Hormone Replacement Therapy

You seem to be very early in your process, still with pre-surgical consults to go.  I was past menopause when I first was diagnosed so I did not have the "instant menopause" issue to deal with as do ladies your age.  However, be an informed consumer of HRT.  My own path in survivorship is to limit estrogen in my life because my type of cancer, endometrioid adenocarcinoma, feeds on estrogen.  So, I limit my intake of soy-based foods, as an example.  More importantly, I have worked diligently to lose weight because fat stores as estrogen.  I follow a keto-genic diet to maintain my weight loss.  Be alert to what your pathology and tissue-testing shows once you've had the hysterectomy, and be questioning of post-surgical hormone replacement until you have been assured that it will not feed cancer cells that might remain after surgery.  Best wishes, Oldbeauty

Armywife said:

Oldbeauty

Aside from the fact that I love your name, I love your description of diligently working on your weight.  Would you be willing to share some of your best practices?  I need to lose 50 pounds and avoid estrogen triggers too.  

Thank you, Armywife.  My screen name is what my husband calls me; it's the endearment the Welsh coal miner patriarch calls his wife in the novel "How Green Was My Valley."

My diet is the keto-genic diet, which you can find by googling the term.  I use as a reference the site "Diet Doctor."  I lost 25 pounds in a few months.  It is a very low carbohydrate, high protein and moderate fat diet.  I think the chemo messed up my metabolism.  I never lost weight during treatment but afterwards, even though I continued eating my regular healthful diet, I gained and gained until I was 150 pounds (I'm 5 feet tall).  I think my weight loss might also be helped by the Metformin I started taking this year, now up to 2,000 mg per day.  The Keto diet is not easy.  I think it's probably easier for a single person.  If you are in a family household, I would think it would be helpful if everyone was sympathetic to what the dieter is trying to achieve.  The science of the diet seems sensible to me.  The body can burn only two substances for energy--sugar or fat.  If you "starve" the body of sugar from sugar-laden foods like beverages, fruits, starchy veggies, and grains, then the body will burn fat and weight loss results.

It was easy to follow the diet in March-June, before the summer local fruit and vegetable season started.  I did eat berries, peaches, sweet corn and tomatoes galore this summer but I balanced that with adherence to the daily "carb count."  But it's hard to eliminate most fruit, all grains, potatoes, pasta, starchy veg and fried food, of course.  That's the part the rest of the family might protest.  But it worked for me.  I also go the gym at least 5 times a week.  Nothing really overwhelming.  We walk there and back, 1.25 miles, and then I do another 2 miles at a brisk pace on the treadmill, and then I spend an hour or so on balance exercises for my neuropathy, yoga, and strengthening machines.  I am retired so it is easy for me to make this modest commitment.

Check it out, it may work for you.  Good luck.  Best wishes, Oldbeauty

I had not gone through menopause (49) when diagnosed with both the typical "garden variety" and agressive UPSC.  Surgery threw me in to menopause, and while I wondered about it, I think I was more concerned with killing the cancer.  I was fortunate my side effects were minimal, I would wake up feeling like I would spontaneous combust - not so much sweating, but I think it is how I see how the lack of hormones have changed my skin and more.  

As hormones would feed UPSC, they are out for me, and like oldbeauty, I read packages and avoid soy as the body sees/processes it like hormones.  

I went through early menopause at 39. I was on HRT for 5 years because that’s what they did back then. But I stopped when studies came out that it did more harm than good. I had minor hot flashes but it wasn’t so bad. And I enjoyed not having periods although I was thinking about having a second baby at the time. But luckily I have my prince who I had at 35. Guess it was meant to be