When I first learned I’d be having my uterus removed (a hysterectomy) along with my ovaries (an oophorectomy), I wasn’t fully prepared for the intensity of the changes that would follow. I knew menopause was part of the journey, but I had no idea how overwhelming the symptoms would become after surgery.
👉 Click here to read: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Menopause Symptoms Naturally
Uterus Removal: The Surge of Menopausal Symptoms
After my uterus was removed, I expected some menopausal symptoms, but nothing prepared me for how intense they’d be. The hot flashes, mood swings, and constant discomfort hit hard and fast. It felt like a wake-up call...a sudden shift in my body that left me feeling unbalanced and overwhelmed.
Ovary Removal: The Estrogen Shock
What I wish I had known before my ovary removal was just how crucial the ovaries are to the entire body. They don’t just produce estrogen for reproduction—they produce estrogen that travels through the bloodstream and influences nearly every system in the body.
Organs throughout the body have estrogen receptors—like tiny antennae—searching for a signal that’s suddenly gone. I imagine it like this:
The brain is screaming, “Help! I’m running out of estrogen!” And the body responds, “We have limited backup—the ovaries are gone.”
The brain goes into overdrive, sending out an SOS:
“Mayday, mayday! I’m getting foggy, losing memory, anxiety is creeping in, and depression is just around the corner! Please send estrogen before it spirals into a full-blown mental health catastrophe!”
But it’s not just the brain that’s in distress. The heart, thyroid, bones, and other systems are all sending out their own cries for help, desperate for the estrogen they need to keep functioning.
Surgical Menopause vs. Natural Menopause
Having a hysterectomy and oophorectomy pushed me into menopause quickly and intensely. For women who go through menopause naturally, the decline in estrogen is gradual. Even with ovaries still intact, they produce only small amounts of estrogen—which often isn’t enough to support all body systems efficiently.
For me, the drop was immediate. The symptoms came on suddenly and severely. This is called surgical menopause, and some refer to it as menopausal shock.
While my experience was accelerated by surgery, it’s important to understand that estrogen depletion occurs in every woman going through menopause—surgical or natural. The key difference is that surgical menopause causes a more rapid and dramatic hormonal shift, which intensifies the symptoms.
Final Thoughts
I’m a menopausal woman who has done extensive research and is continuing to learn how to flourish through this transition. Please consult with a licensed healthcare professional and do your own research. And if you’ve had similar experiences, I’d love to hear from you.
💬 Feel free to share your story and what you’ve learned in the comments below.