I am 60. I'm having surgery Dec 28 due to possible ovarian cancer in right ovary (left had cancer 1993) Read so many things on line about women having organ prolapses, organ damage during surgery, urine issues after this and regretted having it. Has anybody had a 100% POSITIVE RECOVERY as now I'm scared .
I had an oephectomy 3 years ago at age 31. Was meant to be keyhole but ended up being a bigger surgery. Thankfully after recovery I had no complications. Not from the surgery.
Hope that helps you
Tanya
Thanks for responding. I'm not too worried about the remaining ovary being removed. Concerned as reading too much on line of how organs shift, bladder, bowel, intestines being nicked during a surgery since they're removing uterus, cervix, and remaining ovary as they said since I've already had ovarian cancer in one ovary in 1993, I am at high risk so having total hysterectomy, but all I have read are HORROR STORIES, and people trading one set of medical problems for a series of others... I'm glad you recovered. Not that I want mine to be cancer, but a chance i"m doing all of this for nothing "just for prevention", but NOT a good thing when a cyst on a menapausal women who doesn't ovulate doubles in size in 2 years... Just home some people have come through this OK with no complications. (Maybe I"m reading too much on line lol) Suzy
Hi Suzzie! I know it can get really scary when reading all the horror stories online. I got caught up in them a bit too. I'm 47 and had my uterus, cervix, ovaries, tubes and some lymph nodes removed a little over 2 months ago for endometrial cancer. So far so good! There is a wealth of support and information to be found online, but it can be so easy to focus on the negative experiences. And there are many. One thing to remember is that people with problems are more likely to seek answers to their problems. I believe the majority of women just move on with their lives! Share your concerns with your Dr. Ask questions. See if there's anything that raises or lowers your risks. Just realize that everyone is different and everyone's recovery is different. Many experience no problems at all or minimal issues. And even if something more difficult happens, there will be help! Please be aware as well that there is so much anti-hysterectomy rhetoric online that it can be very discouraging. If you are really uncomfortable still, get a second opinion. No harm in doing so. I realize t h at I'm not t h at far out from my surgery, but overall it's gone very well so far. Have had some minor things here and there, but it usually means I need to slow down! Take care of yourself. Jill
Forgot to add that I worried about trading one problem for another as well. But all I can do is take care of myself the best I can. Adopt healthy attitudes and healthy habits. There are many options.
I know, it is so easy to read online. However I find the best way to deal with it is try stay positive. Keep as healthy as possible and just see how it goes. Xx
Tanya
OMG - I feel so much better And so glad you're doing OK - very scary when you hear "cancer". I wish more women would write about their POSITIVE OUTCOMES instead of just writing about the negatives ones as I'm very very healthy except for this high risk of ovarian cancer due to my prior ovary being low-grade malignancy in 1993..Plus logically speaking, it is NOT a good thing for the cyst on the ovary to double in size, especially with my past history... I'm just afraid of having complications from it as I'm very very active, work full-time and teach piano to 30 students on the side and don't want any "complications", but realistically know there's no guarantees. But gives me hope reading you're doing well and hope you continue doing well. So much appreciate you writing to me. Have a blessed Holiday Season. Suzie
I can't say I eat write. (lol), but I exercise 40 minutes day for the last 8 years, maintain a normal weight, have normal blood pressure/cholestertol, all other preop testing. Honestly thought 23 years out for having the ovarian cancer I was in the "safe zone" so a bit shocked when I heard the finding. And the only reason I went for the ultrasound, etc. was my insurance was changing to a $2,500 deductible next year from a $500, so thought I'd go and have all my routine testing, NEVER EXPECTING the result. I'm divorced with parents deceased and no family, so that makes even all the more scary. But have many supportive friends, and the piano student's parents treat me like I'm part of the family, but still basically going through this "alone" per say, and probably more so why I fear all the complications I'm reading about online But after I do this, I won't have to worry about ovarian cancer or female cancer... So scared though Leaving for Florida for a week Saturday and plan to try to put this out of my mind, shop, eat, go to Disney to see the lights/shows...but know I have this to look forward to upon my return. Thank you for reaching out and sharing your story with me..... Really makes me feel better to know you had the total hysterectomy and are doing well.
OMG - I do medical transcription on my full-time job and saw the typo - I can't say I eat RIGHT (not WRITE) lol OMG
OMG - just horror story after horror story..Would LOVE to hear more GOOD OUTCOMES. lol Just getting scared as it's only 2+ week away now. Did you have ovarian cancer???? as you're quite young to have had your ovaries out. I was 37 when I had my left ovary removed (which turned out to be low-grade malignancy). Funny how it came out... I was doing fertility drugs trying to get pregnant. Got pregnant on 1st round of fertility drugs. Embryo GOT STUCK IN THE OVARY - NOT TUBE but "OVARY" very rare. So when the went to take a piece of the ovary out as not a viable pregnancy, the ovary didn't look right to the doctor so he removed the ovary - ran it through pathology - came back low grade malignancy. Hence, had I not done fertility treatment, had I not gotten pregnant on that side that month, had the embryo not gotten stuck in the ovary, I would not be around to be writing this. Even my doctor, said to me "I'm not an overly religious person, but God was certaily looking out for you" (as they had run me through so many tests prior to fertility treatment including abdominal pelvic/ultrasound and NOTHIG SHOWED. Hence, wake up call for important things in my life. Even though I always worked a full-time job I was playing bands then on the side, and thought "what the heck am I doing, I'm a classical pianist, playing for drunks clubs". Quit the band and 6 month later started teach piano to all these little angels I have...Hoping the way I ended up going for the tests randomly just because my insurance deductible is changing, is just means to get this taken care of and out before it turns into something. Hey, thanks for listening to my "saga". May you stay healthy and have a wonderful 2017... Suzy
No hun, however this week they have said if I don't do specific treatments after my next surgery I will get cervical cancer at some point. Xx never going to have children , thankfully I have a wonderful husband that loves me. X I feel your pain. X
I guess that's why my MD wants to do a total hysterectomy - risk factors due to my past ovarian cancer and now this growth on my remaining ovary doubling in size.. Certainly hope your next surgery goes well and that it isn't anything serious... I was never able to get pregnant from the remaining ovary as my hormone levels went CRAZY after the one ovary was removed.. But all the piano kids I've taught over the last 23 years are my surrogate children and I'd like to think that even though I didn't have children of my own, that I was able to touch the lives of other's people's children. You're vey blessed to have a wonderfully supportive husband....
I don't have children by choice and have never regretted that choice. But I know it's very tough for women who want children to lose the potential ability to. I found out through this whole situation that I have a high probability of having Lynch Syndrome...which is genetic and significantly raises my risks for certain cancers. I still need to have genetic counseling and testing to confirm it. But I'm not going to worry about it! I just want to move forward making healthier choices! And if I do have Lynch Syndrome, it just means more frequent screenings...mostly for colon or stomach cancer. That way they can be caught early! Win! I've been fortunate to have a supportive husband as well. A lot of women have husbands who don't understand the importance of several weeks of recovery for their wives. I'm sure Suzy, you have touched the lives golf many children! Sounds very fulfilling.
Hi, Suzzie,
I'm so sorry to learn that you're going through this! I had robotic assisted surgery this past July because of uterine cancer. I had my ovaries, tubes and uterus removed.
My surgery went well. And, I can say that I'm recovering. So far, no problems with prolapse, incontinence or organ damage. I am doing okay, just some vaginitis, because of course, I've hardly any estrogen in my system. I'm 67.
I think that lots depends on an individual's physiology, how well the surgery goes, and how they heal.
For myself, I was more worried about the cancer diagnosis than I was about the side effects of the surgery. I wanted anything that might carry the disease out of my body--as soon as possible.
Also, please know that those who recover well don't typically visit sites, this site is an exception, however! The ladies on this site, offer knowledge, comfort and support to each other!
Please know that you're in my thoughts and prayers! Please let me know how your surgery goes, and how you get on!
I've accepted years ago that it wasn't meant to be with for me and i"m OK with that.. So sorry you have Lynch Syndrome (I also do medical transcription). Hope you don't develop any cancers.....Yes you're very fortunate as a lot of guys don't understand or want to understand medical issues.
I'm a bit concerned as I think I just want to take this IN STEPS instead of rushing into a total abdominal hysterectomy, uterus, cervix, remaining ovary... I'm going to E-mail my doctor, as I would be MUST MORE COMFORTABLE having the OVARY TAKEN OUT ONLY during surgery. Run it through pathology, and let's SEE IF IT COMES BACK POSITIVE. It if does, I would have a total hysterectomy immediately, even if it was borderline or low grade. But seems to me a bit drastic without knowing if it's even cancer yet to do such radical surgery...??? It would be equivalent to someone with a breast lump - being taken into surgery for A WHOLE BREAST REMOVAL - and then told, we'll tell you afterwards whether the lump was cancerous. Something just doesn't set right with me on this. As my thoughts, REMOVE THE OVARY - DEFINITELy 100% WANT IT OUT with the growth that more than doubled, but let's WAIT AND SEE IF PATHOLOGY READS IT as positive and go from there... Are MD's sometimes TOO QUICK to do radical surgery that MAY NOT be necessary as if the ovary is NOT MALIGNANT, hysterectomy not necessary...
I hope and pray you have a wonderful and HEALTHY 2016. Suzy
So glad you're doing OK and you definitely did the right thing. As I said to Jill above though, WHY DON"T THEY TAKE THE OVARY OUT FIRST AND SEE IF IT"S CANCER through Pathology - THEN do the hysterectomy if it is. But there's not sure it's cancer and won't know until it's removed and run through pathology. But if it was cancer, even low grade, oh yes, I would be 100% behind getting a total hysterectomy but someone I feel it's a little "premature" until we get the pathology report. I think I'm going to E-mail my doctor, I want to have the surgery - but have the ovary out ONLY, find out if it's malignant, and THEN proceed with further surgery if I need to.....
Hope and pray you stay cancer free......
Oh yes, this is a great site by the way, everybody's so helpful and supportive which I think is that anyone who is going through this needs.. A listening ear, and sharing what they went through. Suzy
Hi Suzy, I was 61 when I was diagnosed stage 1A endometrial cancer ad total hysterectomy and bi-lateral salpingo oopherectomy a couple of weeks after diagnosis, all good here, I didn't experience any pain after surgery (all done vaginally with laparascopic help, should have been a robotic surgery but I couldn't get to that hospital, whole different story), the only problems I had afterwards was a bit of constipation which I think most ladies have, yes your organs do migrate a bit further south, I know some ladies have experienced prolapse but I believe that is reasonably rare, I was lucky in as much as my sister had previously had a hysterectomy so I was able to pick her brains about it, she had a good experience or as much as you can after major surgery LOL, the ladies on this forum helped get me though it as well, I also have had bouts of cystitis which may or may not be down to the shifting of bladder and bowel but that is better than the alternative, I would say my recovery has been about 85% positive which I am OK with.
Phoebe x
I am 64. Last week I had everything removed due to large cyst on right side. Not had results yet but not expected to be nasty. Since September I had got fat and really slowed down. I had to give up my activities. Walking was difficult - my side ached if I moved too fast. I had brain fog. Bowel and bladder were affected. Six days after operation I can only say that I feel so much better. Yes I have some discomfort around operation but I am taking it easy as they say to. I am sleeping a lot but I was before. I am hoping this will improve. The lower part of my abdomen is still fat but my stomach is not so bad. Best of all my bowel and bladder are much improved. I have a good excuse for only wearing comfortable trousers. It was my choice to have total abdominal hysterectomy as I didn't want chance of anything happening again. I have a wonderful friend who has had ovarian cancer for 17 years. She is the busiest most helpful and cheerful person I know and a fantastic role model.
Thank you for sharing your story with me and glad they caught it while t was stage 1A. After I stopped reading the horror stories from women online( lol) I did research through reputable cancer clinics this.. And I now feel strongly to take this in steps:
1. Have Surgery Dec 8, but only have the remaining ovary and fallopian tube removed.
2. Wait for pathology.
3. If even borderline malignancy - have an immediate hysterectomy.
Not sure the doctor is going to be happy with my "change of heart", but just don't want to rush into something that might ?? not be necessary depending on the pathology. At that point, I will have no qualms about proceeding with removal of the uterus/cervix, but right now, something in me doesn't feel "right" about it until I KNOW FOR SURE if the ovary even has a definite malignancy. Kind of expecting a call tomorrow from the doctor to try to retalk me into it as I JUST sent out the E-mail... stating this. But I just feel it's too drastic, too soon without a definite pathology on the ovary. What would a 1 week or so delay hurt?? I will just feel more at peace then if I knew for certain that the total hysterectomy has to be done due to the ovary being malignant in the slightest. Then I wouldn't have any doubts, any fears, and would accept any problems happening down the road, knowing I didn't have any choice if I wanted to save my life... Make sense??? Kind of dread the phone call from the MD tomorrow after she reads the E-mail. . Do you have to have chemo or anything (hope not since you had the total hysterectomy) Suzy