Men, pass this on or send the women you care about to this post
UHHH, you might wanna exit now...the feminine products is a clue!
Ladies, as we get older, our bodies change. It's inevitable. One day you're celebrating 30, the next you wonder where that vibrant, youthful woman went. It doesn't matter if you're the ultimate couch potato or the female bodybuilder of the year, your body changes.
If you're lucky, it's just a hormonal thing, but trust me. It happens. *whisperin* And the mid-life crisis is real. (I have the tattoo to prove it, lol),
Anyway, today's post is about Novasure, a procedure that I'll be having done this Friday.
All my life, I had a regular cycle. The 15th-18th of the month period (and trust that when I didn't start by the 15th, I knew and pun intended). Then I had my first child at 22. That didn't change much, but after having my 2nd child at 25, my cycle went to around the 4th to 8th.
That was still doable for me and then I went celibate for a few years. In my mid-thirties, I'd been having sex again, my period did some double duty crap and I had two 4 day cycles in one month. That wasn't flying, so I got on BCP's again. That regulated me again. 4 days a month.
Then this kidney stuff was discovered and I was told that another pregnancy would sent me to dialysis immediately and indefinitely, so I even though I wanted to try for a baby girl when I found that elusive ass "right man", I got my tubes tied.
Dummy me was under the impression that tubes tied = no cycle. WRONG
That joker went to 7 days a month! 
Fast forward to this year and it's been doing strange things. In May I didn't have a period. In June that fukka lasted 10 days, do you hear me? 10!!!!
Not only did it last so long, but there were clots (we're talking golf ball sized). I figured, with my non-medical degree that since I'd had no cycle the previous month that it was working double time, so though I was concerned, I sat on the information (no pun intended that time).
So when history repeated itself in August, I went to visit my OB/GYN. He diagnosed me with menorrhagia and talked to me about a procedure called Novasure that is about a 90 second procedure where they remove the lining of the uterus.
He says this procedure should lessen, even stop my periods without using hormones or having the dreaded hysterectomy. I figure with all that I'm going through now, I don't need any unneccesary stress *note to self...Listen to yourself, dummy!* and it will likely help my severe anemia, so it will be done.
The full recovery time on an average is 2 weeks. If you're having similar problems, you might want to check out the Novasure website http://www.novasure.com/ .
I encourage you to post about female and/or medical issues you may be going through. One post could save someone's life. You really never know.
natural progestrone cream...I really recommend it...
ReplyDeletemy cycle was too short [being in pre-menopause] - it's regulating it a bit better now, and is sorting out another issue.
Has to be natural though...Google Dr. John Lee and his explanations of this.
after 2 emergency Caesareans I would like to avoid all surgery, there or anywhere.
also heavy periods can be linked to underactive thyroid [as with me], so get your thyroids checked, and don't accept any 'old TSH scale' crap, as there is new information/new scale that shows many need thyroxine who are not being prescribed it [mainly women of course].
WELL I HAD A CYCLE 3 DAYS A MONTH.AFTER HAVING MY TUBES TIED IT STAYED THE SAME.BUT I WOULD COME ON 3 MONTHS THEN SKIP THE NEXT MONTH.AND MY CYCLE WILL GO FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH TO THE END OR FROM THE END TO THE BEGINNING.
ReplyDeleteI had my cycle this month from the 3rd to the 8th. But I had just my period from the 13th to the 18th. That's only about 2 weeks apart. I'm not really sure why it's happening but if it keeps happening I have to take it seriously. Fibroids run in my family.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that Dee! I haven't had a period since February of 1998. Went to a reproductive endocrinologist back in around 2002 or so and after a bunch of tests, it was determined that it stopped due to the radiation I had in 1995, which they think affected my pituitary gland, but even before all that, I NEVER had a regular cycle, and usually when I did have my period, it lasted on a few days and very light.
ReplyDeleteVery informative. Do we know if this novasure can be done on women who are want to become mothers? My baby sis is 21 and has terrible periods. I wonder if she would benefit from this.
ReplyDeleteThis procedure is only for women who DO NOT want to give birth again. The lining of the uterus will be removed and a pregnancy could be fatal to both the fetus and mother.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I have always had irregular periods, my doc put me on BCP to regulate it and me being a little dingy with pills made myself fertile (they told me i would need 'help to have kids) and out came MiniMe!
ReplyDeleteDuring pregnancy, I suffered with the worse hot flashes, felt like the devil was breathing down my neck. Since child birth, I do have the occasional flash and my period is more "regular" but now instead of PMS I have PMDD. And that SUCKS! Doc said he wanted to put me back on BCP and I said HELL NO thats how I got the first one!
I recently found out something regarding this issue myself...
ReplyDeleteI had been having some heavy, painful cycles with clotting as well. Mine would last about 5-7 days, but they were more painful than usual. My friend recommended that I go get checked out because she had a miscarriage when they found a grapefruit sized fibroid in her uterus.
So, I made my appointment to see my doctor and explained my situation. She suggested that I go back on birth control (which I DON'T want to do- for personal reasons) but she went ahead and scheduled me for a pelvic sonnogram and ultrasound . My doctor’s office called and told me that the ultrasound / sonogram shows a 2.5 cm “complex lesion” in my ovarian area. They explained to me that they believe I have a possible “hemorrhagic cyst” in my right ovary (hemorrhagic cysts occur when a blood vessel in the wall of a cyst breaks, causing blood to enter into the cyst). These types of cysts are usually benign and sometimes go away on their own, but they can also grow in size (which may cause concern) and require surgical removal. Therefore, they want me to be re-tested in about two months to see if anything has changed (to see if it goes away by itself). In the event that it gets larger, continues to cause me a lot of pain even with medication or causes concern when I’m re-tested, the doctor will probably suggest having laparoscopic surgery done. At this time I’m not worried (because my Doctor is really good at “indicating sense of urgency” by bringing me in and talking to me if there’s something that I truly need to be worried about), so I’m going to take my pain medication when I need it and schedule an appointment to go back for another ultrasound / sonogram in about 2 months.
So with all that being said, if you're having problematic cycles, I strongly suggest that you speak to your Doctor about it because you NEVER KNOW what it could be.
http://www.ovaryresearch.com/ovarian_cysts.htm
I know someone who was more fertile on pills too.
ReplyDeleteAh-OK, thanks.
ReplyDeleteMine too, he'd had some concerns last year that were likely connected to this, but last year they weren't affecting me. So he noted the info and told me to return if anything changed.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this for a GOOD long minute.... You know why I'm holding off, at least I think you do. My cycle started when I was 12 on the verge of 13. 10 days long, every 35 days. God Save the Queen. After Alex was born it slumped to maybe 8 or 9 days. For a while they were coming every 23-26 days after I had my tubal occlusion. There is only the slimmest chance in HELL that I'll ever have another baby, and I need to get on the ball with this with my doctor.
ReplyDeleteThe patch causes issues as well. The steady dose of hormones to my abdomen affected my cervical cells. I had to have a leep done to remove the precancerous cells.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd known this... I'm screened for thyroid function every other year b/c of my mother's severe thyroid issues. They've been telling me that my thyroid function is normal since I was 17.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
Speaking of Thyroid problems...
ReplyDeleteI also went to the doctor for a SLEEP STUDY to see if I had Sleep Apnea because I was catching myself breathing on occasion during the night. They didn't find any sleep disorder, but the nurse mentioned that I might want to get my thyroid checked because it can cause some of the symptoms I'm having.
sigh....i still aint had a period yet!
ReplyDeleteuh oh. *sniggles*
ReplyDeleteWT....?
ReplyDeleteI had heavy periods like that too but instead of getting that procedure my doctor recommended that i get a Mirena IUD to control my heavy bleeding. Since i dont know if im done having kids...Now i dont have a period that much anymore and when i do its very light and it lasts only a day or 2 at the most but it took a few months to notice a difference. Apparently thats one of sideeffects of the Mirena....the lining does not grow anymore or it makes it really thin. Its good for 5 years too and it reversable.
ReplyDeleteall that can come from estroegen dominance...
ReplyDeletetoo much/an imbalance of estrogen/oestrogen feeds fibroids and breast cysts and can feed breast cancer
when in the 5-10 year run up to menopause the ovaries can struggle to manufacture progesterone...and yet most people think it is estrogen that is lacking...and old school/uninformed docs prescribe estrogen based hrt which can make things worse
this can cause short cycles and heavy periods, which of course makes us feel very drained...
sorry, too tired to explain more [guess why]
http://www.johnleemd.com/store/estrogen_dom.html
good and helpful subject Butters.
we've talked about the cycle issue before. mine is about as regular as the price of gas these days, and it didnt become that way til AFTER I had my tubal. I also recently found out I have the hypoactive thyroid thing goin on. I'll add this to the list of things to discuss with my Dr at my next visit.
ReplyDeletethanks, Sis!
You know.. there's something I wonder about, and that's whether or not having an early tubal puts you at risk for an early menopause. I'm starting to show symptoms (hot flashes, irritability, sleep disturbances) and I'm barely 37. (I had my tubal at 25)
ReplyDeletecould be, Silky. I had mine right before turning 30, and some of the same things are goin on with me. my mom jokes that I'm going thru the change early, but now I dont know...
ReplyDeleteIt's not a joke. I've been feeling like a raving goddamned lunatic for more than a year now and I'm JUST figuring out why -- all that other crap AND no libido? GIRL PLEASE.
ReplyDelete(especially if you knew what kind of freak I used to be? shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiidddddddd)
I used to think that the mood swings and flashes were signs that my cycle was coming. but sometimes I get em and NO CYCLE, so yeah, I think you're right about the early menopause. clawd...
ReplyDeletethanks a whole heap, Silky.... something else to add to the list for the Dr
and I can imagine about your "used to be". you's a firecracker now! lol
whew..glad I dont have to worry about a period! I'm in my menopause stage at 44! All the women on both sides of my family went through menopause early..I started before I was 40.
ReplyDeleteI have a period every single month just like clock work! Mines last for 5 days. The first 3 days though I bleed like a pig. I'm talkin' about a pad and tampon! My mom was a heavy bleeder and the women on my dads side of the family.
ReplyDeleteI can't be put on any birth control to slow it down because I have HBP and I still might possibly want another kid.
checkin this out for sure
ReplyDeleteThis is some good info
ReplyDeleteThis is a very informative blog sis. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIn my teens through my early 20s I had em like clockwork... every month -3 days and that was IT... NOW, mother nature comes to visit WHEN she wants for however long she wants. I remember a couple years ago I didn't get a period for November, December or January... but when February came, it lasted 3 weeks, until dam near the day before my birthday! *UGH* Now I just get it when it comes. My doctor said the risks of birth control outweigh the irregular period, so if i am not on BCP's for contraception, it isn't worth it just to regulate my period.... so I guess you have it right there folks... I am just gonna deal with it
ReplyDeleteWow. I wish I had seen this back in August when you started it. I need to go to the doctor myself. I haven't found one since I moved down here but I had the full shebang of tests before I left Chicago in May. My cycle has been crazy at times, but for the last few years, it was pretty regular. My doctor watches it because I have fibroids in my family, too. I have a couple but they're not growing or affecting my period. My issue now is they're coming too damn often. Forever and a day, they were 28 days apart. Then all of a sudden, they were 26 days. I thought it was because of my co worker. You know your cycle will start coming around the same time as people you work or live with. But my co worker left the company and that bish was still coming every 26 days. Then, it was 24 days for the last 8 months. One month, it was 21 days. My doctor gave me some hormone pills to take for 3 months, it just took me back to 26 days for one month and right back to 24 days. *rolling my eyes* I had a really good doctor in Chicago. The next step was gonna be the procedure you had, Dee. I gotta find a doctor soon. I think I may be pre menopausal. Who knows when menopause happens in my family. My mom, her mom and her sisters all had a hysterectomy due to the fibroids issue. My paternal grandmother had menopause in her 20s and none of the other women on that side of the family are alive for me to ask. *big ass sigh* Most of the time, I love being a woman, but damn. This ish sucks. I find myself fighting hard not to act like super bitch the week before. With a cycle every 24 days, it's like I only feel 'normal' 2 weeks out of a month.
ReplyDeleteDamn, after reading the Novasure website. I'm not sure that my periods are normal. The first 3 days are very heavy with cramping and clots. They've always been that way. I'd just been dealing with it. Thanks for posting, Dee.
ReplyDelete