Do I have 1 ovary removed and go back for regular check ups on the other or have them both out and go through premature menopause?

[anxious1]

I have been told that I must have the ovary out where the tumour is present, but as yet the second ovary is not affected. I have been given the choice to keep it. If I don't then I will go through premature menopause and need to take HRT for approx. 14 years. There are so many negatives about HRT I really don't know what to do for the best?

[Hidden]

Hello - me again!

The menopause after removal of everything was pretty aggressive and unpleasant, but able to be negotiated. I also dislike what I read about HRT, and it was not on offer to me after stage 3c o/c. Some women I know who have had HRT swear by it.

I suppose I'm glad that the worst is behind me now, and I understand that you have to go through some sort of menopause, after HRT is removed. Are you likely to 'need' your other ovary? Again, I'd discuss with the gynaecologist/surgeon, but my personal response would be to get rid of anything that might be a source of problems.

Good luck.

I.

[anxious1 in reply to Hidden]

Isadora, thank you so much for your reply. It has all happended so quick, my mind just feels like a whirlwind when it comes to tyring to make decision! I don't even know what I'm thinking half the time, but in the cold light of day I agree, I think the best way forward is to get rid of any potential problems - I've got two children and had not been planning to have any more, but its just that uncertainty when the option gets taken away from you! However, I would rather be going through the menopause and taking HRT than not be here at all!

[wendydee]

I had both removed, it was necessary, so went into menopause overnight. My surgeon put in an HRT implant so I could get over the op. It lasted about 6 months. I renewed it a couple of times, cos I felt really well, then decided not to have any more. I felt fine with natural supplements and a ladycare magnet to ease the hot flushes. Isidora is right. There is a lot of support for post-menopause. My local hospital runs a menopause clinic which is very helpful. There's an online magazine called menopausematters, (I think) which may be some help in making up your mind when looking at your alternatives. My feeling is that it's wis to get rid of any potential future trouble, but it depends on your age and the state of your family aspirations. Good Luck.

Love, Wendy x

[anxious1 in reply to wendydee]

Hi Wendy! I looked into the implant and I have been told by our local health authority that they no longer recommend this form of HRT as the dosage cannot be controlled, however, all I have heard is good things about it?? This is the 2nd time I have heard about ladycare magnet - will def. look into this, thank you. As I mentioned to Isadora, I think you're right about getting rid of potential future trouble!!

[HeatherK]

Hello,

I can only answer from personal experiance.

I had one ovary completly removed and the surgeon took away around half of the other one as they were trying to preserve my fertility and stop me having a surgical menopause. Once the results were back from the labs (and they sent slices of it to lot's of expert labs) the surgeon had to tell me I needed surgery again to have the remainder removed - so three months after my first surgery I underwent the exact same surgery again. My surgeon was very very considerate and explained that I had a few weeks before the effects of the surgical menopause would kick in for me so time to discuss all the options with my GP especially as I was only 30 and therefore this was a decision that needed consideration as I had upto 25 years ahead of taking it.

After much discussion with my GP we settled on an HRT and touch wood here I am 13 years on and still taking the same HRT with absolutely no side effects.

No-one can answer what you should do but hopefully hearing our stories will let you know that no two people are the same and there are differing experiences but whatever they may be I am sure that everyone of us is glad we are here to tell our stories.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

Love

Heather

x

[anxious1 in reply to HeatherK]

Hi Heather, all your comments and stories have been so helpful in this mind blowing time! Thank you all so much for taking the time out to help x

[dundeegirl]

Hiya,

I would echo all the above comments. It may come down to 'what you might want to do with the ovary' as one contributor wrote above - I don't know if you want a chance to have children, or another child if you already have? I am in the strange position of going through both aggressive surgical menopause, having had both ovaries removed last August, and now for the past month short-term HRT, as I am currently going through IVF treatment. I have found going through the surgical menopause extremely difficult (I am 33 which may mean I am dealing with it no as well as other ladies who might have been approaching menopausal age - and I am aware other ladies on this forum have not found surgical menoapause as bad), but now on the HRT I find things MUCH improved. Unfortunately for me my tumours were oestrogen receptive so I am only on HRT for a short time. If your concern is around cancer recurrence and menopause symptoms then I would imagine your doctors or CNS will give you best advice as to risk/benefit?

Best of luck with your decision

Catherine

xx

[anxious1 in reply to dundeegirl]

Thanks Catherine, and best of luck with your IVF treatment, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you x

[charlie12]

Hi there

I am so very sorry that you are dealing with this at such a young age.

I am 48 and also had a large borderline tumour removed in January 2010 and was plunged into an instant menopause. I had lost lots of weight beforehand due to the physical effects of the tumour and various treatments I was on. So I had virtually no fat / oestrogen stores and hence the symptoms were awful. You are much younger so may suffer even more , sorry !

I have been on Evorel patches since the operation and they have worked really well. I am in healthcare education (for a well known national organisation) and have looked at the data re safety of HRT in very great detail. Basically up to the age of the natural menopause i.e. 51 ish there is no increased risk with HRT as the patches or tablets are only replacing what the ovaries would have been producing. Even if there was a risk I honestly could not have done without them.

I have read on other forums of ladies who have developed second borderline tumours in the remaining ovary, so that risk is there.

Very best of luck...you will get over this , I now feel so much better than I did last year, but the shock of a "pathology" was horrible.

Take care xxx

[pixie]

I'm 47 and had both my ovaries removed a year ago, followed by chemo. I didn't realise how much the surgical menopause was affecting me for several months, due to the side effects of the chemo.

But then my GP referred me to the menopause clinic at the hospital and the lovely doctor there prescribed me an oestrogen gel - I felt better within days. I feel like my old self again

I hadn't been given enough information about the effects of a surgical menopause by the oncology staff, so I struggled with it for longer than I needed to. Make sure you know as much as possible, and keep asking if you feel you need more support or info.

Someone on here pointed me to this site - surmeno.blogspot.com/, and it was really useful - really helped me start to get my life back together.

We can get through anything if we know where we are going.

Good luck & take care

xxx

[dundeegirl]

I forgot to say, have your doctors told you whether they think your tumours are oestrogen receptive? I presume not if they are considering giving you HRT, but it might be a very worthwhile question to ask - mine were and so I cannot take HRT, so would be glad to have been able to save an ovary!

Catherine

[MargaretJ]

Hi! I don't know if my experience will ahelp but I was 69 when I had my "debulking" op last year. 15 years post menopause (which Incidentally, I sailed through) I had both ovaries uterus and omentum removed and, guess what, I now get hot flushes! I must look up the ladycare magnet as, to date, I just ignore them.