hysterectomy, what will it be like?

HI
I may need to have a hysterectomy this spring. I will be age 35 this month.
I have poly cystic ovarian sydrome, endometreosis, uterine fibroids, realy screwed up painfuly very ultra heavy periods, diabetes and a few other things.
Because of the female troubles i might be getting a hysterectomy this spring but before i get one my obgyn has me on hormones for now to see if it helps.
if i do get the surgery done i will end up getting everything out including the ovaries and that worries me.
if i get my ovaries out that means ill have to be on hormones forever right?
i know of one lady who had her ovaries out and does not need hormones.
what will the life long hormones do to me?
what will it do to me if i get my ovaries out and dont take hormones?
if i have the surgery will it cause my hormones to make me gain tons of weight and grow a beard?

i would like to hear from some women who have had hysterectomys please. thank you.

Hi BJ,

I just had a total hysterectomy in October. I am a bit older than you are, I'm 56. I had endometrial cancer that had just begun to attach itself to the endometrial wall. So, thank God, they got all of it.

I had a total hysterectomy that means everything including the cervix and bottom lymph nodes. I am doing fine without hormones and didn't need any further treatment except the surgery.

Now, that being said, I also had fibroids that I had lived with for over 10 years. I began having heavy, irregular bleeding. But I was going through menopause and never stopped. The endometrial wall had thickened so much that the cancer began.

I am not sure about the hormones for you. Check out all the different therapies available to you also. Many doc's don't tell their people about alternative ways to hormones. Best of luck to you. I hope and pray all turns out and you don't have to need the surgery. Keep us up to date on your progress and don't forget to ask for prayer if you need it.

Blessings,
Sandpiper

I had a hysterectomy when I was just a little older than you. I blame it on having my tubes tied. It really messed up my periods.

I had terrible periods, huge clots, pain and the PMS before could be compared to a crazy woman so I was more than happy to have that indoor plumbing taken out!

My doctor left one of my ovaries. Still, he put me on hormones and I stayed on them until a few years ago (I'm 58). You don't get fat unless you eat a lot and aren't active. You don't grow a beard. You just feel sooooooo much better.

Hope this helps.

BJ, no help with the hysterectomy, but I'm an expert on Diabetes. My husband is a Type I and takes 4-5 shots a day and my daughter is a Type II.

BJ, I had my first hysterectomy (cervix and uterus) when I was in my early 30's and my second (oopherectomy - ovaries) when I was in my early 40's.

My doctor put me on hormones immediately after the surgery. But, less than a year later, we were taking me off because of the concerns brought about by various medical studies about cancer, etc.

When I went of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) I started taking an over the counter HRT product called Estroven. It worked pretty good, I still had some hot flashes, but it took care of most everything else, including mood swings, etc.

I took Estroven for nearly a year before I found personalized natural supplements from Lifescript. They address the hormone issues too, and now I rarely get a hot flash. I'm not telling you to use or not use HRT, just letting you know there are various options out there.

You won't grow a beard, or anything like that. That comes from testestrone, which you won't be taking replacement therapy for. However, you might find a few hairs growing on your chin, or above your lip. Nothing serious, and easily dealt with using a one of a variety of different beauty treatments from plucking to cremes.

Gaining weight isn't something that comes with HRT, but it does affect women as they get older if you're not careful about what you eat. You can't eat the same things you did when you were younger, it's just not possible. You have to be more careful about getting lots of fruits and vegetables, limiting your red meat, and drinking lots of water. Fiber is important too.

On the upside of a hysterectomy, you won't be in pain anymore, won't have to deal with periods anymore, and your mood swings or PMS will greatly diminish.

I'm not sure what else I can tell you. One of the first things I noticed after my hysterectomy, was I didn't pee as much, because the pressure was relieved from my bladder. The tumors had grown so big that they were pressing on my bladder, once those were removed, the pressure was relieved.

I hope this helps.