Team Blue
08-05-2009, 13:32
Yesterday was my 3 monthly appointment with my gyno. Since having DS2 11 months ago, I have suffered menorrhagia (heavy/flooding menstrual cycle) to the point where I am now underweight by 5 kgs and cannot put the weight back on. Im in agony anytime is decided to come, live on painkillers and generally get very down/depressed and moody.
My cycle is erratic, flooding, lasts up to a month and makes me anemic, getting my iron levels back up is a struggle.
I had a D&C in December last year. It helped for a month, only to have the problem come back again.
No amount of tablets, hormonal shots, mirena etc is stopping this.
Yesterday, we found huge the varicose veins also inside my uterus have doubled in the last 3 months, so lucky me has two problems!
He has two solutions for me:
1. Endometrial Ablation, where they burn the lining of my uterine wall, thus reducing the thickness, severity and length of my periods.
This procedure is successful in 90% of women, over the age of 40 though as it after the age of 40, your body slows and reduces the thickness of your lining to be shed during menstration... in someone my age (27) it would regrow in a year as Im at the peak of my fertility.
2. A hysterectomy - leaving my ovaries to prevent instant menopause.
Some people might think this is extreme given my age, but if you look at my background and family history...
All the women on my mother's side have had hysterectomy's by the age of 40, their problems starting at my age after having their children (I have two)
My gyno has already admitted that he doesn't have much hope for the ablation as my age is hindering it and the problems would come back in a year.
Given both sets of problems, he has told me that in no circumstances am I to get pregnant again, if I did, I would most likely only get to 20 weeks and the veins would rupture and I could seriously bleed to death or be very close to it. Very scary!
Luckily, DH and I have decided that we are finished having children and he had the snip last year, we are thankful for the two children we do have.
Still, being told that NO MORE is daunting and strips you of something I could do! Have children, now my body is broken :(
I have until October to make this decision as my Private Health see it as a pre-exsisting condition as I suffer endometriosis in the past, the 12 month clause ends in November but my next appointment is Oct.
My gyno is supportive of both options I decide, incredibly lucky to have him as my specialist.
So I guess the point of this post is, I need some advice, and information from anyone who has had one and the procedure.
DS1 starts school next year so I really want to get this sorted before school starts to prevent any upset in his first year of his schooling life. I would have the ablation, but I really dont want it to come back in a year and have to then just go to a hysterectomy, I just want it over, but at the same time, feel like I would be loosing the one thing that makes me female!
Do they do hyseterectomy's through the stomach like a C Section still or vaginally like 80% of the USA procedures? That's one of my major concerns.
My cycle is erratic, flooding, lasts up to a month and makes me anemic, getting my iron levels back up is a struggle.
I had a D&C in December last year. It helped for a month, only to have the problem come back again.
No amount of tablets, hormonal shots, mirena etc is stopping this.
Yesterday, we found huge the varicose veins also inside my uterus have doubled in the last 3 months, so lucky me has two problems!
He has two solutions for me:
1. Endometrial Ablation, where they burn the lining of my uterine wall, thus reducing the thickness, severity and length of my periods.
This procedure is successful in 90% of women, over the age of 40 though as it after the age of 40, your body slows and reduces the thickness of your lining to be shed during menstration... in someone my age (27) it would regrow in a year as Im at the peak of my fertility.
2. A hysterectomy - leaving my ovaries to prevent instant menopause.
Some people might think this is extreme given my age, but if you look at my background and family history...
All the women on my mother's side have had hysterectomy's by the age of 40, their problems starting at my age after having their children (I have two)
My gyno has already admitted that he doesn't have much hope for the ablation as my age is hindering it and the problems would come back in a year.
Given both sets of problems, he has told me that in no circumstances am I to get pregnant again, if I did, I would most likely only get to 20 weeks and the veins would rupture and I could seriously bleed to death or be very close to it. Very scary!
Luckily, DH and I have decided that we are finished having children and he had the snip last year, we are thankful for the two children we do have.
Still, being told that NO MORE is daunting and strips you of something I could do! Have children, now my body is broken :(
I have until October to make this decision as my Private Health see it as a pre-exsisting condition as I suffer endometriosis in the past, the 12 month clause ends in November but my next appointment is Oct.
My gyno is supportive of both options I decide, incredibly lucky to have him as my specialist.
So I guess the point of this post is, I need some advice, and information from anyone who has had one and the procedure.
DS1 starts school next year so I really want to get this sorted before school starts to prevent any upset in his first year of his schooling life. I would have the ablation, but I really dont want it to come back in a year and have to then just go to a hysterectomy, I just want it over, but at the same time, feel like I would be loosing the one thing that makes me female!
Do they do hyseterectomy's through the stomach like a C Section still or vaginally like 80% of the USA procedures? That's one of my major concerns.