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Do I keep my ovaries or have them removed?

Posted , 9 users are following.

angie16268
angie16268

I am waiting for a vaginal and laparospic hysterectomy and it is my choice if I have my ovaries removed. Can someone please tell me what I will gain from keeping them and what I will gain by having them removed? I'm finding it so hard to decide! I know I will be on oestrogen only HRT if they are removed but can't weigh up the pros and cons.

0 likes, 37 replies

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  • val29779
    val29779 angie16268

    Posted

    I also had exactly the same op last January. And had the choice, my friend had told me that ovarian cancer is one of the hardest things to diagnose and if I left them inside then it would always be on my mind, what if? So I opted to have the lot taken out and am had I did. I am on the HRT patches and manage just fine on them. I don't sleep well but to be fair I never did Really before the op. Its your decision at the end of the day. Weigh up the pro's and cons and decided what best for you. Good luck and I hope all goes well x
    • angie16268
      angie16268 val29779

      Posted

      Hi Val, thanks for replying. Hope everything went ok for you. My gynecologist told me the same thing about ovarian cancer but not sure if I want the side effects or risks of HRT either. I've read that if I keep my ovaries it will help protect against brittle bones as I get older and if im right the risk of heart disease goes up if I I have HRT. Such a dilema! X
    • val29779
      val29779 angie16268

      Posted

      I know its a hard decision to make. The HRT IS also supposed to help against brittle bones I was told. Fingers crossed for you all goes well x
  • marie_1964
    marie_1964 angie16268

    Posted

    Hi Angie, I was in your situation several months ago sad i feel your dilemma I think it's a personal decision based on what's best for you plus age etc. I personally chose to keep mine as I wanted to go through the menopause when my body was ready smile in surgery they did remove one due to it being attached to my fallopian, I've not had any problems as yet. Hope this helps a little take care smile
    • angie16268
      angie16268 marie_1964

      Posted

      Thanks Marie. It's at times like this you wish the doctor would actually tell you 'right this is being done and so is this' then it's out of your hands. Think I need to have another chat with my GP. Did you say in hospital long?
    • marie_1964
      marie_1964 angie16268

      Posted

      Yes Angie it would be a lot easier if they decided but they also may not make the right decision for us. It took me months to decide what was best for me, I stayed in hospital two nights I was lucky my husband had a week off work then I was fine on my own during the day. I had a abdominal cut so I must say I was really good and rested lots smile I'm so glad I'm on this side of the fence now .
    • angie16268
      angie16268 marie_1964

      Posted

      Yes I can't wait until I'm your side of the fence too. Only just had my pre op assessment and could be waiting 8 more weeks! Thanks for your advice.
  • karenh1969
    karenh1969 angie16268

    Posted

    Hi Angie. I had a full abdominal hysterectomy and bso. I can't have hrt due to having 2 close relatives having and dying of breast cancer. I had my op the 19th of May and was in hospital for 2 days. I was back at work 5 weeks later. I don't feel any different now hormonally than I did before the op.

    Instead of hrt I take well woman tablets to help with not getting brittle bones. I do have hot flushes and will go through the menopause early but I've never felt better. If you have concerns about having your ovaries taken away speak to the specialist again to weigh up the pros and cons. Good look with your op and keep in touch with us of your progress. Best wishes Karen

    • angie16268
      angie16268 karenh1969

      Posted

      Hi Karen, I'm so sorry to hear about yr relatives. This situation must have been so worrying for you.

      I haven't heard of well woman tablets. Are they herbal or prescribed by a doctor? Also do you have to come off them like the usual HRT aftet so many years?

      Also, sorry for all the questions, do you start the well woman tablets/HRT while in hospital or does that happen a few days later. My doctor said the hospital give you some kind of plan to discuss with your GP, but surely you'd be experiencing the menapausal symptoms by then.

    • karenh1969
      karenh1969 angie16268

      Posted

      Hi Angie I had a choice to keep them but with the family history decided not too. My surgeon said I could have hrt but because the history I had a far greater risk of getting breast cancer too. So he said it would be best to not have the hrt which will put me through early menopause. I'm 45 I guess it will happen sooner or later so I'm not fussed. The hot flushes I can cope with. The well woman tablets I take are from the supermarket they are vitabiotics called osteocare. They stop osteoporosis brittle bones. I take them once a day. And I feel fine. It's not a substitute for hrt just something I've took because it does everything hrt does. You can take them every day and it doesn't do anything to you or make you feel unwell if you don't.
    • angie16268
      angie16268 karenh1969

      Posted

      Thanks Karen. It's good to know there are other choices out there, that the doctors don't tell you about.
  • Marketa
    Marketa angie16268

    Posted

    Hi,

    I kept mine as this way I will go through natural menapause when the time comes. If they remove them, you go into surgically induced menapause over night!

    Keep them if you can.

  • ann_marie_61947
    ann_marie_61947 angie16268

    Posted

    Hi Angie, I am one week post op from total abdominal hysterectomy with bso. I was in this dilemma for months just like you. You don't say how old you are or weather there is a family history of ovarian cancer. I was in the fence for months but in the end chose to have them removed due to me approaching menopause anyway. Ovarian cancer is a silent killer in women so I just removed that risk, why keep it there when you don't need them anymore. At the end of the day though it's your body, you know it better than anyone and go with your gut instinct it won't steer you wrong. Hope this helps, I'm here if you need anyone to chat to as are all these ladies on here they helped me so much.

    Ann xx

    • angie16268
      angie16268 ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      Hi Ann. Thankyou. It's great to chat to people who are or have been in the same situation.

      I will be 49 this year, so will be approaching the menapause soon anyway and must admit, my views are very similar to yours.....and then I change my mind....its driving me nuts lol.

      There is no family history of ovarian or breast cancer for that matter.

      I'm thinking that once the ovaries are gone, that's it, there's no turning back, and that worries me in case I get some horrible side effects from the HRT.

      I hope you are well after your op.

    • nicola34310
      nicola34310 ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      Hi Ann

      Just checking in to see how you are doing post op? Hope you are feeling a little better hon, I managed to get another appointment for my gynie as I said before I have had another surgery since my TAH BSO in July and advised need laparoscomy downward cut to remove mass of adhesions. I go back to see him Monday and I will be telling him to just book me in ASAP so I can get in with my life 😩 but hopefully I will be 😃 xxxx hope you are still resting xxxxx Nic

    • ann_marie_61947
      ann_marie_61947 angie16268

      Posted

      Haha Angie I know exactly how you feel I was doing exactly the same thing. I to am 49 this year and there was no history of either cancers in my family I actually went back to see the gynaecologist before my procedure as I was so unsure. He just said " you are approaching menopause you don't need them and ovarian cancer is a silent killer in women so get rid of the risk, so in the end I did, it was still my decision at the end of the day though and it has to be yours as well no one can make it for you Hun. As for HRT I'm hoping to do without it I'm on a diet and have been for 7 months now so I have lost a lot of weight and that with the excercise helped me massively before my operation with perimenapausal symptoms I felt great. Xx so a good balanced diet and excercise when you can start again after op is the way I'm carrying on hopefully it's all I'm going to need. I don't feel any different I certainly expected to after op but I don't at the moment just a few mild hot flushes and a couple of night sweats but I was having them before my op anyway. Chat whenever you feel like it I'm here with loads of time on my hands at the moment haha xx

      Ann xx

    • ann_marie_61947
      ann_marie_61947 nicola34310

      Posted

      Hi Nic, I'm good sweetie still in a bit of pain but it isn't half as bad as I had made it in my my head. The only problem I'm having is pain when I wee haha it's not like infection pain it's at the sides of my pelvis at end of weeing. Other than that I'm good. Bored but good haha. Glad to hear your sorting things out it does need doing, I hope I don't get any adhesions ( how do you get them anyway)

      Take care and keep in touch my lovely xx

      Ann

    • nicola34310
      nicola34310 ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      Hi honey, adhesions are caused by scar tissue they can be small or like mine I have a mass on left side of belly button, I'm glad you feeling a little better pain when weeing I had this I think it was the healing process but get it checked incase little infection hon, I had a right calamity jane moment last night got out of bath lost my balance and cracked my knee of the sink haha eeee tenner ladies is a must at the moment as laughed so much peed myself haha very weak bladder at minute haha xxxx
    • ann_marie_61947
      ann_marie_61947 nicola34310

      Posted

      Haha Nic not had a tenner lady moment yet, came close though. Hope your ok please be careful

      Ann xx

    • angie16268
      angie16268 ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      Hi Ann, thanks you are making a lot of sence to me☺I too have lost weight through going to slimming world. I've been going for almost 2 yrs and just trying to maintain it now. As far as exercise goes, I walk about a mile to work sometimes then hop on the bus for the rest of the way. Not one for exercise really. Prefer sitting on my backside with a gd book...... BUT will be thinking of exercising a bit more. I have also been having a few menapausal symptoms especially night sweats. Am having my hormone levels tested again so maybe I won't have too many symptoms either if I do choose to have the ovaries out. Wish you a speedy recovery Ann.
    • ann_marie_61947
      ann_marie_61947 angie16268

      Posted

      Hi Angie, haha I am on slimming world it seems we are two peas in a pod lol. Keep in touch let me know what you decide Hun and your operation date, wish you all the luck and take care of yourself

      Ann xx

    • angie16268
      angie16268 ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      Hi, again, Ann.

      Thanks to all you lovely ladies I'm so much clearer in making my decision, although not totally. Will let you know once I know and ofcourse once ive had the op. Take care Ann. Wish you well and good luck with slimming world.

      Angie x

    • angie16268
      angie16268

      Posted

      Hi Ann

      Just wonderin how your recovery is going? Hope things are going along ok.

      I still haven't heard anything on a date yet for my op, but am about 98% sure now that I'm going to have the ovaries removed. Am feeling relieved that I've more or less made my mind up and just want it done now. Do u know how long your op took? Think I'm having the same procedure you had, if I remember right- LAVH? I'm sure after my last attempted ablation they said 4 hrs, but I was still a bit doppy, but in the clinic they said one and a half hrs. Xx

    • ann_marie_61947
      ann_marie_61947 angie16268

      Posted

      Hi Angie,

      Good to hear from you. Ok been in a bit of pain and discomfort but I suppose that's to be expected. I had a TAH/BSO vertical insision due to large fibroid, I was in theatre probably about an hour or so I'm not sure when I woke in recovery 2 hours had gone so not sure how long I had been in there.

      You feel like a weight as been lifted off your shoulders,but it needed to be your decision hun.

      Hope all goes well for you, if you have anymore questions or worries I'm here anytime.

      Ann xx

    • ann_marie_61947
      ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      Sorry I ment to say once you have made a decision about having your ovaries removed it's a huge weight of your mind but it need to be your decision.
    • angie16268
      angie16268 ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      Thanks Ann. You have been a great help.

      Sorry to hear you've had some pain and discomfort, but as the days pass by hopefully that will ease.

      So my op is a bit different to yours, although the same outcome. One to two hrs including time in recovery doesn't sound too bad.

      I have a couple of small fibroids, but my problem was dysfunctional uterine bleeding. It was horrendous! 5 month long period, flooding, anaemia and very low ferritin levels, trips to A and E, tablets that wouldn't work to stop the bleeding. A D and C back in 2013 and 2 failed ablations, one due to them puncturing my uterus and the other because they said my uterus was to large. The hospital wrote to me to tell me to come off the medicatoin, as i'd been on ot too long and I would have a period within a few days..........30 days later I'm still waiting for it lol. I can't win.

      Yes, I'm feeling less stressed thanks. Just hope nothing changes my mind again!

      Are you still managing without the hrt? I've. Been getting a few menapausal symptoms including the dreaded hot flushes, which aren't too bad to be honest. So I'm hoping my hormone levels are quite low and may not need the hrt either, although I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. The things us women have to go through! ! X

    • ann_marie_61947
      ann_marie_61947 angie16268

      Posted

      Good grief hun you have been though slot, i really feel it for you.i have no doubt at all your making the right decision. Once you have got over your recovery you will know you have, plus your recovery will be a little better than mine and quicker if all goes Well,

      As for menapausal symptoms I'm good at the moment,I'm two and a half weeks post op and i am only suffering hot flushes and night sweats which i had before my op, they are totally manageable, mind you u can cry at the drop if a hat fir no reason haha but to be expected.

      My main problem i have had and the only thing that has really bothered me is the bladder spasms and lots of pelvic pain after

      passing a bowel motion. But that's just me we are all different.

      keep in touch

      Ann x

    • angie16268
      angie16268 ann_marie_61947

      Posted

      So I may still have plenty to look forward too ha ha.

      Wish you well Ann and thanks for the chat and all your advice. Will keep you informed when I know more.

      Take care

      Angie x

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