So, it's been a pretty crazy week for me...which has kept me from blogging and catching up with other BLM's blogs. But, I've had kind of a tough week...even with good moments thrown in there. This week, my doctor/PA diagnosed me with endometriosis. Although, they aren't entirely sure that this is what I'm dealing with...this is what they are going to treat me for. After 8 months of pretty chronic pain, more during "ovulation time," my PA thinks that all of my pain around my uterus is due to endometriosis. I had an ultrasound done on Friday, which came out normal. This cleared me for any risk of tumors, cysts, etc.
So, the best answer is to diagnose me and treat me with the use of birth control pills....ugh!! I hate that they really aren't sure...but think that it's okay just to throw drugs my way to "see" if it gets better. There's no guarantee... and in the meantime, let's mess up your body even more by putting you on drugs that could potentially cause your blood to clot, inhibit your ability to have a baby, etc. No, I am not currently trying to have a baby....so, I can understand their reasoning in a medical sense, yet I really can't stand birth control pills. It was very hard on my body to get off of them...and I basically had told myself that I would never use them again. (On a side note, I tend to be a more holistic kind of person...so, I've never been the biggest fan of drugs, period... I do know there are positives of BC pills...just that they aren't really for me. I don't mean to offend anyone).
So, now I have to do my research to figure out what other options there are out there. If anyone has ideas or has been through this, please comment. I feel very lost as to what I can do... The more I research, the more I feel that the medical field really doesn't have a good hold on how to handle endometriosis at this point. I need to find answers that fit my lifestyle and my values...it's important to me and to what I believe may be my chances to ever carry another baby again.
Repeat: Subconcious Levels
8 hours ago
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6 comments:
I'm so sorry. I don't have any answers for you. It seems I have a ton of other problems but endo. is not one of them. Maybe you can get a second opinion is my suggestion. I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that you are able to find an alternative to birth control pills.
ok my dear
here's my advice. i didn't get a chance to be diagnose in an office, i was cut open and my obgyn was surprised to see my giant endometrioma and all the mess that it caused inside of me. i have been meaning to put a page at the top of my blog all about endo, but if you look at the page "how we got to today..." you can link to the story.
IF i was so lucky as to have gotten a diagnosis and been able to put the bat signal out for help before that operation, i would hope that someone would have told me:
1. get thee to an reproductive endocrinologist ASAP.and NOT just an IVF clinic. you will need to do some research to find a good one. ART is so lucrative nowadays that so many of them are just in it for the paycheck and they ignore those of us who need help in other areas.
2. if it is an RE's office who diagnosed you, get a second opinion. like i said, do your research and get to the best doctor you can find near you. you are right, it is a condition that little is known about and that's why it's so important to have the right treatment.
3.i agree with you about birth control pills. i am not a huge proponent of them at all myself, but i have been on them out of necessity.it is a good treatment for many. for me though, that wasn't the case. i was also on lupron depot for 6 months and i am about to go back on it for a while because i am in the middle of a serious flare up.
4. you can have a teeny tiny bit of endo and have the worst pain of your life, or you can have a ton of endo and little to no. i had a grapefruit sized tumor and didn't have any pain besides my normal excruciating periods until it grew so large inside of me that the pressure was unbearable.
5. good luck, and if you need anything or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. i hate to be an expert on the subject, but i'll be glad if my experience can help you.
xoxo
lis
Have you gotten a second opinion? If there is anything that you are not certain of, that's what I'd recommend. Medicine is so subjective sometimes and getting someone with a fresh perspective can be helpful.
This can be controversial for people, but in case it's helpful, I'll go out on a limb. From the research I've done (and from my own life experience), diet has a lot to do with health issues. I recommend checking out Dr. McDougall's website (http://www.drmcdougall.com/) - he has a lot of info about how eating a vegan diet has changed many of the health conditions that plague people in our culture.
I've also read from multiple sources how dairy is hard on our systems, and plays a role with endometriosis. Dr. Northrup (who wrote Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, and might be considered a little more mainstream than Dr. McDougall) also recommends elimanating dairy. She said she's seen patients get rid of their menstrual pain by doing this. Her website is: http://www.drnorthrup.com.
I'm happy to talk more about this if you're interested. And I honor whatever choices you need to make to take care of yourself. I hope you get some good info so you can move forward wtih a treatment plan you're conmfortable with.
So sorry you have to go through this!
I can't offer much...other than when we first started ttc years and years ago, my RE found a cyst on my ovary and decided to do laparoscopy to explore. In doing so, he found pretty significant endometriosis and I had NONE of the symptomology...no pain EVER with a period and just threw him (and me) completely by surprise. He removed it all, as it definitely can play a part in a successful pregnancy (but that wasn't my problem anyway, just an extra thing!) and THEN I started having regular periods and regular cramps (thanks, doc!) My sister has had several miscarriages and finally decided to just tie her tubes because she couldn't take any more. In that surgery, they also found a significant amount of endo...which she wishes she'd known about before.
I would echo some of what's already been said. I'd DEFINITELY get a 2nd opinion before I went on any medicine, especially if you have trepidation about it. I'd want that second opinion to be from an RE (lots are out there who are not fertility geared only, but it never hurts to see one who is if you are contemplating how endo could affect ttc down the road) and I'd want to get rid of the endo as fast as I could just so that if it IS there and is scarring, it's not getting worse. My sister's, by the time they found it, was really very hard to remove and lots of the scar tissue had attached in some very not-good places---like her inestines and bowel!
I don't know if the dietary suggestions would be able to play a part in any scarring that already may be there, but I would imagine that it certainly could be beneficial in helping prevent any more. Not sure either way, but always in favor of natural solutions as well.
Hoping you are able to find answers and peace!
I am so sorry. I am sure that with a lot of research you will find the best answer for your treatment. Praying for you. ((HUGS))
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