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Hysterectomy at Mayo
I had a pelvic ultrasound with my local OB/GYN and it revealed two cysts on my left ovary (and one in my uterus), neither of which were there two years ago. The largest one has septations and vascularity, which I don't think is good. That OB/GYN wants a repeat in three months. Since I had seen a Mayo OB/GYN a few years ago, I sent the ultrasound report to her to see if she agreed with the three month timeframe. She did not and wants me to come up there six weeks after the initial test. I will be at Mayo in a few weeks for their ultrasound and then to meet with a different OB/GYN that can do surgery via a scope whereas the OB/GYN I have seen up there cannot. I was told surgery may not be needed but in case it is, they want me to see him instead. The question I have is, IF they have to do a hysterectomy and it's done via a scope (or even scope that's robotic), does anyone know if I will have to return multiple times after the surgery is done? It's a nine hour drive so if that is the case, I may have to consider having it done locally instead. Obviously, Mayo is my first choice but if it involves a handful of return trips, that has to be taken into consideration.
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@amywood20
I understand the worries about going back and forth to Mayo Clinic when you live a day's drive away. I had the same concern. I also live about 9 hours (by car) away from Mayo Clinic.
I had a robotic laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy and oophoectomy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester in 2019. The reason for my hysterectomy was endometrial cancer so my reasons for being at Mayo Clinic were different than yours. I saw the surgeon in an outpatient appointment and then my surgery was scheduled for 5 days later. So although I did not really have to make two trips I did that anyway. My experience with surgery was that it all occurred within the same day. We stayed the night before and the night after the surgery in a hotel and one extra day just in case I had any complications. After I went home I returned in 6 weeks for follow-up. I was still in the process of healing internally and after a physical exam my surgeon told me that I would continue to heal internally. I had 5 small incisions on my abdomen and those healed quickly.
Are you on the Mayo Clinic Portal? If yes, then you can ask your Mayo OB/GYN some questions and that will help you to plan better.
Will you come back here and let me know what you find out? When is your Mayo appointment scheduled?
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1 Reaction@naturegirl5 thank you for the response. My appointment at Mayo is on the 26th so it's coming up in just a few weeks. We plan to drive up there the day before and then head home after the test and appointment on the 26th. Since the appointment with the OB/GYN is at 12:45 p.m. I am taking an evening flight out of Minneapolis while my husband will drive. He wanted me to get home sooner since we have cats (I worked in animal rescue and they are our babies). I've been to Mayo several times before due to my polycystic kidney and liver disease. They do have robotic surgeries where I live, not to mention the KU Health System about three hours away. The reason I saw the Mayo OB/GYN a few years ago is because my period went away for six years and then came back. Nobody here knew why. Mayo had me see the OB/GYN and then she connected me with an Endocrinologist just to make sure she wasn't missing anything (love that!). They couldn't answer what happened those six years but feel I am now premenopause due to the period coming back but being so irregular. I can go 30 days, 53 days, 89 days, 21 days, etc., between periods. Most recently it was four months, then 30 days, which was then followed by a return just 8 days later. I'm 45. We'll see what comes out of the appointment. I am just happy they didn't want me waiting three months like the local OB/GYN (I haven't been a patient of hers very long).
@amywood20 May26th is only a few weeks away so the appointment at Mayo will be soon. That's a good thing.
At Mayo all the staff works together. I love the collaboration and as a patient know that they are all on the same Electronic Medical System, they read each other's notes and tests results and refer to one another. Just as. you experienced with the endocrinologist.
We have wonderful neighbors who take care of our cats when we've been at Mayo but like you I don't want to leave the cats for very long. They are my babies. How wonderful that you've worked in cat rescue and you have the very soft spot for all cats. I've volunteered in animals shelters too. Since our local domestic violence shelter does not have the capability to allow domestic violence survivors to co-shelter with their animals, I started a program where we provide safe housing and veterinary care for the animals of domestic violence survivors.
https://sasawin.org/
I never experienced my periods as you do and I'm now menopausal so no periods. Mayo is so good about diagnosis so I'm hoping for you that the doctor you will see will figure out what's going on.
Will you please come back here and let me know what you find out at Mayo? I'll be checking in here with you too.
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1 Reaction@naturegirl5 yes, I LOVE Mayo for all of those reasons. The animal rescue I am the volunteer coordinator for has a special program called Safe Paws Alliance (SPA). It's for women who have fled domestic violence situations and for military veterans who need in-patient care. As long as they are going through one of the women's shelters/VA, we will take care of their pets at no cost, providing shelter, food, medical care, etc., as needed. I love that you started a similar program. Nobody should ever stay in an unsafe environment/not get needed treatment because they don't want to leave their pets. These programs provide such a great service and really, can save lives. 🙂 I'll let you know how everything goes at Mayo!
@amywood20
I love it that both of us are involved in programs to support domestic violence survivors and their animals. We have talked about expanding to people needing support when they are inpatients or are traveling for medical care - like to Mayo! But our grant funding limits us to domestic violence survivors and we aren't quite organized or large enough to handle more than we already do.
Yes, please let me know how everything goes at Mayo. You have been there before so you know how supported you will feel when you walk through the doors of the Clinic. With all you have to deal with I am hoping you will have an action plan in place with your appointments.
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3 ReactionsI wanted to provide an update on my ovarian issue, as I was at Mayo the end of May. This is summary of where things stand now and where they started...
-Pelvic ultrasound done locally a couple months ago. Possible issue due to at least one cyst in the left ovary with septations and vascularity. OB/GYN wanted a repeat in three months.
-Sent report to the Mayo OB/GYN that I saw several years ago to get her thoughts. She disagreed with local doc and wanted a repeat in six weeks instead of three months, and they want to do it.
-Made the trip to Mayo last month. New ultrasound did not pick up what local ultrasound did. Mayo doc felt like the local test was read incorrectly. Wants a repeat in 3 months, 6 months and then one year just to be sure, all of which can be done locally and sent to Mayo. Also did an endometrium biopsy, which came back negative. Due to my unpredictable periods (thinking it's perimenopause), a repeat biopsy is recommended IF that has not changed by this time next year.
-Let local doc know about Mayo trip. Sent her the radiology report from Mayo's ultrasound. Local doc seems miffed that their ultrasound was put into question. She takes the ultrasound they did to the radiologist and goes over it together. They stand by their findings of the left ovary having a cyst with vascularity and septations. I'm assuming those don't come and go like simple cysts so the fact that Mayo didn't see it on their test is why the local doc is making it an issue.
-Local doc wants to show her ultrasound to an Gynecologic Oncologist. I am told they will get back with me once that person has looked at it and if that hasn't happened in two weeks to call.
-Just 24 hours later, I get a call from local doc's office to set up an appointment to see that oncologist.
Needless to say, all of this is frustrating. The biggest frustration is that the local OB/GYN went from just wanting a repeat in three months to now having to see a Gynecologic Oncologist. It's like she didn't spend the time initially to take the ultrasound seriously like she did after Mayo questioned it. The OB/GYN at Mayo was very confident in their ultrasound, telling me multiple times how great the images were that they obtained. I LOVE Mayo, I do, but...the lady who did the ultrasound struggled to get images of the left ovary due to my colon being in the way. She was pressing on my abdomen, trying to move things around. Although I did all that I could right before the trip, I know I was still a bit constipated, something I have been battling the past few months (I know that can be a symptom of cysts). I have to question how great the images really were. Anyway, I'm rambling. I see the Gynecologic Oncologist on the 28th. Not sure if this is overkill or what. I went from thinking everything was OK after the Mayo trip to back on this journey for answers, which is now on a more worrisome road.
@naturegirl5 that's my update.