Finding balance...

Hello wonderful ladies,

I have been lurking around this site for the past couple of weeks (ever since I realized my hysterectomy was not the peice of cake I heard it would be) and thanks to all of you, I feel much better now after reading what many of you are encountering post-op that I am not the "freak" my doctor would like me to believe. Please don't misunderstand my last statement. He is quite adept at his profession. I am just not the textbook patient. I am starting week #12 and still don't feel great. I go back to see Doc again tomorrow for very scratchy feeling inside. So far I have been on antibiotics for UTI and clyndamiacin suppositories for slight vaginal bacterial. Then again on Tequin for possible eustachean tube infection. Now back to Gyn tomorrow for scratchy feeling. I threw some kind of strange reaction after 4 weeks into hormone therapy (premarin 1.25) which made me stop taking at 4 weeks only to end up at the hospital 2 weeks after that for a cat scan of my head due to seriously extreme dizziness and fainting (still don't know why that happened,as all professional people to date have told me that would not have been a reaction to hormones. Also had abdominal cat done at 5 weeks due to unusual and serious abdominal pain on right side. Still also having difficulties with the bowels (although never have been an "every day" kind of person) and end up with vaginal bleeding if I even strain the slightest bit. And I am convinced that there is not the same distance between vaginal opening and rectum as there was before. I guess that is another question for doc. I'm just not sure he is the right doc to see for that tho? He is also not happy with the fact that I am refusing any more HRT until he does a saliva test. Had the TAH June 28 due to abnormal bleeding (serious clots)and could not tolerate the b.c. pills. I shouldn't think any kind of HRT would have even been a thought if I had a problem with bc pills ?????? Whaddoino? Apparently squat!!! Well, that is my story. Once again, thank-you for being here and making me feel a bit more "comfortable" with my situation. I'm still optimistic and I'm looking forward to the day I say whew! I'm glad I did that and it is behind me! Cheers to all. VMc

Hi and you sure sound like you have had your share of post op woes.
Just because you couldn't take BCP before doesn't mean that a balanced, natural regime of HRT won't suit you. The pill is 4 to 7 times stronger than HRT. I was worried about HRT as well and didn't think I'd end up on it but my ovaries quit at 6 weeks post op. I could not take the BCP after my DS was born - something in my system changed It made me violently nauseous and gave me scary headaches:hair:
After the op I tried Premarin and got a load of terrible side effects. I tried a natural oral estrogen and my liver decided to chew it up and spit it out in one big blast, leaving me deficient for the rest of the day! So, I settled on a natural estrogen gel and that seems to be doing the trick. I dose twice a day. I started on a low dosage and worked my way up to my maintainence level. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you - estrogen has many benefits for heart and bone health, and without ovaries you need that.

It's a tough walk through the :run2: sometimes. Week 12 is really not that far into the total healing process. I remember for me it was around month 9 when I suddenly said hey, the fatigue and sproinges and twinges of pain are gone. So don't be too hard on yourself.

If you don't have hormonal balance, you will have an increased risk of UTIs and vaginal problems. Balance includes both estrogen and progesterone, we've found. Progesterone has many receptors all through the area, so it plays a big role in health. You can read more about it at www.hormonejungle.com/progest.php

Dizziness and fainting are actually standardly recognized symptoms of menopause. They are part of the Kupperman Index of Menopausal Symptoms and you can find them described at sites like WebMD that are run by medical professionals (as opposed to us ) The fact that your levels at that point were plunging was probably enough to make your symptoms severe. A lot of menopausal symptoms are signs of fluctuating hormone levels.

If they didn't find anything about the right side pain, that might be this mysterious pain that shows up for a lot of us. I had it. I had the CT scan (but then I do all the time for cancer anyway) and a colonoscopy. They announced that it was diverticulosis. Well, no, it was something post-surgical because I've never had it after that 9 month point when I realized all the healing was done.

As Lily says, HRT is not really the same as bcp. Birth control pills are synthetic hormones and they are very strong because they are imitating the levels of pregnancy. HRT comes in all strengths and in forms that are just like the ones your ovaries made. In fact very low doses are beginning to look like the best route. Better for stroke, better for brain function and good enough for osteoporosis prevention.

I'm glad you're still feeling optimistic because I think that there's actually great hope here that you'll end up much better off.

A way to find a doctor who is sensitive to hormone issues (many have had no training in them at all) is to find a compounding pharmacist in your area. They know which doctors are able to fine tune hormones for their patients.

Hope some of this is a so you can find your way around among the trees!

VMc,
I just wanted to say hi, and welcome you to the jungle. In addition to all the other info I would like to share www.yourmenopausetype.com I think the teaching modules are a worthwhile read.
Best wishes to you

Becky in OHIO

I hope, truly hope, you find that hormonal balance you seek. I am on that same quest, the holy grail of the postmenopausal woman. I am hopeful, too, for I have been told that balance exists. One has to have faith.

You'll find lots of help and patience and love here.
E