Stirrups

Well, today, I FINALLY had that gynecologist appointment that was scheduled MONTHS ago.

In an effort to not be overly "TMI" with this story...suffice it to say that, over about the past ten years, my monthly cycles have been getting increasingly difficult.

I have had to learn how to plan my life around my periods, because, for the most part, they have become debilitating.

I remember asking my mother, MANY years ago, why periods have to be so difficult. She said that hers were not really difficult, but that she merely found the process disgusting.
She wondered for me, at that time, if maybe something might be wrong with me to produce such heavy, painful periods, because hers were never very problematic.

I decided to find a gynecologist a few years after that, and this new doctor seemed completely unconcerned with my suffering, so I guessed it must be normal, and just part of life.

She was one of those doctors who would blow into the room, do the exam, and leave. I never really felt like she HEARD me. (She even came in to do my exam once with a med student at her heels. She asked me AFTER he came into the room, if it was OK to have an observer.)

I'd also heard from older friends that periods getting worse and worse was just part of life, and that it wouldn't matter who my doctor was...they'd all tell me that I just have to learn to live with it until menopause.

So, anyway....I have always had problems with my period being difficult, but as I have aged, these problems have become more and more harsh.

Since my foray into gynecology had produced no results, I asked my regular internist for help.
She tried putting me on progesterone therapy for a couple of years. That did practically nothing, other than regulate my cycle.
After taking myself off of the medication, the regularity stayed with me, so that was a plus. But then, getting regulated could have also just been part of my maturation process.

The internist, who is also an alternative medicine doctor, had also recommended a homeopathic remedy, which I, in fact, prescribed for myself after doing research while in her office.

That did nothing. Partially because I was unwilling to give up my coffee and chocolate!

Anyway, my sister complained of troubles with her cycle as she got older, as well. She ended up having a radical hysterectomy (due to fibroids that were found during her treatment for breast cancer).
So, as my problems have increased, I gradually decided that I needed to find a different doctor, preferably a NEW gynecologist, and just make sure that everything was OK with me.

This new doctor was recommended by one of my co workers, and she was wonderful. She was very thorough, and compassionate.

I was able to fully express every level of difficulty that I am having, and she sat with me, and wrote everything down, and made eye contact with me, and answered my questions. She spent an hour with me. She even reached out and touched my wrist to comfort me.

She actually paid attention to me!
She encouraged me, and said that there are MANY things that can be done to ease my monthly suffering!! That there is always new news coming out of the research that's being done in womens' health, and that I should never just assume that suffering is my only choice.

She also kept saying "you're young and healthy...you're young and healthy...." who wouldn't love hearing THAT??

But...then she also said "This may seem a little frightening, but I feel that we need to do an endometrial biopsy, just to be sure we're not dealing with anything hidden. Based on your description of what you're going through every month, I think it's a good idea. I can do it right here, today, as long as you're comfortable with that. I'll leave you with this form to read and sign, and then we can talk about it."

Biopsy.
She said the word biopsy.

Naturally, I freaked out a little. I'd had a breast biopsy done almost exactly 9 years ago, and was absolutely terror stricken through that whole process.

But I am a different person now, and found that if I just took a deep breath, I could fight the freak!! Better to get it over with now, than to go home and brood about it, and then have to schedule it, and then worry for God knows how long! So, I said to myself...LET'S DO IT!

I put my bra and shirt back on, wrapped the paper drape around my waist like a skirt, and signed the consent form.

The nurse came back in, and took me, thusly clad, to the procedure room. We joked about my personal sense of style, since I was also wearing white socks and clogs with my torn, crumpled, KY smeared paper skirt!

The procedure was amazingly uncomfortable, but then, I'd never had anything like that done to me before. Dilating the cervix for the first time ever in my life was extremely unpleasant!!

I suppose that if I had ever been through anything like it before, it might not have been quite so awful. As it was, though, it was rough. I felt woozy for about a half hour after it was over.

Without going into too much detail, there were needles, and there was blood, and there will be residual pain and bleeding for at least two days.

But, it's over, and results should come in a week.

In other news, the doctor also mapped out my options for treatment of my problem, from most conservative to least conservative.

I, being of a conservative mindset when it comes to health, chose the most conservative.

I will be starting on a low dose birth control pill that has been approved for use by women in my age group (usually, birth control pills are not recommended for women over 40).

It should help with everything from the mood swings and rage attacks, to the sleep disturbances, to the debilitating periods themselves.

I can' t WAIT to see if it works!

Oh, and if you have a spare minute, please send out good vibes for the biopsy to come back CLEAN!!