Update
I spent a wonderful summer working for my best friend Abbey at a Golf Course just outside of Beaverton Oregon. It gave me a chance to get a small vacation from California, and time with my family and friends that I missed so much.

As of July 2001 I went back to my moms doctor at Portland Adventist Hospital and asked to be put back on some form of birth control pill. My menstrual cycles had become so abnormal, unpredictable and painful that I just couldn't take it anymore. The doctor allready knew that I wasn't up for Synarel and never would be, so he didn't even suggest it. He put me on a low dose pill called YASMIN 28 Having me cycle only every three months (meaning I take pills for three months.. have a period.. ect.)  By this time I figured I didn't care if my body was still messed up from the Depo Provera hormones.. I just wanted to know when my period was going to come every month, and hopefully make it a little less heavy.

As stated on the pill pack directions I waited until the first day of my period to start the pills. This day ended up to be a Sunday, how easy to remember. After two weeks I decided that maybe the pill was making me have and extra long period because I was stil bleeding. Yet I waited it out for a while longer in hopes that it would stop. My bleeding never got worse, but it never got any better I eventually found out that I was becoming Anemic. I was dizzy just going up a small flight of stairs, and I just wanted to go to bed and sleep.

It was hard to get a doctors appointment considering he is a fertility specialist and an OBGYN. I finally got an appointment one day before I was going to drive home to California. I figured that he would look at me, see that I was anemic, tell me to take iron and stop taking that birth controll pill he prescribed. I ended up being totally wrong.

He called for a transvaginal ultrasound to be done that day. He was worried about something other than the pills causing all the bleeding. He thought that since I had never bled through any of the millions of birth control pills I had been on (and I had tried them all). then it was unlikely that I would bleed through these. He said we need to look and see if we can find anything. He thought it could be Uterine Polyps.

I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of a transvaginal ultrasound. I have had many doctors do them, and find nothing at all, so I had low expectations. The woman who ended up doing my ultrasound was the nicest lady I've ever met. She showed me what she was looking at, when she was looking at it.. and even told me I had a "cute uterus" I of course thanked her because it's not often that you are told you have a cute uterus.

The Transvaginal ultrasound did show something abnormal and the nurse called in the doctor to take a look. He studied the picture for a minute and told me that I needed to have a surgery as soon as possible. He beleived that what we were seeing in the picture were Uterin Polyps.. and those can cause bleeding. He wanted to do a Hysteroscopy. (where the uterus is dialated and a scope is inserted so that the doctor can see inside the uterus.)

I had planned to be driving to California, now he wanted me to stick around for a surger the following week. He didn't want to wait too long considering the bleeding.. so I was stuck. I went into surgery that following Tuesday 8/21/01. Less than one week after they did the ultrasound.

This time the surgery was a sucess!

A few small Polyps the size of an eraser on a pencil were removed with a laser from my uterus. A D&C was also performed at the same time. To our surprise we got so much more information than we thought we could get. My prayers were finally answered when he told my mother that he found Adenomyosis. I guess God has been listening, he just wanted things done in his own time.

The doctor concluded that unlike my mother I did not have a bi-lateral uterus. (My mother's uterus when removed was found to have a division down the center. Most likely the reason I was not carried to term.This is known as a bi-lateral uterus.) He said that my uterus had a dimple in it, but it wasn't a fully developed bi-lateral uterus, it was just heart shapedt. I suppose it must have been interesting for him to see how my mothers problems were so different, yet so much the same. She had Endometriosis, and I Adenomyosis. She had a bi-lateral uterus, and I had what looked to be the start of one. Makes you almost interested enough to be a doctor.

Now that this surgery is over I am still trying to get on with life. I drove back to California three days after the surgery.. and started school immediatly. I have been in a lot of pain lately, and still haven't stopped bleeding (and it's been 12 weeks) But by now I've learned that things could be worse. This is something I need to deal with, it's who I am. I think there was a reason I have adenomyosis. I may not know what it is yet, but I know it has made me a stronger person. Maybe I'm here to help someone else who doesn't think they are strong enough to deal with this disease... I don't know. I just know that I go on, and hope that someday I will have the ability to have healthy children then have a hysterectomy. Too bad I'm only 22.

11/02/01
I've been feeling alright but the stress of a surgery and school finally got to me and I'm sitting at home with Mononucleosis. I just push myself too hard sometimes! I'm hoping that I will be able to finish out the semester, pass all of my classes, and still get better.. but last time I had mono. I had it for a year and a half. It was so hard for me to get over it.
I would like to say that the pain from the Adenomyosis is better.. but it's about the same. Though I was glad to stop bleeding..The Yasmin 28 birth control pill that is supposed to have few side effects seems to be working alright. I feel it was a good choice for me because it doesn't make me sick. I'm still taking more Advil and anaprox than I would like.. and that has caused a stomach acid problem.. but thank goodness for Prilosec! 

Basically thats all that is going on. I feel my mind is at ease now that I know it's Adenomyosis and no one can say it's not.
[Home] [Information] [Support] [My Story] [Updates] [Other Links]