EduBlog: My Roller Coaster Ride With Women's Health

Dear Reader,

I am now no longer an aspiring artist who has time to sit around and heal from the body's ailments. I am now a recording artist who needs to be on top of her game, healthy and filled with energy so that I can do my job, not just for your enjoyment, but most importantly, for mine.

A uterus - from which you hail.
Every month, since my first period, I am bedridden, from excruciating pain. In order to alleviate the pain, I take pain killers that knock me out, and I still end up in bed, not functioning. But, before my period, I am also in agony, cramping, retaining water, craving, and feeling irritable. So, in general, from when my cycle begins (first day of my period) to when I start ovulating, I am in pain, discomfort and short of tearing my hair out. In fact, the physical pain of menstruation is better than the upheaval of PMDD.

I have been to hospital so often in my life, having blood transfusions, iron transfusions, anxiety attacks, and other inexplicable things, merely because of my hormones, my uterus and my cervix. Basically, my womb hates me. Regardless of not having any STDs/STIs, I am in constant battle to go through most days of my life because my womb is not normal. I am a healthy person who eats healthily, doesn't drink, the works, but still, I am in hospital because my womb is not okay.

Do you know the female anatomy, or all you know is sticking things in it?
I have been looking for solutions all my life and NONE have worked. The birth control pill hates me, so I tried that and got off it after 24 months, so I did give it a chance. I really did. I went on anti-anxiety medication and went on them for 3 years, and got off them because they hated me too. The point is, I have tried everything possible in my life to make me a normally functioning person, by taking all precautions and trying out all the solutions and nothing has worked. In fact, things that I have tried have made me worse.

So, what is the last and ultimate solution?

*moment of silence*

Answer: The only thing that can ever give me peace, allow me to function normally and live a better quality of life is a Hysterectomy and hormone therapy, thereafter. 

*pauses and thinks*

Adenomyosis
Okay, I have recovered from the gravity of this whole thing. What is the whole thing? Well, I have a thing called Adenomyosis and that's not all. I also have a Cervical Fibroid, a fat tumor (not malignant but troublesome) on the left side of my cervix, so, it is party time every month because of these two trouble makers.

It is why I lose so much blood and have anemia, it is why I have Hormonal Armageddon in my body, from gaining weight without doing anything, to losing it, and  becoming stick thin without lifting a finger, to acne, hair texture changing every 3 years from loose curls to tighter and rougher hair. It goes as far as being so hairy, if I look closely at my face, I see a tiny, fine stache and side burns.

When hormones are imbalanced, eating right, eating little, and even exercise won't do anything for your body. Your body will do what it likes and tough if you don't like it. You will get pimples (although now they aren't as bad as when I had Hyperpituitarism but I still feel nausea EVERY SINGLE DAY, get headaches everyday, and feel bloated for most of my life, because my hormones are going La Vida Loca.

Still, with all this strain, I still manage to have some life. But BOY, it is not easy. I am trying out another thing now called a NuvaRing for a minimum of 3 months from June, to see if that decreases bleeding at least, so I don't have to deal with anemia on top of everything else.

Lastly, I have to have kids in the next few years. Only then can the doctors allow me to remove my uterus at such a young age. Otherwise, the specialists recommend that I just live with it until I have kids, then I can remove my uterus and live happily ever after because that is just about the ONLY option I have.

A friend of ours had the same problem as I have, and unlike her, she is married and was trying to have kids. She finally gave birth 2 months ago, but it was not an easy pregnancy, nor an easy birth. In fact, the results of having the problems I have is having difficult pregnancies, miscarriages, giving birth to premature children. I can just forget about a natural birth, or water births and all those romantic things. It is C-Sections for me all the way.
I have the one at the bottom right.

In the meantime, I have to live with this battleground that is my body, until I have children. In the meantime, I will just do some yoga, boxing and eat well as usual, to not give my body any more reasons to act out. What's in my hands, I will take care of. My body, on the other hand can do what it wishes because to remove the fibroid in my cervix would definitely make me infertile, so the doctors don't even want to touch my cervix. All they are doing now is trying to manage the symptoms until I have children, and only then can they get rid of the problem.

Otherwise, my eggs and fertility are one of the best. It is just my cervix and endometrium that's not wonderful. I don't even have any signs of Cancer (probably due to a healthier lifestyle).

A Normal Uterus - The one you wanna occupy
Anyway, to the men out there, give us ladies a break. A normal woman is going through cycles of hormonal changes that keep her busy and overwhelmed. Others have women's health problems that are debilitating to their daily lives, not allowing them to have the time or energy you have, so give us a break, please. Women are dealing with so much. If it is not their uterus, it is their breasts, tumors from both places plague our lives, literally making us on guard or in pain or physically and mentally drained half the time. Give us a break, we are dealing with backaches, headaches, tender breasts, cramps in our wombs and bleeding from our wombs, EVERY MONTH for a week minimum. Don't forget that when we ovulate it sometimes feels just like we are on our period, except we are not bleeding and we have more testosterone.

I beg of you...

Be gentle to us women folk. Unlike you, our most worry is not getting a hard on. It is so much more. Our bodies are human life carriers, and our bodies are always (every month) preparing us to carry life. This is a huge mechanical and biological endeavour.

Okay, let me go drink more painkillers. Cheers.
Inana

Comments

Unknown said…
Hi there Inana,
Oh I have suffered the same fate as you with a turbulent uterus. I am much better now thanks to an excellent iron supplement and using some indigenous medicinal herbs. What has helped the anaemia for me is an iron supplement called Floradix. Use the liquid form,it works best. It's plant based and does not give you constipation like most iron supplements on the market.
Hope it helps
Barbara Keitumetse Mashope-Potgieter
Inana said…
Hi Barbara Keitumetse Mashope-Potgieter,

Thank you for responding and thank you for sharing. I am literally going to grab a pen and paper and write down the iron supplement that you have recommended. Then I am going to go and get it. Please share as much as possible regarding the herbs you use too. I am trying everything now, and the more natural it is, the better because the NuvaRing which I am going to try is making me weary, even though it is my only option because the Minerva was a big "NO NO" for me as it would have aggravated my hormonal problems.

*sigh*

Inana
Unknown said…
Hi Lovely :)
So finally I learn what has been affecting your health for so many years! <3
I had fibroids in my uterus - it felt like I was carrying around a bowling ball in my abdomen. Cranky? Oh yeah. Heavy periods. Oh yeah. Had a complete hysterectomy (they were concerned about a cyst they found on one of my ovaries), took HRT for about a month before I refused to use the crap anymore, then went cold turkey with menopause. I'll have to look up the supplements I took, it was 2005 and my memory could be better.....
{{{ hugs }}}
Mme Zala
Inana said…
Hi Zala. Yes, after all these years, we finally know what the problem is, how to manage and fix it. That is a huge accomplishment.

I am so weary. I think I will do early menopause too. :( :) I am sad and glad because I don't fully grasp this yet.
Unknown said…
Inanas said:
"The point is: I know nothing about mothering a soul in a new human body. I am clueless. I am the youngest child, so..."

It's easy to say, "don't worry, you'll be fine" but I doubt that's very reassuring ;) The magnitude of the task (mothering a soul in a new human body) can be a crushing weight, in your mind - but when you get there, you'll fall in love with that tiny little being, and you'll do what all (most) mothers do - give 110% of yourSelf to that little soul's growth and health :) No matter how much Early Childhood Education someone has (school, books, counselors, parents/friends) you will fly by the seat of your pants like all the rest of us ;D Every child is different and you may think it's possible in the beginning, but then find out as the days and years go by, that you can't raise a child using a book ;) Love, honesty, discipline and more love are the tools you will need and use. You will make mistakes - we all do. That little soul would not have picked you to come into this dimension via, if you were not the perfect being to start them on their path towards the lessons they came into this lifetime to learn. Basi, you'll be a fabulous mom <3
Inana said…
Hi Basi,

Beautiful summation of mothering. Comforting too. Reassuring and somewhat relieving. With that said, I doubt that I will ever be relaxed about such a huge responsibility. You are right, though, as I have seen it in other women. As soon as they become mothers, they get an inner knowing of how to be mothers. I hope this is true to all women, and true for me when the day comes for me to be one.

<3
Unknown said…
Hi Inana,

The herbs I use in combination are Cancer Bush (Lesertia (Sutherlandia) frutescens and Katjiedrieblaar (Knowltonia capensis). I buy these from a Griqua shaman in the Cape. You can call them and Antoinnette Pienaar 17h00- 19h00 Mon -Fri on 0234161659. They post all over the country.
Let me know if you struggle to get through
Peace
Inana said…
Thank you so much Barbara Keitumetse Mashope. I will definitely inquire about this. <3 appreciate the time you took to respond. You have been helpful.
Amanda said…
Dearest.

I don't know if you have access to an acupuncturist or not, but that could definitely be helpful to you.

Lots of love xoxoxoxo

MandaBear
Inana said…
Hey Manda Bear...

Yeah, acupuncture is available here, I would just need a good reference to a really good one. The nausea... It is unbearable. Anyway, about acupuncture, I want a really legit practitioner, but I would have to get referred to one. I would not be able to just pick one from Google. But, I will keep that in mind.

I am just not sure how acupuncture would help, except in alleviating the symptoms.
Amanda said…
That is exactly what I was thinking of - relief of your symptoms.

The US has this organization - http://www.nccaom.org/ where legitimate certified practitioners get listed. I bet there is a similar organization in SA.

xoxo
MandaBear
Lily said…
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