to Take Ovaries Or Not? Please Help! Posted: 08-26-06 10:59am
I have adenomyosis, fibroids and suspected
endometriosis. I am scheduled for a hyst
next month. (the ultrasound tech said
"some endometriosis" but my doc just told
me they can't defineatively dx it until
they're in there.) anyway, I also suffer
from debilatating menstrual migraines.
My confusion is if she gets in there and
confirms the endo should I go ahead and
have her take my ovaries to avoid another
sy in the future? I know i'll have to go
hrt which scares me. I'm 38 and am
concerned about the long term effects of
starting hrt at my age. My mother and her
mother were both post-menopausal by 42-43.
So I might naturally be menopausal in a
few years anyway.
Another thing to think about is that
taking my ovaries might help with the
migraines because i'd no longer have the
flucuation of hormones.
My quality of life has gotten so bad. I
just want to feel like myself again. The
pain gets so bad that I lay around all day
on a heating pad and have to take pain
killers. I can't imagine going thru the
hyst and still having pain ~ and then
maybe have to have another sy in the
future. If its not the pain and
exhaustion from the heavy periods, its the
debilating pain from the migraines.
I hope this makes sense. I'm just so
confused; tired of being in pain and want
my life back! Any advice would be greatly
appreciated!
Thanks!
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jeannine_29
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 117 Location: Granite Bay, CA
Mickey Posted: 08-26-06 11:40am
Hi :) I had a hysterectomy almost 9 years
ago due to severe endometriosis and
fibroids..Plus my last several paps had
come back abdnormal. I told my ob that
if he could say either or both of my
ovaries to do so. After my surgery he
told me that he had to take my left ovary
(but left my right) due to the
endometriosis. A week to week and a half
after my surgery I had to do hormones
because my right ovary had adjusted to my
left being gone....Since then I have not
had to take hormones. If possible, see
if your ob can save one of your ovaries so
you dont have to take hormones..That is my
suggestion. Just give the ob options
since it is your body! Good luck to you
with your surgery!
Jeannine
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mickey523
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Georgia
Posted: 08-26-06 12:27pm
Thanks for replying! I'm new to this
forum and really nervous about the whole
surgery in general.
Have you had any problems with the endo
coming back since you kept an ovary? I've
heard that it can come back. I'm sure you
can understand my fear of that happening
since you've been thru it too!
How did you do when you were on the
hormones?
Karen
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jeannine_29
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 117 Location: Granite Bay, CA
Karen Posted: 08-26-06 15:08pm
Hi karen! To answer your questions, yes,
endometriosis can come back. However,
since my surgery almost 9 years ago, I
have had no problems with mine coming
back. As for the hormones...I did ok on
them even though it was for only a short
period of time. I actually decided to go
off of the hormones myself once I
realized/found out what was in them!
Yuck! (i took premarin) if you have
anymore questions, please feel free to
shoot me an email or whatever you want :)
jeannine
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sandyallen
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 4580
Posted: 08-26-06 16:12pm
My reason for my hysterectomy was
different, mine was due to cancer and I
told them to take it all because I was not
comming back and I did not want the chance
of a cell hiding and having to come back
later on and getting the rest later. I am
sure thay I am older than you so I did not
have much of a difficult time chosing what
to do. I do wish you the best of luck
with your decision. I am here if you need
someone to talk to about it.
Did they say that you will be in the
hospital 3 days with the surgery, you
generally don't rememver much about the
1st day or you end up losing a day, they
generally keep you pretty comfortable (out
of pain).
All the best to you!
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mickey523
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Georgia
Posted: 08-26-06 16:29pm
You ladies are so nice. Thank you for
warm wishes. It is a difficult decision.
How did you do afterwards? Did you start
hrt?
I was told lavh would be done but they may
have to change to an abdominal approach
depending on what they find when they get
in there. If lavh is done they've said
i'd only be in for 24 hours. Seems really
fast to me for such a major surgery; but
if they open me up i'll be there for 3
days.
I'm not as worried about the pain as I am
about losing my ovaries.
It's like a catch 22. If I keep my
ovaries, i'll run the risk of endo coming
back (if in fact confirmed) and will most
likely continue with these migraines. If
they take them, then i'll have to go on
hrt and all the side effects and increased
cancer risk with being menopausal so
early.
I'm so thankful to this forum to have a
place to vent!
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Kia
Supporter
Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 6594 Location: Planet Tampaxia,
Posted: 08-26-06 17:24pm
In general if the ovaries are healthy,
they should remain.
Ovaries should only be taken in a worst
case scenario - ie if they are likely to
cause problems.
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sandyallen
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 4580
Posted: 08-26-06 17:43pm
Eggsactly .Kia and thet felt that mine
would later with the high rate of cancer
that I had, I was not taking chances, I
was put on hrt accidenatally, generally
with cancer they do not.
