has surgery made you feel older

Hello all, I have been doing alot of reading and going a little goofy. I have read that the hysterectomy ages you. Has anyone else heard that? I'm gonna ask my doctor about it. Thanks for the help.

All I can say is that if a hysterectomy ages you then we should be able to start life as old people rather than babies! I feel better than I have in years!

Hi

I don't know where you read that but it's not true. If anything I feel younger and have more energy. The pain I had from the endo was almost constant. I must have had a frown on my face all the time! I really don't understand why anyone would say it will age you. Why???? Most of us who have normal recoveries feel so much better at 2 months or so. I'm almost 5 months post now and stacked wood for two hours yesterday. I'm a little soar today and my swelly belly is bigger than usual, but who cares! I feel good and it felt good to get some exercise. I don't know your age, but you'll probably feel like a young chick again! I think my dh thinks I've turned into a nympho! You'll be fine. Don't worry. Beth

I'm still a LIW.

All I know is I'm too young to be feeling this old.

If a hyst ages you, it can't be any worse than how I feel now.

On a more practical side, I suspect there was a time when after a total hyst women didn't have estrogen available. A sudden lack of estrogen can make some women forgetful and depressed. Physically the breasts will sag, the skin will wrinkle faster, the vagina dries up, etc. Now that estrogen replacement therapy is available many women don't have to experience that.

One statistic I don't completely understand is I once read that women who have had hysts are MORE likely to see a gyn (and thus insurance companies want to charge them more for their premiums.) That makes no sense to me.

All I know is that I am 32 and 2 weeks post op. Before surgery I felt like I was 100 years old. That's pretty depressing. Since the day of surgery, right out of recovery I feel like I did when I got married 10 years ago. I feel incredible and I feel so much younger. My daughters former babysitter told me that it would take me a year to recover and that I would age quite a bit and never really feel the same again. Ha! It always amazes me how people find the most negative things to say to someone who is already scared of having surgery. Especially her because she has seen me suffer terribly for 5 years. Go and figure. Try to look at this logically - you are probably in pain or discomfort most of the time now so try to imagine yourself not feeling that anymore. That alone is enough to change you for the better not even considering the emotional effects of living a life out of pain.

Good luck and soon you will feel like a young chick again!!!

Hugs,

Suzy

Oh, Samantha, it's quite the opposite! I feel better than I have in a long, long time!!

Pre-op, I was feeling pretty darn bad. I had lost alot of my energy, and sometimes just barely dragged through the days. Now...Well, I am a happy camper, and feel like I have my life back again. I feel younger, healthier and definitely much livelier!!

I know the same will apply to you...Don't let yourself be made nervous by "old wives tales". Toss out the book/magazine you read that in..They're so misinformed!



HollyG

I was still shuffling around in my pj's shortly after my TAH/BSO and my husband said you look just like you did when i met you - people tell me now 7 weeks post op I look alot younger and my skin looks great and I feel alive again.

I just noticed that about all of you ladies have had BSOs. Are you all on some type of HRT? I am having a LAVH/BSO myself and I was wondering if getting an even amount of hormones helps you feel better than you did before.

Hi,

I am on the vivelle patch .1 mg per day. My hormones pre-op were so messed up that I had extreme mood swings, depression, no energy to a point where I could not get out of bed on most days. After I had my daughter I gradually became ill and my normally even tempered, happy, and go lucky personality started to drastically change. I even went to a phsychiatrist thinking I was mentally ill. I received the patch in recovery and immediately - I mean immediately felt like I used to. I now know what my ob/gyn suspected and that is that my emotional problems were hormonal and also due to the physical pain I was constantly in. I was lucky because my dr is very experienced and got me on the right dosage right off the bat. I have had no side effects what-so-ever. I am thrilled. My husband and daughter are also thrilled. The only problem that I have is not wanting to sit still long enough to recover. I keep thinking that I wasted 5 years of my life and don't want to lose 1 more second. I am being a good girl though so don't send the pillow over.

Hugs,

Suzy

I didnt take hormones the frist three weeks and I felt young right out of surgery. I spent so many years hurting that it never got better. I felt old! Now after surgery i no longer hurt and feel great! Im young again!!!!!