Having your Ovaries Removed

[HVAC]

With all do respect most women on the Ovarian Cancer Forum need a hysterectomy if their doctors suggests it. Most women with Ovarian Cancer are diagnosed late. You can always get a second or third opinion. I had Cancer in both Ovaries, the bowel, the diaphragm, culd sac, tubes, liver, spleen and omentum caking. They had to gut me like a fish to get all the cancer out. I lost most off my sex life but I am alive. I almost lost my bladder and could have ended up with a colostomy bag but I did not. Ovarian Cancer is caught late in most cases. My Grandmother and Aunt only lived to see 51. There have been a history of over doing hysterctomeis but not when it comes to Ovarian Cancer.I was classic losing weight while looking pregnant. I carried a bowl to throw up in for two years. I had diaphragm pain once a a week at least. It was like having the wind knocked out of me. My Ovaries hurt. I kept going in and saying something is not right. I had three endometrial biopsies and a a endometrial ablatian. I also had many ultrasounds.I am glad I had my hysterectomy and I am alive so is my husband.

Alez

[HVAC]

If you had seen my ultrasound you would have agreed my Ovaries and everything else had to go. had to go. I had Cancer in 15 places. I am BRCA1. The doctors were being real nice to me because my chances of making it a year were real slim. My bowels were blocked and that is how you die from Ovarian Cancer.I had been blocked for a long time. My Doctors feel bad they did not take my ovaries and Uterus sooner. I might not be on permanent chemotherapy if they had caught it sooner. Getting chemo once a week ***** more than having a sex life. How many days can you stand to throw up. I am on day 5.

Alex

[old_before_my_time]

I am sorry you had ovarian cancer. Like most women who get OC, you have a family history. And, unfortunately, it sounds like your doctor(s) did not take your symptoms seriously or did not do proper testing. Of course, an endometrial biopsy checks for endometrial hyperplasia or cancer, not ovarian cancer. And unfortunately, an ablation can mask endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. But back to the subject of OC. Did you have ultrasounds and/or CT scans and they did not see any abnormalities of your tubes or ovaries? Some ovarian cancers are thought to start in the Fallopian tubes.

I agree that women who have CONFIRMED ovarian cancer usually need organ(s) removed which often entails a "full" hysterectomy (uterus, ovaries, tubes) and possibly even more tissue, like you. However, I do know of women who only had one ovary removed and did not have recurrence. Of course, this would only make sense if the cancer is "encapsulated" in the ovary and not found anywhere else. And for women at risk for ovarian cancer (such as having BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation) who choose prophylactic removal, some only have their ovaries and tubes removed and keep their uterus.

I was also in your words "gutted like a fish" but I did NOT have OC. My ovarian cyst had some suspicious traits and my gynecologist of 20 years used ovarian cancer scare tactics and said I needed everything removed. He even referred me to an oncologist for consultation. After getting my medical records post-op, it became clear that these two were "working together" and that I was deceived into having all my healthy organs removed. My gynecologist even waited for the results of the frozen section on the one ovary. When it came back benign, he proceeded to remove my other ovary, tube, uterus and cervix. He should have just sewn me up after getting those results.  

I have connected with many women who had all their female organs removed for benign conditions - ovarian cysts, fibroids, heavy bleeding - and are suffering the medically documented after-effects. Unfortunately, hysterectomy and oophorectomy are grossly overused with 76% of hysts not meeting ACOG criteria. About 73% of women lose healthy ovaries at the time of hysterectomy.

Although ovarian cancer is scary and oftentimes diagnosed too late, women without a predisposition (such as BRCA1 or 2 mutation), have a VERY low chance (1.4% risk) of getting it. In their case, removal of organs does much more harm than good due to the medically documented increased health risks and reduced quality of life caused by pre- or post-menopausal sex organ removal.

It is important for women to do their research as well as fully understand their diagnosis and all treatment options. We cannot just trust our doctors' recommendations / orders.