Wait! Was that a hot flash?
by Jillian Bogater (Exile From Hysteria)
My first hot flash took me by surprise.
I was snuggled in on my recovery recliner, wrapped up in a sweater, a blanket and wearing slippers. I always run cold, and have taken to covering up instead of engaging in Themostat Wars with Matt. Even with the blanket, I still make him concede to a 70-degree temperature when I am home.
So this afternoon, as I felt a drip of perspiration fall down my ribs, I knew something was amiss.
“Honey, is it hot in here?” I asked, plainly expecting Matt to dramatically exclaim how he was melting. Instead, he said, “No. It’s not.”
I threw the red-and-white knitted blanket to the floor in one big motion.
“Your face is bright red,” Matt said.
I jumped out of the chair, energized by the heat. As I kicked off my slippers, I swirled around, closing my eyes as the small breeze tucked under my purple nightgown.
“Jill, you better sit down. You’re going to get dizzy.”
So I sat. The hot flash celebration was short lived. The intense heat wore off in about five minutes. Out of habit, I put my sweater back on. That didn’t last long. It took a good 30 minutes before I felt close-to-comfortable.
In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting a hot flash. My surgeon had salvaged my left ovary and fallopian tube. The hysterectomy was designed to keep menopause at bay for another 10 years.
Still, I knew there was a chance this might happen.
When I went under the knife, a good portion of my internal organs “went to sleep” — including my remaining ovary. I’ve heard sometimes it takes weeks, or more, for the remaining ovary to “wake up” and fully function again.
There’s also the chance it won’t start working again. And I will go directly to menopause. If this happens, I will discuss hormone replacement therapy with my surgeon. In the meantime, I will keep a journal of my symptoms and present them when I see the doctor a week from today.
I have a bum thyroid that leaves me basically always freezing my butt off. So up until today, I always made jokes about how hot flashes will be a welcome change … when I get the change.
Now that I got a taste, I’m not so sure.
I thought I’d love the sensation of being hot, but really I just felt flustered and sweaty. And the randomness of it all sorta freaks me out.
A friend of mine recently told me getting a hysterectomy is the beginning of my story, not the end.
I suspect she was right.
Exile From Hysteria 
poor love, you. i hope that ovary wakes up for you. buuuut…. if you do have to join me over here in hrt wonderland…. just trust… it’s not so bad. one pill, everyday… and all that nonsense sort of disappears. i haven’t had one of those little flashes since. it does feel strange, doesn’t it? now instead of always being hot… i’m freezing. constantly. just like the good old days. 🙂
Haha. That’s good to know. I’m definitely disoriented by all this hot stuff. I’m used to living on the Arctic! I see the doc on Wednesday, so that will be interesting to hear her take on this….
I had a few hot flashes after the operation even though I kept both of my ovaries. My surgeon claims they wouldn’t have “gone to sleep” but I feel differently. I saw the DVD of the operation and I would be amazed if the ovaries hadn’t been a bit insulted by all that tugging, cutting and pulling. I am the same as you – always freezing. My feet, hands and nose (weird, huh) are always cold to the touch. So it was weird to wake up one night and be sooooo hot while my husband (who is always warm) was sleeping under a winter duvet pulled up to his chin. 🙂 xx
Ha! I feel I will have a similar recovery to you. It’s funny how I’ve complained about being cold for so long, and now I don’t trust the flip side!!
Welcome to your new beginning. Hot flashes aren’t so bad once you get used to them, they are great when it’s freezing outside, they keep you warm in the subarctic.
OMG, hahahaha! I had my second one yesterday, but I was a bit more prepared. I whipped off my multiple layers of clothes in ninja-style skill. 😉
Thanks for the heads up on the hot flashes. I’ll be an ovary down in a couple of weeks, it’s nice to know what to expect. It’s good to see you are recovering well, and venturing outside. Ive just read you are having trouble sleeping in your bed. When I had my hysterectomy I slept in my bed, but on my side, with a pillow between my legs. It just takes the
pressure off your stomach. Top tip:)
Thanks for the tip!! I prefer sleeping on my side, so I will use your approach. I’m seeing my doc on Wednesday, so I will find out more about what these hot flashes mean. Until then, I plan on dressing in layers!!!
I have not had any hot flashes yet, but I am not looking forward to them when they do come! My doctor left one ovary. The bending and twisting rules are important (I think I found out HOW important they are last night. Chuckle
Good luck in your continued recovery! It sounds like your ovary bounced right back…. 🙂
Good luck to you too!!
Ugh – hate those hot flushes. Mine are under control (sort-of) with HRT. Hope that remaining ovary soon wakes up!! 🙂
http://sliceoflifemonologues.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/the-change/
Thanks so much! And I really loved the link, too!
I found your website tonight while searching for information on the web from other hysterectomy patients. I’m one week post-op so seeing your updates is providing me with a lot more information than the small packet I got from my doctor’s office about what to expect post-op. While there was a chance that my right ovary would be removed, it actually looked okay once my doctor opened me up. On the one hand, I was happy to hear that because it meant that I wouldn’t have the specter of menopause hanging over me, but on the other hand, it made me angry because it meant the pain I’d been experiencing was still undefined.
Interestingly, I also have a thyroid condition but fall on the opposite spectrum – I’m always hot. Tonight I was sitting on the couch in a maxi dress with the fan blowing on me, my face, neck and arms bright red, while my husband was under the blanket. Hormones!