Thanks for heads up about the heart and bones.  It's a good point to make.  I made a point of getting bone desenity test done for a base line (I had to wait one and a half years for a 10 min. test - but well worth it) so we can monitor any problems.  I also have regular follow-ups with my GP for my heart health.  Important to do if you don't take estrogren.

Debbie

LMP borderline ovca is a rare type of ovarian cancer.  LMP stands for low malignant potential.  It is very slow growing does not respond to chemo and is treatable only through surgery.  It rarely spreads rarely returns and is almost always caught at stage 1.  

I consider myself very lucky.

Debbie

hi chelan2, what is LMP borderline ovarian cancer?

hi everyone,I'm so glad to read all of these posts with everyone's story and experiences.

I;m kind of hoping that I'm in the group that has to take nothing, just to keep things simple.  On the "wait and see" approach, does any one know if that makes it harder to calm down the symptoms ...ie...once they've started do you need higher doses as opposed to starting right away and keeping the symptoms at bay? Also, I'm really glad to hear about getting the hormones in the IV right away -- I'm going to ask about that at my pre-op...I don't think I want that so thank you to whomever mentioned that. (sorry..I keep wanting to refer directly to each of you, but I can't click back to the thread and then get back here as I write...and my memory is TERRIBLE as I get older and my computer skills are legendary!LOL)

Going to grab another cup of coffee so I can settle in here for a bit and educate myself some more. thanks!

Hi there! The Doc pretty much said the decision was entirely mine. I'm not closing the door on it, but if I can avoid it, I think I probably will. I'll certainly be looking for relief if the symptoms become too hard to bear. At the moment it's all ok. I'm hoping I'm one of the minority who suffers only very mild symptoms ... anyway, time will tell.  Three months you say? Well I guess that makes it around a month and a half till I have a better idea of how I'm placed. I also have to say that the weather is much cooler here now, I'm not sure how I'll be going with the hot flushes in the summer when relief is not quite so easily found (at the moment, I sleep with the window WIDE +++++ open .... much to my husband's displeasure! and flick the blankies and doona on and off throughout the night). I'm also taking calcium (with added Vitamin D) each night (1200 mg) for my bones. I think the recommended is 1500mg, so with a glass of milk and odds and enz throughout the day, I probably come close. Thanks for the camping tip! I haven't been camping since my eldest (17 this year) was a toddler and it rained the entire weekend (Easter too), so I'm being very brave and going again. AND GUESS WHAT!! It started thundering and raining here about an hour ago (it's now 8.35 pm and we leave in the morning!) Hopefully this will be it and the rest of the Easter weekend will be perfect!! Hopefully. I hope so. I really hope it's fine! ...... Enjoy whatever it is you're doing Katie and all the other cysters! Happy Easter. (Is there much calcium in easter egg chocolate?)

Hi Vixen,
How's it going?  My doc would say you definitely need it at 41.  What does your doc say?  I find it interesting to hear from women from other countries.  Now, I don't suppose you have anything over there that we don't know about for hair that is thinning really badly eh??!!

Mary will tell you it may take a while for all your own hormones to be depleted. Around three months is one stat I've seen.  

I read Japanese women don't complain about hot flashes like we do (soy in the diet?) and they don't take HRT, but, that their bones are very depleted later in life, lots of hip fractures, etc.

Have fun camping! Watch out for all those Crocodile Dundee creepy crawlers!!
Katie

Thanks everyone for your continuing very thoughtful answers.  Everyone I talk to has a different story and a different opinion. Wow.
To chelan2: one thing to keep in mind for down the road might be some questions for your Dr regarding heart and bone health, as some of those effects can take time as I am sure you already know.  
Nanik, you're right, as my Dr specifically said "As you are only 48 you should definitely be on HRT" (or ERT as he called it).   I would think that 51 is still pretty darn young though!
So yes age is a consideration.
Having had cancer or not, and what type, of course is. Etc.
One last thing I thought I would mention.  When I saw my gyn this week, he told me some recent studies now are very positive regarding the use of HRT/ERT in women like me (total hysterectomy) and that there is data now that bio-identical estro may even reduce breast cancer occurrence. So that was good to hear.  
It's not a perfect world but we are doing the best we can here, eh!
To quote my buddy Dian....
Peace
Katie

Hmmmm. I'm very interested in this. I've been reading all the threads regarding the topic. I'm currently on nothing and doing okay. Having quite a lot of hot flushes, especially at night, but nothing I can't cope with at this stage (certainly not waking wringing wet!) I'm now 8 weeks post TAH and bilateral ooph.....ectomy (???? whatever the heck its called!!) I'm 41 so still probably long way short of what would have been normal menopause. How long before my symptoms worsen if they are going to??? Or am I now suffering as much as I'm going to??? I guess if it stays like this, I'll be okay. I haven't noticed any drastic mood swings (and no-one else has mentioned any changes .... perhaps I've always been like it - LOL). Anyway, I'll keep reading the posts to educate myself and make a decision based on my needs I guess. Enjoy your Easter break wherever you are! I'm off camping tomorrow morning ... sure hope it doesn't rain on me!

I can sure understand your reluctance and thank God your symptoms have been minimal.  Hence the approach that each woman is different so the decision is very personal.  I also agree that a wait and see is not a bad idea.  As for the fsh - mine was all over the place and without a uterus it was hard to tell so you have to go by symptoms - or bleeding as your doc says.  You may be one of the lucky ones - I certainly would not be any more happy with a doc that insisted I must vs a doc who insisted I musn't!

OOPs it wasn't too clear in my last post - but I don't take Estrogren.

I had a TAH (at age 34 in 2003)due to LMP borderline ovca.
At first my dr refused to perform my TAH unless I agreed to take hormones.  I've had the same type of reaction from many many people. My dr eventually agreed, and I'm happy at my decision.  Some ovarian cancers feed on estrogren, some breast cancers do as well. I didn't want to take the chance.  Not everyone needs estrogen.  My dr had said they normally give you estrogren in your IV right after surgery then switch you to the patch.  They never really know if you need it.  I take an antidepressant called Effexor which is an SSRI type of medication - SSRI's are said to be helpful to menapausal women.  I've had only the occasional mild hot flash and no other symptoms.  I know that I'm in the minority.  

You can always wait and see.  If the symptoms are too much you could always go on a low dose.  

It's a personal decision.  Remember it's good to do your homework my dr said I "HAD TO" as well.  Everyone is different.

Good Luck.
Debbie

Aha,,,I'm starting to get the picture. Need to read more though, I guess it's all going to depend on how I react to the instant menopause. A friend of mine keeps insisting that I get an FSH test to see if I'm in menopause already, but my reg GP tells me there is not test to determine if you are in menopause...it all goes by the bleeding cycles. (I tend to bleed and bleed and bleed so who knows....although I've been "bleed free" for 30 days now...kind of a record for me)

Thank you both for all your input and resources! You have both done a lot of the work for everyone else, and sounds like you have both been through a lot physically as well. Good attitudes are shining through though and I can tell you are mentally very strong and positive people!

If you are celebrating Easter, have a happy...if celebrating Spring, same wishes! nanik

My Mom had a hysterectomy at about 48 with removal of everything and she claims to not have had any symptoms.  On the other hand, her mother had severe symptoms.  I apparently got my grandmother's gene.  That worries me a little because my grandmother died of breast cancer and my mom remembers that she used to go get some sort of hormone shot every week.  But remember this is now something like 40 years ago.  God only knows what was in the shot.  Also, she was not one to self check, etc.  I am very carefully watched in the breast cancer area.  In fact, I am in some early detection studies for high risk patients.  (high risk because I have had thyroid cancer and radiation and then the family history).  Even so, I choose to do some sort of replacement because I need to have a quality of life.  I don't go blindly forward though.  I try to learn all that I can and make an educated decision.  I try to make good lifestyle choices as well.  I exercise just about every day regardless of how lousy I feel.  I don't smoke and limit alcohol (ok full disclosure here - I am sipping a glass of wine as I write this) and drink lots of green tea.  I plan on living a long time but I also plan on doing a lot with the years I have left.  I have already faced cancer and (hopefully) beat it.  So I know how precious life is and I want to live it.  

Hi, I go into the answer to that question quite extensively on the various threads. I am afraid if I started to get into that right now I would be here right through Easter...

Although, now that I think about it, there is a short answer...and I certainly don't mind answering that question...I felt lousy until I got my body balanced on the type of hormonal help I am talking about. You will see that I have had to stay on top of the situation, though, and that actually lately I have felt very, very well.

I can fill in any gaps you may find...so, don't hesitate to ask and I know that when you find the posts you will see why these questions are so complicated. But, if I can help anyone get answers by reading for a few hours or so, compared to the long search (months and months) that I went through looking for answers...well then I will know that I have been helpful. Let me know what you think when you get a chance. Mary

Thank you, I will do some reading  and probably make myself a file (the old fashioned type of file, with paper)-- we have slightly unreliable internet so I won't bother making a file that way.

Have you felt pretty well since having the hysterectomy? Anything I should know?

Here is the list compiled Kindly by Katie...I like the sound of that!

And, I appreciate that you are relatively new to the computer world. My friend/neighbor saved my life when she stood next to me making sure I knew I was doing. I am grateful. My daughter was helpful, but when we got our first decent computer she was a senior in HS and on the go...and then left for college, so I had to self-teach, too...However when I had a problem my neighbor came through for me everytime. So, holler if you need guidance finding these, okay?

Some people then print them and read later, or save to the hard drive as a word document.


**Hormone Questions (Debi R) 04/03/2006
**Hot Flashes (terrin2) 03/16/06
**AnotherKatie "Go to Hot Flashes 3/15" 03/25/06
**DebiR, Just Posted an answer 03/25/2006
and of course, the terrifyingly long and bizarre
**hormone question for Mary53 04/11/06 (may that string RIP!)

Oh my...Nanik...did you really??? Great...comparing a leg amputation to a hysterectomy. Yes...stay with us. As you know, I had my share of being "dissed" on that site. UNBELIEVABLE.

I just posted a ton of stuff...and, wonderful cyster AnotherKatie listed the threads to look up in Archieves under "General Questions" ...now..I will find the thread that lists them and get back to you.

I would love to say that I doubt you would need hormonal help...But, I have not met anyone who has sailed through surgical menopause...and, many friends are struggling with the natural one (I am 52 and had total hyster at 47)....So...arm yourself, as you are:) with information. Okay..I will get the thread name with the list for you.

Mary