Ovary removal.

Hi @Mic80. You have my sympathy. I have a different gene mutation (CHEK2, and a rare one within that group). My sister died from BC and we discovered last year that my mother and I had the mutation. Your description of being rocked by the news is a good one. It doesn't change anything per se, but your world shifts on its axis a little, and tends to colour your view somewhat.

I had had a double mastectomy a few months earlier, so the discovery of the mutation reinforced my decision in hindsight. It also raises my risk of some other cancers as well. Colonoscopy coming up soon...

We've had quite a few here who've had an oophorectomy so I'm sure someone will be along shortly to assist. My inderstanding is that it's a relatively straightforward procedure with little pain.

Big hug mutation cousin! K xox

I had tubes and ovaries out just over a year ago.  Keyhole surgery. In one day, home the next, didn't need much in the way of pain relief. I had 2 weeks off work, probably could have gone back a few days sooner. I tired easily for a couple of weeks more.

My skin has been much drier since that surgery,  but I haven't noticed any other real changes. I was already post menopausal,  so no futher changes there.

I did speak to a genetic counsellor but no testing was recommended.  My family history wasn't strong enough for any one cancer. My grandfather had lung cancer after smoking heavily for 60 plus years.  My Dad is one of 5. Of those, only one did not have cancer. , and out of 11 of us in the next generation, 3 have had cancer (all different).

We did discuss the possibility that there could be some genetic predisposition to non specific cancer, but no way of knowing, so.......

Take care xx

I got rid of mine in December 2016. I did it at the same time I had my port put in, a week or so before chemo. I had    wicked shoulder pain for a couple of hours which is caused by the gas they use to inflate your tummy during the op and  some minor problems with dissolvable stitches a couple of weeks later, but apart from that I was up and about very quickly.
I haven't had any testing done, but as I'd had a recurrence and knew I'd be on AI for years, I figured being rocketed into full menopause (the last step is a doozy) was a small price to pay compared to Zolodex injections and the worry that I'd develop ovarian cancer too.
I've never regretted it. The game plan is to keep my oestrogens to a minimum which was always going to have its own unpleasant set of side effects whether I did it physically or chemically. Mxx

I have had both ovaries removed due to large cysts which were benign.  This was done pre BC.
As other ladies have said it was day surgery and pretty easy recovery.  The only big issue for me was it pushed me into instant menopause at 48 and that was pretty yuk. Julie xx

I have the MHL1 gene also known as lynch syndrome. This gives higher risk of bowel, ovarian and uterine cancer. The recommendation I got was full hysterectomy before 45 as screening wasn’t the best. I was in the process of seeing all the specialists to have the hysterectomy and then BAM I hade breast cancer. To say I was angry was an understatement, I was doing everything I could to prevent the other cancers and then I get BC. I have finished chemo, recovering from double mastectomy operation I had last week and will need radiotherapy after I heal. Then I will be still going ahead with the hysterectomy. My decisions have been to give me the best chance of this not reoccurring and not be in this position again. Life is too short and at 44 I have so much more to do. I have/will loose a lot of my womanhood but my health is more important. I have been advised that it can be done via keyhole so I will hopefully recover quickly.  Good luck and I hope all goes well. 
To cope I look at the genetic testing as a blessing as it’s a warning and I can make a choices to help reduce the risks. A lot of people don’t get a warning.
Renee xx 

@Renners xxx

@Renners sounds a little like my story.  I was booked in to have a partial hysterectomy - leaving ovaries behind because I was pre-menopausal.  Went for my annual mammogram to get it out of the way before surgery and whammo - hello BC.  So surgery was put on hold for more urgent surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation.

@Mic80 I had a full hysterectomy and oophorectomy because my BC was ER+++.  As I was planning the hysterectomy anyway, recommendation from oncologists was to take everything out - ovaries, tubes, cervix.  No more pap smears!!!

I had a bladder sling sheath operation at the same time as the hysterectomy so my surgery was open abdominal and I was in hospital for a full week.  The pain for the first few days was horrific and because I have tolerance problems with a lot of medications, it took a while for the doctors to get the pain relief sorted out for me. 

However, since having it done, I don't regret it one bit. Yes, recovery was slow but not having painful periods anymore and knowing I've taken a big step in reducing ER to discourage the cancer to come back is a huge relief.

@Mic80 I had my ovaries & tubes removed last April following my BC surgery 4 months earlier. As with others, surgery one day & out the next with keyhole surgery & 3 tiny entry points that healed brilliantly. I had a couple of weeks off work & only suffered slightly with swelling & bleeding which was normal. The worse thing was the referred neck & shoulder pain due to the gas they pump into your abdomen to operate. I had heat-packs on both shoulders for around 3-4 days & just tried to keep moving & walking to get it out of my body!
My mum died of ovarian cancer when she was 46 y.o. Between my surgery & radiation, they did the gene testing on me to see if I had the BRCA gene as it may sway the decision whether I was to continue with the rad or consider having a mastectomy, as recon is hard to do after rad treatment. My results came back negative so I continued with my rad. Previous to my own cancer diagnoses, my mum was the only family member who died of cancer but as she died at such a young age, my entire medical team said it was a "no-brainer" to have the operation to have my ovaries & tubes removed.
I must admit, i was very happy to get them out as this disease has been haunting me all my life. Whenever I would get any pain or bloating, i would worry that it was cancer. I would often have ultrasounds to check it out but they say that it is sometimes not picked up during the test. I remember having my checkup ultrasound around 3 months after the operation & the lady who did it said that when she had finished having children, she was going to get hers removed as she had seen first hand so many sad cases of this disease which is the silent killer! When i told her my story, she agreed that i had done the right thing.
 My mind is now clear & i dont have to worry about a secondary cancer returning in that area. Even though my gene test results were negative, everyone agreed for me to have the simple operation. i was already menopausal so i didnt have to worry about that so the only thing i have to keep check on is my bone density as that is something that can deteriorate when you have your ovaries removed. i do strength training at home with hand weights & go running & walking & do Pilates. My first bone density test came back fine so I will have them every 2 yrs to keep check on it.
Good luck with your decision but i can say that it is like a weight has been lifted from me since my operation & I dont regret it one bit. I remember when they were about to put me to sleep before the operation, i said, through tears,  that I was doing this for my mum & i bet she was proud of me!! Take care. love & hugs xx

@Anne65 do you mind me asking was it April 12mths ago or just last month? Also if you don’t mind me asking how old are you? I am toying with this op. I have had a recurrance (8. Years ago) had triple neg twice. Have had gene testing and it’s negative , but suffer often with the stupid vague symptoms, and like you it does my head in. The dr I saw for my check up last week who wasn’t my usual surgeon (she was on mat leave) said she thought it was a good idea. I am going to have a chat with a gynae to try and help me decide. You sound pretty symptom free too. No hot flushes or anything?
paula x

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and respond xx
Feeling a little less overwhelmed with it all xx