I recently went through a little health scare, which I have documented through the following journal entries below:
3/15/08
“Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” It’s a famous quote that resonates in all of our lives from time to time. I personally was reminded of this quote on Friday, when for the first time ever my yearly well woman exam did not go as smoothly as normal.
“I think you have a lump on your ovary,” my doctor said. I was shocked. This is something that only happens to other people, right? Only this time, I was the other person. I didn’t know what to say. I had a million questions, but somehow none of them could make their way out of my mouth. My doctor gave me a look that I could not place (but I hadn’t seen before) and said: “It’s probably just a cyst, but you’ll need to come in next week for an ultrasound to see.”
I left the doctor’s in shock. It could be fine. What if it’s not? I can’t believe I am even thinking about this. I called my husband and told him. He was over at his sister’s place and she overheard our conversation. A couple of minutes later, he called back and said the same thing happened to her and that her doctor told her ovarian cysts are fairly common after pregnancy. I was a bit relieved. Although I did not know if what I had was a cyst yet, it was really good to know that bit of information. Then it hit me – this is what our site is about. Sharing information.
Of course, I already knew that! But, since I was now the person needing health information – versus someone else – I appreciate the mission of EmpowHer on a whole new level.
3/19/08
I received my results. No cancer! Woo hoo! In my gut, I didn’t think that I had it – but until you know, your mind goes crazy. What if it is? What will that mean for me – and my family? You try not to think about it, but until you know those questions are always there.
I am very thankful that my tests were negative. It also reminds me that there are many who have been in my same boat that have not been so lucky.
I also told my doctor’s office that I have decided to switch doctors, and I am in the process of getting my files to my new doctor. My next appointment is in a couple of weeks.
Oh, by the way, you may want to know what I DO have. Fibroids. That’s about all I know. When I was getting fertility testing, the doctor noticed some. Apparently, now I have a large one.
3/21/08
I started looking at some of my options on the Internet for the fibroid. A lot of them include surgery. The recovery time for one of the options is six weeks – yikes! I am trying not to think about that yet, since I still don’t have enough information about what is going on, but it’s hard!
UPDATE
I switched doctors & after a lot of paperwork transfer headaches & an appointment, I have learned that I do not need to have surgery. Yea! My new doctor said since my symptoms from the fibroid aren’t that bad, he wouldn’t suggest it. So, what is a gal with a fibroid issue to do now? Well, I have decided to go back to acupuncture, which I did a couple of years ago. My acupuncturist said that his techniques can help shrink fibroids, but it takes a very long time to be effective. I also think acupuncture improved my overall health, so that is another reason for my decision.
I know I am very lucky to have this outcome out of this experience, and I am very grateful.
I would be interested to learn what other people’s experiences have been with fibroids. If you have any stories to share, please let me know.
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Thanks for the great feedback everyone.
May 8, 2008 - 2:04pmThis Comment
Hi Joanne, I refer women to http://www.bpharmacysolutions.com. They have been working with women from a menopause website for 14 years and you can work with them over the internet and by phone. The other resource you could use to find a compounding pharmacy in your area is the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists.
http://www.iacprx.org.
I will be advocating for baseline hormone levels to used by every physician in this country.
Samiam should also contact a compounding pharmacy since her daughter most likely has an imbalance in her hormones.
Let me know how this works out for you.
Be Well. The tides is about to change.
May 7, 2008 - 4:01pmThis Comment
Samiam & Sheila -- Thanks so much for sharing your stories. They were real eye-openers.
Samiam -- I hope that you find the answer to why your daughter has been dealing with these kinds of issues so early in her life. Is is hard enough being a teenager without dealing with that! I have mentioned your issue to our staff here & they are going to look to see if they can find any resources that may help you get to the bottom of this.
Sheila -- My doctor actually refused to do a hormone test on me when I asked. What compounding pharmacy can I go to to get my levels checked? I live in the Phoenix area.
May 7, 2008 - 9:13amThis Comment
Not only are compounding pharmacies like the Apothecary Shop in Arizona offering hormone counseling and evaluation, but your better bet may be to consider a complete evaluation by someone qualified in diagnosis and natural treatment. Many Naturopathic Physicians specialize in the proper diagnosis and treatment of Women's Health Conditions and the balancing of the endocrine/hormone system, as well as the use of Bio-Identical Hormones when needed. Dr. Cheryl Deroin is one of the best in her field at Scottsdale Natural Medicine & Healing Clinic (480.951.0111)
May 8, 2008 - 8:30amThis Comment
Dr. John Lee was a pioneer and expert in the study and use of the hormone progesterone and on the subject of hormone replacement. Though there has been a great deal of research going on in the past ten years using estrogen in the treatment of depression, dementia, schizophrenia, and many other conditions there has been little research done in the area of progesterone. Unfortunately, Dr. Lee past away last year but his work continues. http://www.johnleemd.com/
Dr. Stanley West in his book The Hysterectomy Hoax, where he states 90% of hysterectomies are unnecessary, describes that if a miscoding of progesterone which occurs at puberty never corrects itself during our reproductive years. This imbalance in progesterone causes estrogen dominance hence you get fibroids in the uterus, ovaries and breasts that never become cancerous. I personally believe fetal exposure to chemicals or childhood vaccinations may be related to the cause of this. Smoking during pregnancy could be a cause. Anything that we come in contact with during pregnancy could be a cause.
I have spent years studying women's hormone related conditions to find answers to my own hormone issues and to inform women on my website of all the hormone related issues that we suffer from due to the utter lack of knowledge and research that has been done. You must remember all research prior to 1995 was done on Men, Mice and Monkeys not us ladies. So it's no wonder our hormone related conditions are still in the dark ages.
I do know, from my own experience, that if anyone had checked my hormones levels anytime during my life before I was 45 and someone had noticed the progesterone imbalance would still have my uterus and I would not have used estrogen replacement without progesterone. I had estrogen dominance to being with. I certainly did not need to use hormone replacement that made the fibroids in my breasts even worse.
One thing all women need to understand is that when you have a blood test to determine your hormone levels there is a ranged used to determine whether or not you have an imbalance in your hormones. If you are a women who has estrogen dominance, which is caused by low levels of progesterone, you will show up in the normal range even though you are not. That is why you should go to one of the natural compounding pharmacies like bpharmacysolutions.com and have a saliva test.
Fibroids cause heavy bleeding and painful cramps. Fibroids are a leading cause of infertility and unnecessary hysterectomies.
Scientific research is only as good as the people who are doing it at any particular time. Unfortunately, for us as women, because medicine was dominant by men for so long, reproductive hormones effect on our health is in the infancy stage as I write.
From the moment I got my periods at 13 until my uterine hysterectomy at 37, I nearly bleed to death and my cramps were unbelievably painful. I had miscarriages due to this. At 36, I called my doctor to get a blood test because I knew that the anemia which started when I got my periods was really bad. She called after the appointment with my blood results and told me she could not believe I could even walk up three stairs my iron count was so long. I had iron shots once a week for six months but because I was bleeding so heavily the shots did nothing. I ended up have a uterine hysterectomy.
So ladies get your hormone checked by a natural compounding pharmacy to prevent you from going through what I went through.
Be Well. The tide is about to change.
May 7, 2008 - 5:09amThis Comment
started 6 years ago when she found a lump in her breast. At only 17, it was devastating for the entire family to think that she might have breast cancer. Plus, it had more than doubled in size between the time she had first gone to her doctor and her scheduled biopsy, less than 2 weeks later. It turned out to be a benign fibrous cyst, but still!
She continues to deal with fibrous cysts that have been developing on her throat. There is no history of such a condition on either side of the family, as far as we know. My daughter's doctor, however, said that she had seen several girls around the same age with the same issues; so, it made us wonder if there was something in the water.
Fortunately, my daughter's doctors check on her regularly, especially her Otolaryngologist. Thank goodness for a caring medical team!
I'm happy to hear you had a happy outcome, as well.
May 6, 2008 - 5:53pmThis Comment