endo vs ovaries

Hi everyone...I have been reading so many posts regarding the choices of whether to keep your ovaries or not. Now I am so confused. My Dr wants to do a BSO as I had a right ovarian endometrioma rupture and endometriosis/adenomyosis. I am 42 years old. He felt that starving my system of estrogen would prevent a reoccurence of the endometriosis after my hysterectomy. He will also only put me on HRT for 6 months to prevent endo, and I also have multiple liver cysts. I am petrified of the sudden surgical menopause and possible consequences down the road. What's a girl to do?

I am also having a hyst for endo, and am moving closer to the decision to remove my ovaries as well. But I am absolutely *not* taking HRT - that is estrogen which will feed the endo growth just like ovaries would.

I also have other issues, PMDD and hormonal migraines, that support the decision to remove my ovaries as well, so it looks like that's what I'll be doing.

Surgical menopause might seem scary, but after what I've been through, both with the endo and the side effects of numerous treatments, it doesn't scare me. I'm sure you've been through a lot with your stuff too - how much worse can some hot flashes be? I've already had those from all the hormones I take for endo, plus insomnia and digestive side effects so bad I now have colitis.

But that's just me - everyone is different, and has to make their own decision.

Thankyou for your reply, it certainly confirms what I had thought. I am on Depo Provera and having hot flashes now. Will definitely consider forgoing HRT. Just not sure how bad my endo really is. Hard to make a decision without all the info. Will have lots of questions for my Dr at pre op. Best wishes.

	Quote:
Originally posted by sandwoman He felt that starving my system of estrogen would prevent a reoccurence of the endometriosis after my hysterectomy. He will also only put me on HRT for 6 months to prevent endo,

HI Sandwoman

I am alittle confused about weather or not your doctor will make you wait to start HRT. Alot of times doctors make you wait before starting estrogen because it can feed any remaining pieces that may have been left behind. Some doctors use estrogen with progesterone because the progesterone counteracts the estrogen negative effects on endo.

Different doctors have different approaches to keeping ovaries if endo is a factor. You definently have it right that estrogen feeds the endo. So if you keep your ovaries and if even one little microscopic piece of endo is left behind, then your ovaries producing the endo can cause it to stay "active"

The use of HRT after a hysterectomy with endo, is generally fine to start after an ititial waiting period. This allows any remaining endo that may be there a proper amount of time to dry up and starve off. It does not grow back after it is all removed.

I'm glad you are doing your research That is the best way to make an informed decision. Have you seen our resource sectoin on endometriosis?
https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/lin...n=browse&cid=6 There are alot of good articles to read and learn more about your endo options.

I hope this helps

I just had a LAVH BOS on the3rd and the reason I went with the BSO was the endo and I also get hormonal migraines. I knew my r ovary would have to go and my dr suggest to take both out cuz of the endo i started on natural prog. cream the day after my surgery and will do hormone profile in a mth. give endo time to starve off and then start on NHRT. I will be doing a profile in 4wks.

My surgery went well I also had a hernia that was removed and some things were "straighten out" as the dr put it to my husband. the only problem i had was veins to put the drugs into they finally found one on my hand but later in the evening it was really hurting and i told nurse and she said it does that but then i was having alot of pain and nausa started. I got sick and they had to give meds for that too finally at 3am i told the nurse something was not right with my hand and pain was really bad! she turned on big light and my hand was swollen up my arm some and they called in IV nurse to put new line in. That really messed me up it took the whole next day to get pain back inline and nausa! I finally told them let me go home and noon thursday had alot of pain but dh and i worked it out and i have had any pain meds since friday night and doing well! Even went to a walk today very slow but felt good!

Take care!

Hi Sandwoman~ Like TroubledTabby said, it's great you are doing your research! I knew, going into my surgery that I would lose at least one ovary, possibly both, depending on what they found inside. I knew I might have to face surgical menopause and HRT.

Back then I thought I was just looking at the "HRT or No HRT" question. (My dr. started my HRT right away instead of the common 6 mo. withholding practice w/endo.) So, when I came home with no ovaries and started looking things up in the Hormone Jungle I didn't even know what these dear sisters were talking about! Oh my! I was so confused. The terms were so foreign – Bio-Identical, Conjugated, Compounded, Synthetic, Esterified and Estorpipated Estrogens, Patches, creams, suppositories, Troches, AAAAAKKKKKK! (See why they call it a Jungle?)

While it was overwhelming to me, I was also completely amazed how willing the sisters are to help us learn and offer support and resources ~ All without judging our individual choices.

One of the things that would have helped me find my way through the jungle, might have been if I specifically asked my GYN ahead of time what HRT he was thinking of trying me on and why. That would've given me a starting place.... Like "okay Dr. X recommends such & such, so I'll research that first." Then go from there. -OR- You could do your research and tell him what interests you the most and have him start from your interests/views... I didn't have that luxury, and since I was uneducated, I wanted to know what my dr. found most helpful to his patients and what his suggestions would be for me.

(Sorry I was windy!) Good luck to you!
Beth

Thankyou so much for your input ladies. I think my confusion arose when I was hearing posts that talked about HRT being withheld after the surgery. My Dr only told me that he would use a combination of estrogen and progesterone as a transdermal patch to help overcome the surgical menopause, but would not keep me on it any longer than 6 months. I have to agree that one can also become very confused with the many types of HRT. I guess nothing really made sense to me. Why would he put me on estrogen post-op if he was so concerned about the endo. He later stated that with out the endometrial tissue from the uterus growing and cycling that most errant microscopic endo would not grow like before you had a uterus. But after all I have been thru, I do not think I want to take the chance. Well off to do more research. Surgery date 11 days a way. Thanks for all the new info and your replies. It makes wading thru these decisions much easier, and I no longer have to bother my husband, who is a RN and hated OB/GYN in school!!!!(lol)

Some OBGYN's will do a 6 month stretch of the 'Lupron shot' to prevent the endo from returning, so I've heard anyway. Can't help you anymore than that, my lupron shots are for PMDD with LAVH/BSO to follow. Good luck with your research. JOSIE

I am scheduled for surgery on friday...the Dr. intended to take out both ovaries, but I asked if they looked healthy could I keep at least one. I am 38. Is it better to keep them? Ovarian cancer does not run in my family and I have heard horror stories about taking hormones after surgery.