So, as I have mentioned incessantly, I have monstrous periods. Always have. In fact. I got on the pill at age 18 not because of sexual activity (Remember? I was "the friend") - but we were trying to calm down my period. I was on the pill pretty much non-stop until age 31, when we decided to get pregnant. I never really knew adult life without the pill until we had Declan. I am nearly 37 now and the last 5 years have been a bloody mess.
We tried putting me back on the pill. And then I realized how crappy it made me feel, and how crappy it made me feel all those years. And I told my beloved OBGYN that I would beat the crap out of her if she ever made me take those evil things again.
In the meantime, I mentioned that my poor sister Karrie has been going through shit 10 times the scale of what I have. I hope she won't kill me for chatting about this, but seeing as the last time we talked, it sounded like she was ready to organize a women's rally in the streets of Baltimore to raise awareness, I think I'm OK to talk at least in a few generalities. And I am sure to get things wrong if I do anything other than generalities anyway.
In a nutshell, she has been having her period twice a month for a year, and nearly going to the ER pretty much once a month for the pain. They found a cyst, but once they finally went in and looked - she was filled to the gills with endometriosis. Basically, all that bleeding was not actually her period, but just blood from all that crap inside her. Eeks. Can you even imagine?
And since endometriosis has a huge genetic connection, and our mother also had a cyst on her ovary that landed her in the hospital for a week in her 30's - Karrie and I have been sharing information back and forth like banshees.
And I shared all that new info yesterday morning with my OBGYN.
I adore my OBGYN and she pretty much saved Declan's life (I mean hello, emergency c-section where I went under general anesthesia and 6:40 and Declan was born at 6:41? Can't ask more for efficient than that!). She laid out all my options (skipping over the pill rather quickly, of course), knowing me, Miss Type A - needed to hear the full scope:
1. Minera IUD
2. Surgery similar to what Karrie just had (a range of them, actually)
3. Hysterectomy
She said if I was a "purist," the only way to know if it is endometriosis for certain is the have surgery - much like they weren't absolutely sure with my sister even though they did every test known to man prior to going in there. And obviously a hysterectomy is our last resort.
But she did do some pushing around in certain places while she was under the gown today and felt there was a pretty good chance I do have at least some mild endometriosis going on because of the pain I was feeling.
So, since I really am not a "purist" and just want the pain and excessive bleeding to stop.
An IUD.
Which freaks the ever-living shit out of me.
Here's the thing. I am not a prudish person. But apparently you are supposed to check for the strings of the IUD that hang out of your cervix every month? People. I can barely get a tampon inserted properly! And not to bring up Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes twice in one month - but I am just not comfortable with my vagina! I could probably even watch someone else check for their strings - but me? Stick my fist way up my vagina once a month trying to find a few tiny strings? Fuck no!
So, I mention this irrational fear to the doctor, who knows I am a nervous nelly about such things, and she quietly pats my arm... "Aimee. Then don't check the strings, OK? The main reason to check them is to make sure it's there for birth control which you don't need after Bryan's vasectomy. In your case, if it comes out, you'll feel it in your period.
Rock and roll!
It gets put in on April 24th.
Oh, and not to offend Bryan, Jeff, G-Man and the maybe 3 or so other guys who read this blog (and if you made it this far, you deserve a gold star!)... but when I told my OB about how long it took for a diagnosis for my sister... how much she suffered while her doctor didn't believe the amount of pain she was in... My doc's first question: "Is he a man?" Yes, sirree. He is! And as Karrie so delicately put it: "I bet if he had a cyst on his testicles, he would have had it removed by that afternoon, instead of making me wait 3 more months to see if it would 'resolve itself' - HA!" ...No kidding.
P.S. And since I missed International Women's Day (it was Thursday) let's say this post covers that subject, and call it good, kay?
We tried putting me back on the pill. And then I realized how crappy it made me feel, and how crappy it made me feel all those years. And I told my beloved OBGYN that I would beat the crap out of her if she ever made me take those evil things again.
In the meantime, I mentioned that my poor sister Karrie has been going through shit 10 times the scale of what I have. I hope she won't kill me for chatting about this, but seeing as the last time we talked, it sounded like she was ready to organize a women's rally in the streets of Baltimore to raise awareness, I think I'm OK to talk at least in a few generalities. And I am sure to get things wrong if I do anything other than generalities anyway.
In a nutshell, she has been having her period twice a month for a year, and nearly going to the ER pretty much once a month for the pain. They found a cyst, but once they finally went in and looked - she was filled to the gills with endometriosis. Basically, all that bleeding was not actually her period, but just blood from all that crap inside her. Eeks. Can you even imagine?
And since endometriosis has a huge genetic connection, and our mother also had a cyst on her ovary that landed her in the hospital for a week in her 30's - Karrie and I have been sharing information back and forth like banshees.
And I shared all that new info yesterday morning with my OBGYN.
I adore my OBGYN and she pretty much saved Declan's life (I mean hello, emergency c-section where I went under general anesthesia and 6:40 and Declan was born at 6:41? Can't ask more for efficient than that!). She laid out all my options (skipping over the pill rather quickly, of course), knowing me, Miss Type A - needed to hear the full scope:
1. Minera IUD
2. Surgery similar to what Karrie just had (a range of them, actually)
3. Hysterectomy
She said if I was a "purist," the only way to know if it is endometriosis for certain is the have surgery - much like they weren't absolutely sure with my sister even though they did every test known to man prior to going in there. And obviously a hysterectomy is our last resort.
But she did do some pushing around in certain places while she was under the gown today and felt there was a pretty good chance I do have at least some mild endometriosis going on because of the pain I was feeling.
So, since I really am not a "purist" and just want the pain and excessive bleeding to stop.
An IUD.
Which freaks the ever-living shit out of me.
Here's the thing. I am not a prudish person. But apparently you are supposed to check for the strings of the IUD that hang out of your cervix every month? People. I can barely get a tampon inserted properly! And not to bring up Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes twice in one month - but I am just not comfortable with my vagina! I could probably even watch someone else check for their strings - but me? Stick my fist way up my vagina once a month trying to find a few tiny strings? Fuck no!
So, I mention this irrational fear to the doctor, who knows I am a nervous nelly about such things, and she quietly pats my arm... "Aimee. Then don't check the strings, OK? The main reason to check them is to make sure it's there for birth control which you don't need after Bryan's vasectomy. In your case, if it comes out, you'll feel it in your period.
Rock and roll!
It gets put in on April 24th.
Oh, and not to offend Bryan, Jeff, G-Man and the maybe 3 or so other guys who read this blog (and if you made it this far, you deserve a gold star!)... but when I told my OB about how long it took for a diagnosis for my sister... how much she suffered while her doctor didn't believe the amount of pain she was in... My doc's first question: "Is he a man?" Yes, sirree. He is! And as Karrie so delicately put it: "I bet if he had a cyst on his testicles, he would have had it removed by that afternoon, instead of making me wait 3 more months to see if it would 'resolve itself' - HA!" ...No kidding.
P.S. And since I missed International Women's Day (it was Thursday) let's say this post covers that subject, and call it good, kay?
4 Comments:
I sure hope it helps ;)
Thanks, Mar!
you poor thing (and your sister!) - keep us updated.
I hope you get some relief!
My best friend had endometriosis so bad she did have the hysterectomy. Shocking part was that they couldn't id the endo 100% until after they had her uterus out. She had endometriosis somehow inside the walls of her uterus. The pill was a no-go for her as well.
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