After my hysto at 37 the doc insisted I go on an estogen patch..and it took less than 2 years to produce estrogen receptive breast cancer!! Deal with the sweats and flashes and all the rest...mother nature intended for all of us to eventually go through it, might as well get it over with. Once the cancer came, they yanked me off the patch and put me on tamoxifen, which caused yet a whole bunch of other medical problems. I truely believe that estrogen patch I didn't want in the 1st place has essentially caused all my current and permanent medical issues. I say run from hormone replacement as fast as you can.