Why, you ask?
One doesn't need a reason for chocolate; however, I happen to have a pretty good one anyway.
Uterine biopsies hurt really, really, badly, and so I need some chocolate.
Now, the biopsy is just a precaution, given my untreated PCOS for so many years and having gone as many as 5-6 months without periods; apparently the lining not shedding monthly, but building up, is a risk for cancer (why did my doctor never mention this?)
Since the gynecologist was going to be in there anyway doing something to eliminate my cancer risk (at least for these reasons), they were doing the biopsy too, it isn't as though I've had any cancerous symptoms.
The three options for me for settling the cancer risk were taking birth control pills, which would make sure the lining sheds monthly; however, I have read, and discussed with my new gynecologist who specializes in PCOS and things like that, that at my age taking birth control pills have more risks than say if I was in my early thirties. The second option was IUD, which since it provides local progesterone, that isn't systemic like taking a pill, has lower risks, and stops the risk of cancer from linings building up. The third option was to take out my uterus, which is a bit drastic.
My GP had recommended endometrial ablation but apparently that's only a good option if your periods are regular; it lightens periods but doesn't stop them, so my linings would still build up some in the months they aren't shedding. Apparently it hurts 10 times worse than getting an IUD, which is what I did today and it was awful (much more so than they expected, the degree and durationon of pain I was having concerned them and then ultrasounded again to check things out). It was still awful even though the biopsy was worse, but the IUD was still pretty bad, and it took longer (the 15 seconds of horrendous biopsy pain, made me yell for 15 seconds or more though I tried not to). I yelled for some of the IUD too. The pain was comparable to or worse than labor pain, esp. for the biopsy, and even for some parts of the IUD procedure.
The pain is supposed to go away within a couple hours; if it doesn't, he'll be taking out my uterus. Not today obviously but if I still hurt tonight, he's pretty clear that it needs to come out. I did take 800mg of ibuprofen half an hour before the appointment. It's been an hour and the pain is not fading AT ALL.
So, I need chocolate. Make sense? Hugs and love and kind thoughts and sympathy/empathy are all good, too. At the moment, the idea of losing my uterus sounds really really NICE, even though I know it's surgery and will not be painless.
I am so tired of doctors. I had a CT on my kidneys Monday followed by my baseline mammogram which I figured I may as well get done while I was there, so I scheduled them both. I've had two gynecologist appointments this week, and another urologist appointment next week (he said he'd call before Monday if the CT was abnormal so I'm hoping it wasn't, although I'd like to know why my kidneys hurt off and on).
I do know I will never do that again, the IUD, even if the pain settles down and goes away in a timely manner. I'm used to alot of pain but this was just awful. I feel like I've been poked, prodded, sampled, needeled, etc. with about every stupid thing they could do in there. Not a pleasant feeling.
Whine over for now, I guess, but when discussing the risks of IUD, pain that was excessive/lasting too long wasn't mentioned, and I did ask quite a few questions, so I'm guessing it's not common.
Comments