Hi. I'm 27 years old. Ever since I first got my period when I was 11 I've had a problem with extremely irregular menstruation. It lasts a long time-- once as long as two months, but sometimes as short as two weeks (but never really shorter than that)-- and then goes away for a couple of days to a week before it returns again. I've had large clots, anemia, abdominal pains (vaginal and intestinal) and a lot of diarrhea and at one point I had severe bloating (so much that I couldn't eat without being sick). I've also had chronic daily ankle swelling that lasts for a couple months and then goes away and comes back again. I've had tests done recently concerning the ankle swelling. My heart's fine (except for a slight murmur) and I do not have diabetes. I also have recently within the last year had trouble with one of my knees. One night when I was sleeping it suddenly began to hurt a lot as if something had snapped, but when I got x-rays nothing seemed wrong with it though it still hasn't recovered a year later. I guess it is also important to note that I am overweight. But I swear if one more person tells me I just need to lose weight (when it began when I was ELEVEN, for crying out loud) and take birth control that has never helped fix the problem, I'll be displeased. So far that's all doctors seem to be able to do. Great big help, let me tell you.

Could someone please give me some advise? I've lived with this for 16 years now. And this month it is particularly bad.