Hi mogwai
Sorry to hear about your cancer but glad that it was cured and you are fine apart from the flushes and sweats - and the not-so-funny turns. (I think the "funny" is "funny peculiar" as opposed to "funny ha-ha"!).
Just to add that your doctor is quite wrong to say you cannot have HRT if you are hypothyroid - that is not one of the contra-indications and sorry to hear you didn't have success with the one you tried. There are several women on this forum with thyroid problems who are on HRT. The brilliant thing about being in your position ie no womb - is that you do not need a progestogen as part of your HRT and it is this which usually causes most of the problems with side effects.
Usually provided you start low and slow and use a "bio-identical" one - that contains estradiol - it is very easy to control flushes and sweats (less easy for those who also have ovary removal from what I gather).
Obviously I respect your decision not to want to try one - but I would strongly recommend you ask for something like a low dose oestrogen patch like Estradot eg 25 mcg. It comes in a range of doses from 25 mcg to 100 mcg but in your position 50 mcg would probably be sufficient - although I would start low and slow.
It's up to you of course - but really, if you have been having sweats for some years and you are now 58 - you could well be one of those women for whom they continue for years - there is no way of knowing. Transdermal HRT is also better if you are taking thyroid meds - in some women anyway.
CLKD you don't need HRT after hysterectomy if you keep your ovaries - this is only for surgical menopause especially if it is done before you have actually reached natural menopause.
It depends how your quality of life is being affected. if you are suffering and are unable to live life as full as you would like to - then I urge you to think again about a low dose HRT - nothing else has been shown to work to reduce flushes and sweats effectively.
Hope this helps and glad you enjoyed your birthday
Hurdity x