Physical & Emotional Relief

  • Summer 2021

Melanie Lunn

For a month and half, Melanie Lunn was worried. She experienced unbearable menstrual pain so severe it made it difficult to maintain her normal daily routine, even when using over-the-counter medication. Working with her doctor, she found both physical and emotional relief through a hysterectomy.

As a pharmacist, Melanie knew the importance of listening to her own body. During her annual well woman exam, she mentioned her pain to OB/GYN Dr. Larissa Bennis. 

“The most important thing for me going to a doctor is to be heard,” said Melanie. “I presented to Dr. Bennis my concerns at my appointment and she instantly listened to me as a patient and she gave me options to do further testing to get to the bottom of why I was experiencing the pain I was having.”

That testing included lab work, a biopsy and a pelvic ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed a polyp. Dr. Bennis performed a procedure to remove the abnormality, but the polyp was so embedded in Melanie’s uterus, it couldn’t be fully removed. It would most likely continue to cause Melanie discomfort. Melanie knew she was done having children. After discussing different care options with Dr. Bennis, it became clear that hysterectomy was the best option to improve Melanie’s overall quality of life. 

“I didn’t hesitate to have my surgery here in Brookings,” said Melanie. “A lot of people feel bigger is better. We have a great health care team right here in Brookings, and I was very confident knowing that Dr. Bennis 
could do the procedure.”

Dr. Bennis laparoscopically removed Melanie’s uterus, cervix and fallopian tubes while preserving her ovaries to keep Melanie from prematurely entering menopause. After the surgery, Melanie stayed in the hospital overnight, receiving expert care to help her recover and deal with post-surgical pain. 

“The team was amazing,” said Melanie. “They were concerned about me and my recovery. They were always there to take care of me if I needed them. Just a lot of empathy and small town conversation.”

In addition to the hometown atmosphere, Melanie appreciated the closeness to home. 

“My family was here, so my husband could take care of the kids and still be here with me.”

Post-surgery, one of the biggest benefits Melanie now has is peace-of-mind.

“Just the anticipation of knowing I could be in pain my next menstrual cycle, it put a lot of anxiety and stress in me,” Melanie said. “The ultimate goal through the surgery was to alleviate the pain, and we did that. So I don’t have that stress of knowing if I’m going to be able to go about my daily activities during my next menstrual cycle.”

Learn more about gynecologic procedures and hear the rest of Melanie’s story at brookingshealth.org/MelanieL.