Momentum Builds For Hysterectomy Informed Consent Legislation
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY) will deliver the Keynote Address at the HERS Foundation’s Twenty-Eighth Hysterectomy Conference, Saturday April 24th at the Hilton New York in Manhattan. Maloney is a tireless advocate for women’s rights, and she has pledged to do what is needed to ensure that women are given the information about the consequences of hysterectomy that is required for informed consent.
State Representative Bruce Borders (IN) is a fearless fighter for Hysterectomy Video Informed Consent. Rep. Borders voiced his outrage when Indiana legislators chose to hear testimony about puppy mills over the most important human rights issue to ever come before them. He challenged fellow legislators that they cared more about their pets than their own wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters until the hearing on Hysterectomy Informed Consent was reinstated.
Dr. Mitchell Levine, a leading medical expert will provide information every woman needs to know about diagnostic studies to evaluate symptoms, alternatives in treatment, and coping with the consequences of hysterectomy. Robert E. Myers, a senior trial attorney, will talk about medical malpractice issues. A panel of women who have undergone the surgery will share information about the impact of hysterectomy on their lives. Panel moderator, HERS president, Nora W. Coffey, will discuss the functional and anatomic changes responsible for the loss of sexuality, the role of the uterus and ovaries in maintaining normal endocrine function and living with hysterectomy-caused physical, family, professional and social problems.
Everyone knows a woman who is silently suffering from the damaging effects of hysterectomy. As Tawanda Queen said in her testimony before the Health Committee in Indiana about life after hysterectomy, “I reduced my life down to the bare minimum in an attempt to continue working…and to give the appearance of normalcy…what I realized after my experience with informed consent for hysterectomy is that I had no business making any decisions concerning fibroids without having knowledge of my anatomy or an understanding of fibroids.”
Join the growing number of people going to the conference to tell Congresswoman Maloney and Rep. Borders that they are with HERS and with them 100% in support of changing the Hysterectomy Informed Consent Law NOW!
Nora-
I will also be traveling thousands of miles from Texas to be at the conference. I was the victim not only of a hysterectomy but also ghost surgery at a New York city teaching hospital. This resulted in devastating neurological injuries. Getting bodies there for the residents to operate and practice on while the attending doctor is elsewhere and pocketing an enormous fee is a good trick.
Kate
I was hysterectomized and castrated at a teaching hospital with a PGY-1 and PGY-4 assisting. I suspect this was part of the reason I was gutted – as a training "exercise." There's no indication in the surgical report as to whom did what portions of the surgery. How do I get this information?
I want to thank all of you attending the Conference and wish you safe travels.
413 people die from smoking related illness every year, but over 600,000 women are hysterectomized every year. Which is more hazardous to your health?
I mean 413,000.
To Mad as Hell-
Who signed the brief operative report? do you have it?
Kate
I'm sick of the hysterectomy sh*t too. I hated the word before it ever happened to me, so now I hate it much worse. What I've learned is that being hysterectomized and castrated is very lonely. No one wants to listen and no one hears and I really don't blame them because it's hard to understand unless you've been attacked this way. My husband has listened me for years, months, hours and minutes and I can tell it's hard for him. Most of the time people try to forget something bad, but this horror is impossible to forget because we are reminded every day like TQ described. It's like someone cut half of me out of my body and I'm living in some foreign hell. If there is hell on earth, this is it because there's no way out and they just keep doing it to over 600,000 more women each year and continue to get rewarded for it. Gynecologists are beyond depraved.
Agreed. One more thing, I'm also tired of everyday being the fight of my life.
The ironic thing is we have heard people say that if this is so bad, why are doctors doing it and why don't I hear about it more.
Of couse, the flip side, many woman hysterectomized have complained to a doctor(s) and has attempted to inform family members, significant others, and friends.
To CT –
Yes, despite the fact that we are "in the company of" 600,000+ women who are hysterectomized annually (22 million women alive today), it's hard to believe that being one of them can be so isolating and lonely but that's exactly how I feel too.
And to TQ's point about people thinking it can't be so bad if it's so common – well, I remember thinking the same thing when my sociopathic doctor played up ovarian cancer from a cystadenoma.
I too have always hated the word "hysterectomy" but I hate even more that people may be able to tell by looking at me that I had one. I can't even hide it!
The surgical report has the surgeon's and assistants' names listed at the top and then at the end it says "dictated by" followed by the surgeon's name. There's no actual signature.
The conference is your opportunity to make your voice heard, to Congresswoman Maloney, Representative Borders, reporters, and everyone attending the conference.
No more silence. It's time for us to stop being so polite, so careful. SPEAK OUT about what you were told about hysterectomy before the surgery. SPEAK OUT about the what hysterectomy has done to your body, your health, and your life. Hysterectomy is not "For Her Own Good', it's not good for women, men, children or humanity.
See you all at the screening of "un becoming" Friday at 7:30 p.m., and at the conference Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
HERS Conference Program
https://hersfoundation.org/conference.html
Register at the door on Saturday.
Nora-
The conference was very interesting. It was wonderful to have Congresswoman Maloney as the keynote speaker. Carolyn Maloney has a very direct style which was wonderful and she clearly understands the issue. Thanks to you and Sybil for making her aware of hysterectomy which has devastated so many lives, mine included. Dr. Levine and Robert Myers were very informative. I was devastated once again to hear that a pedunculated fibroid could be removed very quickly and easily. It is the easiest to remove. I asked Dr. D to remove only the fibroid. He angrily refused saying it could not be done. Instead, I underwent a disastrous barbaric operation that I believe was performed by residents of Dr. D at the Mt. Sinai Hospital resulting in many complications and a constellation of neurological sequela. The most serious of which was a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. I was in excellent health prior and ran 5 miles every morning. Now I have difficulty walking more than short distances. It is a progressive illness and the future is uncertain. In my opinion, the problem is that the insurance pays the highest fee for this quickly performed operation. In my opinion, all the incentive for the doctor is on the money. There was absolutely no benefit, only a lifetime of harm.
Kate
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Nora-
There is an article in today's Wall Street Journal about the robotic machine causing lacerations to women's bladders and other serious injuries. They also state that due to the expense of the machine it requires many more operations to be performed to justify the expense. It takes over 500 operations before the doctor is skilled in its use. Is it fair to practice on human beings while learning to use equipment? Who protects the patient? No one.
Kate
A 'P.S.' Here…
I hope as many of you as you can do send a message to this Dr. Tobler. We need to have him get his "Facts Straight"…
Bibi