Hi all you lovely ladies,
Just a quick post - i’ve decided on an oopherectomy as opposed to 2yrs of zoladex.
Seemed like a good idea at the time but now i’m a bit apprehensive as to what i should expect aferwards, recovery time, onset of osteoporosis etc.
Should i ask for a bone scan to ascertain how much at risk i am of getting it early or is that not how it works??
Any advice would be great, thank you for taking time to read me!
Love to all
Tracy x
Hi Tracy,
I had an oophorectomy in July so I thought it might help to let you know how I got on.
After the operation I was quite sore, try not to cough or sneeze! And discourage any visitors that you think might make you laugh alot!
I was on a morphine pump and had voltorol suppositories and co-codomol and I have to say that I really wasn’t in a great deal of pain.
I had the op on wednesday morning, got out of bed and had the catheter out thursday morning, drain out friday morning and went home on sunday.
Found it helped to sleep with a pillow between my legs.
Its very strange how the sudden hormone change affected me, was very teary for afew days.
You are not allowed to do anything at all for a couple of weeks and no heavy lifting or driving for 6 weeks. Think that’s what drives you mad the most, having to rely on other people for everything.
Nothing was said to me about the risk of osteoporosis but had to have the op so wasn’t an issue.
Was hoping to manage without HRT but the hot flushes came with a vengeance so I went onto it and I feel great now, don’t know if that will be an option for you.
I would say that I felt back to my usual self about 7 weeks post op.
I had a hysterectomy 11 years ago and I would say that I had a much better recovery this time and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Just be really careful and don’t do any lifting etc.
Hope the operation goes well for you.
Adele.x
Hello Adele
I was interested to read Tracy’s thread as I am contemplating this op in the near future.
Tracy, I hope you do not mind me butting in, but I would like to ask Adele if she had ovaries removed laparascopically? I was anticipating an overnight stay in hospital, paracetamol for pain (Iwasn’t even given a morphine pump for mast/recon!!!) Morphine would be nice though and back to work a week or two later.
Jackie x
Sorry to butt in too.
I had this op Jan this year, advised I would be in and out same day as its keyhole surgery. Went in at lunchtime told I would be staying over night as op was late in day.
No problems, left hospital in morning. Took paracetemol for a day or two. I had op on Thursday, back to work not next Monday butnext so only ended being off work 7 days. With hindsight another week may have been wiser as I was abit uncomfortable when on my feet.
Before op was advised i would be up and about straight away and could drive after a couple of days.Was told menopausal systems maybe more severe, but haven’t been to bad. Hotflushes were the main problem, but at the same time I had changed from tamoxifin to femera so that may have had an effect as well. Effect on bones not mentioned to me either, but I have secondaries in bone and take bondrant which strengthens them anyway. But as a BRCA2 carrier the risks of ovarian cancer made this not an issue.
Hi, Ihad this done by key hole about 3 weeks ago, back to work after 2 but part time as been working lots throughout treatment - is it okay to drive, someone told me 6 weeks but assume this is for the normal removal rather than the keyhole??? Heard abotu the bone thing but cos of family history etc. going for it, about to go on arimidex and hopefully some bone strengtheners!!
x
Hi
I had the op in March this year, it was done via keyhole surgery, I was in and out the same day, I was in some pain for a couple of days but out and about including driving after 1 week, the hot flushes are the worse side effect but I was on tamoxifen but just changed to femera so hopefully these will get better, one plus is that I have had no migrains since the op which I had every month for nearly 10 years, I have no regrets about having the operation, I will have a bone scan which is normal after having this op.
Debra
Hi again,
Thanks to all who’ve replied to my thread. It seems as though there’s no definitive answer as to how i will feel/how soon i will recover/onset time of osteo etc - as with most things attached to BC everyone’s story is different isn’t it?!!
You’ve all certainly given me a lot to think about and i will have plenty of questions to ask the Gynae when my appt comes through.
Adele, you seemed to have a harder time than anyone else after the op - i wonder if that’s got anything to do with you having hysterectomy years earlier?
I have been told that the op will be done laporoscopically so maybe it won’t be so bad? When i spoke to my Consultant last week he said that once the op is done there will be nothing available for me to take to stop the menopausal symptoms/onset of osteo - i will have to manage it dietwise and with weight bearing excercise - bit difficult as i have lymphoedema!!! It just gets better doesn’t it? LOL!!
I will post again when ive had my appt!
Much love to all, keep smiling (albeit through clenched teeth!!)
Tracy xxx
Hi Floody
Did your onc say why you can’t be prescribed some sort of osteoporosis medication as a preventative measure?
I don’t have osteoporosis, but I’ve been on medication for it for years as I was at high risk (had oopherectomy 1994 when I was 37) - I’m currently taking Bonviva once a month and Calcium + Vit D once a day. My last bone density scan showed no change - so in real terms this was an improvement as bone density declines with age.
My oopherectomy was not a great success, as my oestrogen levels failed to decline afterwards! They went back for another look, but couldn’t find any more ovarian tissue and told me in the end that they thought it had migrated somewhere else in my body…! Consequently I ended up having to take Tamoxifen for several years - a scenario the operation was supposed to have prevented.
Having said that, it was done by the ‘keyhole’ method and recovery was swift - both times! A little bonus was that the acne that I’d been plagued with since I was 13 disappeared virtually overnight!
All the best with your op.
X
S
Should have said that I had my old Total abdominal hysterectomy scar re-opened so it was classed as a major op. If you are having it done by laparoscopy you should have a much quicker recovery time and not need as much pain relief.
Let us know how you get on Tracy, you too Jackie.
Adele.x
Thanks for that Adele - that makes me feel a bit better! On the one hand i’m hoping the op won’t be before xmas - got 2 meals to go to!!! On the other hand my hormones are raging now i’ve been off tamoxifen for 3mths - i regularly want to kill everyone that looks at me the wrong way- so the sooner the better!
On another note - my mum was rshed to hospital other day - she has to have her gall bladder out next week bless her - there’s always something isn’t there? Oh and i’ve just found out i’ve got asthma of all things - great!!!
Hugs to all
Tracy xx