Chronic Ama

No, I'm not writing this to start an argument or to say you're wrong. I'm not against what you believe in and I don't want you to think I don't care about birth control.  I'm writing this to show you why there is so much more to women's health than birth control. Yes, it is used as a treatment for acne, irregular periods, painful periods, heavy periods, etc. But, did you know those are also symptoms of other diseases.... other INCURABLE diseases? I bet you didn't. Acne and irregular periods are common symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Painful and heavy periods are symptoms of endometriosis. I have both. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2006 and then officially diagnosed with endometriosis in 2015, even though endo was suspected in 2010. Birth control was pretty much the gold standard to treat PCOS when I was diagnosed, but what happens when you want to have kids? Birth control is health insurance's favorite treatment for endom

I haven't had the right mindset to talk about this stupid disease. My life had been a sort of rollercoaster for the last few months. Some days, it's smooth and the sun is out and I'm having fun, others, I'm taking hair pin turns and white knuckling the lap bar trying to hang on amid the pain and total lack of energy. But I keep going. I can't stop. I refuse to give up and let go and get off the ride. I live for the days in the sun, laughing and enjoying life. Which is why I opted for surgery again with a new doctor that specializes in pelvic pain. I started writing this blog months ago to hash out an internal argument over wether surgery was the right answer.... And it was. I'm two weeks post-op today and still recovering from the excision surgery that removed endometriosis from my bladder and peritoneum. I was the "AH HA" patient that helped prove that endometriosis CANNOT be cured with hysterectomy in some patients. I'm h

I just learned to never search for ovarian cyst pictures after you've just eaten a big lunch. Did you know some of those things can grow hair!! Gross! Thankfully the one I had just three weeks ago wasn't any hairy trouble. It was more trouble being told to go to the ER in case I needed surgery for a cyst or possible abdominal adhesions that were causing ovarian torsion or some other misdeed. Of course they couldn't find anything at the ER that was causing me pain. And a great pain I did have for a few days! Even a follow up with my OBGYN still had a big question mark on my pain. I was, of course, a little scared and a little pissed to be having problems again, especially with no answers. Thankfully an ultrasound done last week revealed I did have a cyst burst, but it was a cyst caused by ovulation. It seems I may be in the small percent that has occasional painful ovulation.  I was supposed to follow up with the doctor this morning, but they had to cancel.