Leaving ovaries if over age 45

I am scheduled for surgery Sept. 9th. For about a month and a half I have totally struggled with taking or leaving the ovaries. I have terrible chronic sinusitius, unfortunately for about 12 years. This year alone I have had 7. It pretty much stops me from working fulltime. This alone is so stressful...I am finding the idea of dealing with surgery and HRT when really compounding my stress level. I am trying like hell to get my immune system better now. I cannot even face this HRT crap. I have researched it to the hilt. I have waivered for a full 6 weeks on this. My surgeon naturally says to the ovaries out. I am now to the point where I have decided I cannot take this anymore and I want to leave them in. I am 46 and will be 47 in Jan. Menopause is at about age 53 with the ladies in my family. I am not ready for surgical menopause. I cant deal with it, unless I HAVE to. I am realizing now that if I am THIS conflicted I ought to err on the side of conservatism and keep them. Once those babies are out then its a done deal. I realize they can fail from surgery. I very much like to hear from anyone who is over 45 and has KEPT their ovaries. I would like to know if theirs are still working fine. I would also like to know how many lady's who are over 45 and kept their ovaries, had their ovaries go into surgical "shock" or were they fine. I am really strung out from all this indecision and stress. Nothing is wrong with my ovaries that I know of. I realize the Dr. could find something wrong with them and take them out anyway. But I just can't take the idea of taking them out all because I "might" get ovarian cancer one day. (which is not in my family, thankfully..at least). Please you guys, I am really frustrated, stressed and need your help and feedback on the ladies are closer to my age.
Thanks for all your support. I would have gone off the deep end without you all.
Sue

It's your body. If you feel that strongly about keeping your ovaries, and if nothing is wrong with them, then keep them! I'm 36 and kept my ovaries. They didn't go into shock and are still working so far.

Sue,
I'm 43 and am getting my ovaries out with my tvh. I already take birth control for hormones or I get hot flashes and can't sleep. Dr. said might as well, I'll need to take something either way and this way I'd don't have ovarian cancer to worry about. I agreed with him. I feel good with this decision.
Good luck. Do what feels right to you.
Trudy

I agree that if they're are healthy, keep them. I went through a natural menopause prior to my hyst. My dr put me on ERT when I first showed signs of menopause and had a very smooth transition. I was 48 at that time and started skipping periods. I think I had one hot flash...not sure tho! Since you are fully aware of all the possibilities and your dr is giving you the choice, do what feels right for you.

Hi Sue,

I'm 53 with no menopause in sight. If I get my surgery, I have decided to keep the ovaries. I do have ovarian cancer in the family. My aunt passed with it at age 54. But, I should not go on hormones because I have a blood clotting factor. And...surgical menopause I feel is just too severe on the body. Before I found this out, I was going to tell the surgeon to take them. I was in the mind set that, at my age and while you have me open, jerk those puppies out! I was not afraid of the hormones. There are so many kinds and all we'd need is a low dose of estrogen to ween on for a few years.

So, having come full circle on the ovary issue, I'm thinking for anyone else, if the ovaries are healthy and there is no ovarian cancer or breast cancer....leave them. If they go into shock...they'll come out of it most likely. If you need a little help a low dose patch should do it. If they completely fail...you get a low dose patch...what do you have to loose?

I do hope one day soon that the medical profession will come up with a more accurate, safe, easy, inexpensive test for ovarian cancer. If males had ovaries...there would be a test!
Best of luck with this difficult decision.
Maralyn

Hi. I'm 49 and having my surgery this Tuesday. I just met with my surgeon yesterday(we spoke once on the phone and he performed a myomectomy on me in 1991). He had me down for a "total" hysterectomy. I asked him why I needed by ovaries and cervix out and he mumbled something about cancer. But I don't have cancer in my family, and I'm terrified of hormone problems (I've suffered from depression for years as it is. I don't need more emotional problems). I'm also concerned that removal of my cervix could affect my other organs, and I've had IBS for many years. Anyhow, he agreed that if they are not "involved"he will leave my ovaries and/or cervix in. He wrote this down on my file and had me sign it (?). Now I just have to count on his integrity. I've asked my husband, who will be with me, to please reiterate my wishes before I go into the OR. Is this enough? I feel strongly that we have to be our own advocates, or else these doctors will do what is "easiest" for themselves.

Vivian M

Hi Vivian

I have heard and noticed that the ovaries staying or leaving seems to be the HUGE question. I am also struggling with this issue. My PMS and perimenopause and menopause have been a hormonal nightmare. I have done all kinds of herbs and spices and HRT and aromatherapyand every thing I can tolerate to no avail. My DR wants to leave them and I say I think I might want to start from scratch.

I know that my ovaries are producing something and that why not leave them if they are not diseased.......I am just not sure they are adding to my quality of life.

Good luck with your decision and as you can see you are not alone in the debate. Too bad we are all such individuals :-) and there is not a standard clear cut answer. One size fits all ????

Peace with your decision. Trust your gut and keep reading. There are always new experiences and insighrs from those wonderful princesses that have boldly made their decision.

Best luck and

Once you make your decision trust yourself and go forward with confidence !!!!!!!!!!!!

I will think of you on Tues Keep us posted


Barbie

I have been struggling with the same issue of keeping or having the ovaries taken out.....After one month of research and vascillating over this with more than one headache to say the least.......I have come to a decision.

First of all, I am 47 years old and IN menopause. I have not had a period in over 14 months and my FSH level is 80. I have a prolpased uterus, uretherocele, and rectocele. I was just going for the repairs, but now that I have learned the ovaries can fail after surgery, and since I Am in menopause and have experienced the hotflashes, moodswings...etc....I have decided to have the uterus and ovaries out. I have been taking Prozac for the past 3 years, and I believe this has helped me, and pray it will help after my surgery.

Had I still been getting fairly regular periods and just in perimenopause, I believe I would have opted to keep my ovaries, as I almost did NOW in menopause. I prefer to not take HRT. This is such a tough and individual decision. I wish I were a Man!!!!!! lol

Best of Luck to all......(my surgery is this Thursday)...I will post and let you know how it goes.

Hugs,
Debbie

Thanks, Barbie and Debbie, for your replies. It really helps having this support group. I've spent the last few nights just reading, reading, reading. There is so much information out there and so many women who have been through this. I will post as soon as I am able, after I get home from my surgery.

Vivian M.

Vivian......

I have researched this site pretty thoroughly also, but sometimes it can get very confusing and muddles your mind even more. Everyone has had such different experiences, as we all have different bodies. I would like to think that we each know our bodies well enough.....and that in the end, we make the right decision for ourselves, that we can live with. I always tend to over analyze things, so I read what others have written, and then go with my gut feeling.

It sure is nice to know that others are out there experiencing the same symptoms though. I never heard of a rectocele until this year, and I am 47 years old!

Debbie