Hysterectomy AFTER menopause

I am new here and my surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, 3/11/05. Everything happened so fast and my head is spinning and my doctor is really nice, but I keep asking myself the why's, should's, etc. I felt a "bulgey lump" in my abdomen a couple weeks ago which led me to where I am. After pelvic exam, ultrasounds, etc. there's a 6" mass by my left ovary. I'm 50 and have passed menopause I guess (no periods since 5/03 except spotting a few weeks ago). So she felt it was best to do a complete hysterectomy and sample for cancer. What happens after surgery if you've already gone through menopause? She feels I'll be fine with no extra problems. Has anyone here been in a similar situation? I've never been able to have children because of severe endo. and this seems so final for me. I feel so threatened by the "finality" of it all. Any help/advice would be appreciated.
I'm sorry for this lenghthy post & if I don't know all the abbreviations for things. I just happened to come across this site doing a search for help.
God Bless everyone in their journey!
Margie

Margie

I was 54 when I had my hyst and had been through menopause too - for about 3 years. I had a tah/bso ( everything out ). My dr started me on estrogen the morning after my surgery. Even so, I went into a "surgical" menopuse that was a bit worse than my "natural" menopause had been. It all evened out after tweaking the hrt to the correct dosage for me. Some ladies have said that they had no problems at all though.
My dr explained that even after menopause, the ovaries keep on working, just at a reduced rate. It might be a good idea to discuss your options with your dr.

You can find the abbreviations here ( click here )

You'll be in my prayers that all will go well for you.

s

I turn 54 this month and thought I'd sailed through menopause with only a few symptoms. The hysterectomy was a surprise to me, too. I'm glad I had it though, as a tiny bit of cancer was discovered in the endometrium and according to the doctor, it's now "all gone". I am not taking any hormones for a few reasons, one being that I'm overweight and fat produces estrogen (I didn't know this). So far, I've had some hot flashes or flushes, but nothing I can't handle. Wishing you well, Joan.

Hi Margie, I'm 53 this summer, and had my hyst last June. I kept both my ovaries as there was no disease involved with my surgery. No periods since Jan 2003, so I was into menopause also. I had minimal symproms prior to my hyst and had been using a soy drink daily.

I can echo the other sisters who responded before me. I did have problems after the hyst with more severe hot flashes, and some roller coaster emotions, some depression, insomnia for about 6 weeks when I was around 4 months post-op. But that has straightened out with diet, exercise, and HRT. My hyst was for prolapse and repairs to rectocele and cystocele, so hormones were not contraindicated for me. There are other ways to manage menopausal symptoms without hormone supplementation, and this site is an excellent source of information for that.

Good luck and God bless you as you get through this season in your life. I'll keep you in my prayers for a good recovery.

MLK819, The general rule is: The farther out from your last period and the more stable your menopausal symptoms are the less you will notice it. If you are already on ERT you will notice it even less.

If you have symptoms, help is available. This board is a great resource for finding out what works for other women.

I wish you the best during your surgery tomorrow and will be thinking positive thoughts for you.