Hysterectomy???

vicliz

Hysterectomy???

vicliz

Hi Everyone,

I have an appointment to have a hysterectomy Jan 7th and I am still not completely sure I should.  I just found out I do not carry the gene but I did have an aggressive cancer at the age of 34 (15 years ago) and my oncologist thinks I should have the surgery.  I would like to decrease the risk of getting ovarian or another reproductive organ cancer but I am really concerned about the post surgery condition I will be in for lack of estrogen.

Any of your positive and negative feedback will be appreciated.  Any suggestions on how you manage if you have had the surgery would be very helpful and I am very open to alternative medicine.

Thanks,

Vicki

Anonymous

Hi Vickie,

I had a complete hysto this past April at age 46...I was dx'd a year ago with IDC. I had the option of just removing the ovaries or the complete and I chose the complete as I didnt want to leave anything behind that might be an issue further down the road.

I had not started menopause yet when I was dx'd with breast cancer and by the time I had they hysto I had been taking tamoxifen for 3 months without side effects....I get a little too warm sometimes at night and find that I dont sleep quite as well as I use to but other than that I havent noticed any of the typical hot flashes, moodiness or crabbyness that others talk about.

My main concern was to remove anything that might let the beast strick in other places as there are many other types of cancers in my family....although I am the first with breast cancer....

Hope my words somehow help with your thoughts...

Hugs

Jule

Lolita

Vicki and Jule,

 Is it because of the breast cancer that hysterectomies were recommended or were there other issues?  Is it recommended for all women with breast cancer to have this additional surgery even if they do not have the genetic disposition?  Lolita

Anonymous

Lolita,

I asked my Drs. about the hysterectomy after I had done research on the er/pr+ side of my breast cancer....I didnt have any issues with my ovaries or uterus, but there are many many other kinds of cancer in my family and I wanted the added protection of removing as much estrogen as possible from my body...

I havent regretted the surgery at all as the first thing my gyn said when he came to see me after surgery was that I made a good choice having the hysto because both ovaries were covered with cyst and he felt sure that at a later time I would have had some troubles.

Jule

Anonymous

Im not sure if it is always recommended....my breast cancer was highly er/pr + and that is one of the things I factored in when making the decision to have the surgery.....the other thing I factored was that some of the hormonal therapys have rare side effects to do with uterine cancer and the way my life goes I would be in that rare side of things too....

Jule

Lolita

Thank you. I've been thinking a lot about this topic myself, and it helps to hear what other women have taken into account in making decisions.

ADK

Hi,

I had a supracervical hyst a year ago in November (everything but the cervix).  My dx is er/pr + and her2 -.  I did take other things into account - I had problems with cysts, endometriomas and a tipped uterus.  The surgery had been recommended to me pre breast cancer dx, and the breast caner dx pushed me to do it mainly because the uterus was so tipped, I could not be tested for endometriomal cancer.  I was perimenopausal at the time.  The surgeon who did the surgery was a gyn onc.  I don't regret the surgery.

As far as recovery goes, I had it done abdominally, so I has 24 staples for about ten days in my abdomen.  I took six weeks off from work.  I had hot flashes (but I had been having them anyway) and now, a year later, the hot flashes have almost completely subsided.  I had a lot of trouble sleeping through the night and that is also getting better.  The main issue about lack of estrogen for me is aches and pains - I am not as agile as I used to be.  My knees hurt and I can't get up easily.  I am not taking any AI or Tamox, either.  I could only imagine how bad it would be if I were.

I wish you good luck with your decision - I fought having the surgery for over 4 years before I finally decided to do it.  Even though life is different now, I don't regret it.

caaclark

I had the same procedure as Anne but I had mine done laparoscopically.  Stayed one night in the hospital.  I did it because I was 95% er+.  I was on Tamox and had just developed slight uterine thickening and also a cyst on each ovary.  Both of those were likely side effects of Tamox but with a stage III aggressive cancer I wanted to take every step I could to prevent a distant recurrence.  I hope it works!  Chemo had already put me into menopause so even before the hysterectomy I had some mild hot flashes.  I still have some mild ones now-usually about an hour and a half after I take my tamox each day.  Also, slight problems sleeping through the night but nothing too horrible.  No joint problems for me but we will see if that changes when my doc switches me to an AI in about 6 months or so.

morethanasurvivor

hi to all,boy can i relate to being on that side of rare risks position. The 1st breast was removed when i was 23, the 2nd @ age 33 now at 50 years of age,i had no been menstrual for the entire year 2006, spoting throughout 2007,full cycle the first month of 2008.  the gyn tried a dnc, to check for any signs of cancer unfortunately my uterus is deeply tillted and unaccessible for biopsy,thus the hysterectomy has been  suggested by the gyn. I'm also having back problems, facing shoulder surgery and newly diagnosed with diabetis...what a journey. I found this website this morning and it is already helping me cope. I call myself morethanasurvivor...I also have 3 years sobriety. though my body is struggling,my spirit is hopeful

Bren-2007

Holy Smokes MTAS!

You've been through the ringer.  Congrats on your three years!

Love,

Bren

hollyann

WOW MTAS!!!  I have had big problems like that too.  Dx with bc Jan 07 at age 43, am now 44.  Bilat mast with TRAM recons Feb 07.  Finished recons May 07.  Hyst and ooph Dec 28th 07.  Dx with Diabetes June of 07.  Type 2.    I hope you are feeling much better MTAS.  I myself am comfortable with my decisions. With the hyst and ooph i don't have to worry about ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer.  Good luck to you MTAS. 

Hanna60978

I just got my OncotypeDX score back - low - but had DCIS ten years ago w/ lumpec/rads, then inv.recurrence few months ago, new contraleral lo-grd prim. 99% ER+ and PR+.  Think I'm going to get hysterectomy this year. I want out whatever is dispensable. Still pre-menopausal, can't take Tamox. Weird how docs seem more against hysterectomies than years past. ? Why. I don't care - just want all the potential parts that could go bad out 

What helps w/ the side effects of surgical menopause?

hollyann

Hanna  why can't you take Tamoxifen?  Tamoxifen is for premenopausal women who are er/pr+.  Are you Her2 positive too?

Hanna60978

Not sure.