Zoladex or Ovaries removed???

If you had the choice, what would you choose, zoladex injections or surgery to have your ovaries removed??

What a difficult decision. I've done both, so here is my view and if I could go back what my decision would be.

So, we know that both procedures will put us into menopause. I don't think the symptoms of menopause are any worse for either option. I was having zoladex injections for 2 years. That is, every 4 weeks an injection in my tummy, yes it hurts a little depending on the person injecting it. I had my injections at the cancer centre at the hospital, so each time I had the injection it was a different nurse.
I wasn't given the option of surgery to remove my ovaries, not until I had a recurrence in September. I had my ovaries removed in October, 2015. Whilst I had a few complications, I think that was the best decision for me. I feel healthier than I have for some time. Yes, I still get the menopause symptoms and there is not much I can do about that. One very important detail I learned from my gyno was that you should only be on zoladex for 6 months at a time because of the damage it can do to your body, particularly your bones, zoladex can cause osteoperosis. Something I wasn't aware of. I am yet to have any bone scans or checks on my bones to see if there is any permanent damage but yes I suffered from bone pain with zoladex and I continue to get some pain now.

So, if you are given the choice, think hard, if you are definitely finished having children maybe the surgery is the way to go for you, but if you are wanting children then perhaps you should have zoladex injections, because that is not a permanent procedure.

Life Without Ovaries

So, for the past two and a half years I have been in what they call 'medically induced menopause'. I have been on tamoxifen and have had zoladex injections every 4 weeks. The zoladex puts my ovaries to sleep. The whole reason for this treatment was to lower or stop the production of estrogen in my body. As my breast cancer was estrogen positive. Having my ovaries removed was not an option I was given. That was until my recent recurrence - also estrogen positive breast cancer. I had my ovaries removed two weeks ago. Tomorrow I will see my gyno for any results. The surgery wasn't as easy as what I had expected. I had a few complications and oh so much pain. Apparently, I had a lot adhesions due to a previous cesarean and they had to be removed so the surgeon could get to my ovaries.
I have been in menopause for the past two years. I also have medication to help relieve those symptoms. Efexor. Unfortunately, that stopped working for me a long time ago. I get all the not so wonderful symptoms of menopause. Instead of feeling like a 45 year old I now feel more like 75.
Since having my ovaries removed I had a brake from the sweats and hot flushes for the first week. I couldn't walk straight and I was in pain but at least I wasn't sweating. Roll on last Saturday and I woke early in the morning dripping wet like I had been sleep walking and had a shower. Most of the day was spent with my body overheating. Sweating was out of control and hit with no warning. Luckily for me I had no where to go. So, I hid inside my house, sweating and hot flushing all day. The flushes were so strong that I also had nausea. What a rotten day.
Just as I am thinking, this will be my life now. I doubt there is any other medication out there that I can take to help with my menopause, everything has stopped again.No hot flushes or sweats since Saturday. I have a feeling that at the moment I am on a roller-coaster ride, not able to get off. Hopefully, the ride will stop soon and let me get off and leave my menopause symptoms behind.