TO ANONYMOUS Re: Elective Hysterectomies??
From: Ron (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 27 Aug 2003 21:18:54 -0500 (CDT)
HI ANON,
Sorry that you ae having such a difficult time...
You must remember ONE thing... If you have a complete hysterectomy
(including the ovaries) that will prevent the irregular periods, the
bloating, but it will
not prevent the insulin insensitivity and the weight gain, or the
diabetes.
You may loose the added risk of ovarian cancer, but unless you want to
develop severe osteoporosis, you will probably have to be on some kind
of hormone therapy. Without it you will likely become much older
looking in
a short time. Estrogen does heep you looking and feeling younger.
There is an added risk of breast cancer with hormone supplementation, so
you should take this into consideration before you think surgery.
I could send you a whole list of reports and expalnations of how to deal
with PCOS with diet, glucophage, exercise etc, so email me if you need
to
do the least invasive things FIRST.
Don't give up and do the most lucrative thing that your doctor wants you
to do.
Do get another opinion and do talk to others who have had an early hysto
before you commit to such a final decision.
--
Ron
At Wed, 27 Aug 2003, anonymous wrote:
>
>Can women with PCOS elect to have hysterectomies? Here's why I'm asking:
>
>I'm 35, will be 36 in January, and I've had PCOS since I was in my
>teens. At age 24, I became pregnant with the help of Clomid, but went
>into premature labor at 25 weeks as a result of an undiagnosed
>incompetent cervix. Five years later, at age 29, I again got pregnant
>with Clomid, but had a first trimester miscarriage - the sac developed,
>but nothing developed inside. At age 31, I was diagnosed with type II
>diabetes.
>
>Now, I'm single, and I've accepted that having my own child isn't in the
>cards. I feel that the issues with my health - diabetes, the PCOS, and
>the incompent cervix, as well as my age and my single status, are plenty
>of reasons for me not to try for another child. I've also begun to have
>more issues with PCOS (irregular periods, missed periods, weight gain)
>despite having my diabetes well under control and being on birth
>control. My gyn switched my bc to Yasmin, and I'm going to give that a
>try for a month or two, but I would like to explore the idea of a
>hysterectomy. My reproductive organs are obviously defective, and I
>wonder how healthy it is for me to hang onto them. A doctor I had
>several years ago mentioned that PCOS patients are at higher risk for
>ovarian cancer, and that I'd probably need the hysterectomy at some
>point. Is there any reason not to do it now? Psychologically, I feel
>ready to accept the consequences of a hysterectomy - I've given
>conception my very best effort, and I'm frustrated at having to deal
>with the issues PCOS forces me to deal with, especially when I can see
>no benefit from doing so.
>
>Anyone out there have any experience with this issue?
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