Recent emergency hysterectomy

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends:

My friend, Diane Nazarenko, who has been a member of our group, has fought

valiantly to avoid surgery for a very long time. Unfortunately, she was forced

to undergo an emergency hysterectomy on March 13, 2004, and is on her way to

recovery. She has asked me to share her story with you, and wants everyone to

know that although we all try very hard to avoid surgery using our methods of

choice, sometimes you CAN bleed to death from fibroids. Bear in mind that Diane

is 51 and came what would have been " THAT CLOSE " to menopause. Please see

Diane's story below, and Diane has also asked that I include her e-mail address

(diane @ nazarenko.com), as she would be more than happy to " speak " with any

ladies of the group who might have questions for her. It is edited just to

remove personal details between her and me.

Edie (see below)

> " Hi Edie,

> Well...survived week 2 post-op and can say with more certainty that I'm

> on the mend. Each day is a bit better than the previous one and I've

> started to go outdoors for walks and fresh air.

> Details...Well, We were (working at a trade show in VT) on Sat

March 13th and I was still bleeding from going off the

> estrogen and 10 days into the mife. It seemed like the bleeding was

> slowing down a bit, so I was feeling cautiously optimistic, when around

> 4pm I felt this gush and ran to the ladies room and all hell broke

> loose. I was bleeding so hard and fast that I couldn't even get off the

> toilet to call for help. Luckily a woman came into the bathroom and I

> asked her to go to my booth to get (my hubby). She was a doctor, so she sent

> another woman and stayed with me. They got my hubby and a wheelchair and

> rushed me to the ER.

> In the ER they tried everything to stop the bleeding, but it was no

> use...I fought with the docs and my hubby and my son until 11pm until

> everyone was begging me to sign the consent forms or I would bleed to

> death!. By this time my crit was <14 and dropping and I was so weak I

> had no fight left...so off I went to the OR.

> The surgery was about 2 hours, my uterus 2 lbs, they saved my ovaries.

> The next day I was on a morphine pump that I could control and they made

> me get up and walk around (OUCH).

> I left the hospital 40 hours after the surgery, maybe too soon...the

> next two days were awful.

> At this point I feel alot of tenderness and soreness from my navel to

> the incision, and I have this bulge over the incision that the

> " hystersisters " call overhang (not pretty)

> It hurts to poop, and sometimes to pee...but that's improving.

> I go tomorrow for my 2 week check-up, and may have to have some fluid

> drained off around the overhang, or it may reabsorb slowly.

> I have signed off the fibroid boards...it made me cry to think about

> all the work I had done...but there is something important that the

> bleeding ladies need to know...

> You CAN bleed to death from fibroids...the estrogen didn't stop it this

> time! If there are other ladies like me whose bleeding continues to get

> heavier and more constant, they could end up in my situation, which is

> obviously not the best way to go into surgery.

> Anyhow...that's the story...cool that I can sit here long enough to type

> it...let's try to get together in NY this spring. > HUGS TO YOU!! "