FuckYouFibroids

So I loved being on estrogen after my surgery because I had no period for the first time since I was 12.  That party ended after 30 days when my prescription ran out.  I transitioned back onto birth control which resulted in bleeding (due to changes in hormones).  I managed the pill for almost two months before I quit against my doctor's orders.  I wanted to see what my body was really telling me post-op. Fast forward some highs and lows, some wins and loses.  Some random emergency bags with whole toilet paper rolls and some back up underwear that belonged to my husband because...laundry sucks.  Nothing has been that consistent or predictable.  Some months I'm early; this month, for example, I was literally halfway up a mountain just a few days ago when it came on like a Miley Cyrus wrecking ball.  Thankfully, I was with a dear friend who knew my story.  I tied my jacket around my waist, and we pushed on to summit.  At least I got to e...

Keeping it short and sweet today.  Days 4-6 of recovery were pretty brutal: low energy, needed lots of sleep, but I stayed home Monday to take care of myself and also tried to get outside to walk the dog for 20 minutes or so.  Otherwise, I knew I'd be even more tired jumping back into my daily routines. By Wednesday, I finally felt like myself again.  I slept horribly Tuesday night but that's pretty typical for me, so I knew I was getting closer to my "normal."  It had been two weeks (I felt horrible right before my surgery; my blood numbers were so low).  After the procedure and some rest, so far, so good! I have my post-op next week but I've already been back to my normal amount of steps (12-13k, no more couch time) and I went to a hot yoga class on Thursday and today (Saturday).  I will find out next week if my doctor wants me to do blood work, but I have a feeling that I will continue to get stronger slowly over time.  Hyperactivity should be b...

So on Monday (three days before surgery), a wrench got thrown into the plan.  I knew something was wrong because I had been out of the ordinary tired for almost a week.  The thought of waking up early for my pre-op blood test and then rushing to school knowing what the blood results were going to say (hello, super anemic from blood loss) motivated me enough to arrange for a sub.  Thank goodness I did that for myself! I let myself sleep and then went straight to the blood test center.  Within a few hours, they were calling me with results: low red blood count, low hemoglobin, low hematocrit (whatever that all means)... I was like look lady, all I know is that I'm tired and realize even my brain is not getting enough oxygen to function normally...what do I do?  I was not ready for options: -blood transfusion before surgery -iron infusion (to raise blood levels on my own; would require pushing back surgery 4-8 weeks) -do nothing and proceed I ended up not re...

Just realized I never posted this...oh, it's because I was so tired I never finished ~Days??? (I stopped keeping track)~ Gluten + and - + no cravings +/- was tired the next day but it was also my first day back at work after spring break +/- slept okay but hard time falling asleep in the days after - the bread caused bloating; the pasta made it even worse + did not affect me mentally So far, 50% worth it. However, in the days following, something happened. I had noticed that each time I added something to my whole30, I experienced an increase in bleeding and sometimes back cramps.  Carbs have been identified as a food to avoid if you have fibroids.  Man, oh man, I was not ready for what was to come. This last week has been hell.  Bloody hell.  Let's just say last night, we changed the sheets THREE times.  Three. I don't believe eating gluten one day caused all of this; in fact, I have no idea what's going on.  All I know is that I'm havin...

~ Days35-37: Part 3 reintroduction and other notes ~ Slept okay the night I had rice and corn chips.  But I was REALLY tired the next day.  It's somewhat of a wash, but I'm adjusting the "kinda worth it" factor for grains to 50-60%.  Cheese/Yogurt + and - + no cravings, other than for more cheese, which I resisted; one of my issues with this food group is the high calories, so I was pretty motivated to moderate my intake + not tired - upset stomach (from shredded cheese) and bloating + did not affect me mentally; actually made me happy because it was so delicious and I was proud of my self control + no noticeable symptoms - has been known to make me break out in the past Sleep: TBD Conclusion:  Mathematically, this group should be KINDA WORTH IT (67%), BUT I am hesitant to not consider the fact that I have had issues in the past moderating cheese; plus, it is so hard to not eat with another food group: hello, bread and wine!  It's not rea...

~ Days31-34: Parts 1 & 2 of reintroduction and some positives ~ I can go on and on about adding something every few days and its affects, but I'm trying to keep it simple and journal all the details instead of blogging them.  So here's the quick and dirty version: Wine + and - - made me crave salty bar-food (no surprise there) and of course, more wine.  I refrained from both! - made me very tired a few hours later; thought I was going to get solid sleep but...(continue reading)... - terrible sleep, nightmares in fact; had strange paranoid dreams about people breaking into my car; actually got out of bed to check when I heard noises! - upset stomach following day, but no bloating thankfully + + did not affect me mentally - increased bleeding that night and also experienced cramps; had Nathan get ibuprofen and my massager in the middle of the night - noticed some skin blemishes following day Conclusion:  The fact that wine could be making my fibroids/bleedi...

A few weeks ago, when I originally posted a link regarding fibroids, several friends reached out to me who have experienced or are currently experiencing the same menstrual dilemma.  Some were great success stories--others are still continually struggling and frustrated.  I would've never known!  Again, why I think people need to talk more about women's health.  Just because you're not a woman doesn't mean it doesn't affect you.  My husband will vouch that this whole debacle has certainly affected him.  Just like anything, the more you know, well, the more you know. One friend who reached out to me and was experiencing heaving bleeding due to fibroids mentioned the use of yarrow supplements and tea to lesson (or in some cases even stop) periods.  Our stories parallel each other: At first we both thought, "yeah yeah I'll try it but I'm not holding my breath or anything."  After some time and LOTS of yarrow (like non-stop), we both noticed improve...

So, I spoke too soon. Last week, I decided to skip the sugar pills in my birth control pack so I could skip a period for the first time in my life. Well, it still came; just late! I thought I was in the clear. The good news is it was much lighter and somewhat bearable, maybe like a normal person period. Better luck next time. All of this has confirmed my decision to have surgery in one month. I know the pill isn't a permanent solution, even if I can skip (or kinda skip) my period, but the hormones in birth control aren't good news for fibroids. In fact, it's scary all the things that are linked to fibroids: hormones: estrogen, progesterone genetics age (more common in ladies 30+) high body weight (I may meet the age requirement but this one does not apply to me) pregnancies (does not apply) I also read up on foods to avoid. Not that I think eating kale will solve this, but since eating is a daily part of life, why not align it in my favor? Foods...