Not important to anyone but me and my vanity, but the conversation with the doctor was 12 years ago and I was 32, not 34. I guess I’ve had enough Merlot for tonight.
Happy Festivus everyone!
I had a chocolate cyst on an ovary when I was in my early 20s. We watched it via ultrasound for awhile and then the Ob/gyn scheduled a laparoscopy but cancelled at the last minute, after the firm had cleared my calendar. My firm gave me an ultimatum–change MDs or jobs, so I found a new Ob/gyn who was more decisive. He had a quick exploratory laparoscopy and was shocked at the number of adhesions I had. He said it was like a huge container of crazy glue was in there, gumming things together unnaturally. He had me take a medicine for 6 months that had me have a Rx tricked my body to think it was in menopause to shrink whatever could be shrunken. He then did a 2nd endometrial surgery and removed all the many ashesions and the chocolate cyst and much on an ovary.
I was then on BC pills until I fully healed and we were starting our family. Once both kids were born, I was put back on BC pills until I reached 40 and said enough meds.
When we couldn’t figure out why I bled after peri menopause, I was offered an ablation, but declined and bleeding stopped and now am post menopausal. So glad! 
It really does make you wonder how many women suffer in silence. Especially since we’re conditioned to believe that extremely heavy and painful periods are normal.
I was fortunate in that I had my first cyst rupture in my early teens and I was having none of that pain. It was interfering with basketball! I got on the pill very early and only had issues when I was forgetful and forgot my pills (which was too often…). LARC (implants, IUDs) methods are such a wonderful intervention if they work for you.
I think IUDs are one of the most convenient and underestimated methods of BC. Very cost effective over the long-term too. I had several over 20 years. Never a problem, although mine were not the Mirena, so I didn’t get the advantage of lighter/no periods.
Also had several friends/family who had ablations and were thrilled.
Far too many women my age suffered in silence. I had very heavy, painful periods for 9 days each cycle, as in need a bathroom hourly. I never knew this wasn’t the norm. I am glad younger women have more choices and knowledge, and hopefully speak up more with their docs.
Exactly, if that’s all you’ve ever experienced, and your sisters, too, pre-internet, how do you know it’s not 'normal"
My mother had normal periods & I do not recall really discussing it with her, but I do remember when post-partum Ibuprofen was the best discovery of my life- I am surprised I did not kill my kidneys with the amounts i took cumulatively.
I learned in the last few years that my cousins on my Dad’s side had similar issues, so I guess the genetics came from that side.
Yes, my sisters and I thought it was normal to get anemic from blood loss and faint/dizzy from pain. We didn’t believe in pain relievers or Rx, we just didn’t complain. It was amazing how different life was after surgery and BC pills–whole new world, indeed!
Honestly, even with the internet I didn’t realize that what I was experiencing was abnormal. When I talked to friends about my increasingly heavy periods, everyone said it was normal to have this as menopause approached. Even when I said how often I had to change a tampon and pad combination, people told me that was their experience.
Unfortunately, it was not at all normal. Once my doctor discovered how very anemic I was, she knew something was wrong. I had endometrial (uterine) cancer and needed a hysterectomy. Fortunately I am cancer free right now, but have to get checked every three months.
I will no longer rely on my friends for my medical consultations.
@gcmom. I had many of your symptoms. Nervously awaiting my biopsy results from my ablation. My friends were all nagging me to do the ablation…for years, really. The time just never seemed to be right. I am hoping that waiting wasn’t a bad move. My anemia should have been motivation enough to do this simple procedure…
Ladies, I would not know where to go to talk with other women about this. Thank you for talking with each other here.
D1, 27 yrs old, uses an IUD for BC. When she first told she was going to have one implanted, I questioned her decision because of what occurred 30 yrs ago. How foolish of me, because I know this particular D would have done a lot of research about this, asked lots of questions and not have decided to do it unless she felt it was safe and the best decision for her. So after a few years, she is very happy with her decision.
Since I have gone through menopause, I’m not up on the latest like using a cup instead of tampoons and underwear, Thinx, that protects from leaks. D1 keeps me informed. Both D’s are happy these products are environmentaly friendly. Times are changing…
Ouchie… that typo makes me want to cross my legs even though I no longer have periods anymore!
If you have had a hysterectomy, or have been recommended to have one, the best online site for resources is Hystersisters. I can’t link it, but type in the name I just provided with a dot com. It is an absolute wealth of information, and they have a very active message board there.
Hahaha, sorry.
@shellz, wishing you good luck. Waiting for the results is so hard. Getting my results was upsetting, but once I saw my oncologist, I felt confident and stopped worrying about it. And I second the recommendation of Hystersisters. Great site and message board.
I sometimes forget which threads I’ve mentioned my cancer on and which I haven’t, so I went back and reread this thread. I, too, had endometrial cancer, stage 1; grade 2 - so I also have check ups every three months for now. I think after three years of this and clean bills of health, I can go to every six months for the next two years until I reach five years cancer-free. I alternate my three month check-ups with my regular GYN and my GYN ONC, which works well for me because it allows my regular GYN to check my hormone levels every six months and make any needed adjustments. It’s sort of funny though, whenever I see the GYN ONC, he just does a visual and manual exam… no pap smear - but he’s comfortable with that and says studies have not shown to provide better outcomes by doing pap smears at this point; he does these kinds of post-cancer surgery exams every day. But my regular GYN, who doesn’t see this stuff every day, feels more comfortable doing the exams, as well as the pap smear. Doesn’t bother me, as long as I have two qualified physicians involved in my follow ups. But yea, Hystersisters was great for me since I went into surgical menopause with just a couple of weeks between diagnosis and surgery.
Like teriwtt, I also went to the hyster sisters pre and post hysterectomy. I even check in there from time to time to check on other women’s feedback on their experiences with HRT, hot flashes, etc. I was on the site from the hospital in the hours immediately following my hysterectomy, and for days during the recovery, talking to women around the world who had also just had the operation. It was like a lifeline.
Interesting, @teriwtt , my plan going forward is the same…alternating between my gyn and the oncologist. I’m only 10 weeks post surgery, so I haven’t seen the gyn yet. And same–about three weeks between diagnosis and surgery.
My GYN had me come in at 5 weeks post-op for a blood draw, then I saw him a week later to discuss BHRT. I know that every three-month period I go without a recurrence, the odds diminish that much more of it happening, which is a relief for me. I’m now 20 months out. I often go several days at a time without thinking of cancer, but whenever I near one of those follow-up appointments, it’s never far from my mind.
Got the results…benign. Phew. Happy New Year, ladies. May it be healthy and happy for all of us.
Great news!!!