My struggle with endometriosis began about five years ago (2009) when I was switched from Ortho TriCyclen Lo (norgestimate and ethinly estradiol) to Lo Ovral (norgestrel and ethinly estradiol).
Endometriosis is a disease that brings unimaginable pain to women and is under-diagnosed and considered a garbage disease because the diagnosis is a throw-away of physicians when they can't find anything else wrong with you.
Which is absolute bullshit and has caused me more frustration and pain than anything else in my lifetime.
Let's get a bit more familiar, shall we? I'm 32 years old and have been with my current mate for almost three years. We recently married and have been talking about having children.
I have been on birth control since high school, so about 16 years of my life. In high school, for about six months, I switched from the pill to the depo provera shot, but immediately gained thirty pounds and switched back to the pill.
I was in the Army from 2001 to 2002, and was not on any birth control during that time. Anyway, essentially I was on Ortho TriCyclen Lo for about three years. I never had any problems, my skin cleared up, my period lasted about 3 days, and I never had a problem taking my pill on time every day.
When I was switched to Lo Ovral in 2002 (because the health department could no longer get Ortho TriCyclen Lo), I was told it was about the same but I could now switch to having one period every three months. That sounded great, so I agreed to the switch. I stayed on Lo Ovral from 2002 until 2012 when I was talked into switching to depo provera, despite my misgivings and previous weight gain.
Why did they convince me to switch? Well, the entirety of 2011 I had massive cramping and unexplainable bleeding. I couldn't be outside in the heat without getting cramps and I could barely function. For many months, my physician told me to take 3 Lo Ovral pills per day to try to stop my bleeding. For many months I sometimes took 6 pills per day. When that didn't stop the bleeding, it was recommended I take 2000 mg of vitamin c per day, which made me incredibly sick.
Finally, by 2012, I had my physician convinced that something was wrong with me and I couldn't continue taking 3 to 6 pills per day. They sent me in for ultra sounds and came back with some unconvincing diagnoses that perhaps my body was just not working well with the pill anymore and my best option would be depo provera.
I was in absolute hell, so I agreed to depo provera. The bleeding and cramps continued so I left my physician and found another. He explained that I probably had endometriosis, but the only way to tell for sure would be to undergo laproscopic and hysteroscopic surgery. I was scared but was willing to do anything at this point to alleviate my suffering.
My surgery went well and he removed numerous scars caused by endometriosis. I felt validated that i wasn't crazy and I felt hopeful that my suffering would finally stop.
To keep the endometriosis from growing back, my physician put me on a pill called Micronor (noresthisterone), a mixture similar to depo provera but that would hopefully help curb the weight gain I was experiencing.
Unfortunately, Micronor came with its own problems. I was moody and cried all the time. I felt I was still gaining weight and was depressed and desperate for a change.
My physician put me on Levitra for one month, but ran out, and then placed me on Nordette (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol). The Nordette supply only lasted four months, at which point I was placed on Portia (also levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol).
The switch from Micronor to Levitra to Nordette to Portia had me reeling between moody and unexplainable tears. Somehow my husband understood everything I was going through and did his best to help me emotionally.
However, after two weeks on Portia, I began growing the most painful cysts and had excruciating migraines. I stopped Portia about 6 weeks ago.
Today, I still have migraines, but I feel as though a fog has been lifted on my mind. I have a 3 day period with minimal cramping.
My husband and I have started trying for a baby. I'm worried, though, because my struggle with endometriosis has put my body through a lot and I don't know how easy it will be to conceive.
To be continued...
Endometriosis is a disease that brings unimaginable pain to women and is under-diagnosed and considered a garbage disease because the diagnosis is a throw-away of physicians when they can't find anything else wrong with you.
Which is absolute bullshit and has caused me more frustration and pain than anything else in my lifetime.
Let's get a bit more familiar, shall we? I'm 32 years old and have been with my current mate for almost three years. We recently married and have been talking about having children.
I have been on birth control since high school, so about 16 years of my life. In high school, for about six months, I switched from the pill to the depo provera shot, but immediately gained thirty pounds and switched back to the pill.
I was in the Army from 2001 to 2002, and was not on any birth control during that time. Anyway, essentially I was on Ortho TriCyclen Lo for about three years. I never had any problems, my skin cleared up, my period lasted about 3 days, and I never had a problem taking my pill on time every day.
When I was switched to Lo Ovral in 2002 (because the health department could no longer get Ortho TriCyclen Lo), I was told it was about the same but I could now switch to having one period every three months. That sounded great, so I agreed to the switch. I stayed on Lo Ovral from 2002 until 2012 when I was talked into switching to depo provera, despite my misgivings and previous weight gain.
Why did they convince me to switch? Well, the entirety of 2011 I had massive cramping and unexplainable bleeding. I couldn't be outside in the heat without getting cramps and I could barely function. For many months, my physician told me to take 3 Lo Ovral pills per day to try to stop my bleeding. For many months I sometimes took 6 pills per day. When that didn't stop the bleeding, it was recommended I take 2000 mg of vitamin c per day, which made me incredibly sick.
Finally, by 2012, I had my physician convinced that something was wrong with me and I couldn't continue taking 3 to 6 pills per day. They sent me in for ultra sounds and came back with some unconvincing diagnoses that perhaps my body was just not working well with the pill anymore and my best option would be depo provera.
I was in absolute hell, so I agreed to depo provera. The bleeding and cramps continued so I left my physician and found another. He explained that I probably had endometriosis, but the only way to tell for sure would be to undergo laproscopic and hysteroscopic surgery. I was scared but was willing to do anything at this point to alleviate my suffering.
My surgery went well and he removed numerous scars caused by endometriosis. I felt validated that i wasn't crazy and I felt hopeful that my suffering would finally stop.
To keep the endometriosis from growing back, my physician put me on a pill called Micronor (noresthisterone), a mixture similar to depo provera but that would hopefully help curb the weight gain I was experiencing.
Unfortunately, Micronor came with its own problems. I was moody and cried all the time. I felt I was still gaining weight and was depressed and desperate for a change.
My physician put me on Levitra for one month, but ran out, and then placed me on Nordette (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol). The Nordette supply only lasted four months, at which point I was placed on Portia (also levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol).
The switch from Micronor to Levitra to Nordette to Portia had me reeling between moody and unexplainable tears. Somehow my husband understood everything I was going through and did his best to help me emotionally.
However, after two weeks on Portia, I began growing the most painful cysts and had excruciating migraines. I stopped Portia about 6 weeks ago.
Today, I still have migraines, but I feel as though a fog has been lifted on my mind. I have a 3 day period with minimal cramping.
My husband and I have started trying for a baby. I'm worried, though, because my struggle with endometriosis has put my body through a lot and I don't know how easy it will be to conceive.
To be continued...