Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mamakaren]

Hi,

I am 39 and menpausal due to a complete hysterectomy last January. The recovery from my surgery was not bad at all. Since about 2 weeks after my surgery however, I have been going through hell with menopause!!!

I am frustrated. When my surgery was scheduled, I got a pile of information on what to expect from the surgery and recovery. In all of those handouts there was 1 small paragraph saying I would go into menopause right away! I was not prepared for any of this! I had no idea what to expect and how extreme my symptoms would be! It's been the worst year of my life and still not feeling better! There seems to be no end in sight!

What I don't understand is, why don't they give woman more info so we at least know what to expect?

Any insight would be appreciated! Thanks!

Karen

[Joyce]

You're lucky you got leaflets, I got absolutely zilch. My GP however, did say HRT would be given and it was. I was only slightly younger than you at the time.

Were you offered HRT?

[mamakaren]

Cubagirl,

No menopause and Hrt weren't even mentioned to me prior to surgery or after. The leaflets I got were about the actual surgery not about what to expect after. I had to figure out that I needed HRT on my own! I think that is absolutely rediculous! 

Karen

[Taz2]

It is so unfair when women are not given the full picture. Do you belong to this hysterectomy forum karen? http://forums.hysterectomy-association.org.uk/  They might have some useful comments on this too.

Taz x

[CLKD]

Tell your GP!  Speak to your Practice Nurse!  Have a word with the Gynae Secretary and explain how little information has been given and how much it is required by ladies un-prepared for sudden menopause. Perhaps buy some back issues of MM and take to the Consultant are you post-op check!

[mamakaren]

Yes CLKD I have had all my post op appointments and don't need to see the surgeon again! I did mention it to her and her staff and have also discussed it with my GP. they don't seem to concerned about it though. I just don't want other woman to be as unprepared as I was!

Thanks for sharing that forum Taz, I had not seen it yet and will have a look around later!

[CLKD]

Oh dear, you've at least tried!  Does your Surgery have a Patient Forum?  Find out who is 'on' it, our Surgery meets every 2 months so talking to a member on 'yours' might send a message that more information is required.  Also send a letter to the Ward where you were treated, copy it to your GP and the Consultant.  Drip feeding sometimes makes them realise that more is required! 

[mamakaren]

No, there is no patient forum that I know of! That would have been nice to have though! Thanks for the ideas! I wil keep trying! Maybe a letter to the health minister is in order?

[CLKD]

Your MP.  Health Minister.  Any ladies in 'the House' …….. maybe we should compile a letter from all of us to the Minister of Health?

Your Surgery may have a Patient Forum that you are unaware of, I only learned of ours 2 years ago 

I feel a Crusade coming on 

[mamakaren]

A crusade...you might me onto something there!    I'm going to dig around and see what I come up with! I think it's important and I will keep trying for sure! I seem to have hit a wall with my DR. I guess if they have not experienced the terrible parts of meno, they don't understand!

Karen

[ann123]

Talk to your practise manager, they will also tell you if there is a patient forum. I am a member of ours, unfortunatley not everyone knows about them.

[Babylon Burning]

Cubagirl,

No menopause and Hrt weren't even mentioned to me prior to surgery or after. The leaflets I got were about the actual surgery not about what to expect after. I had to figure out that I needed HRT on my own! I think that is absolutely rediculous! 

Karen

The exact same thing happened to me last year when I had surgery for ovarian cancer.  Luckily, I knew it was going to happen but couldn't believe nobody mentioned it.  I haven't suffered too badly but I do use an over the counter estriol cream which has been a godsend for night sweats and VA.

Good luck with your campaign!

[Rowan]

Before I had my hyst I did read everything I could get my hands I was inline then so searched about Hysterectomy, I also worked at a Well Woman Centre and knew quite a bit about hormones and Women's Health and we had a vast library, I sough two opinions and only then went ahead so I did know what to expect, before during and after, and then joined hystersisters .com ( I was a lurker before) which helped enormously. 

Not sure what type of cysts you had mamakaren , but natural progesterone could help as well as estriol even if it is over the counter its better then nothing until you are able to have prescribed hormones.

Here is some info you might find helpful, ladies discussing estriol.

http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/showthread.php't=72224

There natural things you may try, but I won't suggest anything as I get too much flak about that sort of thing but if you explore the hystersisters site you will find loads of info, even though its an US site I found it much better then hysterectomy.org.

[mamakaren]

I can't believe that this kind of thing happens! I'm saddened that it's happening to other woman as well. In my opinion woman should have a visit from a specialist while still in the hospital!

I had done some research on my own prior to my surgery, but I still wasn't anywhere near prepared for what would happen to me and how hard it would be to feel normal again!

Silverlady, I have seen the hystersisters sight and I have found lots of info. I just wish I had seen it prior to surgery. They should tell woman about these fabulous sights for information. I just really don't want other woman to face the same troubles I did!

Thanks ladies,

Karen

[CLKD]

You mean the Consultant/Dr who does the surgery doesn't do an after-op visit  ……..

How can we take this situation forwards?