What is going on in my body?
April 23, 2011 10:02 AM Subscribe
Possibly really dumb, gynecology-related question inside, regarding a former hysterectomy and what is going on in my body now.
YANMD, but I have a question that is probably so basic and dumb that I'm embarassed to ask my doctor, so I'm asking you lovely people instead! Three years ago, I had a partial hysterectomy - my uterus was removed, but my ovaries were left behind. The surgery was due to endometriosis; I was 30 years old at the time. But yet, I am still ovulating. I've always had a sharp pain when I ovulate, and it's still there. It's unmistakable.
My question is two-fold. First, how is ovulation still possible with no uterus? Where are the eggs even going? I'm not having a period. And second, would it be possible to have those eggs harvested? With the potential of using a surrogate to carry my child for me? Probably an outrageous idea, but I don't really understand what is going on with my system now. Thank you all for any help you can offer.
YANMD, but I have a question that is probably so basic and dumb that I'm embarassed to ask my doctor, so I'm asking you lovely people instead! Three years ago, I had a partial hysterectomy - my uterus was removed, but my ovaries were left behind. The surgery was due to endometriosis; I was 30 years old at the time. But yet, I am still ovulating. I've always had a sharp pain when I ovulate, and it's still there. It's unmistakable.
My question is two-fold. First, how is ovulation still possible with no uterus? Where are the eggs even going? I'm not having a period. And second, would it be possible to have those eggs harvested? With the potential of using a surrogate to carry my child for me? Probably an outrageous idea, but I don't really understand what is going on with my system now. Thank you all for any help you can offer.
From an allexperts page:
Your body does think it is still intact and will still function the same as before except you will have no periods.
Yes, you may continue to have PMS. Although we do not completely understand PMS, it is a function of ovulation and the hormone changes that accompany it. If you have ovaries, you may have PMS; the uterus is not a factor. You may continue to have monthly bloating, breast tenderness, food cravings and irritability. You just won't have a period, because you will no longer have a uterus.
posted by knilstad at 10:07 AM on April 23, 2011
Your body does think it is still intact and will still function the same as before except you will have no periods.
Yes, you may continue to have PMS. Although we do not completely understand PMS, it is a function of ovulation and the hormone changes that accompany it. If you have ovaries, you may have PMS; the uterus is not a factor. You may continue to have monthly bloating, breast tenderness, food cravings and irritability. You just won't have a period, because you will no longer have a uterus.
posted by knilstad at 10:07 AM on April 23, 2011
When it comes to your own body, there are no stupid questions, and this especially is not a stupid question - it seems 100% legit to me. I would encourage you to talk to your doctor, who I'm sure will be able to give you a more comprehensive answer based on your particular medical history.
posted by you're a kitty! at 10:29 AM on April 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by you're a kitty! at 10:29 AM on April 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
Where are the eggs even going? I'm not having a period.
Eggs are just cells like blood cells, skin cells, etc. (Though I believe they are the largest cells in the human body.) Cells expire internally all the time, and are "re-absorbed" by the body. No uterus is necessary for the body to do its "clean-up" work and eat up the egg cells as they are expelled from the ovaries.
The uterus is the "baby bed", so to speak. Its lining (whose biological purpose is to nourish an embryo, should one come to exist, and implant itself in it) is what is shed each month when you have a period. No uterus, no period. But eggs are still in the ovaries, waiting to be ovulated, and will continue to be, if the ovaries are intact.
The ovaries also are the organs that produce female hormones, which have many, many uses and effects on the body. In the past, many gynecologists believed it was best to remove the ovaries along with the uterus when hysterectomy was required, even if medically unnecessary, so that the woman would not experience the monthly hormonal shifts and supposedly "useless" ovulation when pregnancy would no longer be possible. Opinions have fortunately changed, and the hormone production of the ovaries is appreciated by those in the know.
posted by RRgal at 10:36 AM on April 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Eggs are just cells like blood cells, skin cells, etc. (Though I believe they are the largest cells in the human body.) Cells expire internally all the time, and are "re-absorbed" by the body. No uterus is necessary for the body to do its "clean-up" work and eat up the egg cells as they are expelled from the ovaries.
The uterus is the "baby bed", so to speak. Its lining (whose biological purpose is to nourish an embryo, should one come to exist, and implant itself in it) is what is shed each month when you have a period. No uterus, no period. But eggs are still in the ovaries, waiting to be ovulated, and will continue to be, if the ovaries are intact.
The ovaries also are the organs that produce female hormones, which have many, many uses and effects on the body. In the past, many gynecologists believed it was best to remove the ovaries along with the uterus when hysterectomy was required, even if medically unnecessary, so that the woman would not experience the monthly hormonal shifts and supposedly "useless" ovulation when pregnancy would no longer be possible. Opinions have fortunately changed, and the hormone production of the ovaries is appreciated by those in the know.
posted by RRgal at 10:36 AM on April 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I had a hysterectomy with the ovaries left intact. My understanding is that the eggs just sort of bounce around and get reabsorbed, as if they had been released normally and just missed the uterus.
I believe it is technically feasible to harvest the eggs. I don't know how common this is, but it's - afaict - plausible.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:41 AM on April 23, 2011
I believe it is technically feasible to harvest the eggs. I don't know how common this is, but it's - afaict - plausible.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:41 AM on April 23, 2011
First, how is ovulation still possible with no uterus? Where are the eggs even going?
It might help you to look at a picture of the female reproductive organs. The way your body works is that each month, an egg cell ripens in one ovary or the other and is pushed to the surface of the ovary. From there it is expelled into the fluid surrounding your ovary, basically just into your abdominal cavity. But as you can see in that picture, the tentacle-like fimbria of the fallopian tubes are very close to the ovaries, so the egg typically floats into the fallopian tubes and is moved slowly toward the uterus by tiny waving hair-like projections on the insides of the fallopian tubes. The egg may or may not get fertilized as it moves down through the fallopian tube -- if yes, it will implant in the wall of the uterus and grow into a baby; if not, the egg will simply be lost along with menstrual fluid in the monthly period.
So, you had your uterus removed, obviously the egg can't end up there. But you still ovulate the same way: one egg each month is expelled from an ovary. If you still have your fallopian tubes, it will probably still move into them as though there was a uterus at the other end to go to. It's just that the other end of the fallopian tube is likely closed off, so the egg will simply be reabsorbed in time. (Surgery to remove fallopian tubes usually includes the prefix "salpingo-", I'm not sure whether they would have removed yours or not with a partial hysterectomy.) If you don't have your fallopian tubes anymore, the egg just floats around in your abdominal cavity until it is broken down and reabsorbed.
I can't speak to the harvesting and surrogate issue, but that is a great question for your doctor. He or she will not think that's a dumb question at all.
posted by vytae at 1:42 PM on April 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
It might help you to look at a picture of the female reproductive organs. The way your body works is that each month, an egg cell ripens in one ovary or the other and is pushed to the surface of the ovary. From there it is expelled into the fluid surrounding your ovary, basically just into your abdominal cavity. But as you can see in that picture, the tentacle-like fimbria of the fallopian tubes are very close to the ovaries, so the egg typically floats into the fallopian tubes and is moved slowly toward the uterus by tiny waving hair-like projections on the insides of the fallopian tubes. The egg may or may not get fertilized as it moves down through the fallopian tube -- if yes, it will implant in the wall of the uterus and grow into a baby; if not, the egg will simply be lost along with menstrual fluid in the monthly period.
So, you had your uterus removed, obviously the egg can't end up there. But you still ovulate the same way: one egg each month is expelled from an ovary. If you still have your fallopian tubes, it will probably still move into them as though there was a uterus at the other end to go to. It's just that the other end of the fallopian tube is likely closed off, so the egg will simply be reabsorbed in time. (Surgery to remove fallopian tubes usually includes the prefix "salpingo-", I'm not sure whether they would have removed yours or not with a partial hysterectomy.) If you don't have your fallopian tubes anymore, the egg just floats around in your abdominal cavity until it is broken down and reabsorbed.
I can't speak to the harvesting and surrogate issue, but that is a great question for your doctor. He or she will not think that's a dumb question at all.
posted by vytae at 1:42 PM on April 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
What happens after a hysterectomy? covers several of your questions about the egg pretty well.
posted by artlung at 7:32 PM on April 23, 2011
posted by artlung at 7:32 PM on April 23, 2011
Endometriosis by definition means you have endometrial (uterine lining) tissue growing in places other than your uterus. You no longer have a uterus, but you may still have endometrial growth in other places in your body, and the pain may be caused by that tissue. Talk to your doctor. These are not stupid questions.
posted by judith at 7:04 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by judith at 7:04 PM on April 25, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bq at 10:05 AM on April 23, 2011