KandJ, i have to say, i'm surprised your doc won't consent to a hysterectomy since you have 3 kids. to be completely honest, if you're done having kids, i'd push the issue and if he/she doesn't give, i'd find another doc. In the end, it's YOUR body. If you're aware of what you'll deal with after a hyster (HRT) then i can't see any reason to refuse if it will help you. Especially with young children. How horrible it is to have to deal with all this pain and have this disease cloud your kids early years that you should be ENJOYING. *steps off soapbox*

Alana, recovery has been MUCH easier than i expected. I had surgery on 11/21 so it really worked out well, 2 days i took off were company holidays. SO i had my surgery on a THursday, took the whole following week off and this Monday i started working from home again. (so total of 9 days off) I probably could have gone into the office today with no problem but i know everyone will be dropping by to ask how i'm doing and i have s shitton of work to catch up on so working from home is the better option to be able to get things done. Last night was the first night though that i have not had pelvic pain and gone to bed with my heating pad.

anyway, yes. they did EVERYTHING while i was knocked out. i last remember kissing my hubby before being wheeled in the OR. Don't remember getting my anesthesia. (which was weird. for my tonsil surgery i remember going into the OR and chatting with the anesthesiologist and counting backwards) coming out of it was not easy. I was in a lot of pain, i remember rolling around and waking in a fog to nurses all around me telling me to calm down. hubby told me was rolling all around and i ripped out my IV (that was a lovely bruise) and they had to manhandle me a little to put in an IV in the other hand to give me some Demerol. I was the LAST to leave recovery, hubs said he kept seeing people come in from surgery and leave while i slept. lots of pain hit me at once when i woke up but once i adjusted, really not any worse than endo pain. it just came on SO suddenly. I remember hearing hubs tell the nurse, "she is no wuss. she had 2 kids naturally, no meds so when she says she is in pain, she's in some pain!" lol

recovery has actually been fairly easy. the worst part is i cannot care for my kids. they are 4.5 and 1.5. My husband has had to do allllll of the childcare duties since i can't pick up my daughter and hes been doing much of the daily duties around the house. i get tired easily too. the first week, taking a shower felt like i'd ran a marathon. seriously, i had to nap afterwards. Much better now though. I feel pretty good this morning, no pain, i'm not exhausted. I actually feel better than i have in months. tomorrow is 2wks since surgery. i'm hoping to be back in my normal routine with work and the kids by the weekend and by next week, be able to hit the gym!

I have had minimal bleeding. Mostly i have a (TMI!!!) slimy, slightly bloody discharge that is sometimes light, sometimes heavy. But i read that it can last for 1-2 months. (say WHAT?!) And when i do too much (like picking up my daughter when i shouldn't, or spend all morning cooking turkey) i can tell. I start hurting and have to cuddle with my heating pad. My gas pains went away after a few days, i did have the shoulder pain but i chewed on some gas tabs and walked from one of the house to another and it helped a ton.

like i said, so far i'm REALLY happy with my results. i'm hoping this gives me back my life.

Wow that's awesome and it was on my bday too! Why was the pain so bad after? The gas or like abdominal pain? Thats so good you're doing well! I'm still so scared of that surgery. Not really the surgery but the recovery and pain after.

I have had several women that have had an ablation tell me that it is extremely painful. I do believe that is where most of my pelvic pain was coming from. I mean, just think about it. they are burning the lining of your uterus. how painful is a burn on your hand or leg? and your whole uterine lining is nicely charred...... every person i know that had an ablation said it was very very painful once it was over and done with. BUT, like i said, it was the initial pain that was awful. Once i woke up and it sunk in, it either slowly eased up or i just got used to it and it was not much worse than normal endo pain. (ok, so that's not easy either but endo pain just doesn't sneak up on you all at once. or not in my case, it was a gradual coming on of pain.) the first 24hrs was difficult, yes. i kept a log of meds (i took Demerol and Ibuprofen 800) set alarms on my phone and made sure to take them on time.

Oh, so talking about pain meds. if you DO get anything done, talk about pain meds beforehand. I had to ask my doc for Demerol, he was going to send me home with JUST Ibuprofen 800!!!! I am SO glad i discussed it with him before bc i would have been calling his office to scream at him had i just been given ibuprofen 800. But seriously, don't be scared of the pain. Walk off the gas, take your meds round the clock and it really is of a short duration. the pelvic pain i've experienced after the first couple days is totally doable.

what is a week of some pain and discomfort if it can relieve you of the endo pain you experience for weeks out of every month? that was the tipping point for me. ..

surgery + recovery = relief (best case) or just PAIN? well, thats my two cents

Wait the bleeding is from your surgery or the ablation? I absolutely cannot stand bleeding

i'm sorry! i should have clarified, i'm pretty sure the bleeding is from the ablation. not period-like at all though. it's actually gone already, i just have a discharge that changes in color. lol!

Haha oh that sounds better

I have never understood this ablation procedure. I have never heard of it working for anyone either. My cousin had it done and it didnt even help her for 6 weeks. She is having a hysterectomy now. I mean it sounds awful. I hope it does work for you but it sounds terrible. Why would you want to burn the inside of your vagina cavity (uterus) and how is that going to help with endo? Endo is on the outside of the uterus thus why it is a problem, not because it is on the inside.....I dunno...sorry dont mean to be rude just my two cents.