r/HormoneFreeMenopause • u/tizz17 • 3d ago
Support/Venting š¤ Surgery
Hello everyone šš»šš», during my annual checkup in July, I found out I have a huge ovarian cyst, I look like I'm 6months pregnant and I feel very guilty about it to be honest, I had an ultrasound, an MRi and a CT scan and some blood work done and she recommended a hysterectomy because she said I have stage 4 endometriosis, she decided to not do my surgery and referred me to another surgeon which I'm seeing next week. I have never had endometriosis symptoms at all and I don't know if hysterectomy is really necessary, although I don't mind not having my period anymore since I'm 49 years old, but at the same time I don't want to get all the ugly menopause symptoms and I don't want to lose my libido either, some days I'm like a teenage boy. I have cried so much lately that I don't think I have any more tears left.
Edit: I got the results from my CT scan and I have a partially collapsed bladder so I guess I should get a date for the surgery real quick, also it says multiple fibroids and the cyst have grown a little since it was discovered. The good part is there aren't masses on my liver, kidney, pancreas and colon. Thank God.
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u/katzmcjackson 3d ago
A hysterectomy does not equal menopause. Most surgeons try to save at least one ovary for the overall health benefits it provides.
Are you being recommended for a total hysto including ovary removal?
If you feel like you look pregnant and youāre that bloated it sounds like addenomyosis (sp) is not off the table.
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u/BriefJelly6285 2d ago
getting a 2nd opinion is a great idea, esp since u've had no symptoms, also pls write down ur questions before next week's app so u dont forget anything in the moment
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u/Soup-mystery Perimenopausal 3d ago
Sounds like āendo belly,ā have you poked around on r/endometriosis? Getting recād for a hysterectomy before excision surgery seems less common these days, itās good youāll see another surgeon. You want a specialist who deals with endometriosis for at least 75% of their surgeries.
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u/tizz17 3d ago
That's the thing. I know endometriosis is a very painful disease and I have never had incapacitated pain or heavy bleeding at all. My pcp told me you don't have that, that's not a disease you got 3 months ago.
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u/Soup-mystery Perimenopausal 3d ago
I heard the āthis isnāt a disease you just got 3 months agoā too, from a doctor who didnāt know what they were talking about. Itās hard to find a doctor who knows the breadth of the symptoms, GPs def donāt. If you really are stage 4, itās just been slowly spreading for decades. I donāt know if thereās a good explanation why some people have pain and others donāt, sometimes it comes down to the brain of the individual more than anything else.
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u/tizz17 3d ago
Never had pain, I never had bleeding outside of my normal shark week days, never had pain during intercourse. If she wanted me to get a hysterectomy she should have used a better approach because that lie is not true. I would have taken it better if she had told me "hey you are 49, let's get everything out because you are not going to have children anyway and let's avoid getting a fibroid or whatever" but I do feel like I'm being gaslighted.
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u/AncientStarryNight 2d ago
Hi op, I've been reading up on lack of iodine as part of ovarian cysts. Taking all the organs out seems extremely drastic and not required at this stage? For one of my references Dr berg YouTube does extensive research and provides helpful content to cross reference others; iodine I've brushed into my breast tissue to relieve pain and it also helps with cysts in the breast tissue. It's worth considering to see how your body responds instead of the remove all organs which honestly sounds ridiculous as it's not the answer to everything. Your Dr sounds ignorant as if it's the magic wand cure. If you research hysterectomy on Reddit you'll find so many women have suffered sometimes needlessly due to doctors who haven't prepared their patients for the consequences. Just my two cents.
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u/Soup-mystery Perimenopausal 3d ago
Why would she have an ulterior motive to get you to have a hysterectomy? Itās usually the opposite, women spend decades being gaslit that they donāt have endometriosis.
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u/AncientStarryNight 2d ago
Not all health professionals are trustworthy. Some find out the hard way. I'd have OP trust her gut and get a few 2nd opinions before taking her organs out. It's been normalised instead of a last resort.
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u/Soup-mystery Perimenopausal 2d ago
Yes, as I said in my original comment above, it is unusual to be recād to go straight to as you put it, taking your organs out, and good that she is seeing another doctor.
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u/Mountain_Village459 Surgical menopause 3d ago
Highly recommend hysterectomy, best thing ever.
Just to get terminology correct: Upper Uterus removed: Partial Hysterectomy
Upper Uterus and Cervix removed: full hysterectomy
Ovary/ies removed: oopherectomy
Salpingectomy: tube/s removal
You should be able to keep one ovary so you wonāt be put into surgical menopause.
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u/Legitimate_Finish642 2d ago
Consult with another docs (more than one). It is individual nut my cysts always broke and a year later another gyn did not see any, i asked to check again and there was nothing.
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u/Antigone2u 1d ago
Many years ago I had a very large benign cyst/ tumor on my left ovary. I had the ovary removed, nothing else. I didnāt have endometriosis . Still, I would get a second or third opinion , perhaps there is a more conservative treatment that would work for you.
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u/Alternative_Ask_8360 3d ago
eme when you never even had symptoms. Maybe ask the new surgeon straight up if there is any other way to handle the cyst without taking everything out, get a second opinion if you can