Hey ladies,
I am at my wits end right now and don't know where to go from here. I would appreciate any help or advice I can get, though just writing this out is making me feel better.
I am twenty-three, never had a child, not currently on birth control, and never had any special surgical procedures done. I have taken a variety of birth control in the past (shot- caused period for nine months, patch- caused psychological side effects, ring- psychological side effects, pill- psychological side effects) for short periods of time but stopped each of them after about six months of use because of the severe side effects. I typically have two to two and a half weeks off between periods.
Last year I began having cramps that were so horrible I was tempted to drive myself to the hospital so they could put me on pain killers. I have relatively high pain tolerance but these cramps sent me over the edge. I would be at the point of vomiting and passing out. I was not functional for the first three to four days of my period because of this.
Fast forward to earlier this year and the really unpleasant symptoms started. In addition to extreme pain (which I began to manage with six ibuprofin tablets- three in the AM, three in the PM- at the suggestions of my doctor for the first few days before and the duration of my period) I began having periods where I bled so heavily that I would fill a super plus tampon in twenty minutes. I also pass massive clots that are a little larger than a golf ball. The first time this all happened, I was very freaked out. My (now ex) boyfriend encouraged me to go to the hospital because of the amount of blood I was losing. My doctor eventually referred me to an OBGYN where I was given an ultrasound to determine what was causing such heavy bleeding. This has been occurring with every period since it started.
As it turns out, I have a fibroid on one side of my body and a cyst on the other. Both of these are "most likely caused by endometriosis" according to my OBGYN. I am waiting for a follow-up ultrasound and a biopsy on the cyst that is scheduled for the beginning of September.
Meanwhile, I have just started working a new job in retail in addition to managing my business. I was forced to call out of work the day before yesterday (because of cramps) and while I tried to go to work yesterday, I ended up leaving after an hour because I bled through my tampon and pad and knew it was going to keep happening. I have work later today and am absolutely terrified to go in. My managers don't necessary seem to understand why I am calling out even though I've tried to explain the problem to them.
I am frustrated and scared. My doctor refuses to give me any kind of hormonal treatment because of the negative side effects I've had in the past. So right now, I am forced to stay home for a week at a time to deal with my period causing me to miss both work and school. I had to drop a summer session class and take medical leave because of this issue- I missed too many days of class and fell very far behind. Please, if anyone has a solution or has had a similar problem, help me.
Thank you.
I am at my wits end right now and don't know where to go from here. I would appreciate any help or advice I can get, though just writing this out is making me feel better.
I am twenty-three, never had a child, not currently on birth control, and never had any special surgical procedures done. I have taken a variety of birth control in the past (shot- caused period for nine months, patch- caused psychological side effects, ring- psychological side effects, pill- psychological side effects) for short periods of time but stopped each of them after about six months of use because of the severe side effects. I typically have two to two and a half weeks off between periods.
Last year I began having cramps that were so horrible I was tempted to drive myself to the hospital so they could put me on pain killers. I have relatively high pain tolerance but these cramps sent me over the edge. I would be at the point of vomiting and passing out. I was not functional for the first three to four days of my period because of this.
Fast forward to earlier this year and the really unpleasant symptoms started. In addition to extreme pain (which I began to manage with six ibuprofin tablets- three in the AM, three in the PM- at the suggestions of my doctor for the first few days before and the duration of my period) I began having periods where I bled so heavily that I would fill a super plus tampon in twenty minutes. I also pass massive clots that are a little larger than a golf ball. The first time this all happened, I was very freaked out. My (now ex) boyfriend encouraged me to go to the hospital because of the amount of blood I was losing. My doctor eventually referred me to an OBGYN where I was given an ultrasound to determine what was causing such heavy bleeding. This has been occurring with every period since it started.
As it turns out, I have a fibroid on one side of my body and a cyst on the other. Both of these are "most likely caused by endometriosis" according to my OBGYN. I am waiting for a follow-up ultrasound and a biopsy on the cyst that is scheduled for the beginning of September.
Meanwhile, I have just started working a new job in retail in addition to managing my business. I was forced to call out of work the day before yesterday (because of cramps) and while I tried to go to work yesterday, I ended up leaving after an hour because I bled through my tampon and pad and knew it was going to keep happening. I have work later today and am absolutely terrified to go in. My managers don't necessary seem to understand why I am calling out even though I've tried to explain the problem to them.
I am frustrated and scared. My doctor refuses to give me any kind of hormonal treatment because of the negative side effects I've had in the past. So right now, I am forced to stay home for a week at a time to deal with my period causing me to miss both work and school. I had to drop a summer session class and take medical leave because of this issue- I missed too many days of class and fell very far behind. Please, if anyone has a solution or has had a similar problem, help me.
Thank you.
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