I have a very difficult situation here. I am 41 this year. I was diagnosed with breast cancer end of 2013. I was 38 then. I was very blessed to have found the cancer early. It was stage 1 (I was told), grade 2,
HER2 +. Because of my age (being young) and the risks involved, I underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and herceptin. I am now taking tamoxifen (2.5 years now, and was told I had to take it for 10 years), and also zalodex injection each month.
I had a vagina bleeding last year and found that I had a polyp and it was removed then. I was informed it could be because of tamoxifen. I had another bleeding this year and found another polyp. I will be removing the polyps this Thursday. Apart from that, a cyst was found on my left ovary. After seeing the gyne, I was informed that I can remove the cyst by taking off 1 ovary. One thing lead to another, I decided to have 2 ovaries removed instead as it makes sense to remove both during the key-hole-surgery. My thought is I will complete my zalodex treatment when I am 44 years old and my period may come back and my ovaries start working again as I would not reach menopause age yet.
My questions are :
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Has anyone been through the situation I have been through or similar and have decided to go ahead with removing both ovaries ? If yes, how are you coping with having both ovaries removed ? Are there very bad side effects ?
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After the removal of my ovaries, do I still take tamoxifen or do I change medication ? If I change medication, do I have to change it immediately after the removal of the ovaries or can it wait ? How is the transition period like and what is done in the process of the medicine change ? I am in a panic state here as the gyne and onko are separate and I have only realised today that the medications has to be aligned to the state of my ovaries.
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I am worried about the long term effect of the removal of my ovaries. I read it may cause much complications in the long run. Ex - heart attack, cognitive impairment, parkinson decease. I wonder if anyone here has had years of experience in the removal of their ovaries to comment on this ? Or do you have any other findings, etc on the regards ?
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Any regrets for those who have been through the removal of the ovaries ? If yes, what are the regrets ? If not, what are the positives ?
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Please could anyone share anything at all on the above situation - anything thoughts at all will be appreciated.
I must be honest to say I am having cold feet as we speak as, would really appreciate hearing from anyone at all on all regards.
Thank you.
Hi Cecilia-Rose-Ann,
I’m sorry to hear about your difficult situation and I am sure some of our users will be along to share their experiences and show their support soon.
In the meantime you can always post on our Ask the Nurse board or call our helpline on 0808 800 6000, who will be able to talk you through any questions you have and offer a friendly ear. The opening hours are below:
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Best wishes,
Bonita
Hi
I didn’t have exactly the same situation as you. However, I had a total hysterectomy just over 5 years ago (aged 46), following endometrial cancer (breast cancer last year). I had had about 3 years of polyp removal and hystoscopies prior to surgery.
I have no regrets about the hysterectomy, as I was having so many period problems and was permanently worried about what was growing - mind you I still haven’t bought the white jeans I promised myself!
The shock was immediate menopause, although I’m guessing you already know those symptoms! I do have a bit of menopausal brain fog - as I affectionately call it, but it did take a big chunk of worry away. Sadly it didn’t stop the breast cancer and the tablets bringing back the hot flushes I thought I’d seen the last of!
Wishing you loads of luck with whatever you decide xx
Hi I am 41 in July and was diagnosed at 37. I was Er + pr + but her 2 neg, I was on tamoxifen for two years and then after occasional bleeding I was offered ovary removal. I thought about this and decided to go ahead. The operation was straight forward and I needed a week off work to recover. The side effects for me are minimal but I did need to change meds from tamoxifen to anastrosle. The most obvious to me are stiffness in joints but it’s manageable. I also have the start of osteoporosis in my hips which I now manage with medication and walking. However I am glad I did it and feel happier that they have gone, I would definitely chose it again after weighing up the pros and cons. Obviously everyone is different…I wish you well whatever you choose xx
I wasn’t allowed HRT, and learned to my financial cost not to buy things like Menopace - it was only after I opened the packet that the leaflet said don’t take if you have had a hormonal cancer! I do take high strength evening primrose every day, as I find this helps me keep relatively calm, although my OH may dispute this! I don’t take anything else. Xx
Ooh. Sorry. Forgot to say I take glucosamine too.
Just a note to inform that my operation date has been rescheduled to next month as there isn’t enough beds for recovery in the hospital (I was informed). This will give me more chance to see my gyne and onco before the op, and then attend the op fully prepared (hopefully !)