This post is inspired by a recent personal health situation - one that I couldn't have possibly navigated if some important people in my life had not been open to discussing information normally considered "TMI" (too much information).
In short, two weeks ago I had a hysterectomy.
How did I get there? Well, it all started in January. My doctor had been advising me that I would soon 'age out' of the combined birth control pill (i.e. the one that contains estrogen), and in January she advised it was time to switch to an IUD or a progestin-only birth control pill. As I wasn't keen to have something installed into my cervix, I opted for the funded* pill. My doctor advised that many women have had breakthrough bleeding on the funded pill, but to give it a go for three months. At the time I also complained of frequent urination, but not in a way that led me to believe I had a UTI. She tested me for one anyway, and it was negative. There was no follow-up.
I effectively had three months of non-stop periods. My breasts were an entire size larger as well - which often happened the week before my period on the combined pill, but this was ridiculous. I tracked all of my symptoms in a spreadsheet (because of course I did). After three months, I went back to my doctor and asked for the progestin-only pill that wasn't funded. It would set me back $50+ for three months, but there was a far higher chance of less bleeding. And I did have success for nearly 2 months - very short periods, my other symptoms were far less severe. I had done it!
The other change I made at that time was hiring a health coach to help me lose weight. I knew what I needed to do around food and exercise, but not exactly how to do it. The program was going well - I was eating better (and more!) than I'd ever had, lifting weights again, and dropping the weight.
Until I hit a plateau.
Now, here's some TMI for you...it was because I hadn't pooped in a few days. My coach asked if it was normal for me, and you know, it wasn't. Just about that time, a good friend of mine told me she was scheduled for a hysterectomy. What?! I've been wanting one for ages - I had no use for my uterus - even considered signing up to a live donation program. Anyway, she told me she had fibroids and finally had the explanation for her terrible periods. I had no idea what fibroids were, so I looked up the symptoms: abdominal pain, frequent urination, breakthrough bleeding, back pain and...constipation. Fibroids are very common, especially in women my age and even moreso for women who have never had children.
I had all of those symptoms, but also had an explanation for nearly all of them. Back pain? I'm 48 - of course I have back pain. Abdominal pain and breakthrough bleeding? Well, that's probably due to the new pill and/or peri-menopause, right? Ultimately it was the constipation that I couldn't explain. I pretty much only drank water, and heaps of it. Plenty of fibre in my diet too. When my period went on for 2 weeks on the new pill, I was off to see my doctor again to request a scan.
My doctor is a general practitioner and does not seem knowledgable in women's health, despite being a woman and my exact same age. She hesitated when I asked for a scan (which would be at my cost), saying she doubted a fibroid could be large enough to cause constipation. I just kept asking until she referred me for a scan. In the meantime, we agreed to continue the non-funded pill until I had some answers about what my body might be up to.
I had a scan about a week later, with results the next day. And here's where my amazing friends come in again, because my doctor provided very little information about the results. My doctor only emailed to say that I had multiple fibroids and that I should consider a hysterectomy.
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| Trust me, you don't want to see an actual picture of this. |
Fortunately, a friend of mine is a Sonographer! I sent over my report, and she decoded it for me: my uterus is tipped backwards, I had six fibroids, all tamarillo-sized and my uterus was about double the average size. Where do I go from here?
Well, back to my friend who had just had her hysterectomy. She and her partner had done all the groundwork in choosing an ob/gyn, and had had such a positive experience, they recommended him to me. She also guided me through what to expect at my first appointment with him, and what to expect from surgery and post-op.
And my coach! She also had had experience with fibroids, and knew how to change my diet and workouts to accommodate. I met my goal of 10kg weight loss with her help, which led to a better result during my surgery as well.
I knew what was normal for my body, and I still explained away most of my symptoms. If I hadn't insisted on a scan, how long would it have taken for my (soon to be former) doctor to order one?
Throughout all of this, I never felt lost or confused because my friends were so willing to talk and share vital information, and I can't thank them enough:
- Suzanne for sharing TMI about her own health situation and guiding me through the entire process.
- RJ (Suzanne's partner) for sharing how he supported Suzanne and providing guidance to Darren.
- Sarah for decoding my scan report. She was also ready to scan me herself if I had waited any longer for an appointment.
- Anastasia for guiding me through and helping me meet my weight loss goal.
Share that TMI - you just never know who may need to hear it.
*Because New Zealand has socialised medicine, certain prescriptions are funded, which means they only cost $5. In this case, I could get 3 months of birth control for one copay of $5.
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