Help I am confused

Hi new to his forum. But I knew about it thru the Endo group. I had scheduled for a sub total hysterectomy on Dec 27,had to cancel due to family emergency. As I was reading some of these post I am now more confused than before. I had decided to keep my cervix and leave the one ovary I have left. But thru some of these post I have read you still bleed if you leave the cervix in? how bad and how long? Also PMS Still if you leave your ovary in? BAH those are the few reasons along with the problems caused by endo I decided to get a Hysterectomy. Reason I was going to keep my ovaries is because I didnt want to take the hormone replacement, due to the fact that my mom had breast cancer and they believe when she started taking the hormones for her menapause it caused the cancer. Now tho also my grandmother had ovarian cancer. So Im alittle stuck here. My doctor wasn't too happy that I didnt want my cervix out because he said of cervically cancer risk. But I figured if it aint broke why fix it. Any feed back would be appreciated

I never heard that if you leave the cervix that you still bleed. I am 49 and my dr suggested that i leave it alone (support and better sex). I think they worry more about ovarian cancer risk than cervical because cervical cancer is detected early with regular pap smears. There is no good screening method for ovarian cancer.

There are no easy answers though and I, like you and many others that I have read about, struggle with these choices. Its like do you want to opt for instant surgical menopause (without HRT/my mother had breast cancer too)in order to eliminate the risk of ovarian cancer? Very hard decision.

I doubt that this helps you with your decision but just wanted to let you know that it is a concern that we all have. I change my mind 3x a day. I do have an appointment with another physician for a second opinion this Friday and if tells me anything that might help you I will let you know.

One issue you will want to factor in here is your age. If you are young it might be an easier decision to keep ovaries since menopause is a long way off. I am 49 and was recommended to have them removed but I still dont know what the right thing to do is.

Good luck.

Tina (SAH.Ovaries? Jan 22)

Thanks for replying. I am 35. Also not sure if this is true but I received an email from my sister inlaw she had said a friend of her's removed her ovaries. But still got ovarian cancer it was in her blood cells. Im not a doctor nor if I know if that is true. I really could do without the mood swings tho LOL So Im not sure what to do. But this will be the 5th time they go thru the same incision where I had my 3 children. I think I might just have him check it out while he is in there.

I am still concerned about this same issue, but I've decided that I want to keep my cervix.

I just found another reference recommending that a woman keep her cervix unless there is a clear reason for removing it. (Not 'get rid of it so you don't have to get pap smears')

Please see 'Hysterectomy: Before & After' by Winnifred B. Cutler.

I posted a few book references on the issue of whether to keep ovaries or not, you can search on my username to find them.

This may confuse you more but my Dr. disagreed with Tina's about the cervix. My Dr. really thought it was a better idea to remove the cervix, both because of the risk of cervical cancer and because she actually thinks that leaving it can cause some later problems because of the weight of the cervix pulling down. She also told me that there was absolutely no evidence in numerous studies to support the idea that leaving the cervix helps with sex. Even if she is correct, that doesn't mean it might not effect it for you, but she did manage to convince me not to keep it.

As to the ovaries, I'm 30 years old and getting a TAH for fibroids. My doctor told me that, considering my age, she would not, under any circumstances remove both ovaries unless there was cancer because she said I should get as much time with the natural hormones as I can - that it would be much better for my health. On the other hand no one in my family, as far as I know, has ever had breast or ovarian cancer (knock nock knock on wood) so I'm a moderately low risk on that front and she might have said something different if I was not.

Don't know if that all helps at all. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

Becca

It is true that some women have little mini periods when the cervix is left. Also you still have to have a pap every year even after cervix removal due do the unlikely chance that you could get vaginal cancer. As for keeping ovaries I am 37 and keeping mine because I don't want hormone problems on top of everything else and I should have quite a few years left in mine but this is a personal decision.

Good Luck and welcome!

I check out the post-op message board pretty often so I know what I'm getting into. There have been women who have reported "mini periods" who kept their cervix and an ovary. They report PMS also.

I'm 46 and I'm ready to have it all removed. At your age, there is a lot more to consider and I can understand the confusion you must be experiencing.

pls...35 is pretty young to have ovaries removed. They usually like to leave them in if they are healthy until 45. Otherwise you could be looking at 20 yrs of hormone replacement. It is all a personal decision and everyone has different issues and concerns. But for you, age is a big factor.

I will be sure to ask about these mini periods on Friday. My list of questions keeps getting longer.

Tina

Thanks Tina, and everyone else who responded. Appreciate it

PLS,
I AM 33 AS OF LAST MONTH AND HAD MY HYSTERECTOMY LAST MONTH. I TOO HAD PLANNED ON KEEPING MY CERVIX AND DOC HAD AGREED HE COULD DO IT NO PROBLEM, BUT WANTED ME TO KNOW THAT IF LATER THE CERVIX HAD TO BE REMOVED IT WOULD BE A HARDER SURGERY BECAUSE WHEN EVERYTHING IS REMOVED THE BLADDER AND BOWEL FALL AND MAY ATTACH TO THE CERVIX AS IT HEALS. AT THE LAST MINUTE I CHOSE TO HAVE REMOVED. I DID NOT WANT ANYMORE PROBLEMS OR SURGERIES. AS IT TURNS OUT I AM GLAD I DID. THE PAINFUL SEX AT TIMES IS DUE TO CYSTIC CERVICITIS WHICH WE HAD NO CLUE I HAD UNTIL PATH CAME BACK. I KNOW SEX CAN BE A BIG ISSUE IN KEEPING IT. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I HAVE SEEN SO MANY WOMEN INCLUDING MYSELF WHO HAVE HAD CERVIX REMOVED AND ORGASM IS STILL THERE. THERE DOESNT SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I ALSO HAD MY OVARIES REMOVED. I HAVE ENDO AND DOC WOULD NOT DO HYST WITHOUT TAKING OVARIES. TOLD ME THERE WAS NO POINT. OVARIES PRODUCE ESTROGEN AND ESTROGEN PROMOTES THE GROWTH OF ENDO. PLEASE DO ALOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS. ENDO IS TREATED ALITTLE DIFFERENT THAN FIBROIDS OR CYSTS. NOT THAT IT IS ANYMORE SERIOUS THAN THE OTHERS BUT TREATMENT IS MORE COMPLICATED.
I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT HORMONES NOW FOR THREE WEEKS. THE FIRST WEEK I HAD NIGHT SWEATS A COUPLE OF NIGHTS. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOT HAD ANY. I DO GET WARMER THAN I USE TO AT NIGHT. I NOTICE I KICK THE COVERS OFF ALOT. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY MOOD SWINGS. ACTUALLY MY MOODS ARE SO MELLOW AND CALM. IT IS TRULY WONDERFUL. I FEEL BETTER NOW THAN I HAVE IN MANY YEARS AND I WOULD HAVE DONE IT THREE YEARS AGO IF I HAD KNOWN IT WAS GONNA BE THIS GREAT. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE I REALLY NOTICE IS THAT I DO NOT HAVE THE PAIN ANYMORE. I HAVE THE PAIN FROM THE SURGERY, BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF PAIN AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE PAIN IS LESS THAN THE PAIN I HAD EVERY MONTH.
FOUR DAYS AGO I WOULD HAVE HAD MY MONTHLY NIGHTMARE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE DAY CAME AND WENT AND NO MONTHLY PAIN. I LIVE WITH THE REASSURANCE THAT ONCE HEALED I WILL NEVER BE IN PAIN AGAIN. I THANK GOD EVERYDAY FOR ANSWERED PRAYERS. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND I HOPE THAT THIS HELPS SOME. IF I CAN HELP WITH ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I WOULD BE HAPPY TOO.