Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare - (Page 4)

Solutions for Relief Exploring options for hysterectomies L By Mary Fetsch ike many women, Sheila Davis learned to cope with the monthly discomfort that accompanied her periods. In her 30s and into her 40s, heating pads and over-the-counter pain medicine helped get her through her cycle. “I lived with a heating pad,” Davis says. “I was at the point where I’d have one on my chair at work, and at night, I’d have one on my stomach and one on my back. It was just part of my normal routine during my period.” For Davis, pain and heavy bleeding became part of her “normal” cycle. One WOman’s stOry “In my 30s and early 40s, it seemed manageable,” she says. “As I got into my 40s, I thought I could hold out until menopause. I just kept justifying to myself putting up with the pain.” Davis, who had three children by C-section in her 20s, had scarring and adhesions discovered during a laparoscopy. She discussed having a hysterectomy with her physician at the time to find relief from the pain caused by scarring, but she didn’t want to go through such major abdominal surgery and the subsequent hormonal effects on her body. “I was under the belief that this was just part of being a woman and that I shouldn’t complain,” Davis says. “But now I know part of that was just me not knowing my options.” Davis is typical of most women with pelvic pain, heavy bleeding and other uterine health issues who may require a hysterectomy, says Douglas Dedelow, D.O., of Innovative Women’s Health at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. “Once a cancerous or precancerous condition is ruled out, a hysterectomy may be their only option for relief of the severe pain and discomfort that is affecting their lives,” Dedelow says. “But women considering abdominal hysterectomies should know that there are many more alternatives available to them than there were 10 or 15 years ago. These include several procedures that reduce recovery times and minimize scarring.” 4 Vim & Vigor • SP R I N G 2 011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Solutions for Relief
Helping the Medicine Go Down
Beating Breast Cancer
A Workout for Every Mood
Don’t Fail Your Heart
If Your Bones Could Talk
Healthy Travels
Over 40 and Fabulous
Do-It-Yourself Health?
Fighting Words
Balancing Act
Giving & Getting
The Heart of Rehab
Spotlight on St. Mary Medical Center
Spotlight on Community Hospital
Spotlight on St. Catherine Hospital
Prescription for Safety

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2011 - Community Healthcare