Okay. I'm doing it. Enough already.

I've had it up to my armpits with my period.  I've brought this up before, so bear with me!!!  I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm seeing my gyno next month to schedule an endometrial ablation.  I am scared poop-less about having a hysterectomy (even a vaginal one), and the likely risks due to me being on blood thinners, pred, etc.... An ablation seems to be the safest way of ridding me from the all mighty monthly curse. 

 

My periods are getting worse every month.  This month takes the cake.  I haven't had cramps or headaches this bad since I was in my early 20's.  I feel like my body is reverting back to my youth..... NO THANK YOU!!!  My periods have gone from 4 or 5 days to 8 or 9.  It's ridiculous.  And I feel so crappy for about 4 of those days.  I honestly wonder if I'm in the pre stages of perimenopause?  The changes that my periods are going through are nuts. 

 

I just don't want to live with this nightmare any longer. Thinking about the next 20 years of this makes me want to vomit.  If anyone has had an endometrial ablation, I'd love to hear about your experience. 

 

Thanks for listening!

Hi Ginny! I had endometrial ablation in 1998. It was great! And, yes, Lynnwood, it leaves everything in place so hormone replacement is not an issue. They only remove the endometrial lining of your uterus during the procedure. It is quite safe, except for the usual risks that any surgery poses.

I needed mine due to my severe endometriosis. They also did laproscopy and lasered off all the endometriosis they could get to as well as doing a tubal ligation. I felt wonderful for about a year but the endometriosis came back and then went into adenomiosis. This is much worse than endometriosis. VERY painful. I still ended up with a hysterectomy in 2001. However, 95% of those who do endometrial ablation do fine and suffer no further endometriosis (I think that was the number my specialist gave me...darn brain fog!)

Anyway, my periods did mostly stop. They were only occasionally spotty and this only lasted for maybe two days at most. After about a year and a half, however, my periods actually started coming back, along with the pain and they were just as long lasting as before. This, my specialist said, was due to my endometriosis coming back. But, like I mentioned, my situation was rather rare. I would highly recommend you give it a try! I scheduled mine for a Friday. I had to take a half day off on Thursday for a pre-op prep appointment at the specialist office. I then arrived at the hospital on Friday morning, had the procedure, and was home by 4 PM. I was back in the classroom, teaching, the following Monday! They gave me pain pills to use over the weekend but I really didn't need to use them much.

I hope my story makes you feel more encouraged! I hope, also, that you go ahead and give it a try! Good luck!

Thanks everyone!

 

I feel encouraged!  I don't have endometriosis.  Just really heavy, long, painful periods.  They've always been like that, but since going on blood thinners, the flow is unmanageable some days.  I take a drug called Cykolokapron.  It stops the flow of blood from the uterine arteries.  Well, it's supposed to anyway.  In my case it just makes the flow a little less dramatic!  I'm only supposed to take it for the heaviest 3 days of my period, but I end up taking it for 5 days. 

 

It's making my job as a wedding photographer very difficult.  You can imagine having to "triple up" on the "stuff" in order to be able to go 5 or more hours without a bathroom...... It's hell.  I'm distracted by worrying about an accident, so my photography ends up taking a back seat.  Not good.  Can't do this any more.  But I'll have to wait until November to do the procedure, as my wedding season is in full gear.  I can't take time off, or risk having to cancel a wedding because I'm in too much pain or something like that.  So 4 more periods before I can get this done. 

 

Did any of you increase your prednisone for the procedure?  I think I'm supposed to for anything like this.  Did anyone have a flare up with your lupus after? 

 

Thanks for the info eveyone!

Hi Rosie! I had the roller ball (I think) but I did not have any of the problems you describe.

Ginny, like Rosie, I was not aware of my autoimmune problems at the time. I had such an easy time with the entire procedure, I don't think it would have caused a flare. Now, when I had my hysterectomy, I experienced my first major flare about three months afterwards. I was covered in an itchy rash and would welt up with hives if exposed to any sunshine. This was all over my entire body. No one knew what caused my problems. I saw my rheumy for the first time and she thought for sure I had lupus. But, I did not meet enough of the criteria to receive a diagnosis. She wanted to see me every six months to keep an eye on me. I did this every six months for about a three check-up visits. I seemed to be fine so I stopped going to her. Then, at age 43, I "hit the jackpot" of symptoms and criteria! Joint pain, extreme fatigue, losing hair, low-grade fever, protien in my urine, and x-rays with the start of some joint issues.

My advice is to try the ablation and hope you don't eventually need the hysterectomy. The hysterctomy is such a shock to your system! Good luck and prayers to you!