When I had my first appointment with Dr. Elizabeth Vliet, the nationally-renowned hormone expert who gave me back my life after a year of hell following my hysterectomy, she asked me a question about my body that I couldn't answer. She asked me if I still had my cervix.
I had no idea. I assumed that since I'd had a complete hysterectomy that my cervix had been taken out as well. Or had it? And would I even know? I wasn't even sure where a cervix is, much less what it did. Why do we even need a cervix?
I ended up calling my doctor who had performed my hysterectomy and found out that my cervix had indeed been removed. But why wasn't I told? Isn't this something I should have given permission for? (And was he paid a little more for removing my cervix?) Funny enough, I'd had my cervix for over four decades, during which time I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, and yet I'm not even sure what the purpose of a cervix is or what it looks like.
Researchers have suggested that it was the desire to prevent future cervical cancer that underlay the advocacy of total hysterectomy, removing the cervix as well as the uterus. However, they are now suggesting that it can have an adverse effect on bladder, bowel and sexual function, and the reduced operating time and shorter recovery period associated with not removing the cervix outweigh the potential benefits. As a result appropriate patients should all be offered the option of retaining the cervix.(AM J Obstet Gynecol; Mar 1999; 180:3; Pt 1; 513-5)
Showing posts with label hormones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hormones. Show all posts
sharing the truth: why you should think first before you give up your ovaries
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.
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.
Hormones, hormones, hormones .... why aren't we getting them in balance?
Medical professionals receive little or no training regarding women’s hormones. Herein lies the problem.
There are at least 96 research reports that come out every single day. Of those 96, a doctor is lucky to find time in the day to read one or two. In recent years, the powerful connection of hormones and the overall health and function of a woman’s body has been given slightly more attention than in the past. We still have far to go.
For the most part, women are barraged by misinformation in the media and inconsistency in the medical community. When I was suffering horribly from debilitating symptoms caused by my body’s hormonal imbalance, I was passed around from specialist to specialist, hoping for some miracle cure, but not receiving any solid answers. Doctors offered to treat my symptoms, but the root cause of those symptoms was left unaddressed. What I know now is that my symptoms are par for the course when it comes to perimenopause and menopause. But why didn't all those doctors know that??
Several years have passed since I had my hysterectomy and yet women are still faced with doctors who treat them for each individual symptom rather than the root cause: hormonal imbalance. I'm amazed when I visit online health forums and women are taking a slew of medications and alternative therapies for a long list of symptoms like hot flashes, joint pain, depression, dry eyes, etc. They're being loaded up with all kinds of "band-aids" when what they really need to do is have their hormone levels tested.
There are at least 96 research reports that come out every single day. Of those 96, a doctor is lucky to find time in the day to read one or two. In recent years, the powerful connection of hormones and the overall health and function of a woman’s body has been given slightly more attention than in the past. We still have far to go.
For the most part, women are barraged by misinformation in the media and inconsistency in the medical community. When I was suffering horribly from debilitating symptoms caused by my body’s hormonal imbalance, I was passed around from specialist to specialist, hoping for some miracle cure, but not receiving any solid answers. Doctors offered to treat my symptoms, but the root cause of those symptoms was left unaddressed. What I know now is that my symptoms are par for the course when it comes to perimenopause and menopause. But why didn't all those doctors know that??
Several years have passed since I had my hysterectomy and yet women are still faced with doctors who treat them for each individual symptom rather than the root cause: hormonal imbalance. I'm amazed when I visit online health forums and women are taking a slew of medications and alternative therapies for a long list of symptoms like hot flashes, joint pain, depression, dry eyes, etc. They're being loaded up with all kinds of "band-aids" when what they really need to do is have their hormone levels tested.
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