When I say that the Surmeno Connection is a life saver, I mean it literally, not just to coin a phrase. I cannot express how serendipitous it was that I somehow found their group on Facebook. At that time, I was three years out from my hysterectomy (uterus and ovaries removed). Due to misinformation, lack of support and a mistrust of the medical system as a result of my experiences post-operatively, I was not on any form of hormone replacement therapy and was suffering in silence. The symptoms caused by my immediate surgical menopause were numerous and overwhelming and I had become seriously depressed and hopeless. I was not suicidal, but I did feel like I was just waiting to die. I am a psychotherapist and artist and prior to the surgery, I had a very active athletic life which included hot yoga, swimming, hiking, running and biking. I also had a wonderful and healthy relationship with my husband, including a normal and enjoyable sex life. My health challenges in surgical menopause brought all of that to almost a stand still. I knew I needed help, but I did not know where to turn for accurate information and support....until I found the Surmeno Connection. The website developed by the founders of this organization is world class and provides accurate information and suggestions based on science and research that cannot be found elsewhere. This is information, education and support that not only helps women in surgical menopause navigate an antiquated and often hostile medical system and self-advocate armed with facts. There is not a doubt in my mind that the Surmeno Connection also saves lives. The interaction on the Surmeno Facebook page is just amazing. Women helping women in times of extreme hopelessness. Administrators showing up like angels to comment on every post with not only words of encouragement and gentle education but with LINKS to articles on their website to extend even more help. In a time of pandemic panic and political vitriol on social media, I might easily close my accounts for my own sanity, but I won't and I can't....because of this group. I started this review by stating that the Surmeno Connection literally saved my life and I will end it by telling you that I remain on Facebook solely because I want to give back what was given to me by helping other women who ask questions and reach out in desperation and need kind, caring support. This group helped me get my life back. I am now on HRT and lots of supplements to manage my surgical menopause symptoms. I found an amazing doctor to care for me. I am walking up to 12 miles a day. I feel healthy again. My physical, emotional and spiritual relationship with my husband has been restored. I will sing the praises of this wonderful nonprofit as much as I am able. I only wish I'd found it sooner, and my aim is to help other women find it before their surgeries so they understand completely what surgical menopause can entail and so that they have support plans in place with trusted medical professionals looking after them so that they do not have to endure the suffering so many women have been through. Thank you for reading this testimonial.
This group is amazing. I appreciate the reliable information, the way the information is organized and the moderators kindness and guidance. This group balances learning, venting, showing appreciation and empathy so well. Now if we could only get our hormones balanced!
Surmeno Connection provides a safe place to ask all sorts of questions that women in Surgical Menopause might be too nervous to ask, or not know anyone in the same situation who would understand their worries.
I found the group a few weeks after surgery, when I was terrified and not coping with the changes to my body and my life. With the helpful information and emotional support the admin and the other members provided, I was able to improve my health and learn how to best live in Surgical Menopause. I loved that I could ask any question, no matter how silly it might have seemed, and have lots of other women share their similar experiences and what worked for them.
I relied heavily on the website, referring back to it daily, partly because one of my stronger Surgical Menopause symptoms was brain fog and forgetfulness, so having that easy to access information was brilliant.
I was able to clearly explain my problems to my Doctor and have several possible ways of dealing with it.
After I was feeling much better, thanks to the advice and support from the Surmeno Connection, I joined the support group as a volunteer. It has given me a real sense of being able to help other women who were as lost and terrified as I was, as well as inspiring me to read scientific reports and medical info and learn so much more about this condition.
The Admin are great and keep learning themselves, listening to the women in the group and improving the website and the support group.
The Surmeno Connection has been a Godsend for my wife. Before TSC, there was no support, and little to know understandable information to help her navigate the seemingly impossible world of surgical menopause. Thank you, TSC, for all you’ve done for her!
In my time of uncertainty and full of questions I came upon this wonderful group of amazing women. They have been very supportive and caring. I abosulty would recommend this group to other women.
I turned to this group after I was erroneously diagnosed with uterine cancer and the surgeon removed all of my female reproductive body parts, including my ovaries, placing me into surgical menopause. The knowledge, support, and love this group shares through its members has helped me to get through a very difficult time in my life. Group members are able to share their firsthand accounts of their experiences with surgical menopause, which is something doctors cannot even provide. Without this group, I’d be lost on my journey to reclaim my health and truly my life after my surgical mishap. In a nutshell, they do great work.
Living in a remote part of the country, I had no one to ask after finishing long chemotherapy, why I felt the way I did and what could I do to help my terrible symptoms. This site has been hugely helpful to me. I thank you.
I found this group by accident on Facebook after having a total hysterectomy and entering surgical menopause. What a Blessing this group has been. It is filled with lots of knowledge, support and advice. I don't know how I ever managed without them. They do an amazing job to ensure what is posted is accurate and respectful of everyone.
The Surmeno Connection group has been such a blessing to me!
I am in an experience that sometimes feels like it has no words to explain and little to no validation to support. So when I found this group and the group leaders I fell in love. I felt heard, connected, understood and validated all at once.
The group made such an impression on me I decided to volunteer some time to help out with moderating because I believe in the importance of what this group offers the ladies who are a part. The information is vital to what we’re going through, and the support is key. It’s a place to be heard and to grow in the understating of what you’re actually going through in a way that medical offices can’t offer.
The way the group is run is very professional and friendly and I can tell how much care is involved in making sure only the best information is shared. I wouldn’t have a “home” if these women didn’t do what they do; a place to both confide, and contribute. It’s so very special.
So happy to have found this resource struggling post surgery in a pandemic world. So thankful to have been told about this site and group.
I was thrown into surgical menopause due to Ovarian Cancer last year. The Surmeno Connection has been a life saver. I had no clue what was happening to my body, and the ladies I've met have made the journey liveable.
It is difficult to put into words how much I have gained from the support of this group to help me adapt to my life in surgical menopause. It is not an exaggeration when I say it has been life saving. I have received so much helpful advice, information and support when I have been at my lowest. Women's healthcare, especially in relation to surgical menopause, is completely inadequate and the Surmeno Connection have a wealth of advice and support to help people dealing with this condition. I would have been lost without it.
It's such a positive community of people who completely understand what you are going through and I am so grateful for all the admins who help run the group. Thank you.
Great nonprofit! Helped me so much during the roller-coaster of sumeno. It is a non judgemental environment where women can exchange ideas and experiences.
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I’ve been in surgical menopause since December 2019 and without a doubt, would not feel as normal as I do without the people behind this organization. Meandering through uncharted territory is scary and confusing. The abundance of love, experience and knowledge at my finger tips is immensely appreciated. Furthermore, every question, concern or just flat out cry for help was answered. I truly can’t thank them enough enough.
The Surmeno Connection has helped me through the hardest time of my life. The knowledge that is provided helped guide me through my battle. The support system is #1. The ladies become sister's
The Surmeno Connection has literally been a life saver for me over the past 3 years after I had my radical hysterectomy. Not a single Doctor prepared me for the fall out of having my ovaries removed at such a young age. They have provided me with so much information on hormone replacement therapy as well as different ways to help with the emotional aspect of it all. I truly don’t know where I would be with out this group of Wonderful Women. It helps so much to know your not alone. I feel like I’m now equipped to get through the tough times with the guidance and education provided by The Surmeno Connection!
A wonderful support group for women struggling with surgical menopause. So grateful this wonderful organization exists as so many women are left broken or feeling broken after they have undergone a radical hysterectomy or ovary removal
After my surgery, I was so lost and confused and searching for help lead me to the Surmeno Connection.
The website was fabulously helpful, and I referred back to it again and again.
Joining the Facebook group gave me something I didn’t expect - my own tribe, other women who are in the same situation, searching together for support and help. Everyone has been so lovely and no question has ever been ignored.
I am feeling much better, and am staying in the group to help new members have the same positive and helpful experience I have enjoyed.
My life is happier, thanks to the work and compassion of the Surmeno Connection.
In 2017 I had an oophorectomy. Immediately after I felt different, not myself, physically or mentally. I had no one to talk to that would or could understand. I felt so alone. I found Surmeno and I can not express how grateful I am to be in this group. It has helped me get through the toughest times. The amount of knowledge, information and support is amazing.
I'm so grateful to have found the Surmeno Connection. This truly is a place to come ask questions get your questions answered. Even those questions that you never thought to ask! I love that I can come here for advice, for emotional support or just to feel like I am not alone in this journey. I definitely know that this is a great group to lift your spirits on those tough days and don't know how I would've gotten this far without it. Thank you for all you do!!
Such a great resource for so many women going through medical conditions that seem to be overlooked. It’s amazing to know there is a place to reach out to for help by other women going through the same thing.
Surgical menopause is sorely misunderstood and under studied. Inconsistencies in the medical community make it difficult for women to get the care they need and deserve. The Surmeno Connection has made me feel empowered, educated, and supported - so much so that I volunteer to help other women in similar situations.
Loosing both my ovaries and uterus at age 34 was devastating. My life was turned upside down by the hormonal imbalance that followed the surgery. My doctor was treating me with outdated practices that led me down a path of emotional and physical agony. About 2 months post op, I made a very serious suicide attempt. If not for my mother realizing I wasn’t where I was supposed to be, I’d be dead. During recovery from the attempt, I found the Surmeno Connection and it changed my life! I no longer felt so lost and alone because there was an entire community to connect with and so much helpful information about hormone replacement therapy. I can’t imagine where I’d be if I had not found Surmeno and gotten the HRT I so desperately needed.
The Surmeno Connection has been a life saver to me. It is provided so much information about surgical menopause that my doctor never provided to me, such as HRT vs. no HRT treatments. It has also been wonderful to connect with other women who have been through the same experience and can also provide helpful advice. I would have been completely lost and depressed had I not found this group on Facebook.
Having my ovaries removed is a procedure that really altered my life. Like a lot of people who have dealt with major health issues or grief, I sought out support and information. This nonprofit provided both and I will forever be grateful.
I had my surgery in Sept of 2019. I was searching for information voraciously before my surgery to just try to find out what to expect. This was the only resource I could find that helped. After my surgery I had a mentor and she was a lifesaver for me. She was there for me and pushed me gently to respond and deal with how I was feeling. The Surmeno Connection is a blessing to women going through Surgical Menopause - a resource when so often our doctors and therapists have no idea of how to really help.
I would not be where I am today without this amazing organisation. I joined the support group in early 2017, I was a few weeks post op after an early stage ovarian cancer diagnosis. I was 39. I had just lost my reproductive system and I had no idea what was normal.
The post op struggle had been underplayed by my doctors as “something that would happen in 10 years anyway”. I had no idea about which hormones I was missing, which symptoms were normal and where to find help.
This group took me from frightened and alone to empowered and fighting. It gave me the confidence to question my medical treatment and to go forward and support other women.
The care and compassion this team have shown me has turned my life back around. I’m nearly 4 years post op, I’m fit and healthy and optimistic - how many people can confidently say that?
I’ll never be able to thank them enough.
5 months ago at age 51 I was sent into surgical menopause (for what turned out to be stage 1a uterine cancer) not understanding what a huge impact it would have on my life. I was told by the doctors that since I was almost in menopause that it wouldn't be that big of a deal. I was told I may experience a mourning period for losing my uterus and ovaries and have some other discomforts. Little did I know that that the depression that I was thrown into would be the worst I've ever experienced, about 6-8 weeks out from surgery I really didn't want to continue living. I also started experiencing insane hot flashes, heart palpitations, sleep loss, among other things. I searched desperately for any information on what I now see as a condition that I'll deal with for the rest of my life. The Surmeno Connection has been a lifesaver! To quote another review, "The Surmeno Connection has been an invaluable resource for Surmeno education". When I found The Surmeno Connection website I finally felt like I had the information and resources that should have been given to me before my surgery. The Facebook Surmeno Connection support group is just an incredibly supportive place to share stories, offer support to others, vent, and speak candidly about this condition to other women going through the same thing. A HUGE thank you to Stacy Reeve, President/Director and all the other Admins and Moderators!!!
MissAnne 11/20/2019
Thank you for such a wonderful review. We are so happy we were able to be a support through this change in your life.
I feel so blessed that I found Surmeno Connection; a group that provides endless support and encouragement to women on a global scale. The many resources offered by Surmeno Connection provide so much knowledge on a condition that many of us weren't prepared for and that surgical menopause and natural menopause are two very different beasts. I had a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy two years ago at the age of 48 due severe endometriosis. My doctor said this was the best course of action because I suffered for too many years prior. I really did not know what to expect after the surgery, except that I would start HRT immediately. Surmeno Connection has made me realize that I have to be my own advocate for what is happening with my body. Thank you Surmeno Connection!
MissAnne 11/20/2019
Thank you for your review. We are so proud to support warrior women like you.
I found the Surmeno Connection at a time where I was pretty confused and felt pretty defeated. Most things I was going thru I didnt know if it was Surmeno, or if I had something else wrong. Having the ability to share my experiences and be able to get insight of what I was going thru was completely "normal" The articles that have been written also clarified so much.
I entered surmeno at the age of 23. This group has been a life saver to me and many many other women. A place we can get upto date valid and factual information with no bias. Also a place to connect to others in a similar situation.
The Surmeno Connection is a lifesaver. Thank you Nicole and Stacy for creating this wonderful group!! It is the only place I was able to get help, sound knowledge and support about my chronic health condition, being put into surgical menopause at 30 due to ovarian cancer. This non-profit provides help where there is absolutely none. Women's Health is an important issue and more treatments and more research needs to be available to support this huge demographic of ladies who have undergone hysterectomy and oophorectomy. The website is amazing as is the support group itself.
Two years ago I entered into Surgical Menopause completely naive and thinking I'd just take hormones and go back to being like my old self again. I could not have been more wrong! I was completely lost until I found the Surmeno Connection. The knowledge and support I found through their website and support group kept me sane, helped me fight for better medical care for myself, and inspired me to help other women in the same situation.
MissAnne 11/18/2019
We are so glad you found us
I cannot say Thank You enough to the Surmeno Connection for the unlimited information, resources and knowledge provided here! I cannot Thank the Admins enough for this group! I am really so very grateful and seriously better today because of the support and information here. Surgical Menopause is no joke and not talked about enough! Thank you for everything! I am forever grateful!
I am so thankful with this organization, they have helped me a lot. I didn’t know many things when I just got my surgery and I started to experience . all the issues with the hormone replace therapy, and here I found all my answers. I still have some issues. But thanks to this site I don’t feel alone and I know there is a place where can I ask all my doubts.
MissAnne 11/18/2019
Thank you for your support.
At 37, I had a total hysterectomy and elective oophorectomy due to my Drs recommendation. I was told I was not a candidate for HRT and that I would not experience any menopause symptoms, other than some hot flashes, until I reached natural menopause age. A few weeks after surgery several symptoms started - migraines, hot & cold flashes, aching joints, etc and my general heath began to decline. I sought out surgical menopause support groups to see if there was anything I could do to help alleviate the symptoms. I found the Surmeno Connection. The support, resources, and suggestions have been invaluable to me. I was able to get a second opinion on HRT from a Dr I found on the groups website. Without the Surmeno Connection, I would not have known to advocate for myself and keep searching for a Dr who understood the difference between natural and surgical menopause and the benefits of HRT in someone my age.
MissAnne 11/18/2019
Thank you for your wonderful story and support.
The Surmeno Connection has been an absolute lifesaver for me since before my surgery. I had a bilateral oophorectomy which sent me into Surmeno 5 months ago. This was part of ongoing treatment for severe endometriosis. I was completely unprepared by my surgeon for the widespread impact Surmeno would have on my body. But, thanks to The Surmeno Connection, I did have a more realistic idea of what to anticipate. My surgeon just told me that I’d take a pill and be fine. Things don’t always go as planned, & I am not on HRT due to early recurrence of endometriosis symptoms. The Surmeno Connection has been an invaluable resource both for Surmeno education. The online peer support group has been a huge help, too, in finding other ladies who have gone through similar experiences and to learn what tips and strategies work for them. So, so thankful for this group and the ongoing education and support they provide.
MissAnne 11/18/2019
Thank you for your support and help.
This group has been a lifesaver for me. After losing my ovaries to adhesions after my hysterectomy for adenomyosis I was lost on what to do about hormones. My surgeon told me surmeno would be a piece of cake. I soon learned this was not the case and that there was so much I didn't know or understand about surmeno. The group helped me figured out what testing I needed to get done, what my numbers should look like and helped me sort out all the crazy symptoms. Surmeno is not just hot flashes, it is so much more serious. I am so grateful for this group for helping me recover from one of the darkest times in my life. Getting my hormones sorted is still a nightmare but with the group helping me every step of the way I no longer feel alone and feel the best I have in over a year. I now volunteer to help moderate the group's forum, returning the advice and love to other women in need.
MissAnne 11/18/2019
Thank you for all your support for TSC
I've been in surgical menopause for over 11 years. I found this group when, during a trial period of no HRT, I started getting all the symptoms of low estrogen and was miserable and unsure of what was happening to my body. Through this group I was able to understand that many women in surgical menopause decide to keep taking HRT for the remainder of their lives and that there were many different types of HRT to try. I was able to start on a new delivery method of estrogen and was supported so much by the group as my body adjusted to it. I've learned so much from the ladies in this group and continue to learn more every day!
MissAnne 11/18/2019
Thank you for supporting TSC
They have been amazing help. Having a hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy is no joke. The hormone balancing and chaos and feeling alone in the process can be overwhelming. Their support group really helped me learn about hormone balancing and coping with symptoms after this surgery. They are very kind and supportive and gave me good suggestions to bring to my dr. Because suicide and quality of life can become big issues after this surgery their help has been invaluable and literally a life saver.