Endometriosis

Warning - Dates are approximates.
I was diagnosed with Endometriosis after my son, Marcus stopped nursing.  He was born in August of 1996.  Five and a half weeks premature, spent 13 days in the NICU, (his right lung collapsed while there - Miracle people those doctors and nurses) [one day I plan on being a kangaroo for them, just a warm body that goes and sits and rocks and loves those darling little angels, too many of them there without family]  I nursed/pumped until October; when I went back to work my supervisors told me they wouldn't allow extra breaks in my schedule for me to pump.  Approximately one month later, the pain began.  Period type pain.  Every.single.day.  Making it hard for me to concentrate and hard for me to handle additional stress.  I went to the a doctor.  Pretty sure that since I didn't know what type of pain it was I started going to a Family Physician rather than a OB.  Well, that and I blamed my OB for my son being premature. 
A year later and after researching on my own, I offered the endometriosis diagnosis to my doctor.  He decided I was right and scheduled an exploratory laporoscopy.  Which turned into an operative laporoscopy while I was under.  After the laporoscopy I still had pain and then the doctor offered Lupron.  I'm not sure how long I was on Lupron at that point but he'd said "you can only have two doses of this in your lifetime."
Skip ahead to 2003, I moved got a skilled doctor, divorced Marcus's dad and married my darling Wayne.  All the while the pain is still going on and I'd been put on birth control to "control the pain".
In  2004 Wayne and I decide to have a baby, I go off the birth control.. we wait 3 months before we "try" to get pregnant. We tried ONCE and were pregnant with Olivia.  Olivia was born in June 2005.  I nursed until Olivia was 10 months old. She began to bite me and refused to nurse.  One month later, approximately, the pain was back and was more serious.  The pain extended at time into my back and down into my legs. 
So, back on the birth control I go to "control the pain."  It worked for sometime then I asked if I could try a different kind of birth control.  In my thinking if birth control was working why do I have to stick to remembering a pill.  I asked to try an IUD. It was administered in December of 2008.  By February of 2009 I'd been in so much pain daily, including a migraine that last for 18 months that I was begging for a hysterectomy.  My doctor agreed and scheduled the surgery.  During the appointment one week before surgery I asked for the IUD to be removed... my thoughts were "if my 'junk' is coming out, why do I need the IUD in".  So, he removed it.  And with it removed all the pain I'd been in for the last 2 months.  I cancelled the surgery on Wednesday.  Decided to give my body a rest from birth control for a month or so...
In June 2009, Olivia made a birthday wish for a baby sister.  Amelia was born in April of 2010. (Birthday wishes have been over-ruled in my home!)   I had gestational diabetes with Amelia, and other than a different diet we had a wonderful pregnancy.  I gained only 18# which was completely different because with the other two it'd been 50# or 60#.  I nursed Amelia for 9 months, she started refusing my milk and started getting tummy aches. 
I joined Lose Big (my gym's version of Biggest Loser) the last week of September 2010.  I worked out with my team and our trainer twice a week, religiously. I followed a better diet.  I lost 20# the first month. I began to enjoy and even crave the workout.  I felt lost if I missed a workout.  I felt great!  The sessions were 16 week sessions, two workouts a week with a team of 4 to 6 people.  It was wonderful!  In between sessions there was a week or two sometimes four that we didn't have any workouts... so we'd buy extra sessions.  I did a total of 5 back to back sessions.  I never stopped going... until... May 2012 my Wayne had noticed his weight creeping up.  Wayne's father died in January 2012 and "normal" changed.  So, I suggested that he start the next session of Lose Big in June.  I was sure that with the half marathon training that I was about to begin and my teammates keeping each other accountable that I would be able to maintain my 46# weight loss. 
Little did I know that June brought my Endometriosis pain back full on. My left side was blazing in pain! I went to the doctor the following week. We know you have Endo, but you're also experiencing "pelvic floor spasms".  He prescribed a PT, said that she would likely give me exercises to do and I could do them on my own at home after the first visit.  I thought that "pelvic floor spasms" sounded like a crap diagnosis and decided to hold off on the PT.
The pain continued until July when my right side began to blaze.  That side hurt so badly that I was scared I might be pregnant in my tubes.  I called my OB. I left a message reporting the pain to the nurse.  She called me back and referred me to my Family Physician saying that it sounded like my appendix.  CT scan revealed nothing.
August, brought left side pain.  Same location as June. I went back to the OB. He referred me to the PT and I began seeing her.
September brought right side pain... so painful that I couldn't walk. I felt like a head was hanging out of me.
She referred me back to my OB saying that she couldn't help me until I get the pain managed.  My OB wants to put me on Lupron.
Lupron will medically induce menopause.  And could give us an idea of whether or not a hysterectomy is in my future.
That was two weeks ago. I've come to a conclusion since then.  It seems coincidental that my pain began every time I stopped nursing... until I was exercising vigorously.
So, I've decided to rejoin Lose Big and see if I can "medicate" myself with exercise.
I hope this blog will be the story of how an active life is the best way to fight this disease.  I hope to give others with this disease hope!!

Amelia has a cold and I didn't want to take a chance on there being something underlying there so we went home instead of the gym.  Needless to say my miles didn't get done.
Lose Big is normally Mondays and Wednesdays. Yesterday Chelsea, my trainer, called. She'd been to the doctor and was told she's contagious.  She asked to move last night's session to tonight.  I assumed she texted all 7 of the team members. (Seven is big for a team) I had 3 miles scheduled for yesterday.  And since I didn't go to bed at a decent hour I didn't get up at 5AM and run.  I really need to get that under control.  But then I feel that I need to get alot of things under control...
Tonight I am scheduled to do 4 miles.  But I'm also scheduled to do the Lose Big class from last night.  I may not go to the class tonight and instead knock out my mileage.  I don't want to do back to back Lose Big classes and knock myself out of my November half marathon.

Today there's been very little pain. Mostly on the left side and in my back.  I was having chest pains earlier, (as if crossing my heart but with my left hand instead) but not now.

The Prescription place called yesterday. Just as the nurse said they wanted permission to order the script for Lupron that my doc wanted.  They also wanted a credit card number for the $45 copay.  Since I'm not completely convinced that I want to go on Lupron... I didn't give them the number.  Hope my doc doesn't get pissy.  I really want to give my alternative med a shot first.

Weally busy Wednesday

today was my annual with my good 'ol (well, not-so-old) OBGYN. think Clark Kent... wait I'll go steal a pic... okay got it... hang on...









cute... huh?!?! the pic doesn't do him justice! anyway... I moved to this city with Endometriosis... I actually had to TELL the doctors in my hometown that I had it! After a few years of them 'trying different things". Met this doctor and will not see anyone else... when he leaves here - I will go to him for my visits. Not kidding. I can tell this man anything - trust me when I say anything.. there's not always a filter on my mouth! He's the kind of doctor that I can talk with my small little words and feelings, I can get my point across and he will actually talk back in words that I can understand. (you know the ones that consist of less than 8 syllables) ps. If you have to sign up for a disease in your next life... and enjoy having sex as much as I do... Endo is not for you. Ladies, think of your worst period day ever... then have it ALL OVER YOUR BODY & EVERYDAY. Now, it has eased over the years.. The years with Ex were HELL (sometime I'll tell you a story about him)
anyway... back to today.
Hubs went with me.. cause that's what Hubs does... =) We joke, we laugh, we pick on each other.. just being us. we're sitting in the room.. waiting.. waiting.. waiting for the dr. I'm in my ab fab paper gown (I hope they recycle) It's been too long...
"while we waiting.. why don't you come over here and do me"
"haha"
"I'm serious, get over here"
"you used to tell me to stay away from you before these appointments"
"No, I said you couldn't "finish" before these appointments. I've never told you to stay away from me"
"So, you wanna make a mess before he gets in here?!"
"Sure, If you're late for the party.. you get stuck cleaning up the mess!"
Hubby shakes his head....
"haha"
needless to say.. he didn't run over to me... I'm hoping it was the fear I imagine he has of being caught.
So the doc comes in .. we catch up... no problems.. no birth control... I want something to help my metabolism.. (get rid of this ahem.. apartment that LuLu left behind) and give me about 16 more hours in each day.
We proceed to talk while he 'examines' me... NOT FUN. it always hurts.. always.. pokin' prodin' I feel like a turkey on Thanksgiving. Then he starts the ovary squeeze. okay... can we say pain? I mean for god's sake the man had his elbow in there!! He felt something - not right- with my right ovary.. said it could be the endo again... or a "chocolate cyst"... "that's not from eating too much chocolate is it? Cause there's gonna be more if so" He assures me that chocolate isn't a problem for my cysts and doesn't add that it could be impacting my waistline... *see I told you he's a good one* signs me up for an ultrasound.. and we're outta there. Two weeks till the appt. Geesh.. and weird thing.. my left ovary has been killing me for days... I always say it's the endo. I'm just used to the pain. I'm used to it, It's part of me. I'm sure it's not as bad as other women's endo problems so, I'm thankful for that. No matter what, it could always be worse.
Hubs and I went to our favorite little chocolate store after the appointment for a treat. He gets something that I call nipples in there... I'm sorry they look like little tits with nipples on 'em.. I'll take pic and post it later - He jokes with "H", the girl there, that he has to get his nipples in pairs because an odd amount would just be weird. (He's a nipple guy.. no really.. he is. I'd met "leg" men, foot fetish people, lingerie guys... he's my first admited "nipple guy")
then to a little Barbeque place we like to go to for a quick "no kids" lunch. I've told hubs "the only way it could be any better, would be if they put in a titty bar" I don't think our state allows the full view but hey.. I'd still go.. nothing like dinner and a show.. except for lunch and a show... ;-)
Bought a few books... Michael J. Fox's "Always Looking UP' (I need some optimism now and then), and for my sci-fi fix... I got.. "Marked" by P.C. and Kristin Cast and "Unclean Spirits" by M.L.N. Hanover. I plan to read them.. that's the best I can offer.

Rambles #2

Let's take some time to catch up...shall we? Alot has happened since the summer... I know I kind of fell off the face of the earth there for a while. Truth is I did what I always do (and probably always will do). I put too much on myself, had too much to do, started spinning around like a tornado trying to get everthing done and making a bigger mess of myself in the meantime. Anyway, I'm slowing down. I have to. My health has gotten a little worse. Although today was a "good" day for me, painwise.

Anyway, I digress. We.....

*traded in our Ford Freestyle for a (drum roll, please) Toyota FJ Cruiser. I know I know.. it's not helping my quest to go green but nothing that I found was going to meet my 4x4 needs and the "going green" needs too. So, I did the best I could. At any rate, I'm in complete lust over my truck!! I will post pictures soon.

* took down the hideous metal door that came on the house and put up a fantastic "dungeon" door! I'm also lusting after it.. It has a Speak Easy on it that actually works.. plus we didn't hook the door bell back up, because we would have had to have drilled a hole in the door jamb (sp) and I just couldn't handle the thought of a hole in my brand new very sexy door. And when hubby asked me what I thought we should do about the doorbell, He nearly lit up when I said don't put it back in!
* I changed jobs, I work for the same employer but a different position.... more importantly I no longer work six days a week!! and I no longer work any weekend days either!! My job is currently less stress than my previous job!
* I made this years christmas ornaments for the family. I decided to post pics of the ornaments so I'll take some this weekend and post 'em then. (I've already got some done for 2008) =)
* I READ A BOOK.. yes, me! I've been wanting to start reading and I decided to pick up Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I couldn't put it down. Loved it, loved it, loved it, loved it. read the sequel, Son of a Witch. Loved it, loved it, cried, loved it. And bought everything else he's written.
* My endometriosis has taken over. Something I haven't blogged about much before, but I'm going to try to keep track of my issues.. and I've decided to have surgery.

The Return of ..... Me

I've been gone for quite a while... just took some time off from blogging.

I hope to be blogging more in the coming weeks and months.

I've decided after much thought to have a hysterectomy. I hope that my body will recover well. I'm trying to keep my thoughts up about all this. Even though it is a huge decision.