Comments on Hysterectomy - the Experts Speak Out: Hysterectomy Causes Heart Disease

Ms. Coffey, Are doctors trained to do hystrectomie...

2009-11-29T20:07:33.579-05:00

Ms. Coffey,
Are doctors trained to do hystrectomies in medical school or is a motivation of money? I would like to know.

Lisa

male in michigan, My wife will have her 3rd surger...

2009-11-14T06:12:25.464-05:00

male in michigan,
My wife will have her 3rd surgery soon for digestive health problems. In checkout prior to this surgery the cardiologist is now involved. Seems she now has a heart problem she never had before. She is about 7 years post and the health issues mount each year. She is overweight, fatigue, constant menopausal type symtoms, mood swings, it ruined our intimate life. I married for better or worse, this is definitely the worst.

Mary Ellen, I'm glad you found a doctor who wante...

2009-11-06T22:06:06.041-05:00

Mary Ellen,

I'm glad you found a doctor who wanted to help you instead of mutilate you. How fortunate that you were spared the horror of hysterectomy.

Please speak out against this barbaric surgery so other women can be spared. Refer them to the HERS website to discover the facts which most doctors don't tell women.

CAD, Everything you described in your comment tha...

2009-11-05T08:17:39.857-05:00

CAD,
Everything you described in your comment that you've experienced since undergoing hysterectomy is typical.

You can find out what problems women experience, and the percentage of women who experience them, by going to http://www.hersfoundation.org, click on "Adverse Effects Data". It's helpful to know whether what's happening to you is experienced by other women.

I read these stories and watch the video and feel ...

2009-11-05T08:10:47.056-05:00

I read these stories and watch the video and feel so sad for all the women out there that had hysterectomies needlessly. The video seems so invasive ... like it's ripping out parts of the anatomy... and it seems like the ligaments are trying to hang on... and then it appears they are being burned off one by one.

I came so close to a hysterectomy but luckly I found a endriconologist/ob/gyn that ran blood tests and said I only have a hormone imbalance. I take a natural medicine for just 10 days a month and it stopped the irregular and heavy bleeding. The fibroids are on the outside wall of the uterus and therefore are not causing any problems. But the previous doctors did not tell me that. Do doctors receive such different training in medical school? One doctor diagnosed me as needing a hysterectomy without even examining me. God was looking out for me and I hope the next generation of women are educated and do not fall victim to this procedure except in the case of cancer.

I completely agree, even though I am 5mo post hyst...

2009-10-28T08:19:02.778-04:00

I completely agree, even though I am 5mo post hysterectomy, I have noticed a lot of changes. I keep wondering are they all because of the surgery?? Skin, nail changes, sore like pimples, never had those before, on my back, bottom, thighs & face; lack of sleep for days then sleep for 12-16hrs; aches, pains in muscles, bones; bowel & bladder changes; panic attacks; memory loss; wgt gain; depression, feel lost, emotionally, feel loss; backache starting in hips moving up spine and down thighs; extreme dry skin; loss of multiple orgasms, painful sex; itching all over; headaches; dizziness; tinnitus; tingling in hands; constipation/diarrhea; nausea; brittle hair; not to mention the 'normal' hotflashes etc.
I'm feeling more and more things different daily, I no longer feel like i'm young, or a woman, I feel such a loss of sexuality never have I felt this before! Mood changes are minute by minute, even sometimes laughing while crying due to sadness, my new husband cannot keep up with my moods.
I am currently interviewing attorneys, I'm in texas, does the group offer any suggestions for attorneys here?

Louise, there is no hysterectomy that is easy in a...

2009-10-25T20:59:42.859-04:00

Louise, there is no hysterectomy that is easy in any way on a woman. Based upon my own unfortunate experience and upon over two years of research on the subject, I believe that there are life-long consequences with any type of hysterectomy. If there is cancer present; perhaps the trade-off is worth it. If cancer is not present, I would never ever recommend that any woman undergo a hysterectomy. I would seek out any and all alternatives to a hysterectomy. My life has been completely and permanently damaged because of a hysterectomy I did not need and did not consent to.(I am suing the doctor and hospital at present). That one surgery has spread damage throughout my body; mentally, physically and even spiritually. I can't believe that this surgery is even legal in the U.S. There are so many people who hate doctors that perform abortions, yet these same people would never think about hating doctors who perform hysterectomies. Somehow, most people just accept that the practice of performing hysterectomies is ok. Women who undergo hysterectomy are killed in the sense that they are never the same woman again. My boyfriend, son and mother would all tell you that I am a completely different person since my hysterectomy over two years ago. My personality is blunted. I have lost a lot of my vision. My skin, hair and nails have changed texture altogether. My bladder has fallen out. I now have thyroid disease and terrible skin lesions. My body temperature is all over the chart. I have aches and pains I can't begin to describe that keep me from working more than around twenty hours a week so I can no longer support myself and I've lost my health insurance. (I worked two jobs before my surgery). I have no sexuality; no feeling at all. This loss alone can not be put into words..... I have major problems with my memory which I never had before my surgery. I can't think of words I want to say many times and I usesd to teach English and I previously worked as a technical writer. I could go on and on with the list of problems I now encounter on a daily basis because of hysterectomy and it has only been a couple of years since the surgery. Hormone replacement therapy has cost me a fortune that I do not have and it has not helped me as yet. I have attempted suicide several times since my surgery and no antidepressant has worked for me as yet either. I can't say this loud enough.... There is NO hysterectomy that is easy in any way on a woman.

Nora, Do you think it is a little easier on women ...

2009-10-25T17:42:47.141-04:00

Nora,
Do you think it is a little easier on women that only have a supra-cervical hysterectomy vs. the full hysterectomy?

Louise

I have an appointment with a new gyno, she was ref...

2009-10-20T21:53:33.602-04:00

I have an appointment with a new gyno, she was referred to me by another doctor, and plans on giving me a second opinion, not sure how this works since everything is gone but she will have my paperwork and records.

I have requested a copy of all my records and will contact the hospital tomorrow morning to retrieve those as well.

I have contacted HERS and now will wait for them to contact me back.

I have to say thank you for all the advise and comfort you all have shown me here it lifts me up. I know that time is important here, very important here and it seems that my memory is short or shot most of the time. Thats pretty sad since I was planning on going back to school and earning another degree, as well as when I'm working it's important that I have all my i's dotted and my t's crossed.

I have not signed the petition as of yet, was unsure if I should since I am starting legal action.

I also have to go see my cardiologist, I already had some issues with my heart after a bacteria infection years ago. Now since this has occured I feel it to be very important that I visit him to make sure everything is ticking correctly.

Again.... Thank you all so much, I continue to read the comments and the blogs here, this is a fantastic site!

CAD, As Bobbi said, please get a copy of ALL your ...

2009-10-20T20:55:05.645-04:00

CAD,
As Bobbi said, please get a copy of ALL your medical records from the doctor and hospital (and any other doctors you saw related to your gyn health).

Also, contact HERS before you contact any lawyers. They will give you tips on what to do and what not to do when trying to find a lawyer. Also, it may be easier to find a lawyer in another city or town as doctors and lawyers oftentimes "run" in the same social circles. I've read this from several sources.

You also need to contact lawyers anonymously to find out if there's a conflict of interest with the doctor so as not to tip them off.

A big firm would probably be more likely to take your case as these cases are very costly. All the better if they do class action lawsuits.

These doctors have got to be stopped! We're here to support you in bringing this sociopath to justice.

I wonder what kind of Lawyer I see for this? How d...

2009-10-20T11:16:44.592-04:00

I wonder what kind of Lawyer I see for this? How do I go about all this? Crying daily doesn't solve a thing and they just again changed my ERT due to it not being sufficient. You know they treat us as we're here to just have babies and otherwise we should just shut up and calm down. They place us on meds to do just that too.

My husband says to me are you really upset with me or is it the estrogen, bless his heart at least he's trying. He said he will support any decision I have and my Endo has already referred me to another Gyno, something about me threatening to cut off my previous docs testies might of been the reason. He also is looking at all my records from that doctor just to see, I do trust my endo he's very upfront and direct.

Thank you for your comments, and thanks for this great site, I've come to realize that no one understands like other women who also have gone through this. Even my mother doesnt understand, having her surgery forever ago, and she kept her ovaries. She said to me and why do you need those things?

CAD Please, Please, Please obtain ALL your records...

2009-10-17T15:10:47.998-04:00

CAD
Please, Please, Please obtain ALL your records. From all you doctor visits and all your surgeries. All imaging, ultra sounds, x-rays. Gather it all together. I waited to long as my doctor and others made me feel as if it my problems were my imagination. I had a nicked uretur that my OB/GYN did not feel was important enough to inform me about.I now pee myself. I had but a benign cyst. My doctor took everything. I now have MANY problems including hip pain, high blood pressure, incontinence, fatigue, weight gain, inability to have sex due to pain and no interest in sex or the many activities I once enjoyed. I was an extremely health 47 year old. I now feel as if I am 80. Everyone has noticed major changes in me. I am not nor will I ever be me gain.

PLEASE, go after this 'doctor'. Stop him from ruining the lives of others.

I cry for us all.

CAD, I'm SO sorry that you too were a victim of a ...

2009-10-16T23:41:09.385-04:00

CAD,
I'm SO sorry that you too were a victim of a greedy, sociopathic ob/gyn. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG! Your surgeon did EVERYTHING wrong starting with the lies, fear tactics, and malicious intent.

I'm no lawyer but between the cut bladder and the infection as well as the permanently damaging effects of having your organs removed, it sounds like you have a good malpractice case. Find yourself a good lawyer and go after this sociopath! We'll be here to cheer you on.

My story began 1 yr ago when I found out I had HPV...

2009-10-15T11:53:00.762-04:00

My story began 1 yr ago when I found out I had HPV, my doctor wanted to wait & see if it cleared up. I returned to him in May of this yr, it was time for another pap & see if I still had HPV, I was told it was High Risk, HPV 16 known to cause cancer. My doctor had me lay back so he could examine me & explained to me that I needed a complete hysterectomy with everything out due to the risk.

They began my paper work so that I could have the surgery quickly, I was still recovering from 2 prior surgeries & had only been out of the hospital for a few weeks from thyroid surgery. I was already emotionally drained from my recent surgery. My husband came to all my appointments with me & even came back during the exam.

The following week was filled with exams and tests, checking exactly what needed to be removed. I had expressed to him many times as well as to his staff, that "he will see when he gets in there what really needs to come out". Each appointment I was assured that he would be able to tell exactly what needed to be removed and would not remove anything additional. My husband & I still newlyweds drove to the hospital. I was terrified, first of the 'precancer' they found on my cervix and how I would feel afterwards.

Once the surgery was over, my doctor went to see my husband and told him "well everything looks great & we removed both ovaries, as per patient request.". He had also accidentally cut my bladder while removing my uterus. That’s what’s bugging me now, I keep wondering what patient requested this. * I was his 3rd surgery of the day, normally he only does 2 *

When I returned to him at my 8 week check-up, I had Streptococcus inside my wound, inside me!! I was placed on antibiotics, & even that was incorrect & had I not discovered he ordered Pcn, I more than likely would of died from anaphylactic shock. He put me on ERT saying that I was not healing properly. He explained that my ovaries were good & had worked at 100% but now my body was in shock from such a drastic change. I left there now more upset than ever, confused, tearful & mad. They have changed my HRT 3 times so far.

It took nearly 3 months before I could have sex because of the pain. When I work or do too much I have pains in my left lower pelvic area. Before he began the ERT I had trouble walking, my bones & muscles were hurting & I was told it was because I lacked Estrogen.

I have found out that when your ovaries are removed that you are now 40% more likely to suffer from a stroke or a MI, & if you do have a MI, that you are 50 times more likely to die. I have hot flashes, dry skin, among other things. I take calcium due to the increased risk of osteoporosis.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/apr/21/ovary-removal-hysterectomy-death

In the above article it discusses when healthy ovaries are removed you are at a higher risk of death due to CAD or lung cancer.

I am so mad that I cannot think of anything else, I cannot eat or sleep. I have headaches daily & my emotions are out of control. Tell me did I do something wrong?? Was he wrong?? Can he get away with castrating me??? I cry so much over this & realize that as one man told my husband .. Your wife has aged 10 years from that one surgery....

Jennifer, Posting a comment that gives the name o...

2009-10-12T09:50:34.211-04:00

Jennifer,

Posting a comment that gives the name of someone who has been practicing "natural" medicine for years evidence that what they are doing is either safe or effective.

We would welcome factual information about the safety and efficacy of any drugs, whether they are so-called "natural" or manufactured by a pharmaceutical company.

To answer who can help in Oregon, Dr. Tori Hudson,...

2009-10-12T09:44:13.229-04:00

To answer who can help in Oregon, Dr. Tori Hudson, N.D. She has been working with women for natural medicine for years and researching.

http://www.obgyn.net/hysteroscopy/hysteroscopy.asp...

2009-10-12T09:39:35.388-04:00

http://www.obgyn.net/hysteroscopy/hysteroscopy.asp?page=/women/articles/indman/indman_hyst
Women please ignore the comments of Dr. Paul Indman, he obviously never studied the neurobiology of women or Masters and Johnson. He says that there is no change in women and it improves their sex life after a hysterectomy. He obviously never heard of a woman that had an orgasm when her cervix was bumped. These MDs needs to be more than technicians and go on for a PhD to learn and contribute new knowledge. In 1827 it was discovered that removing the cervix, now a LEEP conization, was harmful to women. They keep doing the same old thing. Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results." Gynecology has become obsolete before it got started with viewing women as sexual beings. They don't know where the nerve configuration is in a woman's body and how they relate to other organs or orgasm.

HERS would welcome any factual information about b...

2009-08-20T02:49:54.893-04:00

HERS would welcome any factual information about bio-identical hormones that proves that they are safe and efficacious.

You would add to the credibility of your comments by using your name when you post.

Nora W. Coffey

IN response to HERS: No, I am not anyone who bene...

2009-08-20T00:17:08.532-04:00

IN response to HERS: No, I am not anyone who benefits from talking about natural progesterone and it is unfortunate that you do not understand bio-identical hormones and discourage women from benefiting from it.

Thanks to someone who sent a link to the website, ...

2009-08-17T04:49:52.267-04:00

Thanks to someone who sent a link to the website, you can read more about the information posted by anonymous regarding St. John's Mercy Medical Center's OB/GYN residency program at
http://www.stjohnsmercy.org/sjmmc/gme/obgyn/
rotations/gynecology.asp.

The last comment is clearly an advertisement by s...

2009-08-17T04:38:40.863-04:00

The last comment is clearly an advertisement by someone who profits from the sale of the product they refer to as "Natural Progesterone".

The only natural progesterone is endogenous, progesterone produced by the ovaries.

There is nothing safe about progesterone or other hormones that are exogenous(manufactured, not produced by the ovaries). The ovaries produce all of the many different hormones women need, at the time that they need them, in the quantity needed, in response to the endocrine's systems recognition they're needed. They are then released directly into the blood stream.

The hormones not produced by the ovaries, whether they are produced by a large pharmaceutical company or a smaller so-called "natural" hormone manufacturer, are either taken orally and go through the digestive tract, or as an implant beneath the skin where they are released constantly. If they are applied as a patch or cream to the skin, they must contain a chemical to allow them to penetrate the skin barrier, and they too are released continuously. The largest amount is released initially, and as the amount on the skin diminishes, less is released. Products applied topically to the skin, or taken orally, are not able to provide the quantity of hormones that the body requires at a given time, and then stop producing them until you need more. this means that you're receiving much more, or much less, of what your body actually needs.

If it has a hormonal effect, whether it grows in your back yard, is produced by a compounding pharmacy, or a large pharmaceutical, you are exposed to all the risks of any exogenous (not produced inside the body) hormones, such as breast cancer, liver cancer, embolisms that can cause a stroke, and endometrial cancer.

BUYER BEWARE!

In response to anonymous of Aug 11: You stated "p...

2009-08-16T19:28:19.874-04:00

In response to anonymous of Aug 11:

You stated "progestins" and you are correct - the womens study concluded it contributes to heart attacks, breast disease, etc. Prometrim is not from "Porogestins". It is natural "progesterone" from plants. There is a huge difference. The synthetic kind with "progestins" is definitely dangerous. I had horrible side effects from provera that has "progestins" but not from prometrium which has natural "progesterone". You might read "What your doctor may not tell you about Pre-menopause" no matter where you are in menopause.

Hormones. Nightmare. I cannot find a hormone repla...

2009-08-13T15:02:08.241-04:00

Hormones. Nightmare. I cannot find a hormone replacement to 'fix' me. I was not broken before my castration. We tried sex last night for the first time in over a year. It was too painful to continue. I am a non sexual thing. Anyone have a 'fix' for my shriveled, dis-functioning vagina??

Exerpt from the "Prometrium" web site: "Transient ...

2009-08-11T07:46:45.299-04:00

Exerpt from the "Prometrium" web site:
"Transient dizziness may occur in some patients; they should use caution when driving or operating machinery; for these women, bedtime dosing may be advised.[2]
The most common adverse events reported in postmenopausal women receiving PROMETRIUM® 200 mg were: breast tenderness, dizziness, abdominal bloating, vaginal discharge, chest pain, and diarrhea.[2]
The most common adverse events reported in postmenopausal women receiving PROMETRIUM® 400 mg were: headache, dizziness, breast pain, musculoskeletal pain, and viral infection.[2]
Progesterone with or without estrogens should not be used to prevent heart attacks or heart disease. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia. You and your healthcare provider should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with PROMETRIUM® Capsules."

I take a bio-identical progesterone called prometr...

2009-08-01T22:04:08.951-04:00

I take a bio-identical progesterone called prometrium. I am so grateful to have it. It helps me sleep. I do not view bio-identical hormones as robbing women. I am grateful because it gives me a quality of life - it is plant based and not made from chemicals or horse urine like the synthetic ones are from - those are the ones that can increase the risks of heart disease, etc. Not the natural plant based ones. I avoided a hysterectomy and the hormones keeps my uterine lining clean. When progesterone stops, the estrogen keeps going and often builds up the lining in the uterus lining which often leads to cancer. I intend to keep taking it for life. It helps me in so many other ways as well.