~PAUSE~
If you are my Father, you can totally opt out of reading this post. I mean I'M not embarrassed... I'm just saying. If you continue, you do so at your own risk. hehehe.
~RESUME~
I knew there was "something" wrong was shortly after my first child was born. My complaints were usually brushed aside or discounted, and at times I was even blamed as to having made it up to get out of certain activities. Hmmph. Fast forward about six years. During the last trimester of my 3rd pregnancy, the pains seemed to intensify. My OB/GYN advised me that it was probably a "tipped uterus" that is common with pregnancy and will almost always resolve itself after the baby was born.
Needless to say, the baby was born and I was still having horrendous pains. I resumed the Depo Provera birth control shots and then started hemorrhaging, for like 60-90 days at a time. They prescribed Premarin to help slow the bleeding. It never helped. A year later I was in for my annual. They took me off the shots and gave me the "new & improved" birth control patch. Another year goes by. Then the pains got worse.
My OB/GYN referred me to an Internist. She couldn't find anything wrong. She sent me to my family practitioner. She couldn't find anything wrong. She sent me to a gastro-enterologist (sp?). He ordered a CT Scan. Came back just fine. He sent me back to my OB/GYN. All of that was during the course of a year.
So, now I am three years into this; still being "blamed" for using it as an excuse to get out of certain intimate "chores" (yes... chore). It was suggested by *that* person that it was all IN.MY.HEAD.
I started to wonder... Perhaps it was in my head. Well, lemme just say that just THINKING you might be a little crazy is enough to mess with someone's Psyche. I ended up on Prozac for clinical depression.
Finally, they did exploratory surgery and found out I had Endometriosis. They burned off what they could see and told me that if I was still having problems in six months to come back. The pains came back in less than two months. I sought a new Dr. He said, "It's really hard to tell whether the Endo is back or if it's the other..."
I asked, "Other? What do you mean Other?"
Turns out not only did I have the Endo. But I also had Congestive Pelvic Disorder (varicose veins in the uterus) and ovarian cysts. My first Dr. NEVER told me that. I was placed on Lupron for 6 months. Two months later the pains were back with a vengeance. I tried to get in to see him, but he was booked. I went to one of his partners. Turns out we already knew each other. Our kids went to school together and were in the same class. We used to be neighbors and friends. I liked her. I named her as my NEW Dr. Then she revealed unto me the following truths:
- Nearly 75% of all women who suffer from pelvic pain are eventually diagnosed with Endometriosis. (If it's so common, why does it take so long to figure out? Because they can only TRULY see it during exploratory surgery.)
- Depo Provera has many side effects. Aside of the big one being weight gain of 5-10 lbs per year, Depo is also known to trigger anxiety or depression.
- Depo can trigger Endometriosis in women who are already prone to the disease.
- Depo Provera can cause break through bleeding in some women.
- Premarin can also cause anxiety and depression
- Premarin can also cause weight gain.
- Premarin can also cause break-through bleeding.
- Premarin is also now known to cause increased risks of endometrial carcinoma, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer.
Finally, they scheduled me for surgery... THE surgery. The surgery to remove my girly-plumbing. After surgery, they found I had ANOTHER disease...Adenomyosis.
I am grateful that they finally figured it all out. I am glad to have the confirmation that I did the right thing. And I am glad that I was able to bear children in spite of the diseases. Sometimes I get sad thinking that if I ever get remarried, I won't be able to give my future husband a baby of his own. And again, I know that I already have children to love and adore. But I don't think it matters if you have zero children or ten; when the choice to bear children is no longer yours, it just feels sad.
So how about it? Anyone else out there with credentials that allow you to be a part of the No-Uterus or Broken-Uterus Club?
