Hysterectomy, Ovary Removal, & Hormone Replacement: What All Women Need to Know

Me thinks thou protests too much, GYNECOLOGIST. As one who has experienced years of painful periods due to endo, I finally had a hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy at age 45. I would gladly go back to that. At least I knew what to expect every month--pain. Since the hysterectomy my health has gotten WORSE, not better. I never knew that there were consequences of hysterectomy accept loss of periods. Had I known what was in this book, had I read it beforehand, I might have made a different choice. No doctor ever gave me a balanced view of what a hysterectomy might do. Women must be given adequate information in order to make intelligent choices.

The review below by a gynecologist simply proves Ms. Plourde's point: with little or no honesty from the medical profession, a woman is left to fend for herself when there are problems. Plourde points out that removal of ANY "female" organs affects them all, and the other body systems as well. I was a victim of this surgery, believing my doctors and continuing for many months to believe that the attendant shut-downs of other systems (notably thyroid) and development of other illnesses (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome) were unrelated. Plourde's book is not negative, but honest. EVERY woman considering a hysterectomy should read this book!

This book contains a wealth of information that every woman should know, women contemplating hysterectomy or oophorectomy AND women who have undergone either or both surgeries. I completely disagree with earlier post about "scaring" women unnecessarily- the information in this book is real, solid and based on the most current medical research out there. As a woman who underwent a completely unnecessary hysterectomy and oophorectomy based on a misdiagnosis from an outdated doctor, I cannot stress enough, the importance of being fully informed of all possible consequences before consenting to any kind of surgery. I myself have suffered horrendous side effects, some of them life threatening and all of them life altering. My quality of life has been significantly impacted and I am certain that had I read this book before my surgery, I would not be in the position I am now. For several years after my surgery, I was passed from one doctor to another who seemed to share the same opinions of the doctor who reviewed earlier. Then I read this wonderful book (and also "The Hysterectomy Hoax" by Dr. Stanley West) and began my quest to find more enlightened doctors. My quest ended with wonderful, world renowned doctors who totally validated the information in this book and have done their best to help me recover as much as possible from the harm that came to me from outdated, misinformed, medical practices that are, unfortunately the "standard level of care" in the USA. (Hopefully, as the truth is brought out into the open, this will change.) What happened to me is NOT rare, it is much more common than we are led to believe and the chances of this happening to you or a woman you love is very high. Therefore, I would put this book at the TOP of my reading list for all women. As for the comment about the "mind/body connection"... I couldn't agree more. But in order for the mind to connect with the body, it needs the neuro transmitters to work, and those need chemicals from the body. ALL the chemicals (hormones) from ALL of the body! If you read the book, you will understand this connection.

I want these hormones!..And I held up Suzanne Somers' The Sexy Years book. My ob/gyn smiled, ran tests for three months, and insisted upon surgery, instead. The accumulated billing:$5500. I released her to her tennis match. Hemorrhaging for nine months taught me how feeble the world felt at below 7.2 hemoglobin. Sometimes before rush hour it was crucial to cover the driver's seat with a plastic garbage bag. On one occasion, gross clotting deposited what appeared to be a hatchling from Alien onto the floor of Macy's Department Store. I carried an extra change of clothing, always. Prior go our first visit, my present M.D. suggested reading Elizabeht Plourde's Gruide book. I quickly began flowering into an informed patient. The authors knowledge, experience, presentation, and easy writing style fascinated and motivated the me to begin making better choices. My first visit with my new M.D. became less costly and more productive as a result. Two months of topical bioidentical progesterone-$10 per month from Womens International Pharmacy-and I returned to my tennis loving ob/gyn for a recheck. The hemorrhaging and hair loss had ceased, but the fringe benefits made me the office marvel. The left ovariean cyst was gone, the septation on the right ovarian cyst disappeared, the right ovary need not be removed , and uterine fibroids showed a marked size reduction, as did my distended abdomen. Good information, good questions, courage and carefully chosen doctors and healthcare providers create miracles. Sharing creates a marvelous network of supportive individuals. I share Elizabeth Plourde's Guide book with belly dancers, divas, vitamin specialists, health food stores, attorneys, physicians, and husbands of affected women.

In her first book, Your Guide to Hysterectomy, Ovary Removal & Hormone Replacement, Elizabeth Plourde dared to express what is sadly often inadmissible in our culture - the outrage, pain and loss she experienced when waking from surgery to find that necessary and vital feminine organs were removed without her consent. She, like untold numbers of women, was launched into an challenged existence of physical disability, when unnaturally deprived of her critical hormone-producing ovaries, in particular.During her recovery, she began an unprecedented process of research into the effects of complete hysterectomy, that spanned 16 years, coming up with valuable information on the potential long term effects of ovary removal, which are rarely available to women who are seeking to understand all dimensions of this surgical process.Sustaining a hysterectomy, or deciding to have a hysterectomy, is monumental - although the numbers of this procedure done in this country defies that fact. Elizabeth Plourde is valiant in challenging the normalizing perception of this surgery, and in doing so, may spare countless numbers of women untold and unexpected suffering, help to shift the limiting paradigms in modern medical thought,and validate women's rights to be educated about their bodies and make informed health decisions. She also provides critical information for hysterectomized women regarding promoting and maintaining their post-surgical health and well-being. Thank you, Elizabeth Plourde, for your courage, dedication and perseverance! This is a book that has desperately needed to be written, and gives a critical voice a precious value,and much needed guidance to countless many.