I'm Doing Much Better Now

 Hello, 

It's currently August 2022 - it's been a long time since the last post here (late 2020).   

If you've been following this blog here & there - perhaps because you're experiencing similar symptoms - I just want you to know that I'm doing okay, and it does get better.  Hope that motivates you to heal and have hope for the future 💓

At my last post, I was still struggling with heavy flow and painful cramps.  A large part of that was from emotional stress!  We were in the midst of a pandemic, and prior to that, I had the job from hell... so I was always in a low-grade flight-or-fight mode. 

As you probably know, when your blood pressure is high from stress, it affects your menstrual cycle... and when you have something like fibroids - which have their own blood vessels - stress blood pressure can cause increased bleeding, and increase anemia, which can affect clotting, which can cause more bleeding, etc.

These past few months, life has gotten significantly less stressful.  I don't want to jinx anything, but I'm relatively happy at my job.  My husband & I just celebrated an anniversary and we're falling in love all over again (14 years together).  I've said goodbye to toxic family members a few years ago, so I feel more freedom.  We've also taken on a new project on Twitch, which I'm excited about.  So I'm thankful to say that my periods have gotten so much more positive, and now it looks like I likely won't be needing a hysterectomy after all! 

I want to give you hope - if you're currently suffering from fibroids or endometriosis - you will get better.  The stresses in your life will come & go, and when you take good personal care of yourself (getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and nourished, practicing good boundaries, etc)  you will begin to feel better, even before seeking professional medical care. 

All the best, 

D. J.

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: When is it Too Much?

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All menstrual periods contain blood, along with uterine lining, mucus and other tissues that are shed from the uterus when a pregnancy doesn't occur.  As women, we often just normalize whatever we see when we change pads or tampons, but how do you really know if what you're losing constitutes "normal" or "emergency"?  

Here are some things to watch for to know if your flow is too heavy:

• You are soaking through your pad and/or tampon within 30-60 minutes. This is even worse if you're wearing the Super Plus absorbency.
• The blood is bright red and quite watery - this can indicate that it's direct from an artery in your uterus, and is often caused by a leaking fibroid.
• You cannot wear a pad without a tampon and vice versa. Too much flow otherwise.
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• Sheets and PJs are stained when you wake up in the morning, even while wearing double protection.
• You've used an adult diaper at least once in your life, due to your flow.
• It's difficult to use a menstrual cup because there's just too much blood flow. 
• The toilet paper is soaked red with blood just from having a quick pee, and the toilet water is red, brown or orange with blood. 
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• And most importantly: You've had to go to the ER because of these symptoms:  Dizziness, chest pains, shortness of breath, shaking/feeling chills, blurred vision, confusion, lightheadedness and/or headache. 

The above has happened to me, and sadly many women bleed much too heavily (a condition called Menorrhagia) which can lead to serious health concerns - most commonly, anemia (low iron in the blood which reeks havoc on the health).  This can be caused by a number of factors, most commonly either endometriosis or fibroids.  No matter the cause, you will require medical intervention and cannot leave heavy bleeding untreated! 

Exercising with Uterine Fibroids

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It's easy to want to put off exercising when you have fibroids.... I know this first hand.  There is always (yes, always) low-grade cramping pain, bloating, and a feeling of lethargy from previous heavy blood loss/low iron. 

In addition to that, there is always the fear that a fibroid (or several of them) will become over-stimulated from higher pulse coming through them during activity, which can lead to a spontaneous bleed!! 

I've had spontaneous bleeding occur when it wasn't my technical period, and more than once it was caused by high levels of stress (I've since cut those stressors - a poor family relationship and horrible job - out of my life).  

I've also had it occur due to tight pants (yes, pressure on the fibroids can "squeeze them like ketchup packets") and a couple of times due to too much caffeine consumption.   Admittedly, it's always frightening to just start gushing blood from my genitals, even when I know what's caused it.  And so, this has led to me putting off heavy exercise just out of fear of it happening again....

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However, exercise is a fundamental part of human life, for our overall health.  It helps with our circulation/cardio health, breathing, mental well-being, muscle health, strength/endurance, digestion, immunity, organ function and even sexual health!  And it doesn't hurt to look trim & toned.  It's not something that should be put off, even when there are some risks associated with it...

Truthfully, the issue most of us have with motivation to exercise, is that we sometimes see it as a big, scary, time-consuming or exhausting activity, which will leave us sore & tired.  We over-estimate what it entails and overwhelm ourselves before even starting.

Now, it is true that women with bleeding fibroids should not be over-exerted. Thankfully, there are lots of safe & gentle exercises that can help with the bloating and energy levels:

• Yoga - primarily the kind that gently makes us gain core strength in the abs.
• Squats and Pilates - though stay away from aerobics since they can cause a bleed.
• Dancing - my personal favorite!  Belly Dancing is even better due to the movement.
• Doing housework - think of it as an activity and do it to music, rather than think of it as tedious chores. Set a timer and move swiftly to try & "beat the clock" :)
• Go for a walk - this is especially nice during the autumn, where you can enjoy the crunch of the leaves, colors of the trees and the crisp air. 
• If you have an exercise bike, it's recommended that you use it gently and for shorter periods of time, more often. Instead of 45 minutes on it, do two 15-20 minutes at a time, maybe in the morning and evening, or whatever you choose.
• Make time to play outside with loved ones, whether that's your spouse, kid(s) or dog. 
• Water Aerobics - if you like the moves of aerobic exercise, try a class where you get to do it in a refreshing swimming pool.

Two more sites for ideas for "fibroid exercises":

• Atlanta Fibroid Center
• Healthfully

Kind of in Limbo

 Hi all, 

this is kind of a random post.  

In early October, I went to see my primary care physician as a follow-up about my fibroids.  It had been about half a year since the last time I went to see him, due to Covid stuff.  In the meantime, I was still occasionally experiencing incredibly heavy periods (soaking through Super Plus tampons in a short time), and cramps bad enough to cause fever, chills & nausea!

When I went to see him, I was menstruating at the time and he wanted me to get a blood test to count my hemoglobins and see how much iron I was losing.  Unfortunately, because of the longer wait times to get in to clinics (by appointment only these days) and work schedules, it was mid-October before I could get in, and my iron levels may have gone up a bit by then....

I was anxiously awaiting a phone call from him, since he didn't want to take any next steps until I've gotten my hemoglobins checked a few times... but it was a surprise to not hear anything back by 5 days after the first blood test.  So, I went online to access my own health records (we can do that in Alberta, and very likely in other places as well).  My iron levels were strangely pretty good at a 28, but I noticed something else of interest here...

My ferritin (see above) levels are on the low end of the range, which does appear to sometimes be linked with low iron caused by blood loss from heavy menstrual bleeding.  Interesting...

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Anyway, though I'm not currently planning to change doctors at this point, I do admittedly feel almost humored.  I know something is wrong with my feminine health, and though this time last year he encouraged me to consider a hysterectomy, this year it seems he wants me to just use a blood clotting medication and pain relief meds to treat the fibroids.  I had also thought they were growing, which was causing my belly to bloat, but I learned at the appointment with him that my "swelly belly" is mainly just weight gain.... likely caused by my craving for sugar since my loss of blood lowers the blood sugar levels in my body.   

To be honest, at this point, though I was expecting a hysterectomy later this year, it looks like the whole thing is currently in limbo...

I was told to come to him a few more times during my periods to get an appointment and form for blood work, to check those levels each time.  He also wrote me another prescription for Cyklokapron.... guess for now I'll just get used to the side effects and hope for the best.

In the meantime, if my bleeding, pain, swelling or any other fibroid symptoms get worse, I'm going to request a referral to a gynecologist (yes, I know every woman should already have one!)   

👩 ♀

Fibroids and Lethargy

 Being lethargic... it's not the same as being lazy.  

When a person is "lazy", their mind matches their body, and neither one is motivated.  When someone is lethargic, their body cannot keep up with the energy of their mind - and that's what I've been going through for the last 2+ years...   

What causes it?   Many health issues can cause a person to be lethargic - listless, fatigued, etc. - but this post is specific to fibroids and how they contribute.  It's no secret that fibroids cause significant bleeding, both during and not during a woman's period.  This incredible loss of blood (which occurs long-term), contributes to anemia - low iron.  With little iron and oxygen in the organs and muscles, the woman with fibroids is operating on the "bare minimum" for nutrients and can benefit from:

• Taking iron supplements and eating iron-rich food
• Having bed rest during the first day or two of menstruation when it's heaviest
• Getting blood transfusions during heavy menstruation
• Avoiding the use of heat for pain
• Taking a tranexamic acid such as Cyklokapron to control bleeding
• Getting surgery to either remove the fibroids, or the whole uterus

In addition to feeling very tired from fibroid-bleeding (even with adequate hours of sleep), another incredibly common symptom of the anemia they cause, is being cold all the time. This is because the amount of blood and iron needed for warming all the muscles throughout the body, just isn't enough.  When we have the "bare minimum" of blood in our bodies, it will be focused in the torso, where our major organs need it... meaning our extremities (arms & hands, legs & feet) won't get as much.  Being small-framed makes this even worse, and if you know someone like this, please don't body-shame her 🙁 

On the bright side, often when the fibroids have been removed and the patient recovers, with proper transfusions and taking iron, the body should re-establish a healthy amount of blood and then energy levels should increase! 

Fibroids and the 'Phantom Tampon'

 

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Some of you ladies know what I'm talking about... you've accidentally left an old tampon in, and you have a heavy, painful feeling in your vagina... it starts toward the cervix and eventually, your vulva feels sore.   What if I told you... you removed your last tampon already?

This is referred to as the Phantom Tampon because it feels like it's there, but when you check by feel and eventually with a pocket mirror, you realize nothing got "left behind"... except for a medical condition, such as vaginal dryness, irritation or polyps in there.  

Fibroids typically don't enter the vaginal cavity, but on occasion, larger (heavy) fibroids can "fall" through the cervix, causing an uncomfortable and painful feeling of fullness in the vagina.  Unfortunately, they are tender and can bleed easily, and ironically, if a woman is unaware (not likely but still) that it's there and rams a tampon against it, that can cause a very heavy bleed which will likely require transfusions... this is why it's so important that we ladies take our uterine health very seriously and see our doctor when something is wrong - that can save our life!

I'm in an At-Risk Group

 

This is me today, wearing a mask to go out and do stuff with my hubby.  The main health risk associated with COVID19 is oxygen going down and organs failing because of that. This can occur as a result of pneumonia and requires a respirator in extreme cases. 

As we all know by now, those with weakened immune systems and/or pre-existing conditions like cancer or diabetes are at higher risk.  I'm in the higher-risk group because of anemia, which already keeps my oxygen levels significantly low.  

If this COVID19 bug gets me, it has potential to put me in the ICU with a need for emergency oxygen!  😬

I'd like to do a little PSA now for women who have similar "female issues" which weaken our immune systems. It's not always pleasant to wear a mask, nor is it fun to follow orders like standing in social-distance lineups.  Our skin is getting dry from all the sanitizer and we miss traveling...  But the longer we get carried away by our petty frustrations about it (and refuse to keep taking precautions), the longer it will take to eradicate this bug, and it increases your odds of getting seriously ill 🤒 

I wear my mask proudly, because it can help protect me (otherwise I'm as good as gone) AND I feel good knowing that I'm helping to protect others, especially those who are immuno-compromised

So please, don't refuse to be part of the protection, and please don't be putting your "I don't wanna" before the health & safety of others 🙏