Hysterectomy

I have been in pre and menopause for about 3 years now. I am 50 and had my
thyroid removed nearly 3 years ago due to cancer. My hormones seem to have
gone crazy since then with estrogen readings all over the place. My periods
have become erratic since the thyroid removal. Then they seemed to stop
about 2 years ago. No complaints as I have suffered period pain for ever!
Hot flushes happen but aren't that bad. I am quite used to walking around
in shorts and t shirts while the rest of the family is shivering in thick
clothing!

Last year I got a period for the first time in 12 months and it was so heavy
that it was frightening. Made worse by being on holiday in a remote part of
Australia. I mentioned it to the doc who said it could be uterine cancer
and sent me for an ultrasound. All normal and I went to a gynae who
confirmed that but said if I get another period then he would consider a
hysterectomy. I have great confidence in this man and have been going to
him for about 14 years (he delivered my 12 year old).

However, a hysterectomy seems frightening! Any thoughts?

In article <YaudncGhTv9rSv7WnZ2dnUVZ7rWdnZ2d@westnet.com.au >,
"Viviane" <viviane.king@westnet.com.au> wrote:

> I have been in pre and menopause for about 3 years now. I am 50 and had my
> thyroid removed nearly 3 years ago due to cancer. My hormones seem to have
> gone crazy since then with estrogen readings all over the place. My periods
> have become erratic since the thyroid removal. Then they seemed to stop
> about 2 years ago. No complaints as I have suffered period pain for ever!
> Hot flushes happen but aren't that bad. I am quite used to walking around
> in shorts and t shirts while the rest of the family is shivering in thick
> clothing!
>
> Last year I got a period for the first time in 12 months and it was so heavy
> that it was frightening. Made worse by being on holiday in a remote part of
> Australia. I mentioned it to the doc who said it could be uterine cancer
> and sent me for an ultrasound. All normal and I went to a gynae who
> confirmed that but said if I get another period then he would consider a
> hysterectomy. I have great confidence in this man and have been going to
> him for about 14 years (he delivered my 12 year old).
>
> However, a hysterectomy seems frightening! Any thoughts?

Did he give you the rationale for his recommendation? The after-effects
of hysterectomy can be dispiriting, so I'd seek out a second opinion.
There's a highly recommended website called
http://www.hystersisters.com/ that you might want to explore.

Good luck!

Priscilla

"Viviane" <viviane.king@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:YaudncGhTv9rSv7WnZ2dnUVZ7rWdnZ2d@westnet.com. au...
>I have been in pre and menopause for about 3 years now. I am 50 and had my
>thyroid removed nearly 3 years ago due to cancer. My hormones seem to have
>gone crazy since then with estrogen readings all over the place. My
>periods have become erratic since the thyroid removal. Then they seemed to
>stop about 2 years ago. No complaints as I have suffered period pain for
>ever! Hot flushes happen but aren't that bad. I am quite used to walking
>around in shorts and t shirts while the rest of the family is shivering in
>thick clothing!
>
> Last year I got a period for the first time in 12 months and it was so
> heavy that it was frightening. Made worse by being on holiday in a remote
> part of Australia. I mentioned it to the doc who said it could be uterine
> cancer and sent me for an ultrasound. All normal and I went to a gynae
> who confirmed that but said if I get another period then he would consider
> a hysterectomy. I have great confidence in this man and have been going
> to him for about 14 years (he delivered my 12 year old).
>
> However, a hysterectomy seems frightening! Any thoughts?

If all is medically normal, then I'd ask him exactly why the recommendation.
And that if you decided not to do it, then would all normalize - or at least
become much motre dealable - eventually? Did the thyroid removal exacerbate
your menopausal symptoms? (I wouldn't be surprised!) Will the 2 hormone
systems eventually quit antagonizing each other, if that's what's going on?
And if not, but no danger/malignancy involved, but a lot of inconvenience
(re: heavy periods showing up), are there other options that would make life
easier to deal with?

Cathy

Viviane wrote:
> I have been in pre and menopause for about 3 years now. I am 50 and had my
> thyroid removed nearly 3 years ago due to cancer. My hormones seem to have
> gone crazy since then with estrogen readings all over the place. My periods
> have become erratic since the thyroid removal. Then they seemed to stop
> about 2 years ago. No complaints as I have suffered period pain for ever!
> Hot flushes happen but aren't that bad. I am quite used to walking around
> in shorts and t shirts while the rest of the family is shivering in thick
> clothing!
>
> Last year I got a period for the first time in 12 months and it was so heavy
> that it was frightening. Made worse by being on holiday in a remote part of
> Australia. I mentioned it to the doc who said it could be uterine cancer
> and sent me for an ultrasound. All normal and I went to a gynae who
> confirmed that but said if I get another period then he would consider a
> hysterectomy. I have great confidence in this man and have been going to
> him for about 14 years (he delivered my 12 year old).
>
> However, a hysterectomy seems frightening! Any thoughts?
>
>

Viviane,

A friend of mine who was in perimenopause hell--very anemic due to
constant bleeding--opted for a hysterectomy. It seemed a good solution.
However, she confided in me that afterwards, she no longer had the
same sensations with sex that she'd had before, as if a nerve had been
clipped. She was very sad about it, but being a private person, she
didn't ever talk about it again, so I don't have a lot of info.

The importance of sex is different for every person, but it seems to me
that this is an important issue that is not often discussed.

Best regards,
Michelle

"Viviane" <viviane.king@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:YaudncGhTv9rSv7WnZ2dnUVZ7rWdnZ2d@westnet.com. au...
>I have been in pre and menopause for about 3 years now. I am 50 and had my
>thyroid removed nearly 3 years ago due to cancer. My hormones seem to have
>gone crazy since then with estrogen readings all over the place. My
>periods have become erratic since the thyroid removal. Then they seemed to
>stop about 2 years ago. No complaints as I have suffered period pain for
>ever! Hot flushes happen but aren't that bad. I am quite used to walking
>around in shorts and t shirts while the rest of the family is shivering in
>thick clothing!
>
> Last year I got a period for the first time in 12 months and it was so
> heavy that it was frightening. Made worse by being on holiday in a remote
> part of Australia. I mentioned it to the doc who said it could be uterine
> cancer and sent me for an ultrasound. All normal and I went to a gynae
> who confirmed that but said if I get another period then he would consider
> a hysterectomy. I have great confidence in this man and have been going
> to him for about 14 years (he delivered my 12 year old).
>
> However, a hysterectomy seems frightening! Any thoughts?

If your periods stopped two years ago, bleeding in the last year, or any
bleeding thereafter is not a "period". It's something serious that needs
more testing. Or, forgoe the testing, and have the hysterectomy. Get rid if
the offending organ.
I'd love it if my gyn wanted to yank my uterus. But that's just me.

dejablues wrote:
> "Viviane" <viviane.king@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
> news:YaudncGhTv9rSv7WnZ2dnUVZ7rWdnZ2d@westnet.com. au...
>> I have been in pre and menopause for about 3 years now. I am 50 and had my
>> thyroid removed nearly 3 years ago due to cancer. My hormones seem to have
>> gone crazy since then with estrogen readings all over the place. My
>> periods have become erratic since the thyroid removal. Then they seemed to
>> stop about 2 years ago. No complaints as I have suffered period pain for
>> ever! Hot flushes happen but aren't that bad. I am quite used to walking
>> around in shorts and t shirts while the rest of the family is shivering in
>> thick clothing!
>>
>> Last year I got a period for the first time in 12 months and it was so
>> heavy that it was frightening. Made worse by being on holiday in a remote
>> part of Australia. I mentioned it to the doc who said it could be uterine
>> cancer and sent me for an ultrasound. All normal and I went to a gynae
>> who confirmed that but said if I get another period then he would consider
>> a hysterectomy. I have great confidence in this man and have been going
>> to him for about 14 years (he delivered my 12 year old).
>>
>> However, a hysterectomy seems frightening! Any thoughts?
>
> If your periods stopped two years ago, bleeding in the last year, or any
> bleeding thereafter is not a "period". It's something serious that needs
> more testing. Or, forgoe the testing, and have the hysterectomy. Get rid if
> the offending organ.
> I'd love it if my gyn wanted to yank my uterus. But that's just me.
>
>
I'd certainly want more testing than an ultrasound - an
endometrial biopsy would seem warranted. I'd want to know what
caused the sudden bleed after a year before yanking anything out.
It is possible that it was a period, but it's unusual enough
that it ought to be investigated.

But I personally wouldn't advise jumping directly to
hysterectomy, since that procedure is major surgery with all its
attendant risks.

FurPaw

--
We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our
own facts.
- Sen. Al Franken (D) to Sen. John Thune (R)

To reply, unleash the dog.