Seeking reassurance

[sapphoa.livejournal.com]

I have always had heavy periods and slowly over the years (I’m 35) they have worsened; to the point where 10-day periods with large clots (I’m talking fist-sized if not larger on occasion) seemed the norm for me.

In March this year I bled so heavily that I ended up having a blood transfusion and was referred to a specialist who, after unpleasant procedures including a biopsy from my womb, conduced I had Adenomyosis. I was advised that the Mirena coil would be an effective way to treat this condition so I went ahead with this. The experience of having it inserted was awful for me (I fainted!) and then I suffered painful cramps and weird stabbing pains more or less continuously for the duration it was in. My stomach bloated up like a beach ball and I just felt generally unwell and tired. After four weeks of this the coil spontaneously expelled itself (I knew my body didn’t like it!) and I lost a lot of blood and, again, had a fainting episode and scared the life out of my poor husband.

Anyway, obviously the coil isn’t suitable for me and I am now advised that the next step would be something called ablation where the lining of the womb is basically destroyed. I am quite anxious about this procedure and while I don’t want more kids (it’s apparently dangerous to get pregnant after the procedure as it renders the womb too fragile) I am worried that it will be painful and then after it may not work anyway. The next, final, step following ablation would be a hysterectomy which fills me with fear too.

I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else has been through this, or similar, and if ablation is really that bad?
Thanks so much x

Comments

[storychick.livejournal.com]

I had an ablation done via the Her Option cryo method about 6 weeks ago. They gave me Valium, an anti-nausea drug, and I think a muscle relaxant to take before I got to the office and then a shot of Tramadol (painkiller) once I got there. I was reasonably coherent but feeling pretty damned good. They had me chill out in a comfy chair till they were ready then brought me back to an exam room.I think they might have numbed my cervix at that point, with a shot, but I don't remember exactly. I was having Essure done at the same time, so they did that first (only successful in one side unfortunately, and they poked around a lot trying to get the 2nd coil in) and that was quite uncomfortable, but the ablation was totally fine. All I could feel was the speculum and a tiny bit of movement. They were in there for.. 10 minutes? I was half asleep. It was no problem, no pain, just being kinda high.

Afterwards they send me home to recover, and I was in a decent amount of crampy pain, but I am not sure from which procedure. Once the Vicodin kicked in I was fine, had a nap. I was definitely quite tired, especially for first day or two, from the drugs, but by the next day I was taking only an OTC dose of Advil and 2 days later I was taking no painkillers and felt normal again, just a bit tired for awhile longer. I was caring for my children and didn't miss any time in my doctoral program, had the procedure on a Tuesday, had my kids back on Wednesday, and was in class all day on Friday y firwith my homework for the week finished.

For about a month after that I had discharge, in the beginning tons of it, that was watery and kinda pink-tinged. (If you've had a baby, its like the whitish clear stuff that comes out at the end of lochia.) Like serum. That was annoying, got old real quick, and I had to wear pads not tampons so I got a bit of moisture irritation on my labia. My first period was as bad as ever, as thluey said it might be, and I am just due now for my second period. I had a day of some pinkish tissue the other day and am beginning to wonder if that is all I get since I am a few days late and my temperatures dropped (I am charting to monitor my cycle). That was be... unspeakably fantastic.

Good luck to you!