Before I had my hysterectomy, my doctor advised me to have my uterus removed because of endometriosis. So I took that as a given. But my ovaries were another story. I wasn't sure if it was necessary to have them removed also, which is what happens when you have a complete hysterectomy.
But my doctor was very persistent in recommending that I have my ovaries removed also.
He said that 20% of his patients who haven’t had their ovaries removed come back to him later with ovarian cancer. He strongly advised me to remove my ovaries for this reason. Based on that statistic, I figured he was right, so I decided to have my ovaries removed. Plus, there was the fact that a very close friend of mine had died of ovarian cancer.
In retrospect, though, no one sat down with me and went over the pros and cons of having my ovaries removed. All I knew about was the ovarian cancer statistic that my doctor laid out. I didn't understand the implications of no longer having ovaries that produced the hormones I need to function.
What I didn't know back then that I know now is this: you can still get ovarian cancer when you have no ovaries. Can you believe that? Even when your ovaries are removed, there still may be cells left behind that can develop into cancer.
We're being misled -- this is a prime example of the misinformation that exists out there.
So I had my ovaries removed, and subsequently have gone through hell getting and keeping my hormones balanced over the years by taking hormone replacement therapy. Looking back and knowing the quality of my life since my hysterectomy, I never would have had my ovaries removed. Then I wouldn't have had this complete dependence on hormone replacement therapy.
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