Surgical Menopause

It feels a bit like it's all over now. The wounds are all healed, leaving little pink marks that barely look like they will scar, it's most disappointing not to have anything to show for it. I expected to feel more different, like there was something missing somehow, but no. I am officially in 'menopause' and don't have to wait for it to be a year since my last period. There is no more uterus, no more ovaries, no more hormones. Having a total hysterectomy is also referred to as a surgical menopause because it happens all at once, there is no lingering dwindling of your oestrogen levels.

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It turns out that oestrogen is a bit of a double edged sword. I was worried about the impact of the hysterectomy on my risk of osteoporosis but on having a chat with my GP she reassured me that since I am of normal menopause age it will not increase my risk, since my hormone levels were already in decline. Oestrogen has a protective effect on your bone density which is why the menopause puts women at higher risk of having fractures. If you were to have a hysterectomy at a younger age, say 40, it would substantially increase the risk, because you would be losing all those extra years of oestrogen production and protection. On the other side of the coin however an excess of oestrogen is one of the risk factors for endometrial cancer, for example, experiencing early puberty, late menopause or never having children. 

So, the hot flushes have finally arrived, and I have been quite enjoying them. Is that weird, I'm sorry. I was feeling quite bereft since they seem to be an almost universal symptom. My mum commented that she has found a surprising small benefit of menopause that she doesn't feel the cold as much as she used to. I have certainly felt that my body temperature in general seems warmer. I am guessing that my flushes are probably quite mild as I don't tend to pour with sweat or need to remove layers of clothing. I find them to be quite a pleasant sensation, like warmth washing over your body. They do wake me at night and I just stick my legs out of the covers, but mainly it feels like a positive thing on winter nights. 

I was anticipating something more dramatic, emotional outbursts or something, but rather dry skin seems to be the only other symptom. Life is quietly going back to normal, as if the whole thing never happened. Exactly eight weeks after my diagnosis my nurse called to say that they did not need me to come in for an appointment since my biopsy results were all clear and there was no sign of any spread of the cancer. It must be the shortest time that anyone ever had cancer. I went back to work after Christmas and plan to go back on delivery next week. My tummy muscles feel a bit achy after a day standing up but I'd be hard put to blame my tiredness on anything other than the fact that I sat around and did nothing much for five weeks.