in blogs. You can schedule a telephone appointment to speak with a counselor by calling Jacqueline Kabak at HERS at 610.667.7757.

Did you read the link to Adenomyosis on HERS Homepage at www.hersfoundation.org?
At September 3, 2013 at 10:01 AM , Truth Seeker said...: Susie - Fight for your uterus - You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone!

If insurance balks at certain tests or treatments, appeal. And go to your state's insurance board if necessary. Most insurance companies are part of the problem in that they'll approve hysterectomies no questions asked but don't want to cover certain tests and organ-sparing procedures.
At September 8, 2013 at 7:49 PM , vicki.childress said...: I saw this advertisement for Fibrovan......For fibroids and endometriosis.....Might check it out.
At September 9, 2013 at 11:21 PM , Unknown said...: I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you, but I really am glad you are doing something to prevent such a thing from happening to other unknowing individuals. Thousands of women suffered from failed procedures and do not know how to go about their ordeals. My friend went to an Arizona medical malpractice lawyer for help and got the compensation she deserved, so it also helps to seek sound legal advice and representation.
At September 15, 2013 at 11:23 PM , vicki.childress said...: Glad you found this site helpful. I wish I had found it before I consented.....
At March 10, 2014 at 2:46 AM , Anonymous said...: Dr. Mark Messing of Texas Oncologist
Have stage 0 cervical cancer, adenocarcinoma in situ and was told I need a hysterectomy after a LEEP where I got clear margins. His staff scheduled the surgery 1 week after the consultation. I had 2nd thoughts and moved the surgery out by a month and was told I needed to hurry and have it done since adenocarcinoma grows quickly. Had 2nd thoughts again and cancelled the surgery. Just feel that it is not the right choice for me at this time. I am going back to my PCM and requesting to be monitored every 3 months while trying some naturopathic treatments. No other options were discussed with me and Dr. Messing even made fun of me for having sedation with my LEEP...I have a history of sexual trauma and cannot remain still while in pain as well as having extreme anxiety from the trauma. I can have my teeth cleaned under sedation, why wouldn't I have sedation for a painful traumatic procedure. Still looking for a obgyn or gyn.oncologist who is anti-hysterectomy in Dallas Tx.
Fighing family who think I should still have the hysterectomy, standing strong..I know its not right for me and after read/researching I remain even more vigilant.
At March 10, 2014 at 6:39 PM , vicki.childress said...: I would record your doctor visits. ALL OF THEM. Just tell the doctor that you cant remember everything they say and need to record it, If the doctor objects then they are probably not a honest doc...Or are spouting off exaggerated cancer risks that dont exist. I would also get a copy of your pathology report. If the word "Invasion" is not present you have time for other opinions and alternative treatments. Not all insitu cancers progress to invasive cancers.

Insitu cancer is not life-threatening. You are smart to seek a second or third opinion. Your family needs to help you research and DONT let them push you into something that does not feel right to you.

I would also like to add:
Dont trust a doctor just because she is a woman and be leery of doctors who have access to a Da Vinci robot. Those robot machines cost 1-2 million dollars and the doctors have to justify the purchase of them. Unfortunately many womens' benign uteruses will be supporting the financial growth of Intuitive Surgical company.

Regarding Hysterectomy and sexual response there is a PUB MED article:

Hysterectomy improves sexual response? Addressing a crucial omission in the literature.

It clearly shows a MRI that shows the brain lighting up when the cervix is stimulated.So there IS nerve sensation in the cervix.
Print a copy and give it to the doctor who did not think you needed sedation....He probably is unaware of, or doesn't care about, the mayhem he causes.

Good luck and keep us posted.
At March 10, 2014 at 6:44 PM , vicki.childress said...: I also wanted to add that when you record each doctor visit, dont tell them what the prior doctor said..You might find that they are telling you different things. AND if the doctor gets mad at you for asking questions. Leave and dont come back....
At March 10, 2014 at 10:06 PM , Mad as Hell said...: March 10, 2014 Anonymous poster - I am glad you came here and are fighting to keep your uterus! I wish I had listened to my intuition instead of my gynecologist of 20 years who only cared about his bank account and the power he felt over women by castrating them.

Along with Vicki's suggestions, I would stay away from hospitals with Graduate Medical Education (residency) programs. Be aware though that many hospitals that are not affiliated with universities have residency programs. I was hysterectomized and castrated for a benign ovarian cyst in a Mercy (Catholic) hospital. I had no idea it had a residency program until I was in pre-op with anesthesiologists and gyn residents firing questions at me.

Ironic how Catholic doctrine prohibits birth control yet Catholic hospitals perform a lot of unnecessary hysterectomies and oophorectomies. And to boot, birth control pills can be quite effective in treating one of the common reasons for hysterectomy, dysfunctional bleeding so not prescribing them serves their purposes quite well. I apologize if you are Catholic but just had to mention this irony. (I was raised Catholic.)

Gynecology pathologists have different levels of experience. You could have your biopsies reviewed by another pathologist. However, I am not sure how you go about finding the "expert" pathologists.

I wonder if gynecologists submit false information to insurance companies to get authorization for hysterectomy. Sadly, it seems that most insurance companies don't care if women's organs are removed but some seem more conservative than others. There was nothing wrong with my uterus yet my insurance company (Cigna) authorized a "hysterectomy." But they would not tell me what was submitted for authorization. Nor would they tell me the results of the complaint I filed.

It's frustrating that so few gynecologists use organ-sparing procedures. But there are some out there. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted on your progress. Sorry for the novel.
At March 13, 2014 at 7:06 AM , Anonymous said...: I'm sorry to all of the women out there. I read a lot of your stories. I wish I could do something for you all. The best thing we could do is to have flyers and pamphlets at these clinics. Spread the news by word of mouth. Be a nurse or work in the medical field or in law to stop this from happening and to fight against it. At first I want to give up being a nurse because of all these bad things, but now I see. I have to get over being depressed and start protecting people, educating people and more importantly be a patients advocate. Do what's in the best interest of the patient. We need more good people in the medical field. To the women who feel like committing suicide, don't give up. I am shock there are women gynecologists doing this to other women...
At March 24, 2014 at 5:15 AM , Anonymous said...: I was given a Da Vinci robotic hysterectomy in May of 2013 for horrible abdominal pain & bladder prolapse symptoms that my female GYN declared to be adenomyosis. She even did an exploratory laparoscopic surgery & fibroid removal 6 months prior & came out of the OR claiming that my uterus was riddled with sponginess. And then proceeded to grill my husband on how bad he wanted another child, which he thought was very odd. The right sided abdominal pain & prolapse symptoms continued to get worse until I was in agony almost 24/7. I went back asking what to do & she said that something "more definitive" might be in order. She spun a horrible scenario of the pain continuing until I reached menopause, which was a loooong way off considering I was only 31 & it would only get worse. I wanted another baby & she told me I probably never get pregnant, so I agreed. I fought with her on keeping my ovaries @ my pre op. I also asked her how my pre op ultrasound was & she told me that my uterus was just getting thicker with each ultrasound because the adeno was progressing quickly. She pushed to take out my gall bladder in addition to my appendix & uterus/tubes/cervix & I declined. Post op, I was still experiencing the horrible prolapse symptoms but the abdominal pain was gone. My pathology report was NEGATIVE for adeno, but my appendix was on the verge of rupturing when they removed it. I continued to go back to my dr with complaints of prolapse symptoms, urine leakage, inability to urinate & bladder pain which she brushed off. She threw me out of her office without any excuse the day she discovered that my vagina was caving in 4 months post op. I was eventually referred to a urogynecologist who confirmed that I had a long standing stage 3 bladder prolapse, a stage 2 rectocele & an entire vaginal vault prolapse. At 32 years old. My husband & I have no sex life because my vagina is hanging out. I'm scheduled for what will basically be an entire pelvic floor reconstruction soon. And my new dr said that it has a high failure rate. He also noted that it looked like the trocars of the robot were inserted in the wrong places. I picked up my entire file from the butcher's office only to discover that every one of my 4 ultrasounds said "UTERUS IS OF NORMAL SIZE AND THICKNESS". Her notes never mentioned any of my specific complaints about bladder pain/urine leakage or prolapse symptoms post op. Just the vague term "pelvic pain". To say that we were devastated when we so desperately wanted another child is an understatement. She lied about all of my pre op ultrasounds in an effort to sell me a $56k robotic hyster when all I needed was a bladder prolapse repair & my appendix removed. I also found out that she was found guilty of medical malpractice to the tune of $1.2 million just a few months before my hyster. I wish I'd known then what I know now. My life has come to a screeching halt. I was training for a triathlon prior to this. I ran & biked every day. I was fit & healthy with a great sex life. Now I'm depressed, gaining weight, unable to ever do high impact exercise or lift anything over 25 lbs for the rest of my life. I'm sad some mornings to actually open my eyes & find I'm alive. This is no way to live. I'm praying this next surgery gives me some relief from all the prolapses,but I probably need to go to therapy to come to terms with the act that I'll never have another baby & deal with all my new limitations. Please, please listen to your guts ladies. I wish I had.
At March 24, 2014 at 5:17 AM , Anonymous said...: Needed to add that the surgery was done at Bayhealth hospital in Dover, Delaware. I can't give the name of the doctor due to legal issues.
At March 24, 2014 at 2:53 PM , Mad as Hell said...: To March 24 Anonymous - I am so sorry this was done to you! How awful and what an evil doctor! I too was lied to about my condition by Dr. Richard Muckerman (St. Louis, MO).

Have you contacted your insurance company to see what your doctor submitted to authorize the removal of organs? The insurance companies have to be well aware that hysterectomy and oophorectomy are grossly overused and should be scrutinizing ALL authorization requests. It would seem that patients have a right to this information. In my case though, Cigna would not provide it saying it was confidential, probably because they never should have authorized hysterectomy in the first place!

Another problem is that gynecologists seem to have "carte blanche" allowing them to remove any organs they desire once we go into the OR. And far too many do just that!

And I do not know of a single woman who got INFORMED CONSENT for hysterectomy or ovary removal. Zip. Zilch. Nada!!

I hope you win your case to the tune of MILLIONS. You deserve every penny! Hang in there and thank you for speaking out!
At March 19, 2015 at 2:37 AM , Anonymous said...: i wander threw the grocery store looking at each woman, her skin,asking myself, "did she have a hysterectomy?' the only question i ever asked my dr. and i probably asked 50 times, was " will this affect my sex life? will i be able to have orgasms? "oh sex is the same " she said. what a nightmare.i was thinking i was doing my family a favor by getting it done.i was in bed with such severe pain for two days and nothing would come out except a chewed out brownie days later, this was from the ablation i had about a year earlier it had formed a seal and the blood would have to pop the scab every month for it to come out.this was extremely painful,debilitating at points, my final point was i almost crashed the car on the highway,i knew i had to do something. the only alternative would be a hysterectomy...my trusted doctor didn't even say or list any side effects.....i opted to go over my two csection scars,and she butchered me. i knew the moment i woke up from recovery that something was terribly terrible wrong,i couldn't speak the pain was so bad.as she came to see me later in the day and told me i could go home i was like look at this? most of my staples fell out, and she had to re staple me again in the room, they fell out too and never closed for month and a half leaving me with a puckered lip.kind of a punch in the face when you look at your body as you recover.i found myself hiding in the phase of "recovery"...the recovery was three months for me and i'm still not right.then the next phase of horror,i can't even describe in words,we started to have sex, i was numb, i felt nothing, that little bump that my husband would hit inside me was gone and the pulsing leading up to an orgasm were just gone. GONE.
i thought to myself, oh I'm healing it's just going to take some time, well that time took too long and i started looking up things and found out the devastating news that i am fucked. game over. left in an absolute panic, i called the dr for an 8 month follow up appointment and she scoffed at my why do you need and eight month follow up, i feel nothing i can't have an orgasm.i thought i was helping my husband,my family. it ruined me,I'm just not me anymore.and what a treat to see the mngeled puckering scar she left as a reminder that i am not the same.i was robbed. i had scar revision.i just can't believe i had to go threw this. that all of you here had to go threw this and thought we were smart making the right choices.
its been devastating..i would have killed myself if i didn't have children,but its like i am already dead.
At May 1, 2015 at 9:50 AM , Jay bird said...: Hello: My uterus was taken on Jan.2014 by Myron luthringer at St.Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse New York.I was 44 years old.I had the da Vinci Robotic Surgery.i have pelvic pain and bladder pain after having this surgery.But like so many other women I was not told about any side effects.
At June 3, 2015 at 5:29 AM , Anonymous said...: He llo,i came across this post God ICANT believe hi w many of us are suffering I had my tah.on2-11-15 and have had a catheter on since .and numerous er.visit. plus hospital stays thanks to dr.Lee fenglaly in fresno ca.she has abandoned me 100 percent. I had to literally find my own dr.to corrective a vesicovaginal fistula. I'm having my red surgery 6-11-15.then I'm praying that a lawyer will take my case .ibdont want what has happened to me happen to any young women ever it's been a living nightmare. God bless you all
At June 8, 2015 at 6:21 PM , Unknown said...: Im a 48 year old woman with a 7-8cm fibroid on the outside of my uterus and trying to avoid a hysterctomy. I live in the Chicago land area and in need of a doctor that would perform a myomectomy without removing any of my female parts. I'm already in menopause since 2013 and the fibroid is not causing many issues besides pressure on bladder and rectum so Im trying new methods to try to shrink it and avoid surgery all together. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hysterectomy - the Experts Speak Out

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

NAME THAT DOCTOR AND HOSPITAL

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