Follow-up Report

It is now five months since my surgery. I am doing very well. I have lost weight and am exercising with plans to continue to lose more.

I began to get hot flashes about two months ago. They happen mostly at night and don't last too long. I also keep a fan on my desk at work so I can turn it right on my face, if necessary. I have not begun to take any hormone replacements. I have been working so hard to lose weight that the thought of immediately putting back on 20 pounds or so, is not appealing to me. I would rather suffer the hot flashes (for right now). My goal is to get healthy and get off of the high blood pressure medication. I am of the opinion that I was storing estrogen in my fat and therefore, I had a delayed (and may still be having) menopause.

I feel better since the surgery. I believe the problems I experienced for about eight years were all related and they culminated in developing the cancer. I experienced irregular periods for the last eight years. I also think the increased weight gain I had over that time was a combination of my hormones, not eating properly, and not exercising regularly.

I feel very lucky to have come through this only needing the surgery. It was caught early and that made all the difference. I do feel like it changed my outlook on life. The main thing is it made me want to get healthy. I always put it off, something I was going to get to eventually. When I was diagnosed with uterine cancer and when I found out that it was something I increased my risk of by being overweight, it really changed my outlook. I always thought, "I'll deal with my weight when I reach menopause and I have an increase risk of heart attack." Well, I did not pay attention to the increased risk of cancer and it caught me.

Get tested and follow-up - it is so important.