Essential Reading for the Whole Woman

About Hysterectomy

Tragically, the Western medical system treats hysterectomy as a minor, routine surgery. It is neither minor nor routine.

The post-hysterectomy woman must understand that she is subject to conditions that are impossible to occur in the woman who has her uterus. Unfortunately, she is usually not warned of these common conditions by her surgeon. 

Gynecology treats the uterus like a time bomb that may become cancerous and therefore should be removed. Testicular cancer is fairly common, but it is unlikely you will hear a urologist suggesting that a man’s testicles should be removed “just in case”.

If your doctor is recommending hysterectomy, understand that this is a profoundly life-changing event. If prolapse is why you are considering hysterectomy, be aware that research shows you are five times more likely to experience prolapse after hysterectomy than before.

Hysterectomy is Major Invasive Surgery

The hard reality is that there is no surgical cure for prolapse. The operations may hold for a few years, but once they fail, each succeeding surgery will be more invasive than the last. Ultimately, gynecologists recommend “obliterating the vagina” which means sewing the vagina (and the pelvic wall muscles) closed. Unfortunately, even this operation isn’t always successful, and comes with its own set of risks.

The Whole Woman work is unlikely to undo the effects of hysterectomy, but in fact may be the only method useful in helping women live well for the rest of their lives after the uterus is removed. 

Seek Out the Many Legitimate Alternatives

There are many conditions for which women seek hysterectomy. There are alternative strategies for most conditions that would lead a woman to hysterectomy. I strongly urge you to investigate those before taking this step. Alternative treatments are useful experiments to see what can help. Surgery is not an experiment. It is a decision you will have to live with the rest of your life.