Life After Hysterectomy: How Hormone Therapy Can Help

In this episode of Hormone Harmony, Brittany Meeker, NP, and Jordan Colwell, VP of Operations at ThriveLab, discuss how hormone therapy can help women regain balance after a hysterectomy. Jordan shares her personal experience of having a total hysterectomy at 27 due to endometriosis and fibroids. She talks about the challenges she faced post-surgery, including fatigue, brain fog, and hot flashes, and how bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) helped restore her energy, mood, and sleep.

Brittany explains the role of hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, and how BHRT can address hormone imbalances after a hysterectomy. The episode also highlights the importance of finding a healthcare provider who specializes in hormone therapy and maintaining open communication for effective treatment adjustments.

Head to www.thrivelab.com for the full video version of this episode! Find us on Instagram @thrivelab_women to learn more about the benefits of BHRT and women's hormone health.

Transcript

Brittany (00:01)

Welcome back to part two of our discussion on hysterectomies and hormone therapy. Today we'll focus on how hormone therapy can help women regain balance after a hysterectomy. Plus we have a powerful message and a personal story from Jordan, VP of Operations here at Thrivelab, who has gone through this experience herself. 

Jordan Colwell (00:31)

Thank you, Brittany. I am happy to be here. My name is Jordan Colwell, Vice President of Operations at Thrivelab. I had a total hysterectomy at the age of 27, which caused many physical, emotional, and mental changes. I've been educating myself and working toward overcoming those. My struggles post-hysterectomy is why I'm so passionate about helping others who are experiencing the same.

Brittany (00:58)

You know, your story is so important because it resonates with a lot of listeners and even patients on our platform. I want to dive into what happens hormonally after a hysterectomy and why so many women are left searching for answers. I think it's important to note one in three women in the United States will have a hysterectomy by 60. And that is quoted from the CDC. Okay. And it's really important to know that, any sort of surgeries on our uterus or on our ovaries, which are ovaries is our powerhouse for our hormones will deplete us throughout the years. And so there's common reasons for hysterectomies. I hear fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, cancer, and the depth of what they go through emotionally, and I'm sure you relate to as well, is kind of feeling not only the, the baby part of my life is gone, but also how I feel after the surgery gets even worse. So the removal of your ovaries, which is the powerhouse of your hormones, means complete menopause. There is no hormones really going throughout the body. And so women can suffer that drastically and start to have hot flashes and night sweats and mood swings and insomnia and brain fog, libidos depleted drastically, but also we're looking at the risks of osteoporosis and heart disease because those do increase inflammation throughout the body, which can cause these long-term health effects when it comes to not having hormones. So even when the ovaries are present. Some women still experience hormone disposition, but it's really getting tuned into what those symptoms are and speaking to a professional on those details, especially for those who aren't cycling anymore, what's going on emotionally and physically.

Jordan Colwell (03:09)

Absolutely, and those statistics are shocking. I know it's hard to hear. Can you share from a medical perspective how hormone therapy helps post-hysterectomy?

Brittany (03:21)

Well, the bioidentical hormone replacement is to treat your body and how your body is made. So if we break it down, I always say estrogen and testosterone are the energizer hormones. Women have a lot of estrogen, most than men, although men do have estrogen. Estrogen has over 400 functions. Skin elasticity, bone density, energy, libido, brain health, there's lots of benefits that estrogen does. And testosterone is on that same plane filled with libido and stamina and muscle mass and strength and conditioning. Again, men have more than us, but we do need some and those energizer hormones are key to drive us through our energy levels. Well, just how we were made, we have our energy hormones, but we need the balancer and that's progesterone. That is a calming, relaxing hormone, helps our mood, helps our sleep. And these hormones, which is what we want to focus on treating you on how you are made, alleviate symptoms and reduce health risks. So studies show that estrogen post-hysterectomy lowers your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease by 30%. And that's from the Women's Health. And so it's really important that we don't just think of hormones as just something that is a luxury, but a necessity for long-term longevity when it comes to what it does for our brain and body.

So looking into the depths of your story, Jordan, can you share what your experience was like having a hysterectomy at such a young age in your 20s and kind of shining light for others listening and viewers watching on what your lens through that was like for you?

Jordan Colwell (05:16)

Absolutely. I struggled for years with irregular cycles and abdominal pain. After going to a lot of providers, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and fibroids. My ovaries were not in good enough shape to remain, which is why I had the total hysterectomy. Once the surgery was completed within two months post-op, I could tell that I was very fatigued throughout the day. I had a lot of brain fog, hard for me to get through work. Skin changes, brittle nails, dryness, hot flashes, and most of all, I was not sleeping. In addition to the physical symptoms, it was also emotionally draining. I felt betrayed by my body in a sense and looking in the mirror, just not seeing myself. As a mother of three, I didn't have time to not have that energy. I knew I had to find a way to combat that surgical menopause symptoms that I was experiencing. So in my research, I found BHRT was the safest treatment for me. Once I started BHRT, it did take a little bit of time for my body to find that balance again. I didn't start seeing significant symptom improvement until about three months from starting treatment. And from then, I started feeling that energy again. My skin changed. It started looking firmer, less wrinkles. My mood swings were not as often. And I did start sleeping better again, which was the most important part for me. What I realized is we have to give our bodies grace through the changes as it didn't get here overnight so it's not going to be fixed overnight.

Brittany (06:58)

It sounds like your provider really encouraged you to stick the course, give it time, and I imagine you were in communication with her frequently so she could ensure that any minor adjustments that were needed could be implemented because everyone responds differently.

Jordan Colwell (07:16)

Absolutely, everybody's body is different. Everybody's journey looks different. So it's super important that you keep in contact with your provider and give those updates.

Brittany (07:28)

And that's really important, because I'll tell patients to give it 90 days. The more we're in communication, the more we can really drastically change this time frame to get all of this addressed. But I love the fact that your provider was so updating with you on letting you know this is not an overnight fix. But if you stick the course, we give it time, here you are now having a testimony of sticking it through and giving your body time and trusting your provider, is super important, especially by a hormone specialist, I think. And I'm curious, just on the surgical end, you've stated before that your surgeon said this is kind of what we're going to do, but never prepared you for the challenges afterwards on what menopause would look like for someone in their 20s.

Jordan Colwell (08:18)

Not at all. I felt like I was not prepared for post-op. Whenever I talked to my surgeon about it, he told me most of the benefits and hey, you're not going to have your pain anymore in your abdomen. You're not going to have these cycles that are irregular. Ultimately, I was not prepared for all of the symptoms that came along with it. I didn't realize without my ovaries, which like you said was the powerhouse, once that was removed, my body definitely needed that support.

Brittany (08:53)

Well, it's known too that many women are unprepared for post-surgery hormone changes. Whether it's a total where you remove the uterus and the ovaries or a partial, like we discussed in part one, the partial is keeping the ovaries but that uterine artery getting clipped affects the blood flow to the ovaries, the powerhouse and over time, the blood flow starts dwindling down, putting you more into a surgical-induced menopause. So there's those both phases there, but 75% of women experience significant menopausal symptoms after a hysterectomy. And so BHRT can become a life-changing solution, even when it's often overlooked post-surgery. And I understand there is a goal in mind. Let's help the heavy cycles. Let's help the uterine pain.

But what about the after phases when it's affecting our relationships and our jobs and our homes? Because we only have one body to live in and if our hormones are significantly not being produced, it's then going to kind of play out into our overall life daily, which can be a major concern. So I want to emphasize that we are all made different, just like we all have our own favorite colors and favorite foods and favorite things to do. It's the same with hormones. Poor gut health, good gut health, night owls, not night owls. We all have these different responses to life in general. So hormone therapy, although it is effective, it responds to everyone so differently. And I think the beautiful thing about bioidentical treatment is it is mimicking your body's own natural hormone, which is beautiful because we want to be the most natural we can with this, but also that you have positive responses to it. So what advice would you give to other women listening, watching post-hysterectomy life? Like if you could just shout it from the rooftops, what would that be for those listening?

Jordan Colwell (11:04)

I think the most important advice that I can give is finding a doctor who is trained in hormone therapy and offers the proper support. Sometimes in this journey you can feel alone in it and you don't want to get in that space where you're lonely. You need to find a provider that specializes in it. Sometimes your PCP is not a hormone specialist. Your OBGYN is not a specialist in this field and they can provide conflicting information. That kind of gives you that confusion of what do I need to do for my body. But I think that that would be the most important advice is finding a provider that communicates well with you, that sets you up for success with a treatment that is the safest form for you.

Brittany (11:50)

I love that you say communicate well. I feel like one of my favorite features of the Thrivelab platform is our chat feature. Patients just kind of chatting in with me or sending a text message in to our number. And even too, having that assigned care advocate. It's not a here's a prescription, we'll see you when you need us. It's hey, keep us posted, we are aware of this vulnerable position you're in and we want to be in communication with you. So not only is the specialty there, but the communication is there. And I think 80% of any treatment is really communication, feedback, response, how things are going. Because the research and science is there on what the hormones do, but the communication is such a big aspect of it. And there's nothing like suffering in silence and not knowing where to turn when you can go online and click a button on your portal and chat with us. So I really love that point.

Jordan Colwell (12:48)

I think, yes, absolutely right, communication. Without good communication, there can be a lot of confusion. I know that there's a lot of confusion around HRT after hysterectomies. Brittany, what are your thoughts about the myth that women don't need HRT after a hysterectomy?

Brittany (13:06)

HRT is more than just symptom relief. If we think back to our teens, we were not having issues with energy or wondering if we were going to fall and break a hip or having brain fog because we couldn't remember what we learned in the previous class. It's not a coincidence that in our mid-30s, perimenopause kicks in and it can go on for 20 to 25 years that, you know, we don't have hormone decline and if we do it's natural and it's fine. And then as we get older, we're running into Alzheimer's and heart disease and the wrinkled skin and the vaginal atrophy where it's painful to be intimate with our partners and family and loved ones saying that, you know, we're irritated, grumpy, tired. It's all hormone decline and without estrogen, women face 50% increased of osteoporosis and higher risks of heart disease and cognitive decline. But if we can kind of see the lens of what these beautiful hormones do, which is for reproduction and to help us have a life, it does more as we get older. And not only that, you kind of look younger too than your peers if you kind of compare what it does to your skin and your hair and your energy. So my biggest thing is it's not a band-aid, but it's kind of going into the outside and it's like a flower. 

I mean, really, you start to notice the internal changes mentally, realize that you have more energy and then the outside changes of hair and skin and all of those great things. So I feel like it's really important to note that we have higher risk factors as we get older, but it's important to also realize the science is there as to why they are higher. And looking into bioidentical hormone therapy is so important because the research is there. But I'm so thankful too that our platform is able to speak out to others, especially in a world of social media where we can do our own research and find that help is there and it can be safe and effective.

Jordan Colwell (15:19)

Absolutely, I think that that is beautiful. What about the myth that HRT is dangerous?

Brittany (15:27)

I mean, early concerns about the synthetic HRT has been debunked. I mean, that's from the Women's Health also. And bioidentical is way safer and more effective for most patients. When it comes to synthetics, our platform is not obviously wanting to start off with that approach, but synthetics really deplete your own natural hormone production. Looking at birth controls and things like that. I always want to take those patients of mine who have had birth controls for certain reasons under my wing and let them know the goal is to eventually get off and to work with what the hormones you have, but also see the missing piece on why the hormones are causing this to begin with. So I feel like with bioidenticals, if we can fuel back what our body is missing, really it's more safe and effective than the synthetics.

My one thought, though, is if you've had a hysterectomy and you are struggling, you don't have to suffer. There are safe evidence-based hormone therapy options there. And I really want to bring to light Jordan, who happens to work closely with me as well, that your story is heard. And there's lots of support out there, especially providers that are wanting to listen. And there's evidence-based options based for you, specifically tailored for you, that's available.

Jordan Colwell (16:55)

Absolutely, that is right. Most importantly for our patients and our listeners, my advice would be: advocate for yourself. If your doctor isn't listening, find one like our amazing providers at Thrivelab who will.

Brittany (17:13)

Visit Thrivelab.com for more info or to book a consultation. Please subscribe to the Hormone Harmony podcast for more expert insights. We cover all things from hormones to lifestyle changes, so feel free to tune in anytime.

Jordan Colwell (17:31)

Thank you, Brittany.