I've posted in the past about my 'spotting' issues. I'm not talking about the little bit of brown or reddish discharge for a couple days before your period starts. I'm talking about lots of brownish fluid, mixed with brown and red blobs of sloughed uterine lining for days (like 7-10 extra days on top of my period) each cycle. Especially if there are any men still reading - Imagine if you bled from some part of your body for 163 days each year...thats 5 out of 12 months where you have some sort of blood coming out of your body. You'd want it to stop, too.
This has been going on off and on for 7-8 years, and in recent years I have been pushing my gynecologist figure out the issue. After my old gynecologist (from a very popular ob/gyn group in NW Austin) insisted that my bloodwork was all normal and had no other explanation for the bleeding, I asked for a referral to an endocrinologist and decided that I would never go back to that gynecologist again. (Really, no other suggestions to why I might be bleeding? You really think this is normal?)
My endocrinologist decided I was not ovulating and also helped me with my thyroid issue. There were a couple of cycles this year where I did not have spotting and overall, I was feeling much better. I definitely am ovulating now, but the bleeding has resurfaced since September. Oh, and I have to tell you that I switched ob/gyns, too. I now go to OBGYN North and see Lisa Carlisle as my CNM (Dr. Campaigne is my doctor). I had my annual exam in May, but that was when the spotting had been reduced and I thought I was in the clear. Their office is so great, btw!
So, now it is the present - September - back to spotting a ton. October - was convinced I was pregnant, but back to spotting again. I decided to go back and see Lisa Carlisle again to talk about the causes of the spotting, and I'm so thankful that I did. We went over my complete history again, and without hesitation, she said 'It sounds like polyps'. I was confused, because if it was such an easy thing to suggest, why hadn't my old doctor mentioned it? Lisa was convinced that we needed to do either an HSG or an SHG, but that she would discuss the case with Dr. Campaigne just to get a second opinion. I was told to prepare to have the test during my next cycle around CD 5-8 (just after my period).
As bad luck would have it, I started my period on the Monday before Thanksgiving, which would put the testing days on the Friday-Monday Thanksgiving holiday weekend. When I called to make the appointment, the lady on the phone said that the doctor instead wanted me to come in on Wednesday (CD 3). I was horrified and asked for clarification...'You mean she wants me to have the test during one of my period days? I'm definitely going to be bleeding on CD3.' Unfortunately, she was insistent, so I made my appointment and continued to be apprehensive about going in.
See, during the SHG (sonohysterogram), a small catheter is inserted into the cervix and saline is injected into the uterus to allow the space inside the uterus to be better seen on an ultrasound. Unlike the ultrasound scenarios you see on TV, where the wand is on the outside of the belly with all of the jelly, in this SHG there is an ultrasound wand that is inserted in the vagina (thanks to Holly for the 'dildo-cam' descriptor :)). You can imagine that with the invasiveness of this kind of ultrasound, it is not ideal to do this during your period.
Wouldn't you know, I bled like nobody's business all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I'm telling you that I don't ever remember bleeding as heavily as I did those two days. When I went in for my test, I mentioned to the sonographer that it was CD3, and she balked for a moment...was I sure this was the right day? Yes, I confirmed the doctor specifically said that day. She was as nice as she could be about the situation, but we both knew that it was going to be a messy start to her day.
- The sonographer prepped the table with extra pads and absorbent materials.
- When she inserted the speculum, she had to spend time 'cleaning up' in my vagina because of all of the blood that was in there. You ladies know that when you go in for a pap smear and they say that there is going to be some pressure and probably some cramping, while they take a sample with that tiny little pipe cleaner thing?? That kind of pressure was nothing compared to what she was doing to 'clean me up'. Ick and ow!
- After inserting the catheter in my cervix (which thankfully did not hurt), she started to inject the saline into my uterus.
- Because of my flow situation, the saline did not want to stay in my uterus...it just trickled right out of me back out of my vagina. You ladies can imagine the feeling of constant wet flow coming out, dripping all over the table, onto the pad, off of the table onto the pads below on the floor. It was so embarrasing and horrifying.
- The sonographer was so nice and tactful about the mess...clearly neither of us wanted to be in the situation we were in. Lots of blood and saline all over the table...ick again!
- She took great pictures. She captured the necessary pics of my uterus and also added pics of my ovaries just because I hadn't had pics taken of them in years.
To sum up, the test wasn't painful at all, but it would have been so much less traumatic to have it on a day that was not a flow day. I'll never ever forget the details of that morning.
The results? I do have an endometrial polyp. (hooray, an explanation!) It is not something we are concerned will be cancerous or anything. The main problem that it is causing is the bleeding. To remove it, which is recommended, I will be undergoing a hysteroscopy and D&C sometime later this month. At that time, they will put me under heavier sedation and go in through the cervix with a camera to look at the polyp. They will at that time decide if they will pluck out the polyp with special tools, or if they will use the information from what they see to do a D&C with better information to where they need to 'clean out'. I'm no doctor, so I might have gotten some of that wrong, but I definitely trust that Dr. Campaigne knows what she is doing.
The only thing that will stop the procedure this month is if I am currently pregnant. I was convinced over the weekend that I am, but alas, I have started spotting again. There is still a slim chance, but I'm not holding my breath and am prepared for disappointment.
Once I have the polyp removed, the bleeding should go away and our chances of concieving should be better than if I still had the polyp. I'm not having the procedure as part of fertility treatments...it is for the abnormal bleeding only (insurance will care for the distinction).
1 comment:
hey there. actually stumbled upon your blog a few years back when training for my first marathon. now it seems like we have another thing in common :/
i have the same spotting issues as you...and it's going on two years of trying now for me and the hubby. that's a tough pill to swallow. actually makes me tear up to type (i feel like a complete and utter failure, thus have chosen not to talk about this with anyone).
anyway, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. thanks for sharing your story and please keep posting! good luck. definitely let me know if the docs can figure out the cause. so far i am still completely normal and fine as far as all the tests are concerned. right. isn't that ridiculous?
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