any other ladies in menopause out there?

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  • Goal4Good
    Goal4Good Posts: 115
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    I know exactly what you are going through! I had to have both of my ovaries removed last year because they started malfunctioning and producing testosterone in massive amounts. The only solution was to remove them and yes, immediate menopause. (Still have my uterus.) I dealt with a number of menopausal issues as a result and upon the advice of my doctor (who is a woman BTW) I am using a low dose Combipatch to control my symptoms. While I could handle the other stuff that comes with menopause and the weight gain, I absolutely could not deal with the awful (REALLY AWFUL) mood swings due to the hormone changes in my body. So that's why I use it. I'd been having hot flashes and night sweating and all that other stuff way back before I had the ovaries removed.

    I am 50 and when I reach 52 or 53, she is going to try and see if I can come off of it. I'm going to try and get off but she said I needed to wait a bit longer till I was closer to menopausal age. However, if the over the top mood swings come back to the point that I can''t handle them, I'll slap that puppy right back on and take my chances I guess. It makes everything in my world right. Without it........whoa buddy!!! Its bad. REAL bad.

    I did gain weight in my middle FAST after my surgery. Then to further complicate things, I had to have another surgery on a hernia and yet another one on something else. I had 3 surgeries in one year. That put me off my feet for nearly a year and I went down fast physically from a formerly very active lifestyle. But I'm all healed up now, and feeling better than I ever have. I've lost 14 lbs since starting MFP 50 days ago and am doing great. Sure, its harder to lose the weight now (especially around my middle) but it IS coming off so I'm very encouraged by that!

    I can say it gets better but it took a bit longer than I thought it would. Good Luck!
  • msiamjan
    msiamjan Posts: 326 Member
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    Hi--Surgical menopause here too. I had my surgery at the end of March. In addition to this website I found hystersisters website to have a lot of useful information and a forum of very supportive women going through the same sort of things. Nice to see/hear from other women at this interesting stage of life.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    My wife exercises a lot and she surrounds herself with fans maybe 3' from her when she is working out.
    Seems to work and she looks great.
  • olso123
    olso123 Posts: 192 Member
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    Hi, had a partial hysterectomy in my early 40's and even though I had my ovaries I went into menopause....the doctor said that some women even though the ovaries are still intact they can still shut down and put you into perimenopause stage. I am 52 now and still dealing with symptoms. I also have an under active thyroid that I take meds for ..... between the two I have a double whamming for the metabolism to go crazy. I am fatigued often however, I have always pushed myself to stay active.....I am a ballroom dancer and do that several times a week along with strength training.....I find the more I exercise and keep moving the better I am both physically and mentally. Fortunately for me I never had to worry about what I ate until the last 4 years. I have put several pounds on each year and have not been able to get it off. Although I am not overweight I want to be back to the weight that I have been throughout my adult life.....I want to fit into my smaller previous wardrobe that is waiting patiently in my closet! I found this site through a friend at work and I am finding it so helpful, as well as it is so nice to bond with those that are in a similar situation. Any of you menopause gals that want support or motivation feel free to friend me.
  • trailrider1963
    trailrider1963 Posts: 69
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    Forgot to say also, that do any of you get a strange feeling come over you just before you are going to get a hot flash, I get this awful feeling, it reminds me `home sickness` like I used to get when I was a kid, just a really weird feeling hard to describe

    I know that feeling but it has nothing to do with my hot flashes. I've had it off and on my whole adult life, it's like a really sad, empty feeling, but takes the form of a physical "ache". I literally feel like I'm "empty". It is very hard to describe, but thankfully only lasts a few seconds. I used to think it was related to depression but I don't anymore. I never thought of it as having a physical cause, like hormone fluctuations, but that makes sense.
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Shortly after I turned 40 I developed uterine cancer and had to have a radical hysterectomy, so yes, I know what it's like to be thrust suddenly into menopause. Fortunately I had a good surgeon and he was able to do my surgery laproscopically which meant I was up and walking around fairly quickly. The hard part is the hot flashes, but I have found the healthier I am the lessor the effects are. Also the better I eat and the more I work out the better I feel. I think the first yer was the most challenging as I got adjusted to the changes in my body. The biggest challenge is that it may be a bit harder to lose weight. I have to say after joining MFP and changing my eating habits, along with getting regular exercise I feel better than I have in years. One thing I can say with certainty, I do not miss getting a period every month.
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Hi--Surgical menopause here too. I had my surgery at the end of March. In addition to this website I found hystersisters website to have a lot of useful information and a forum of very supportive women going through the same sort of things. Nice to see/hear from other women at this interesting stage of life.
    Hystersisters was very helpful for me as well. haven't been on that site in years, but at the time it was a great resource.
  • JoMFrasca
    JoMFrasca Posts: 61 Member
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    I am almost 11 years post menopause, having had a hysterectomy where they took everything, including both ovaries, due to endometriosis. I had a hard time on HRT. The patches gave me migraines. Finally ended up with bioidentical estrogen, which I
    took for 5 years and all the awful symptoms went away. After that, I decided to taper off HRT completely and have not had any since. I did gain a lot of weight post surgery, which I lost and then, in the last few years, regained. I just lost almost all of it again and this time am going to do a very long maintenance program so it stays of for good.

    At 57, it is harder to lose the weight but not impossible. It just comes off a little slower, but hopefully that will help it stay off. Now that I have lost 40 pounds and exercise regularly, I feel 10 years younger. MFP is an important tool that helps me stay on track. I feel great! Even though I take no HRT I have no real symptoms at all. Once in a blue moon I get a little warm but no real hot flashes or any of the other terrible symptoms I experienced right after the surgery. Give it time if you are just starting out -- it gets much better over time!

    Feel free to add me as a friend. I log on to MFP every day.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Making HRT cake this evening!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Hmmmmm, well the cake is quite dense and chewy - if I make it again I'll add more ginger.

    According to the recipe tool it's a whopping 275 calories per slice! But 12g of protein, from all those seeds, so one slice for breakfast, or half a slice for snack wouldn't be too bad. I shall see how well it lasts.
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
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    Me.....had a total hysterectomy due to endometriosis at age 38. Took HRT for about five years, before my doctor wanted me off of it, so I gradually quit taking it. I was also on cholesterol medicine and have hypothyroidism.

    After losing the weight (which occurred 8 years after the hysterectomy), I was able to quit taking Lipitor, and I've been able to avoid beginning any medication for adult-onset diabetes (of which there is a huge family history). I do take generic Synthroid for my hypothyroidism, but I don't use either being menopausal or hypothyroid as an excuse for being overweight. It wasn't that -- although that may have made it harder to lose. Simply, I ate and drank more than I should have, and I wasn't exercising. I now walk 15-20 miles a week and watch what I eat. For the most part, I've maintained a 60+ pound weight loss for almost four years now.

    Kaye

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