Hysterectomy soon

Hi. I just found out that Hysterecomy is the last resort for me. I had my tubes tied 2 years ago, and then had the uteral ablasion done last summer to try to help with the cramping and the heavy periods. Well, it just got worse. My Dr is the best. She gives me alot of options and educates me well on them. This time, she said that I have adenomyosis, and that this is the only way. She is going to take the uterus, and cervix, but is not sure about the overies, unless I want them out. I am 34, and have been told different stories from many women on wheather to take the overies out or not. Some say take them while they are in there and get it over with, and some say no, don't ruch menapause. Is there any ladies out there to help me with this. I do know that if I lose my overies not be choice, I want to consider herbal hormone repalcment. Thanks, Shawn
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bagarooni .... i also have adenomyosis along with 4 cysts on one ovary five on the other i am 32 years old.. i have heard the same thing about don't rush menopause...but then on the other hand i'd rather have it all done at one time...why get cut on more than you have to...i have also read that sometimes your ovaries go into shock and they have a hard time working after a hysterectomy..in my opinion i'm just gonna have it all out and do the ...hrt.... just rather know what i am to expect... good luck but talk to your doctor and do what you think will be better for you

Hi Shawn,

I had a hyst 5 months ago for the evil sister of adenomyosis - endometriosis. Even though I had endo in my one remaining ovary (I lost the other one to endo and surgery over a year ago), I decided to try to keep my part of my lonesome ovary.

The reason for my decision was that I have tried Lupron. I had a six month course to try to shrink the endo before we resorted to extensive surgery. Lupron puts you into instant menopause, like taking out your ovaries would. So I knew what menopause is going to be like for me. I hated it. I also tried partial add-back therapy on Lupron, which is a kind of low dose HRT. It was better than nothing, but not as good as my ovary. I still had poor memory, insomnia, mood swings, hot flashes, hair loss, loss of self-confidence, shaky hands, vaginal dryness, low to no libido, breast shrinkage, weight gain etc, etc.

My understanding is that it can be very difficult to replace our hormones adequately in younger women, the younger you are, the harder the balance. You might be lucky, but for me it just wasn't worth it. Then there are all of the recent scares about HRT and cancer. Herbal HRT is just as unpredictable as the chemical stuff - it works great for some, and less well for others. And there are no widely-accepted long term clinical trials of it, so we don't what the complications might be years down the line....

So as I didn't have to give up my ovary, after discussion with my doctors, I decided to let it have a chance to work for me. I don't regret that choice, but it is a very personal one, and only you will know what is right for you. You might want to make a list of pros and cons on paper. If the pros out weigh the cons, it helps with the decision, and vice versa. You could even discuss your list with your doctor.

Hope this helps.

s

Hi Shawn,
Welcome to Hystersisters.
I personally didn't have my ovaries removed. If there is nothing wrong with them... why have them out??? Even after menopause they continue to produce small amounts of needed hormones --- and to replicate their function with medicine is not always easy. If you take a safari through the hormone jungle forum you can see how many women are having trouble adjusting their meds to get the right hormonal balance after losing their ovaries.

my decision (I'm 45) was to keep them. Ok, they might fail (but I'm almost 6 months post op and they seem ok - plus they never went into shock after surgery)... and maybe they will shut down earlier than mother nature indended... but for as long as possible I'm going to function on my own hormonal system.

Take a look around the site at the other forums to get an overview of different perspectives.
You should also look at the Pre-Op Hints (click here) and the Post-Op Hints (click here), - they are full of great advice that will help you to prepare for your surgery and recovery.

Please don't be shy to post any questions that you may have - we'll do our best to help

Thanks so much for the responses. I think that with all the things I have heard.. I am going to keep my overies, (as long as my dr lets me) and let my body work itself into menapause naturally. This was a hard choice to make. I have my preop visit on the 7th of Jan, and then the surgery on the 19th. She did also tell me that she would take some of the sagging skin I have hanging from weight loss. After I had my tubes tied with the bakini cut, my little roll of skin layed right on the staples, and there was 3 different times the incision got infected, so we are opting to keep that from happening again. Now just getting ready for the big day! Any other ideas for getting ready are verry welcomed. Again... thanks so much. It really helps to have all of you out there for support. Shawn

I was 36 when I had my hysterectomy and I definately wanted to keep my ovaries for the hormones. Seems to me that the who lose their ovaries have a much harder time adjusting. Some women do well on some form of hormone therepy and some don't. I would take a look at the hormone jungle here on this site and see what the girls are dealing with after removing their ovaries. That may give you a bit more information to help with your decision.
I had no history of cancer on either side of my family, so mine are healthy and functioning and there is no reason why they shouldn't until I hit menopause naturally.
Yes, they(ovaries) can go into shock, but my DR assured me, correctly, that I was too young for them to quit working completely. She explained that women nearing menopause can have their ovaries shut down because they were ready to shut down anyway.
I had a week or two post op when I would have a warm flash in the wee early hours of the morning, but they seem to be functioning well since. I have very mild PMS; like I notice I'm more hungry one week of the month. That's the extent of my PMS these days.
It's a personal decision. What do you feel comfortable with? I have a friend who had a hysterectomy young and she wouldn't recommend it highly because she has had trouble with the hormone issue. I would highly recommend a hysterectomy to every woman, but I have my ovaries and have no issues. I feel great everyday. Even the lingering little bit of swelly belly can't get me down. Life is good on this side of a TAH, kept ovaries at age 36 for me.
Good luck with yours.