Seeking reassurance
Aug. 17th, 2012 04:08 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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vaginapaginaI 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
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
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Date: 2012-08-23 04:18 pm (UTC)I perservered for months though and then went onto injections that I can't remember the name of, that faked menopause and were supposed to shrink the fibroids whilst giving me a chance to recover form the bleeding. They eventually stopped my bleeding but didn't affect the the fibroids at all. As this was the last resort for me after various medications, the Mirena and then the injections I was referred for hysterectomy.
(I was told that for me, due the type of fibroids I had, a D&C or fibroid removal weren't viable options.)
Because of this, I have no experience of ablation, but if you reach the stage of thinking about hysterectomy and want to ask any questions, feel free to give me a shout.