Hysterectomy Ruined My Life – Lydia’s Story

My hysterectomy ruined my life. I was given the option of having a full hysterectomy including ovaries removed as a precautionary measure when I had a potentially cancerous cyst at the age of 42. The alternative would have been to have the cyst removed and potentially have a second operation if it proved to be cancerous. I was warned that if I had a full hysterectomy I would have to go on HRT which brought a risk of cancer similar to that of taking the pill. I was given a leaflet that told me I would be able to have sex normally after a hysterectomy.

There followed two and a half years of chronic fatigue. I felt like a completely different person, I couldn’t function, having been incredibly active all my life. Getting out of bed was a huge fight every morning. Different types of HRT had different effects the most noticeable of which was enormous weight gain. I went running every day to try and counter it and still I got fatter. And my libido had vanished entirely – it is lucky I have a patient partner. Testosterone has helped with the libido and I am still waiting for about the 6th HRT to see if that will help with anything. In the meantime I have been driven to distraction and even to thoughts of suicide.

I have met quite a few people who know of someone – their friend, mother, other relative, who suffered terrible depression after a hysterectomy, I never heard anything about that from my internet research or the doctors beforehand. I believe I am now back to how I was since finding Coenzyme Q10 120mg at a health food store. This has transformed me back to how I used to be i.e. bouncing out of bed at 6:30am rather than feeling every morning like I am lifting a 10 tonne weight out of bed at 9am, the earliest I could manage often. I am also taking soya isoflavones which virtually eliminated nasty night sweats and aloe vera and bee pollen which help with energy and counter the depression.

If you have to have this op, all the best. I didn’t have to have it. I wish so much that I never had and I just hope and pray that these supplements will keep working so that I may only have lost two and a half years.

Update:

I found co enzyme Q10 by looking at reviews on Holland and Barrett for lethargy / energy. I was so desperate I bought some and took it without understanding what it was. When the effect was so massive, I googled it and found some extremely interesting stuff on Wikipedia. So far – about 2 weeks in – I am still thriving on it.

Previously, I felt like diet, exercise, aloe vera, bee pollen and soya isoflavines had got me 80% of the way, but I still struggled badly in the mornings – which could extend into afternoons. If I could make myself go for a run, I would generally be OK after the run – but the first few hours of the day were terrible and I seemed to be able to sleep for 12 hours or even more if I let myself.

The co enzyme Q10 has given me all my previous energy back. I now realise I probably wasn’t really 80% of the way there. Since every day started in a terrible way, the impact of the start of the day seemed worse somehow. now I take Q10 when I go to bed and wake up like I used, to, ready to jump put of bed instead of feeling like I was chained to it.

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