dVH/RALH: Please help!!

My surgery has been officially scheduled for July 24 and I am terrified!

I'm still unsure about doing HRT or not. Both of my ovaries are being removed along with my hysterectomy. My biggest concerns are sex drive, weight, and mood swings. I'm only 36 and my husband and I have an active sex life and I'm very concerned about my drive going away. Has anyone tried natural remedies? I would love any suggestions.

Thanks!

I lost both my ovaries and only kept my cervix. I do not plan on taking any meds but will manage/treat symptoms as they come. I tried not to go into it with any expectations that it would be horrible or overwhelming and so far all has been manageable.
I am 40 and was mainly concerned about loosing my sex drive as that is the main horror story i would hear (not on this site...just in general) however, i came out of it with more if that is even possible! My husband played a big role, he is so,sweet and we r taking the
recovery time to find ways to stay emotionally/physically connected. It can be pretty fun getting creative.

My suggestion is really not to worry too much. I know it is easier said than done but it is so important. There is much more of a chance it will be fine so focus on that ((hugs))

Thank you so much for your response!! I haven't spoken with my doctor yet about keeping my cervix. However, the more I read on here the more I definitely want to keep it.

I have never had issues with paps/cervix so he suggested i keep it. He asked if i had internal orgasms as well as outer stimulation and when i said yes he said it is worth it to keep. I will have to continue getting pap smears but thats no big deal to me.

I kept my cervix also, and am so glad I did. Do you have to have both ovaries removed?

Yes I do have to have both removed.

I had to have my cervix removed, because I'd had abnormal paps in the past. I also had a deep-dark irrational fear of ovarian cancer, so I asked for those to be removed. I'm glad I did. My mother died two years ago from leiomyosarcoma, a uterine cancer related to fibroids, so I am relieved that all those structures are gone.

As to sexual function afterward, buy stock in Lubriderm (;-), lubricants help a GREAT deal. Having a loving partner helps a great deal, too. After you make it through the other side, and are fully recovered, you may find that there are few problems anymore. I know my hyst was probably the best thing I could ever do for myself and my husband.

Yes, I do use HRT, I use the patch. I also have health insurance, so that helps a great deal. HRT is really only a concern if you have other worries about hormone-related cancers. The way I figured it, if I didn't have the internal structures that could become cancerous, I could continue to get regular mammograms, and stop worrying about the rest of it.

Take a deep breath. Do something fun for yourself between now and surgery. Seriously! Go horseback riding, sky diving, hiking, SOMETHING to work off the nerves. And if you are religious, get in touch with your pastor/priest/minister.

Bless you!

I'm so thrilled I found this site. All of you have been wonderful in answering my questions and putting my mind at ease. I just scheduled an appointment with my doctor so I can go over all of my questions with him.

Thank you so much ladies!!