Hello Ladies! What a great site! I'm BRCA1+ and am having both my ovaries and tubes removed this wednesday. I'm 39 and am at the very very beginnings of perimenopause, but come wednesday at 10:30am, I'll officially be in surgical menopause. I would love to hear from anyone else who has gone through this sudden transition. I have a great MD, and am a nurse-midwife myself, so am educating myself about the various hormonal and nonhormonal options, but I haven't been able to find anyone who has gone through this themselves. I'd love to hear from you, if you're out there!
eva

HI Eva

I have not been through surgical meopause - I am 44 and in peri and not enjoying what it is doing to my body atall - but it is a path I have to tread sometime - so I have decided - for the moment - not to take HRT and am chugging my way through this with diet/exercise/yoga.......

But I thought you could do with a reply and welcome to PS!!! Perhaps everyone is out enjoying the late May bank holiday??? Welcome to PS!

You say you are at beginning of peri so I guess you have had some 'symptoms' to indicate this - many women sail through meno others seem to have a hard time - hard to say who will be effected and how.........it was such a shock to me - I just did not expect anything so totally alien - that it has knocked me right off balance

I am glad you have good support from medics (medics not understanding are a big bugbear on this site!!! - so hang onto yours) - I hope this continues post op, But dont underestimate the psychological side to menopause - it threw up stuff for me I did not expect - which I am still working through - the emotional swings are crushing at times - and the fatigue I have had hampers my ability to function 'normally' at times.

Expect the best but prepare for the worst is a good maxim. I used to nurse - but I have to say that for all that it has not prepared me for the rotten year I have had or having so many scary symptoms myself.....or as I said for the emotional stuff.

On the up - I am entering a new phase of my life, I am healthier, fitter and leaner than I have been for years, I have made new friends and gotten to know myself better, I have faced some of my darkest fears and learnt to live with them, I have taken time out to decide what I want to do for the next few years.....

I wish you all the best and hope someone on PS can share direct expericne of this with you

Love

Mele

Hi Evavaulter, I just wanted to welcome you to PS and wish you the best on Weds. Being that you are a nurse is such a great plus because seems like with your add. knowledge it will add to your recovery, and the decisions you need to make. I am also glad you are happy with your doc. that really helps when you have confidence in your Doc. God bless and take care, Tinkybug

Hi, Eva! I was about 34 when I started having perimenopause symptoms - no doctor would believe. At 42, I had a complete hysterectomy - instant full menopause! It took a while to get the hormones acceptable; but it is much better now (I'm 51 now). I can't tolerate any type of progesterone. Before my hysterectomy I was on provera - which is the worse - and I didn't realize how depressed it was making me. I've tried natural progesterone - but it still effects me negatively, just not as strong. So now I'm on Estrace and Testosterone - and I seem to have "me" back - at least most of the time!!!

Welcome to Power Surge! There is so much info here and so much "support". And that support sometimes helps more than all the meds in the world!

Zelma

Hi there Eva. I alredy replied to this but it seems to have disappeared!
I had a total hysterectomy with ovary removal in March to remove early endo cancer. I had been using vagifem which, although was not supposed to be systemic, definitely helped with hot flushes.
My cancer was oestrogen driven so I am not allowed any hormone replacement therapy or even plant oestrogens such as soy.
I feel great as far as mood goes-but then I had been in peri for a long time and I was feeling terrible. I am, however having horrendous hot flushes , but obviously am not allowed any treatment for them.
I am older than you-54, so it is not quite the same, but my diagnosis was very sudden and the treatment very radical and emotionally it has been hard.
I would say to you that if it is permitted, go for a low dose of HRT. You will be lucky if you do not have any effects from abrupt removal of your ovaries at your age.
However if the removal is linked to hormones as mine was, the doctors will probably refuse you HRT anyway.
Peri can be very hard, so you have at least been spared that. If you go through a period of adjustment at least you know it will not be any harder.
I dont have any depression or mood swings now. Obviously it was upsetting to have everything taken away, and that made me quite tearful for a while, but I am now resigned.
I am happy to deal with the flushes as they come. They are not very nice but hopefully they will subside in time.
Good luck on Wednesday! let us know how you are
Best wishes Janet c