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Can you still have Endometriosis after a Hysterectomy?
I'm trying to condense about 16 year or so of medical history into this, so I apologize for the length--I feel that if you have some background it might be easier to understand my question.
I've had chronic pelvic pain and stomach problems since I was a teenager. In addition to having severe menstrual cramps and very painful ovulation, I have always had a sharp, stabbing pain in my right lower quadrant, about 3 inches or so southwest of my belly button.
In 2000, the stomach issues became severe. I had many different tests done and they never found anything. I was given a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and prescribed several medciations...that did not work at all.
In 2002 I had a lap where they found stage 2 endometriosis, para-tubal cysts and multiple adhesions. Since then, I've had several more surgeries, including gallbladder and appendix removal--both of which were thought to be the cause of my pain, but alas, were not. The pain has continued to persist and over the last year and a half, worsened even more.
In December I had a complete hysterectomy, in which they discovered more spots of endo, more ruptured cysts and even more adhesions. My tube and ovary were adhered to my colon in one spot as well.
The surgery helped TREMENDOUSLY with the pelvic pain but that stabbing pain in my right side still remained. Along with that, my stomach problems went from bad to worse--they have become so severe that I can barely eat, and going to the bathroom feels like labor, the pain is so intense. I sweat, I get chills, I sometimes vomit because the pain is so severe.
Yesterday I had yet another exploratory lap, in which this doctor entered from the left side of my stomach. Up underneath my ascending colon, he found multiple adhesions to the colon in that area, along with....more endo. I am not sure if the endo was live or just "there" but he said he removed it and freed the adhesions. He also said that where he found these was just two fingers' width away from the spot I pointed to on my belly when he asked where the pain was.
I already have noticed that the stabbing pain there is gone, even though I am still in quite a bit of pain just from the surgery. I am hoping this was "it" and that I will be (FINALLY) better from here on out.
I apologize for the length of this, but I felt that in order to understand my question, one might need a bit of background.
So, my question is this: Can endometriosis that was never discovered or treated (burned or cut off) still remain after a hysterectomy and cause pain and/or other problems? Or is it more likely that the endo was already "dead" when the surgeon discovered it yesterday? I'm about 3 months post-hysterectomy and have not taken any hormone therapy yet.
And I have one more question--throughout the last year it has been suspected that I had inflammatory bowel disease, although tests such as cononscopy and upper GI (with sbft) were negative. I DID have inflammation in my stomach, esophagus and bowels, but it was not chrons or anything else. Could the endometriosis have been causing the inflammation, pain, diarrhea, nausea, etc...all those symptoms of inflammatory bowel? or am I just "reaching" here?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
~Michelle
I've had chronic pelvic pain and stomach problems since I was a teenager. In addition to having severe menstrual cramps and very painful ovulation, I have always had a sharp, stabbing pain in my right lower quadrant, about 3 inches or so southwest of my belly button.
In 2000, the stomach issues became severe. I had many different tests done and they never found anything. I was given a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and prescribed several medciations...that did not work at all.
In 2002 I had a lap where they found stage 2 endometriosis, para-tubal cysts and multiple adhesions. Since then, I've had several more surgeries, including gallbladder and appendix removal--both of which were thought to be the cause of my pain, but alas, were not. The pain has continued to persist and over the last year and a half, worsened even more.
In December I had a complete hysterectomy, in which they discovered more spots of endo, more ruptured cysts and even more adhesions. My tube and ovary were adhered to my colon in one spot as well.
The surgery helped TREMENDOUSLY with the pelvic pain but that stabbing pain in my right side still remained. Along with that, my stomach problems went from bad to worse--they have become so severe that I can barely eat, and going to the bathroom feels like labor, the pain is so intense. I sweat, I get chills, I sometimes vomit because the pain is so severe.
Yesterday I had yet another exploratory lap, in which this doctor entered from the left side of my stomach. Up underneath my ascending colon, he found multiple adhesions to the colon in that area, along with....more endo. I am not sure if the endo was live or just "there" but he said he removed it and freed the adhesions. He also said that where he found these was just two fingers' width away from the spot I pointed to on my belly when he asked where the pain was.
I already have noticed that the stabbing pain there is gone, even though I am still in quite a bit of pain just from the surgery. I am hoping this was "it" and that I will be (FINALLY) better from here on out.
I apologize for the length of this, but I felt that in order to understand my question, one might need a bit of background.
So, my question is this: Can endometriosis that was never discovered or treated (burned or cut off) still remain after a hysterectomy and cause pain and/or other problems? Or is it more likely that the endo was already "dead" when the surgeon discovered it yesterday? I'm about 3 months post-hysterectomy and have not taken any hormone therapy yet.
And I have one more question--throughout the last year it has been suspected that I had inflammatory bowel disease, although tests such as cononscopy and upper GI (with sbft) were negative. I DID have inflammation in my stomach, esophagus and bowels, but it was not chrons or anything else. Could the endometriosis have been causing the inflammation, pain, diarrhea, nausea, etc...all those symptoms of inflammatory bowel? or am I just "reaching" here?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
~Michelle
Yes you can - with regular laparoscopy when they do the laser vap, it doesn't get the "roots" of the endo. The endo implants actually produce their own estrogen and therefore grow and still cause pain. The best chance to get rid of this disease is to see an actual endo specialist. Not an ob/gyn, not and RE, but a specialist. They will be able to excise all the endo and suspected endo - which means they literally cut the implants out. I just had this done 3wks ago tomorrow. DH and I traveled 700mi to see the specialist. Check out this link and read all the info and see what you think. Dr. Sinervo I can vouch for. He is the doctor I saw and who performed my surgery: Supracervical Hyster, excision of endo, Lysis of adhesions, enterolysis, and an unexpected appendectomy (no appendicitis but lots of scar tissue). Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
http://centerforendo.com/treatmentatcec.htm
http://centerforendo.com/treatmentatcec.htm
i recently found out that yes you can get it in your bladder after a hysterectomy!
im sorry you are going through this it really *****! i know! i wish you well hun <3
im sorry you are going through this it really *****! i know! i wish you well hun <3
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