Posts Tagged ‘Reproductive Health’

The Plan For My Uterus

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

For those who have been following along, I’ve got an update and a plan we will be following from here on out (if you haven’t been following, read here. The post has the links to the older posts too).

My post op appointment went well.  My uterus looked good and they pretty much don’t know why I’m having the problems I am.  However, we did set up a game plan for when this happens again.  I am currently on the same birth control as before, and we are keeping our fingers crossed.  If this quits working again,  I am to quit taking it.  We then are going to see if my body fixes itself.  If that doesn’t work (which I personally am 99% sure it won’t), I’ll be having an ablation done.  Everything I read on the internet wasn’t right, and it really is the next step, because my only other choice after this is a partial hysterectomy which is major surgery.  This is a plan that me, the doctor, and Bill have all signed off on.

So we are in wait and see mode which sucks, but what else can I do?

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No winning answer

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

I actually am feeling better, and I thank you all for your support, comments, emails, and everything else.  Now that most of the pain is gone, I’m left just left with my frustration with the whole situation.  Basically, I don’t have a ton of options.

Option #1 — Just keep flipping birth controls when it quits stopping my periods.  I’ve been through either 6 or 8 of them in two years already.

Option #2 — Get an ablation done.  That basically burns out the lining of your uterus.  It doesn’t work well on young women (per my OBGYN).  I would still have to use birth control or buy condoms, because I cannot take the chance of getting pregnant. The cost I think is in the $20,000 range. I would lose my fertility.

Option #3 — After reading about ablation, I started doing research on a partial hysterectomy.  My OBGYN did not suggest it but it would solve most of my problems (I think). I wouldn’t have to worry about having to buy condoms online or getting pregnant. But I’d be 32 and without a uterus. I am pretty sure we are done having kids. Plus, I don’t know if my OBGYN will even do it.

Option #4 — This last option was suggest to me from my chiropractor and that is to see a natural doctor. She gave me a name and her brochure. I am really wondering if I should look into this since one of the treatments she does is for natural female hormone balancing.  I am pretty sure my insurance won’t cover it, so this would be all out of pocket.  However, if it works, I would be one happy camper.

If any of you have done any of my option, I’d love to hear from you.  I’m obviously frustrated, and I don’t feel like there is a right answer.

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The surgery went . . .

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

As well as could be expected, I guess.  If you don’t know what I am talking about, read this and this and it’ll catch you up.

Everybody back?  Well, they found nothing.  Absolutely nothing wrong with me.  All my bloodwork comes back fine.  Sigh.  So that leaves me with not a lot of choices.  I either have to stick with the birth control that doesn’t seem to be working or keep flipping them out every 3 – 6 months when they quit controlling my period.  This is the option Bill wants me to do.  I’m not feeling it.  I’ve been dealing with for 2 years now, and really, I am sick and tired of it.  I’m not real keen on this.

My other choice is an endometrial ablation.  Basically, they burn the lining out of your uterus.  Since I am so young, these tend not to work well.  I would still have a period, and I would still need to be on birth control.

I am not sure why a partial hysterectomy was not listed, because honestly that sounds like my best bet.  I have a follow up appt in 2 weeks, and we’ll go over in detail what we do next.  Needless to say, I don’t know what the right answer is here.

If you have had this done, I’d love to hear from you!

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Babies, Hormones, and Life Part II

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Disclaimer: I talk about womens’ bodies and what they do in this post.  :)

I while back I wrote this first installment of my Babies, Hormones, and Life experience.  I was hoping it was my last.  However, it isn’t and this will explain why my posting has been sporadic at best this last month.

I know I have been slacking here.  I have no energy.  None.  Whatsoever.  Most days I just want to climb into bed and sleep all day which is not conducive to having 2 toddlers.  And if you know me, is so not me.  I am the one talking to you on Twitter at midnight and then working at 4 am.  The other two huge stressors that happened was Will’s seizure and Bill smashing the Prius. So on top of those crappy things, I think we also a geneticist appt with Madison too.  (Seriously, I know my life is a soap opera.  I’d love it to stop).

So how does this all tie in?  Well, on top of all this, I have had my period since May 4th.  Not spotting — full blown period.  I have to wear a pad at all times and I bleed through tampons so they aren’t even an option.  My dead tiredness started with this period (I’m seeing a correclation here!).  Best of all is that I am on Seasonique.  I should get a period every 3 months.  Well, I am in the middle of a pack right now!!!!!  So I shouldn’t have a period, I shouldn’t have cramping, and damn it, I shouldn’t have a 3 week period.  Again.  Sigh.

I have been waiting to post this, so I could go talk to the doctor.  We had discussed some options over the phone, but he wanted me to come in.  I’ve been on 6 birth controls since having Will.  Yes, 6!  They are calling this breakthrough bleeding — I call it the never ending period.  :)   But seriously, it sucks.  Bad.

I had 8 vials of blood drawn yesterday.  They are testing I think all my hormone levels, doing a CBC, and some thryoid testing too.  Now, several years ago I had thyroid testing done (before kids), and it never dawned on me to ask for it again.  Nevertheless, it’s been done and I’ve got the bruises to prove it.

Our plan of action is simple.  I am now on my birth control and an estrogen supplement.  The estrogen should stop this “breakthrough” bleeding.  I always laugh when people tell me Bill should get snipped.  I should drop several thousands for him to get that done (which he would) but I still have my hormone issues and I’m still stuck on birth control.  Doesn’t make much sense to me.  Now, if the estrogen does not work, then we get into the no fun stuff.  I will have to go in for an ultrasound and for exploratory surgery (I think he called it a hysteroscopy — no idea if that’s how you spell it).

I decided to write about this because I know I am not the only one out there with this problem.  However, when you have the neverending period, you sure do feel like it.  I personally tried doing a google search and pretty much came up with that I had cancer (at that point, I stopped searching and waited for my doctor’s appt).  I’ll let everyone know how it goes from here, but keep your fingers crossed that the estrogen solves the problem!

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