LAVH with 1 ovary removed. "lonely" ovary working.....or not??

Hi ladies,

I have been reading posts and learning from you girls for a while. I had a LAVH on 4/24/00. I had been hemoraghing for 38 days and the doctor tried several different things before FINALLY doing my surgery. Anyway, I still have one ovary and don’t “think” it is either working..or working right. My GYN told me the day after my surgery that the “left behind” ovary sometimes quits working without its partner 2-5 years post surgery. Well darn it…I am now 4 years post surgery. I had my lovely (NOT) yearly exam last Friday and talked to him. He says I am “way too young (44) for menopause”. I asked him about his theory of the surviving ovary dying…he just kind of smiled. He did order blood work which I had done. And told me that unless they “caught me” in the right cycle. That this blood work may not tell him anything. I said something HAS TO BE DONE. The hot flashes and night sweats are getting bad. Others (family and friends) are seeing the hot flashes and they know they are real. But I am not sure my dr. does. I have tried Vitamin E… Vitamin B6 and B12. They helped for a while but don’t any more. Anyone else out there with a “lonely ovary” having trouble too? NOW WHAT?

Hi (((Christy))) and welcome to Hystersisters! Do you know what bloodwork your DR ordered? If your ovary has stopped working, your FSH level would be high... so I hope he's ordered that test.

If your GYN is not being helpful, do you have an internist or family DR you feel comfortable working with? Any DR can order the tests and prescribe HRT, so I'd suggest seeing one you feel can be a real partner in your future health care decisions.

Let us know how the tests come out, OK?
s,
-Linda

I don't really know what tests he ordered. He just said "hormone levels" and they would take 2-3 days to get back. He then said that the only way to "really find out" was to do weekly blood work for about 8 weeks. NO THANKS! All I know is, is that the hot flashes are getting worse...as are the insomnia and night sweats! If I don't get answers I need by the end of the week from my GYN (yes he is the one that did my surgery). I will talk to my family doctor about it next month when I see him for a "physical" minus the "girl stuff". My family is noticing this more and more. I have tried to research LAVH with only one ovary removed and haven't really found anything. Darn it.....I want answers

(((Christy))) did you see this article in our Resource Links directory?:

http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/lin...=jump&lid=1028

Maybe that will help... also you could try doing a google search on "premature ovarian failure" and a few more may come up that way.

s,
-Linda

hey. i too have a lonely ovary.i am 3 yrs post op and i do believe mine is dying. I had problems before hyst but it seems like they are getting worse. i keep hoping it is my thyroid but i just had blood work done and everything came back normal. infact, when i had my hormone levels checked they came back normal but my gyn who is a woman, put me on a low dose climara patch and it helped the first night. then it got to where they wouldn't stick so she put me on vivelle dot and then reg vivelle. currently i am not on anything except vagifem because at the moment my hormones are working too well. i am oily from head to toe and broke out head to toe. my hair is still falling out,and i am still very moody and irritable. i still have trouble sleeping and hot itchy,peeling feet. all this went away on the patch but i can't stand the zits and oily skin. hopefully this will clear up soon. my gyn told me this is what happens sometimes... your ovary will work for a few months then all of a sudden it will stop for a few months and then all of a sudden it will work again,etc.etc.etc.one day it will end and how soon, i can't wait.

I had my hormones tested about a year and a half ago by my family doctor. And of course they came back normal as did the thyroid ones. But wow things are getting worse. Night sweats are about the same.....but WOW the hot flashes are horrible. My family sees it happening and they want something done now. My GYN is very kind and I really like him. But, he tends to go "by the book" with tests. Soooo not sure what I will do if these come back "normal". Hopefully I should know tomorrow or Wednesday. I don't at least yet have the skin (other than dry as heck in spots) problems. But the insomnia stinks. I just want to sleep. I know I am crabby....but darn it I can't sleep and that doesn't help the mood a bit. I am to a point of wanting/not wanting hormones. I don't know what I want I guess. "Cure Me" is what I want.....and I dont think they can do that I so wish they had taken the other ovary..

Your doctor is not being straight with you, or else he is misinformed. In order to remove the uterus, the blood vessels that go there have to be sealed up, because there is nothing else to do with them. It's like if you remove old plumbing, you shut off the water and seal the end of the pipe. Well, the ovaries depended on those blood vessels, and now the blood has to come from another less good place. The ovaries can work less well this way. Sometimes they can get back to normal and sometimes they can't. Ovaries can fail at any age, there is no rule about this, and certainly not when there is a surgical factor. Mine seems to come and go. Fortunately, my doctor is realistic and gave me Vivelle dots to help with the symptoms of low estrogen. This is just so obvious. If you cannot take estrogen for some medical reason, your doctor should tell you. This man may be a good surgeon, but he is not treating you with respect. I think he has no clue about what to do and will not admit it. Or else he is just plain chauvinistic and thinks it's all in your silly female head, or else he is afraid to work with powerful medicines. My doctor is a woman who is well-educated and willing to use it. This is not a criticism of male doctors, but they cannot possibly know what it's like to be female. I would get another doctor ASAP.

I am waiting to see what the doctor says when he (or I am sure it will be the nurse) calls. I talked to him about this last year and the year before...and all I got told is Vitamin E. Well dang it I am past the Vitamin E stages!! He told me that the ovary feels "ok" on examination. Well fine..but it isn't working right!

Hi Christy

It's frustrating to try to deal with a doctor who isn't either listening or, as you said, is playing it by the book as to numbers. As a "normal by the numbers" lady myself, I can tell you that normal numbers did not equate to a normal feeling me.

If this doctor isn't receptive to you using HRT and you want to use it, you'll probably be happier with a different doctor.

Let us know what you hear.

s

Christy, have you tried ovaltine for the sleeping issue? alot of ladies swear by 1 cup with milk before bed. You can also try pure valerian root. I bought mine at the health food store and it was drops. It is a natural valium and depending on how much you use can make you relaxed or sleepy. It tastes AWFUL but if you put 2or 3 drops in orange juice you can't taste it. i would find another dr if possible. I just think men do not understand a womans body. how could they? they aren't a woman. my gp and one other male gyn told me it was depression and put me on antidepresants which only made things worse and the gyn told me to ignore the symptoms. I like my female gyn.she did my surgery and pretty much listens to ME not lab work. i hope you find somebody who can and will help you. about the ovaltine... to read about it,do a search on it and it will bring it up.