Information on hysterectomy and hormonal balance
by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP & Marcy
Holmes NP, Certified Menopause Clinician
As the second most often performed surgical procedure on American women today, we
hear so many questions about hysterectomy. Women are trying to decide whether to
have one, seeking alternatives, looking for help in recovering from surgery, or
asking how to stop their estrogen therapy many years afterwards.
At Women to Women we view these questions as part of a lifelong process in which
the constant goal is hormonal balance. The good news is that you can restore your
hormonal balance at any point, no matter where you find yourself now.
We’d like to emphasize that we are neither for nor against hysterectomy. Certainly
a large number of hysterectomies performed in this country are medically unnecessary.
But for many women they are wonderful. As one of our friends said after her hysterectomy,
“My body feels at peace for the first time.” What matters is what’s
right for you.
Tips for Personal Program Success
Permission to nurture yourself: Granted. Stress can help create hormonal imbalance. Nurturing self-care can help restore that balance. If, like many women, you spend a lot of your time taking care of everyone else, it’s more important than ever to make time for yourself. Do something to care for your body, your mind and your soul — like getting a massage, a reiki treatment, even taking a nap or hot bath.
So whether you are in the decision stage, in the immediate recovery stage post surgery,
or years down the road after hysterectomy, what’s most important is that you
are as informed as possible. We’ve prepared the following series of articles
to help you weigh all your options.
Our most popular resources on hysterectomy and alternatives
To access an article, just choose from the list of excerpts below. To find more
articles, use the search function below. Don’t see a topic that’s important
to you? Let us know.
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For women who have had a hysterectomy.
Whether a woman has undergone elective hysterectomy or has had one under more dire
circumstances, she will immediately enter surgical menopause. Some find immediate
relief, while others feel as though they’ve fallen off a cliff. For years
the standard conventional treatment has been prescription HRT, but many safe, effective
alternatives exist to support your body through this transition — without drugs.
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For
women considering a hysterectomy.
We think every woman who faces a decision about hysterectomy should be fully aware
of her options. Promising new imaging and surgical techniques are changing the way
surgery is performed, offering women new options and alternatives to hysterectomy,
and decreasing discomfort and recovery time:
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Endometriosis — start with a natural approach.
The complex nature of endometriosis can make it a difficult condition to understand,
diagnose, and treat. The key seems to be hormonal balance and the estrogenic environment
in which it develops. Here are the first measures we recommend to our patients for
prevention and our natural approach to relief.
- Uterine fibroids —
and natural alternative to hysterectomy.
Heavy and irregular bleeding caused by fibroids leads many women to the end of their
gynecological rope. But hysterectomy recovery and side-effects can be just as problematic.
The information in this article will allow you to take a step back and consider
your alternatives.
- FAQ’s on hysterectomy.
From the general to the specific and in-between, here is a list of the most commonly
asked questions we hear from our readers and patients about hysterectomy.
Our Personal Program is a great place to start
The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.
Original Publication Date: 07/20/2006
Last Modified:
08/17/2009
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP
& Marcy Holmes, Certified Menopause Clinician