It's no fun being a girl

It was a terribly difficult weekend.
For many months now, I've been battling ever heavier menstrual bleeding -- on an increasingly unpredictable calendar. I had hoped that it meant I was approaching menopause and a welcome end to all the inconvenience and mess. Hah! No such luck. Medical science has reached the point of being able to reassure me that I am likely to continue to experience the "joys" for the foreseeable future. Ick!

As all of these problems began to crank up months ago, I avoided the issue because, frankly, I was seeing a gynecologist that I just did not like or trust. The idea of approaching the needed interventions with that guy just gave me the heebie jeebies. I couldn't bring myself to go there.

Finding a new gyn is such an awesome, intimidating undertaking. I waffled and procrastinated and fiddled. Meanwhile the red tide just kept rising and rising. Worse and worse with each passing month. Sometimes it would border on hemorage and I would take to my bed with ice packs to try and stem the flooding. It would scare me.

Then finally, disaster struck. Without warning, I exploded in a wash of menstrual blood, right in front of a classroom full of 7th graders. Luckily the timing was such that they didn't actually see all of what happened -- it was at the change of classes and at the end of the day. The janitor was right there with his mop and bucket. I grabbed tissues, made some noise about a "nose bleed" and took off for the restroom. The janitor frantically mopped, and the teacher from across the hall dismissed my kids to go home. But that was enough to convince me that something had to get done about this. I can't go on doing what I've been doing obviously.

So, I found a lady doc who seems gentle and competent. I think she seems good and she doesn't freak me out. She says that the issue is uterine fibroids, and that has been confirmed by an ultrasound. The recommendation (as a first pass) is a D&C with endometrial ablation. It isn't a guaranteed fix, but it might work and it is less invasive than some of the other alternatives. It is scheduled for the 27th. Outpatient surgery. Home that same morning. Take the next day off work to rest and recover and everything should be right as rain in no time.

Right.

They say that it should significantly reduce or maybe even eliminate the bleeding, at least for awhile. Who knows -- at my age, a while might be all that I need. Couple days of discomfort seems a small price to be rid of all this crap every month...
But then I read that it can take weeks to recover from this deal -- anywhere from 2-6 weeks before full healing happens. No guarantees of results. Maybe as much as 3-4 months before things "settle down," and the actual results of it all can be determined. Sigh.

I sure hope I'm making the right choice here.

Being a girl can sure suck some days. Out loud with a straw.

swan