Confused.....

I had my pre-op today. I asked my Dr. a couple of questions one was regarding weight gain after surgery he said that can happen because when they take out your ovaries your body goes into menopause and at that stage of your life you apt to gain weight anyway. So you should maintain a diet accordingly.
He said that people tend to blame weight gain on the Hormones but its a natural response to menopause. After I got home I started to think, isn't that what the hormones are suppossed to do is to help avoid menopause?
I can't afford to gain anymore weight.
I have been reading about sleeplessness after hyst. to. Is that common?
I hear most people say they have never felt better afterwards.
Is it only because you're not bleeding anymore?
I'm having second thoughts about evrything. Maybe it's because my trip to the castle is only 5 days away. I can't believe it's almost here!
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

Hi Lee
I am so sorry your doc just seemed to confuse you more!

I've done lots of reading about surgical menopause and hormones, but it seems that every woman is different. Some women may experience weight gain....but that like all weight gain is within our control. By eating healthy and exercising, that can be changed (I know what you mean when you say you can't afford to gain any more weight...me neither )

Sleeplessness is another side effect of menopause, but not ALL women experience it. Unfortunately you will have to wait and see if that occurs in you. Keep in mind thought that there are many ways to deal with insomnia. There are many different relaxation techniques, and exercise tends to regulate sleep too. As a last resort, there are medications which can help your sleep patterns.

It is understandable that you are having second thoughts. I'm sure I'll go through that too as my castle date approaches.
Only you know what is right for you.

Wishing you strength to make the right decisions for you.


Northlights

Hi, Lee!

My TVH is scheduled for the 26th, 1 day before yours. I was concerned about weight gain, too....not because I was losing my ovaries but because I would be inactive for so long, decided that I would watch my calories right after surgery and try to keep the weight gain at bay. Sleeplessness after hyst....almost seems funny...I haven't slept in 6 days anyway...fidgit all night and when I finally get to sleep have nightmares. Anyway, they have great meds for insomnia, just keep you Doc posted if you can't sleep.

Best Wishes

lee1957, everyones body will be different all i can do is give you my feedback on how I am recovering, I am one of those that has never felt better, yes one part of it is no more bleeding, 2. i have more energy now than i have had since i was 16(almost 35 now)3. I am a severe anemic so I have always had to watch that with myself. and when i did have periods they would last from 70-100 plus days. stop for a week or so and then start all over again, so you can imagine why i feel so good now. As far as no sleep...what is sleep? i have suffered insomnia since a small child, so on an average i sleep 3-6 hours a night but now i do good to get 1-3. i just use that time to catch up on tv and reading or playing on laptop. And weight gain, I was not a real big woman to begin with, but was at docs office yesterday to beg him to let me go back to work i have gained exactly 10 lbs since surgery 4 weeks ago. But the swelling is what is making me feel 'fat" I was wearing like size 7 before surgery but had to go buy some clothes yesterday cause i cant get in the normal ones i wear had to buy size 12...i freaked out but doc told me it was normal to have swelling in the gut for 6 or more months. Dreams heheh, they have been a trip, but have been funny....

I had my surgery a little over 2 years ago. I had a TAH/BSO. And I am taking estrace 1mg/day.

Keeping in mind that every person is different: I weigh exactly the same today as I did at my hospital preop in Jan 2002. And I'm wearing the same size clothes, some of them are the SAME clothes.

I actually lost about 10# in the immediate couple of weeks after surgery, but gained them back when my appetite returned. And due to swelly belly and the tenderness I wore sweatpants several weeks, although if I had to leave the house I could get into my jeans at 2 weeks, but out of them as soon as I got home.

I do have a lot more energy now than I had before; DH & I bought bikes last spring and until it got too cold we were taking long rides several times a day. We have to get the bikes out and begin again. We also used to play tennis, but I got so I couldn't keep up with him. We're planning on starting that again also.