Hi I am Gidget, 41, and just joined this month. I know not all women go through this angst, but I too had a total hysterectomy...UGH!
Oh where to start...First off I feel for all of you and am grateful to have found this forum, while we feel bad it is good to know we are not alone! I know the wieght gain and all the other side affects are nearly impossible some days! I'll share with you what I have learned and then my story proceeding...I tend to right short novels, so please forgive.
My mom had her tubes tied and they were wrapped around her ovaries which made them begin to rot (she was 15 when she had me and 17 w/ my brother) then a hysterectomy at 18, leaving a partial ovary and subsequently had more ab surgeries and evntually had it removed as well. She and my aunt did not gain the wieght or have many side affects w/ their hysterectomy's, sexual or otherwise, so I don't know why we are so "dang special", but hopefully some of this helps...
Finding a good doc/specialist is probably key before and after, so I hope some of info helps! I also have Firbromyalgia and I can tell you what my doc(s) say and are doing now to help me AND some of THOSE Endo docs seem like quacks!.My endo doc said I had the fat gene and I needed to accept it and do botox for the excessive perspiring. Never had a weight problem until the female problems started.
There is now a product out called Optifast. It is monitored monthly by a doctor and supposedly you can lose about 10 pounds or more a month. However, it is about $300.00 a month, so if you have the moola perhaps it may help boost your energy and melt away the lbs. When I can afford it, I will definitely try it.
I have also found out that sometimes after being under anesthesia and trauma to the body our bods change, including thyroid. I have had soooo many Tyhroid tests (T2 & T4)in the past several years but just found out I have Reverse T3, which is in the liver (most dr.'s do not do that particular test). I am on med's for it now and am losing some of the weight, so that may also be something to look into. I was taking Enjuvia after the patch seemed to fail and currently went off all HRT's. It is cooler now, so the "flashes" aren't quite as bad but still doing at least 2 showers a day and sleeping with the fan full blast at night. I do have to take sleeping aids and until I did i was a complete crankster! My poor family!
I have 3 kids, sons 20 and 16 and 5 yr. old daughter. After my 2nd son (1992) and 2nd c-section, which they had a fouled up I have had a total of 8 more abdominal surgeries, with the last in 12/06. Some of my uterine lining was sewn on the outside of my uterus causing an endometreoma which grew into my right stomach muscle (uterus and muscle were stuck together). In the following 14 years were surgeries and depro-vera and lupron were injected monthly to try to shrink the masses and prevent pain, blood loss and surgeries. I went through "synthetic" menopuase at 28, 30 and 32 with a year break in between but it kept coming back. I didn't gain much weight but was younger and very active and watched my grams of fat or did Atkins diet during the injections
That menopause was nothing compared to my total hysterectomy in '06! They thought I had ovarian cance as my uterus, bladder, ovaries and cervix were plastered together and attached to the peritenium. They didn't know until they got in and sent it to pathology, but Thank God it was not cancer. Six months prior to the Hyst. I tried one last time of synthetic menopause (injections) and I began gaining weight, but minimal compared to the hysterectomy. I have put on an additional 55 lbs. since then and have just lost 15 in the past month. I went from 130 lbs. when my daughter was about 18 mos. to 212! She was a real surprise as they told me I would never get pregnant again.
At any rate, it almost seems as though the hysterectomy's are possibly interfereing with nature and maybe that's why some of us have a harder time. I put it off until they thought I had cancer, but now regret some of it. I feel mostly with the cervix gone, sex is not the awesome experience it used to be. I don't feel cute and perky anymore and don't like going out or entertaining because of the weight, the sweating and fatigue. I finally have a different health plan and a great GP, so it is a work in progress and hopefully soon I will know more and feel alot better!!!
I hope those of you looking into having one get second opinions and those of you going through this misery find some relief! Sorry for rambling on, but hopefully there may have been some info helpful and questions to ask your doctor.
Good vibes coming your way! Gidget
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Is weight gain inevitable after a hysterectomy? perhaps because so many women who have partial or full hysterectomies gain weight and keep it on after the surgery
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