I had an endometrial ablation this morning - hoping it works

[BG2015]

After years of heavy bleeding and 2 coils that have worked intermittently I'm hoping that the ablation works.

I'm nearly 47 and just starting with night sweats and hot flushes and I still have to find some form of contraception for a few years, which is a real pain.

I'm currently lying on my sofa full of ibuprofen with a wheat bag on my tummy watching The Fall and feeling sorry for myself.

Update for anyone else thinking of going through and ablation.

I had very strong, painful cramping for about 12 hours after the procedure. Ibruprofen and paracetomol taken every 2 hours in turn and a heated wheatbag helped. I began bleeding immediately after the procedure.

The day after the ablation I suffered from less cramping but terrible trapped wind, which continued into the 3 rd day.

My tummy is also very bloated and feels sore. Bleeding continues.

My coil was removed before the ablation and I've stopped taking Northisterone so my hormone levels need to level out too.

It is the best thing I ever did and was one of the first to have it done locally to me, around 2 years ago. I used to bleed like a stuck pig 12 days a month and would leak every hour all day long.

Minor watery/ slightly bloody discharge for about 3-4 weeks, and then nothing.

You'll be fine, no sanpro again!

That's so good to hear.

Even a light, regular bleed would be OK. I've been bleeding everyday since May, only Northisterone gave me any relief. The coil totally stopped working after 18 months of no periods.

My OH and I have been discussing him having a vasectomy as I just don't want to use anymore contraceptives that use hormones.

This is the 4th day since I had my ablation. It's Monday so I've been into work (I'm a primary school teacher). I felt OK but a bit uncomfortable and still VERY bloated!

I've been bleeding for most of the day but it's slowed down some what this evening. I'm hoping that by Friday - 1 week post op I will be feeling better.

Woke up today (Tuesday) and feel totally different. No pain, bloating has reduced, bleeding has stopped and no other discharge as yet.

My tummy still feels tender and walking whilst ok, feels hard.

Will refrain from my usual gym activity as directed by the nurse until Friday.

For the first time in months and months I probably have no extra hormones in my body!

It will be a week tomorrow since I had my ablation. I stopped bleeding for 2 days but last night I started again. Quite heavy but a lightish pinky colour. I feel well in myself, tired but that may be my age and having a full time teaching job.

Hoping that the next week sees a reduction in the bleeding/discharge.

I had an ablation a year ago in August. I was very sore and bloated for ages. Maybe a month?? Anyway, it's literally changed my life, not had any bleeding at all since. What a godsend. I can't believe I waited so long to do it. Hope it changes your life for the better too

Best thing I ever did (well, almost). Had it done in 2009, two periods in two years then nothing. Remember feeling terribly bloated for two weeks after but I'm now the other side of the menopause.

Hope you feel better soon. Can I ask if they do them under local or general anaesthetic, or do you get a choice?

Mine was done under local. I think it was the Novasure procedure (why I didn't ask I don't know - VERY unlike me). They had a look around and I viewed on the screen, although to be honest I didn't know what I was looking at.

He removed my coil and then began. It was 2 minutes of very strong pain, I've tried to compare the pain but can't. On par with a strong contraction but different. It was 120 seconds, I breathed through it and then it was over.

I think I must have a high pain threshold as he praised me afterwards.

Bleeding today is still ongoing but not quite as heavy. It's been a week!

8th day and I'm feeling pretty good. Bleeding has stopped for now.....but who knows?

Been out for an 8km walk this morning and felt fine so will go to the gym next week. Tummy isn't sore and bloating has reduced.

Just want to have sex with my OH. It's been about 10 days and it's killing us

Bleeding began again during the night. Lighter pink and not really like blood at all. Getting fed up of it now though.

Feel fine in myself.

I had some bleeding immediately after mine which cleared up on the day of the procedure. I thought I'd got off really lightly but a week after I bled for a week or so then had a further two weeks of watery pink discharge.

Mine sort of worked. It's improved things a bit but not to the degree I was hoping for. I had a follow up appointment with the gynae who did it last week and I was hoping I could get booked straight back in for another one but apparently as there's been some improvement it may continue to improve. Unless things get worse in the meantime I'm going back in March, at which point if I'm not happy they'll do another.

My mum had the same, had one then needed another. Rebellious uteri are clearly a family failing The second one did the trick for her though, she says it's the best thing she ever did!!

It's good to hear from other people that have had it done. My mum had a hysterectomy at 36 (she's 72 now) and says I should've just gone for that, but I just don't want to put myself through it.

I had a c section with my first DS and that was bad enough.

When you say it's worked to a degree, what do you mean?

Mine worked great for a few years but ended up having a hysterectomy earlier this year. I don't regret having the ablation as it bought me some pain and bleeding free years but the hysterectomy was even better and nowhere near as difficult a recovery as I'd thought. Had ovaries out too so on HRT now (I'm 44)

When you say it's worked to a degree, what do you mean?

Previously I had two or three days each period where it was so heavy I literally couldn't leave the house. Constant flooding, huge clots, etc.

Since the ablation I only have one day which is heavy enough to be pretty unpleasant but at least I don't need to be within shuffling distance of a bathroom at all times.

I've also had a huge reduction in pain, which is amazing. No more writhing on the floor if I forget to take painkillers bang on time!

Ideally I'd like my periods to either stop completely or, more realistically, be light enough to be inconsequential.

I just constantly bled, every single day. I had an occasional day of heavy flooding and clots and sometimes it would stop completely for 12 hours or so lulling me into a false sense of security.

Then it would start up again. It was like a tap, just a running trickle that never ever stopped. I would also wake up with strong cramps. No pattern to it.

I have no idea where I am in my cycle anymore. I am just sick of wearing black and having sanitary towels in my handbag.

I had mine 6 years ago!!!

I bleed a little bit more now than in the first 4/5 years but rarely need to wear a pant liner for a day, just stick to black knickers for the odd smear (TMI)

I was actually quite unwell for 2 weeks afterwards but I did have my tubes clipped at the same time and got a wound infection . Was still worth it!

I had this 9 yrs ago (now 51). Mine was called a thermal ablation Ie involving hot water, and was pretty new at the time.

It's was done under a general anesthetic. I bounced back v quickly. So much so that I wondered if anything significant had been done. I had few light periods which then dwindled to nothing (hooray) and nothing at all since.

Oh the relief after years of heavy bleeding and all that goes with it. I've no idea if my periods would have stopped of their own accord by now, but It was a great success for me.

Wishing you well and a speedy recovery BG x

Two week update, I'm still losing discharge. It's not a lot but it doesn't seem to be diminishing very quickly.

I feel great in myself. Back to running 5k and normal gym stuff.

Fed up of the bleeding now! 15th day and there is no let up.

Three weeks post procedure. Bleeding/discharge changed to a strange egg whitey bloody stained discharge. Still slight but on a scale of 1 - 10, it's a 1

Had sex with my OH which was totally fine.

In a few months time this will be forgotten and you'll have your life back

Thanks BG for the updates! I had an ablation done yesterday, so was very interested in your progress!

I had the 'old fashioned' resectoscope method, where they use a hysteroscope and roller ball. The consultant says he uses this method because it's more thorough and effective when done by an expert, ie him (he's a bit of an arse, actually - calls middle-aged women 'girls' and is extremely pleased with himself - but I'm hoping he's as good at this as he says he is).

The cramps immediately afterwards were worse than i was expecting - almost like afterpains. But 24 hours on I'm pretty much pain free and the discharge so far has been minimal.

I wasnt sure whether to go ahead - I worried that it was disproportionate to burn up my uterus when I wasn't a prospective hysterectomy patient who was unable to leave the house for a week every month. My problem was that I was bleeding 14 days out of 26 (half light, half heavy/clotting) and was borderline anaemic, making my migraines worse. The Mirena was a disaster - constant light bleeding and more migraines than ever. But ablation seemed quite drastic - I'm 41, 2 dds, dh has had the snip.

But my mother had this dysfunctional bleeding throughout her 40s and 50s, getting progressively worse, and had a hysterectomy at 63 when the bleeding still hadnt stopped - she said that if she had been offered this at 41 it would have changed her life. So I went for it.

Now hoping my experience is more like most mumsnetters than the people on American forums who talk about blocked cervixes, black blood and excruciating monthly pain! Hope I've done the right thing.

I'm glad my little updates have been useful.

I'm 4 weeks down the line now. My bleeding/discharge finally stopped about 4 days ago - I thought it was never going to end.

So far everything is great. My DP is talking about having the snip. I just don't want to put any more hormones into my body and he doesn't like condoms so it's down to him now.

I hope you continue to feel better and better. Fingers crossed it works - for both of us!