Blood

Health update - Gross Warning!!

Hormones still out of whack. After having a light period for four months straight, I began hemorrhaging again out of the blue while I was at work, but this time was worse and nonstop. I felt like all of the blood in my body was draining out of me and I was birthing alien-like matter. Really gross. I soaked completely through ginormous pads every 45 minutes - messed up my clothes and my chair at work. I couldn't even stop at the store on my way home because I was bleeding too much. I called my gynecologist's office after hours and my Dr. called me back and told me if I started feeling dizzy, to go to the ER, otherwise, schedule an emergency appointment first thing in the morning. I did NOT want to go to the ER even though I was pretty lightheaded and weak. I didn't sleep much because I had to keep getting up to change my pad. :(  I did, however, get an appointment first thing in the morning. Of course my Dr. wasn't in, so I had to be examined by a male visiting doctor from the hospital. You know how whenever you have a scheduled visit, you make sure everything is perfect down there? Legs shaved, yadda yadda. Well, no matter how perfect I tried to be, there was nothing I could do but accept the fact that I had to sit there on that table with the sheet of paper - completely bottomless - while, even with the slightest move, I started bleeding heavily. It was the most awkward situation. Of course the Dr. put me at ease and reminded me that he delivers babies and has also seen much, much worse. When all was said and done, he said nothing "seemed" wrong based on the physical examination and my iron levels were normal. He gave me my options: the pill, implant, IUD, endometrial ablation or hysterectomy. He was very kind and thorough. He said it sounded as though I have PCOS, which I've suspected for a while anyway.

Due to my age, weight and history of migraine, he didn't recommend the regular pill (containing estrogen and progestin), but said it would be best to do just progestin (aka the mini-pill). He said the implant is only progestin but it sends it throughout your entire body, whereas the IUD is the best option because it concentrates the hormones where they need to be (or something). I didn't want any of those, so he discussed the endometrial ablation - burning the lining of your uterus with a laser. It's a ten minute procedure done in their office, under anesthesia. You cannot have children afterward (although it has happened) but that is fine with me. There's also a chance of the bleeding coming back. The hysterectomy would be a last option due to it being a major surgery, etc. If I weren't afraid of surgery, I'd opt for the hysterectomy. Just take it out of me and keep it. I don't want my uterus any more!

He prescribed me a short, 5 days on the regular pill just to get the bleeding under control,  (which worked within hours of taking it by the way!!! for a solid 6 days I had ZERO bleeding for the first time in several months!) and asked me to call him back in a week to discuss a long term solution.

I don't want any of the options he gave me! But here I am a week later and my period slowly returned. So far it's normal heavy with lots of cramping but I'm hoping it doesn't get worse. I have a business conference all next week and I can't deal with this while flying, etc.

After researching and talking to people, I decided on the progestin only pill. It's the safest, low-risk option that I'm willing to try.  I'm secretly hoping that with this period, the problem will just resolve itself, and everything will be back to normal, but I've made a call into the Dr. to make prescription arrangements nonetheless.

I'm now tracking every single day of my bleeding life on the period app. I figure it'd be important to follow this.

The things women have to go through!

On the brighter side: I'm breathing, I have a roof over my head, food in my belly (albeit too much) and a way to pay my bills. That - and my annual mammogram came back all clear!