Dealing with forced Menopause

mdoughty

Hi Everyone,

I am getting ready to have surgery to get my ovaries taken out. I had a hysterectomy in November and in the pathology they discovered endometrial cancer. Since this was discovered after the surgery, we kept my ovaries in. Fast forward 9 months and I have a large complex septate cyst and enlarged ovary. My surgeon wants both my ovaries out and first discussion is against no to HRT because of the previous cancer.

We don’t know if the cancer has spread to the ovary because the growth in the ovary and cyst has been extreme in 3 months. We will know once we get them out and they go to pathology.

I am worried about going into menopause. I think it will be hard. I am 45 and was hoping to avoid this for at least 5 more years. Any tips to help prep myself?

Thanks!

NoTimeForCancer

It sounds like you have a plan now. I realize cancer was not known at the time of your hysterectomy, but most of who have found have cancer prior to surgery have had our uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and some of us have had our omentum removed and/or lymph nodes. Do you know what all you are getting removed?

As for HRT, I thought it depended on whether on not the cancer was hormone sensitive, unless that was determined after the hysterectomy. However, I am sure you are overwhelmed - again - and will discuss all types of treatment as well!

As for menopause, it is going to be different for everyone. Some women report immediately having hot flashes as they are recovering from surgery to the other end of the spectrum.

mdoughty

I will have my ovaries taken out on September 8th. I am worried about going through menopause. I am in education and that will be the second week of school. I will have time to get teachers settled and share many resources with them, but I hate not being available for a couple of weeks.

I am still very concerned this could be cancer because I can feel this everyday and the pain can be intense at times. I really hate having to do the surgery because I feel like it will be hard to adjust. I am not able to have HRT because my cancer was hormone sensitive. My doctor said he can treat my symptoms with other meds. I am going to research some natural methods to help before turning to prescription meds.

I will feel better when I can get my pathology reports back making the final determination. He said he can tell in 99% of cases if it is cancer or not. I also reminded him that he said that with my hysterectomy and we didn't find out until pathology came back. I guess I am concerned because I have not had a complex cyst before and it has grown substantially in 3 months. I also usually have some sort of complication during surgeries. I also have allergies that have caused major complications in the past. I am hoping this surgery will break this streak.

MoeKay

Any chance you can have the surgery sooner? It sounds exceedingly long to have to wait just to have your ovaries removed, especially given your cancer history, your work situation, and the fact that you're in pain. Plus the psychological stress cannot be helping you. I had my surgery 26 years ago, so things may have changed as far as surgical scheduling goes, but I saw my gynecologic oncologist for a consultation one week and had a radical hysterectomy, both tubes, both ovaries, and 30 lymph nodes removed a week after my initial consult.

I know what you mean about surgical complications. I had some sort of allergic reaction after surgery and I developed a rash over my body that eventually caused my skin to peel off. Not nearly as bad, though, as when I had a lung biopsy and my lung got punctured and I needed a chest tube inserted. I would take peeling skin any day over a chest tube!

Good luck with your surgery! I hope your pathology results are completely benign.

mdoughty

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1723777#Comment_1723777

I would like the surgery sooner, but my oncologist is very busy. He travels to my local area to for appointments and my surgery will be 3 hours from my house. I trust him and he is one of the best gynecologic oncologist on the east coast. Even if I tried to get in anywhere else, I would not get an appointment and surgery scheduled any sooner.

I am so sorry you went through that. This will be my 5th surgery in less than 2 years. All of them have been unexpected and I am ready for some normalcy. My surgeon even said my issues are like Murphy's law. When you think one thing will happen, the opposite usually happens. It will be a long six weeks but hopefully I can stay busy at work and with my family.