Ovary removal / hysterectomy

[Tracy29]

Are there any ladies on here who have experienced removal of both ovaries and hysterectomy at a young(ish) age. I am 30 and going in for what is now my 3rd op on thursday. Previously had borderline tumour ( non invasive) on my RH ovary which resulted in RH ovary and tube being removed, but consultant thinks they may now be back on my LH ovary and if so will also have hysterectomy, as previous growths were also found in other pelvic areas. So I am just wanting to hear from a) anyone who has undergone surgical menopause ( the surgical removal of both ovaries) and in particular those who are of a similar age, as I would like to know what the implications are of having no ovaries and being on HRT. hopefully it will not be the case, but the probability is more than likely.

[Hidden]

Hi there Tracy. I had to have a hysterectomy in my late 30s which was very upsetting, particularly as I had tried for a very long time to have a child. It was the worst time of my life because I hadn't come to terms with lots of things associated with childlessness or being 'child free' as some people prefer to call it. I'd had IVF attempts and then, all that was lost and the treatment seemed to be for no purpose. My life seemed to have no purpose. I found it all hard to come to terms with if I'm honest about it. With regard to the hysterectomy, I had a full hysterectomy, having my uterus, fallopian tubes and both ovaries removed. I didn't suffer any side effects. It was just a sudden thing and I was glad of it. Most of the pain I experienced before went away as did the painful menstruation. It was not what I expected at all. I'm on this site because I have primary peritoneal carcinoma which is closely linked with ovarian and treated the same way by the same people. My very good wishes are sent to you. xx

[thundering]

Hi there!

I had all that and more last May. I am older than you and was approaching the age of menopause in any case but it hadn't arrived.

I cannot comment on the relational side of things as I am single however I don't have HRT and the induced menopause hasn't really upset my life in any way - just hot flushes - but I work, exercise and live quite normally.

Best wishes,

Kathleen

[zuzana]

hello, i was 30 when i had hysterectomy and same as TinaB i was very upset that i cant have any more children.mind you im lucky i have one but even thou seeing all my friends falling pregnant second and third time was very hard. after hysterectomy i lost my high sexdrive and having problems with a bladder ,which we trying to sort it out at the moment. I can not recieve HRT treatment but other than that menopause didnt affect me very much,just odd hot flushes. Im 32 with lots of to worry about but trying to live my life on full :):)

[kitjules]

Hi Tracy,

Sorry to hear about the op on Thursday... I hope it goes well,

The trouble with this op is, one moment you are a fully functioning woman and then you wake up after the op straight into menopause mode! There is no gradual process so the symptoms can be a scary at first.

I had my op just before my 32nd birthday and after it had to cope with hot sweats, night flushes, mood swings and depression. apart from that I was fine lol.

Seriously, the emotions are all over the place....dealing with major surgery, tiredness, discomfort, loss of not being able to have children etc. its hard to know where one symptom starts and another finishes. For me the overall sense of loss of not being able to have children was more of a shock.. i prepared myself, but it was worse than i thought. but again, perhaps its just the depression brought on by the op itself! see what I mean!

You have to give yourself time to recover.. mentally and physically. Just remember there is no right or wrong way to feel. Everyone is different. and take one day at a time, you will have better days.

Your team will offer the best advice and treatment for you and your medical history, you have to trust your team to make the right choice for you. I was offered HRT but only temporary due to my history, but it helped me focus on recovery from the operation. I have to be honest, for me it didn't stop all the symptoms as I still had hot flushes and night sweats. Its worthwhile taking the lowest does and consider alternative therapies when you are feeling a bit better and able to do the research. Ladies on here will be able to offer advise about HRT and other therapies as well as coping with physical symptoms on menopause as age is not really a factor.. the emotional side is harder to treat.

But I can promise you, there is life after menopause and some people find HRT a blessing.

Sending big hugs and all the best for Thursday

Julie x

[beckyh]

Hi Tracey

You might find a look at this site useful.

daisynetwork.org.uk/

Although the focus isn't just about surgical menopause there is a lot of information about taking care of your health and the sort of issues you may need to take account of.

Hope all goes well tomorrow.

Becky

[Tracy29]

thankyou to all of the lovely ladies who have responded. I know everyone is individual, but its always good to be aware of potential outcomes before you go in. this is a fantastic site, I have been on it for a while now, and have always found the ladies on here a great source of both information and support. and thankyou beckyh for the web link, I will take a closer look at that too. xx

[VickyEm]

Hi Tracy

I had both ovaries and hysterectomy at age 29. I chose not to take HRT as luckily my symptoms weren't bad enough to merit it.

You will however need to do something about your bone density. This is especially pertinent when you have the menopause at a young age, as you have not had the years of oestrogen building up the bones, that a women in her 50's would have had. HRT is one way of helping your bones stay strong, but if you chose not to take HRT you can take calcium supplements instead.

I didn't do this and now 13 years later I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, however I am taking the calcium now and this can be reversed to an extent, but probably better to try to prevent it in the 1st place.

Good luck with your op.

Vx

[blue100]

Hi Tracy. So sorry to hear that you could be facing another op. Take heart that if so, then this will hopefully increase your odds of never developing OC.

I had my hysterectomy at 41 and being forced into surgical menopause hasn't been at all bad. Yes, there are the occasional hot flashes, which is one of the strangest things ...I laugh about it with my Mum! But this is more of a nuisance than a problem. Physically I haven't been affected in any other adverse way. On the plus side, no more periods which is a relief after years of heavy periods.

I don't take HRT incase my cancer was hormone driven, but I'm sure discussion with your GP/Onc will weigh out the risk and pro & cons.

Just incase you haven't visited this website yet, it's great for everything you would ever want to know about the hysterectomy...pre-op, post-op etc

hystersisters.com/

Take care xx