As I mentioned in an answer this morning, I had very troublesome menorrhagia for several years. As a result, I became pretty anemic and nearly required transfusion. I was seeing a gynecologist the entire time, but he just blew me off when I mentioned my heavy bleeding and terrible cramps.
Finally, I got fed up and found a new gynecologist. She is terrific. We talked about the symptoms I was having and the impact they were making on my life, and she suggested endometrial ablation. I did a lot of research myself in addition to reading the materials she gave me. It sounded good.
There were a few hoops to jump through. I had to have some testing done. Blood work, a Pap, and a colposcopy were all done in her office. She wanted to be sure that while I was having an issue, there were not fibroids or cancer or anything else to deal with. The procedure I was having was strictly for endometrial tissue.
The whole thing was pretty neat. The device is designed for safety. I was asleep, but they put this little wand in the uterus and it lasers out the lining. It has a sensor to measure how deep the tissue is and an automatic turn off once it hits a specific depth. This is to prevent perforating the uterus.
Since the procedure, I have very light periods and no cramping whatsoever. It has been almost two years. I suffered for at least five years when I didn't have to. It's just a reminder that if you and your health care provider are not a good fit for any reason, find someone new. It can really affect your quality of life.