Lupron/hysterectomy for endometriosis

[Monicathree]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with endometriosis way back in 2001, I had a laparoscopic surgery in 2002. Despite the odds, we were able to conceive naturally 3 precious ones. How God Blessed us!! They are 4, almost 3, and 1. Anyway, the pain is back. My doctor is suggestin Lupron...before we do the last resort of hysterectomy. Our NFP nurse said that there is a progesterone that I might be able to take, but my doctor doesn't think it will be strong enough. My endometriosis was pretty severe. I have already contacted Pope Paul VI Institute and am waiting for a response, so in the interim I was wondering if anybody out there might have some experience or any other input to help out??!! Thanks so much.

Peace

[stephdc66]

I too have suffered from endo. It is hell and I don't envy you at all. I don't have an answer as far as from the Catholic ethics perspective but I do know that you do not want to try Lupron. It artificially throws your body into menopause but the drug is so strong that you will have all kinds of problems. I have heard of women ending up with very severe emotional and physical issues. I ended up having a procedure done called endometrial ablation (the actual technology is called "Novasure") which basically is a procedure that kills the endometrium. My doctor made it very clear that I can still get pregnant although my body cannot sustain a pregnancy and in fact it would be dangerous for me to get pregnant so I did need to talk with my priest about what that meant as far as contraception. It is a much less complicated surgery than hysterectomy and so was the best solution for us. Hope this helps.

[Stephen Korsman]

Originally Posted by Monicathree

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with endometriosis way back in 2001, I had a laparoscopic surgery in 2002. Despite the odds, we were able to conceive naturally 3 precious ones. How God Blessed us!! They are 4, almost 3, and 1. Anyway, the pain is back. My doctor is suggestin Lupron...before we do the last resort of hysterectomy. Our NFP nurse said that there is a progesterone that I might be able to take, but my doctor doesn't think it will be strong enough. My endometriosis was pretty severe. I have already contacted Pope Paul VI Institute and am waiting for a response, so in the interim I was wondering if anybody out there might have some experience or any other input to help out??!! Thanks so much.

Peace

The issue Catholicism has with hysterectomies is to do with prevention of pregnancies. If you remove the uterus to avoid having children, that is wrong.

For valid medical reasons, such as endometriosis, the Catholic Church has no problem with hysterectomies or hormonal therapy that MIGHT be used by some to prevent conception. That's not why you're using it - you have a valid medical problem. Just like uterine cancer - the Catholic Church would have no problem removing the uterus.

For milder endometriosis, hormonal control is probably better. Surgery is a serious thing. But if yours is severe, base your decision on the medical options, and know that the Catholic Church doesn't have a problem with either option. Probably the three most relevant issues in no particular order are a) do you still want children, b) is there a health reason for avoiding one of the options, and c) the after-effects of the options.

[sing]

Hi. I have endo too. Its no picnic. I am on a birth control pill(combination progesterone and estrogen) and it helps, but not enough. I had a laparoscopy in April, but i was in pain 3 months after(while still on the pill). I'm in the process of being switched to Lupron, but I will almost definitely need a hysterectomy. I don't know if my fertility has been affected.

I'm scared of getting on Lupron, but nothing done so far has given me the relief I need. I am in almost constant strong pain, and it very often affects the rest of my life(missing classes, horrible job performance, not being able to walk, inability to have sex. actually, sex is always painful but in varying degrees).

Does it run in anyone's families? All my maternal aunts have had it, and one of my sisters has had problems with cysts.

[Stephen Korsman]

Originally Posted by sing

Hi. I have endo too. Its no picnic. I am on a birth control pill(combination progesterone and estrogen) and it helps, but not enough. I had a laparoscopy in April, but i was in pain 3 months after(while still on the pill). I'm in the process of being switched to Lupron, but I will almost definitely need a hysterectomy. I don't know if my fertility has been affected.

I'm scared of getting on Lupron, but nothing done so far has given me the relief I need. I am in almost constant strong pain, and it very often affects the rest of my life(missing classes, horrible job performance, not being able to walk, inability to have sex. actually, sex is always painful but in varying degrees).

Does it run in anyone's families? All my maternal aunts have had it, and one of my sisters has had problems with cysts.

If I recall, it does run in families. Depending on the areas affected, it can interfere with fertility.

For other readers: note that "birth control" can be used for treatment of several things, such as endometriosis, cysts, irregular menstruation, and Diane is a well known hormonal treatment for acne, and is a similar composition.

[HERS]

Endometriosis is perhaps the most frequently misdiagnosed condition in women, and it has been proven that a vast majority of all hysterectomines are medically unwarranted. Before you consider a hysterectomy, watch the video at http://hersfoundation.org/anatomy/index.html, which provides the minimum information you need to understand what you would be consenting to. Call HERS at 610-667-7757 to set up an unbiased, impartial, confidential consultation to help you determine if you have actual endometrial implants, or if your pain is the result of something else.

[learningman]

Hi to all here

This is my first post on this forum. First of all, let me say that I am a man so that I cannot have personal experiences with endometrisosis, but for other reasons of my own, I have a site that tries to teach women how to avoid hysterectomy.

If you do have endo, then in theory there are methods to help you deal with it without surgery, especially, without hysterectomy, which is a major surgery and additionally will cripple you hormonally to the end of your days.

Instead of talking much here, I'll give you a few links that will yield further information on this matter:

1) Lupron and why it is dangerous

2) General info on endometriosis written by a woman who got around it without surgery!

3) Choosing the right alternative method to heal endometriosis -- hopefuly you might find one that is applicable to your situation.

4) Finally, a listing of endometriosis articles by "renegade" MD, Dr Joseph Mercola.

Wish you all the best!

[Zelie Louis]

Please form an opinion on medical treatments by consulting with your health care practitioner. Posters on internet forums are usually well-meaning but lack the ability and expertise to advise on your personal set of circumstances. We cannot permit discussions on CAF that offer medical advice.