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LeahM · 08-31-2014, 02:21 PM

Hi There,

I am having the same thoughts and wrote about it in a thread labeled "am I crazy to keep my ovaries"

I have decided to keep my ovaries and relieve myself of my uterus and cervix. My small family history of cancer includes my mat. grandmother who had both breast and uterine cancer.

Here is why I am keeping my ovaries...I am only 5% ER+ and so my chances of another BC or ovarian cancer are no higher than the average womens. Plus, removing your ovaries at such a young age increases your risk of heart disease (the #1 killer of women) by 40%. That is HUGE!! Plus, ER is good for your bones.

So when I remove the uterus the doc will peek at my ovaries and if they are ok then they will stay.

If I read your signature correctly you are ER-

Last year when I brought this up to my docs they all said "no" because I was "too emotional". Now they say "yes" seeing that I have calmed down a bit and took the time to weigh the risks vs. benefits. Now it's up to the insurance co to make the final decision.

HOWEVER....I see you are prone to cysts/fibroids...so here is another thought floating around in my head...

....and it floats around there because my BC was hiding behind a KNOWN benign tumor in my breast....

...don't give cancer a place to hide.

Ultimately you will do what is best for you. These decisions are hard to make...

Best
Leah

08-31-2014, 02:21 PM	#5
LeahM Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Bethlehem PA Posts: 395	Re: Thoughts filling my head. Hi There, I am having the same thoughts and wrote about it in a thread labeled "am I crazy to keep my ovaries" I have decided to keep my ovaries and relieve myself of my uterus and cervix. My small family history of cancer includes my mat. grandmother who had both breast and uterine cancer. Here is why I am keeping my ovaries...I am only 5% ER+ and so my chances of another BC or ovarian cancer are no higher than the average womens. Plus, removing your ovaries at such a young age increases your risk of heart disease (the #1 killer of women) by 40%. That is HUGE!! Plus, ER is good for your bones. So when I remove the uterus the doc will peek at my ovaries and if they are ok then they will stay. If I read your signature correctly you are ER- Last year when I brought this up to my docs they all said "no" because I was "too emotional". Now they say "yes" seeing that I have calmed down a bit and took the time to weigh the risks vs. benefits. Now it's up to the insurance co to make the final decision. HOWEVER....I see you are prone to cysts/fibroids...so here is another thought floating around in my head... ....and it floats around there because my BC was hiding behind a KNOWN benign tumor in my breast.... ...don't give cancer a place to hide. Ultimately you will do what is best for you. These decisions are hard to make... Best Leah __________________ 39 year old wife, mother of one and nurse. April 20, 2012: Dx Invasive Ductal Carcinoma April 25, 2012: ER+(5%), PR-, HER2+++ May 10, 2012: BRCA 1,2 Negative May 23, 2012: MUGA Scan EF 70% May 31, 2012: B/L Mastectomy. 2/2 nodes removed and CLEAR!! Power Port placed. 2 Drains. 2 Expanders placed June 5, 2012: Drains OUT! Ahhhh.. June 12, 2012: Final Pathology Report, .8x.3cm tumor. Micromets to 1 node .35mm under cytokeratin staining. Stage 2A. Onc says "you are lucky to have found this early" July 10, 2012: Started 6 rounds of TCH with weekly H Sept 5, 2012: MUGA 65% Sept 20, 2012: CAT scan of brain clear! Oct 23, 2012: LAST TC! AMEN! Continue Herceptin every three weeks until July 2013. Nov 19, 2012: Port out! Dec 5, 2012: Started radiation Dec. 10, 2012: MUGA 65% Dec. 13, 2012: Turned 40. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! Jan 23, 2013: Last radiation. Told I am NED. Continue Herceptin every three weeks till July 2013. Jan 29, 2013: Begin 5 years of Tamoxifen. Feb 28, 2013: CT Scan with Contrast of lungs. 5mm and 4mm nodules of unknown origin. Rescan in 3 months. Mar 6, 2013: EF 60% May 8, 2013: Exanders out, implants implanted...abd. lipo and fat moved up. Girls are looking good! June 3, 2013: CT Scan with Contrast of lungs. Previous nodules gone. New nodules (2mm and 3mm) found. Rescan in 3 months. So sorry I opened this can of worms... June 11, 2013: EF 60% June 25, 2013: Last Herceptin. wow... Aug 20, 2013: Tumor markers within normal limits. Xray to sore left ribs shows no disease or fractures. Sept 9, 2013: CT of lungs shows no disease. Closing this can of worms and moving on. Nov 20, 2013: Tumor markers within normal limits. Severe Vit D deficiency, started on prescription Vit. D. Blaming chemo for this. Feb 2014: Tumor markers within normal limits. May 2014: Tumor markers within normal limits. Graduated to twice yearly onc appts. Oct 2014: Tumor markers within normal limits. May 2015: Tumor markers WNL. Bone density scan fine. Bone scan and xray of ribs shows "something" 4th right rib. Could be healed fracture but if it is healed why does it hurt? Nov 2015: Tumor markers WNL. Follow up bone scan clear. Feb 2016: Syncope! WTF? Dizzy too. Brain scan clear, ECHO EF 60%, Halter Monitor shows heart is fine. Viral? I will never know. June 2016: Tumor markers WNL. Oct 2016: Stabbing pain right eye. Long story short, trigeminal neuralgia. Nov 2016 Brain MRI clear. Jan 2017: Tumor markers WNL, still getting weird pain right rib area, and sometimes right upper chest. Xray x2, Bone Scan, Breast MRI all clear. Scar tissue? Rads. I may never know. www.onmywaytosurvivorhood.blogspot.com www.thechemobag.com www.facebook.com/thechemobag