Hysterectomy Isn’t Just a Surgery: A Functional Nutrition Perspective

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Why Hysterectomy Functional Nutrition Matters

I had to write this, not because of a news headline, but because I see it often in my chair: women navigating life after hysterectomy without the whole story.

Hysterectomy functional nutrition means looking beyond the surgery to see how it impacts your hormones, nervous system, and inflammation. It’s about connecting the dots between the surgery and the symptoms you may feel months—or even years—later.

Here’s the reality: By their mid-60s, more than 1 in 5 U.S. women have had a hysterectomy, and that number climbs to over 41% by age 75 (CDC, 2021). That’s roughly 20 million women, yet most are never told what to expect beyond the surgery itself.

And while a hysterectomy can be life-changing for necessary reasons, such as fibroids, endometriosis, cancer, or chronic bleeding, it’s also a turning point that can impact the whole body, not just the reproductive system, and not just for a few months.

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Why a Hysterectomy Is More Than “Just” the Uterus

What the Procedure Involves

Medically speaking, a hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus.

Sometimes just the uterus is removed. Sometimes the ovaries and fallopian tubes go with it (a full or radical hysterectomy).

But regardless of the type, this isn’t a minor shift. This is a significant biological shift.

And it often happens to women already dealing with endometriosis, fibroids, abnormal bleeding, chronic pain, or hormone chaos.

They walk into the hospital for "relief" and walk out with a body that suddenly feels... unfamiliar.

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Hormones Don’t Just Dip, They Cliff-Dive

If the ovaries are removed, estrogen and progesterone drop off immediately. 

That means:

• Mood swings that flip faster than a light switch

• Brain fog, memory lapses, anxiety, or even rage

• Night sweats, hot flashes, and sleep that feels more like a nap

• Dry skin, dry everything, and weight gain, regardless of "clean eating"

  
  

Even if you keep your ovaries, the shock to your system can still throw your hormones into disarray.

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The Nervous System Gets Shaken

The uterus isn’t just reproductive real estate; it’s a nervous system hub.

Its removal can trigger subtle shifts in how your body processes emotion, stress, and even trauma.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt more sensitive or weepy after surgery

• Had a hard time regulating your emotions

• Found yourself reacting differently to stress... It's not “just in your head.”

  It’s your nervous system trying to recalibrate.

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Grief Isn’t Always Obvious, But It’s Real

I’ve had women cry in the dental chair over questions like, “How’s your sleep been?”

Not because they’re fragile, but maybe because no one ever gave them space to grieve what was lost.

Whether or not fertility was part of the picture, many women describe:

• A disconnection from their body

• A loss of identity

• Shame for not feeling better after being told “this surgery will fix it”

Listen: You are not broken for grieving. You are brave for even acknowledging it.

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Real Talk & Final Bite

Your body has been through a significant shift, physically, hormonally, and emotionally.

And pretending it's just about “removing the uterus” ignores the ripple effects that can show up everywhere else.

In Part 2, we head to the front lines, your mouth. You’ll learn why post-hysterectomy changes can show up in your gums, how the mouth-body connection works, and what steps you can take to support your whole system.

— Khristina Maureen

       Your Functional Nutrition Ally

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Book a free Strategy Session to explore your post-hysterectomy journey. If you’re struggling with sleepless nights, emotional ups and downs, or feeling “off” since your surgery, let’s start connecting the dots.