[Mandy4President]

Okay guys, I had a hysterectomy when I was 25. Its taken me four years to wonder how much of this stuff others experience too...I had another surgery 2 years ago for a prolapsed fallopian tube so I blew some of this stuff off on that, but now it keeps up so who knows. BTW, I have one ovary left (matters for hormone stuff, I guess).

Hot flashes?
Excessive bulge in the midsection? (never had before, now I can't get rid of it)
Tiredness and painful chest around what would be that time of the month?
Water weight (mostly around what would be that time of the month)
Not really feeling like a complete woman? (okay, know that one is one of my psychological glitches )

Is the "that time of the month" stuff just my imagination?

Anyone else feel this stuff?

TIA

[guatgal]

Mandy, I had a hysterectomy when I was 27, still have both ovaries. It's funny that you brought this up, b/c I'm planning on making an appt with the doc soon. I'm having night sweats and hot flashes........I'm only 33. I have noticed an increase in water weight, but it is mainly around "that time of the month". I'm extremely tired, but I think that is just from lack of sleeping at night with adoption craze! This is probably TMI, but I can tell when I would "start" if I still had all of my working parts. I do not have the psychological stuff of not feeling like a whole woman. I was relieved to have a hysterectomy, but that is obviously different for everyone. I just want you to know that you are not alone with the "physical" stuff. PM me if you want to talk further. Hugs!

Cheri

[Mandy4President]

Yeah, that's kind of the way that I feel. Like I can almost say, "Its would have started.....NOW!" (okay, maybe that's exaggerating ) but yeah, I feel like I can feel like its going to start.

The whole woman thing has been hard for me for some reason. There are many "things" that don't seem the same, if you know what I mean.

[sweettlc]

Hi there.

I had a hysterectomy at age 30 but I had both ovaries also removed. My mother however had a hysterectomy at an early age and kept her ovaries...and YES, she does still have "time of the month" symptoms. Your ovary will/should still continue to function and you may very well be having PMS sort of symptoms. Also, some women who have a hysterectomy and who keep one ovary (or even women who keep both ovaries) can have decreased ovary function over time. So, if you ovary decides that it wants to not function well anymore, then you can also have premenopausal or menopausal symptoms. Those symptoms can also resemble PMS symptoms or "that time of the month" symptoms. God bless, Tera P.S. That picture of little Addy is GORGEOUS.

[jemmawag]

I had a hysterectomy at age 35, they tried to keep 1/2 an ovary but I think it is not functioning. I have symptons similar to pre menopause. I have not been to the dr. and tend to blame stress but the midsection weight, hot/cold, etc.. is starting to annoy me.

[snshaner]

Man do I feel your pain - I had a hysterectomy at 41 (almost 2 years ago) and I still have one ovary - and there are days when dh will look at me and say - Man - that right one must be kicking into overdrive!! (I know - a big help)! But I have all of the same things you are experiencing! It sucks - the doc says that after a few years it will probably subside - but dang!!!!

Hang in there - it will get better!
Sharon

[isabel41206]

I had a total hysterectomy at 25 and am now 36. I had hot flashes( on and off) for 7 years. weight thing is a real problem in mid section. my doc said that was how it would be and it would be next to impossible to lose it. I understand the not a complete woman thing big time. plus I have decreased sex drive too. luckily my DH is great and lets me vent when I need to and have my mood swings.

[csw]

Hi
I am sorry you are going through this..us women sure go through alot..I had so many ectopics and both my tubes finally had to be taken out..I also got endometriosis from doing IVF treatments..I had it lazored twice and it didn't work..so now I am on a progestin only birth control pill..face puffy, bloated etc..but no pain!! Yippee...other option is to get everything out..with a 10% chance endo will reoccur..great..

Hang in there..

[Mandy4President]

For those with one ovary, do you find that your stuff is worse every other month? Someone told me that your ovaries switch off so every other month is bad.

I'd pretty much like to hurt my dr. I have pain on my left ovary all the time from those things that burst (wow, too tired to find my words tonight) and when my dr went in to take my uterus out she knicked one of my ovaries and that is the ONLY reason that it had to be taken out, because she knicked it and couldn't get it to stop bleeding. But guess which one she knicked?!?! YUP, the RIGHT one. So I still have the one giving me trouble. Geesh, what are the chances.

[csw]

Mandy,
You could have a transvaginal sonogram and make sure you don't have a cyst on that side..I have one on my right ovary from IVF tx's and it is very painfull..

[Mandy4President]

Yeah, cyst. That's what I have on that ovary. They don't want to take it out because its my last one - LOL

[guatemommy]

Looking through the posts is making me think twice about hysterectomy as a good option, as the docs seem to saying. Having had uterine surgery for fibroids, I was told that eventually I'd need a hysterectomy, but that leaving ovaries would be the plan for hormonal reasons. Not having Aunt Flo each month sounds great, but it seems like you all are experiencing the blahs still.

I wanted a t-shirt after my surgery that said, "I HATE MY UTERUS" but I didn't think that'd be a positive message to be projecting for women in general. I found out that I have another fibroid (just last week, in fact); to add insult to injury, on the day before the testing (HSG and ultrasound) I found out were KO'd. Talk about a double-whammy. All I kept thinking about was: 1. I'm not getting my baby home any time soon; and 2. I HATE MY UTERUS!

Sorry for the vent, but I guess I have sympathetic ears in this thread.

[myguatbabes]

Yeah, I know what you mean. At first I felt like "less" of a woman too, but finally worked through those emotions. Anyway, my dr. told me the same thing about the symptoms you describe, that it would go away in a few years. WELL, I had the hysterectomy at 28 and I am now 42, still have the same symptoms EVERY month. (I do have both ovaries). Now the dr. calls it menopause! LOL, I have the bloating so badly during "that time of the month" that I have to take lasix, I take an herbal estrogen tablet daily and still am subject to all those lovely cramps, bloating, mood swings and hot flashes, (which I prefer to call "my private tropical vacations").

Over the years I have learned to deal with it, along with the painful cysts that pop up from time to time and realize that it is really bad when my dh looks at me and says, "D*** baby, does your head spin around?" Then I take my anxiety meds just to keep from going postal or crying my eyes completely out of my head. I wish I could give you better news, but this is my reality! Hope you get the relief you are seeking, and if you do, please share!!!

God Bless, Nancy

[paramom]

I also had a hysterectomy at age 30, but as someone else said earlier, I was relieved to have it done, because of so many female problems that had been nagging since I was 18. All that said, the weight around the middle has been my sore point, because no matter what kind of exercises I do, or try, nothing seems to make a difference. Also one thing that they do not tell you is that if you keep your ovaries, which I did not, that they can actually shut down and stop functioning completely. If you have had a hysterectomy, then it is probably a good idea to get your hormone levels checked. Mine are very low, but I refuse to go on hormone replacement therapy. I do not have hot flashes anymore, but everyonce in awhile I have something which could very well be one. I have never at any time felt like half of a woman, and I credit my husband for that. We made the decision together because he had been there for all my surgeries for ovarian cysts, and other problems. Besides, having the hysterectomy helped so many things to improve, that I do not think he would ever complain. LOL!