Life Lately – The Next Hospital Procedure

If you have followed me for a while you will know that so far I have had a fairly extensive medical history with surgeries.

Having had 1 emergency caesarean section, 2 elective caesarean section, gall bladder removal, removal of adhesions to my bladder and bowel followed by my biggest surgery to date. An abdominal reconstructive surgery a year and a half ago.

However for the last 30 years of having periods I have been struggling.

I have always suffered with extensively heavy periods but as each child had been born they have got far worse.

Current Issues

Since Jacob my last child was born I have been really really struggling. My periods are so heavy now that it affects my day to day actives. I have to now get up in the middle of the night normally a couple of times to change.

Also there is no regularity just as and when and when it does arrive it hates to leave and I can be bleeding for weeks, not days. And to make it worse I can be period free for a week and it will be back again.

I am having to take regular iron tablets as my poor body is depleted of its reserves. And with no real idea when I am due to be on it can be really difficult to manage my life around it.

Making The First Appointment

After speaking with my GP at the back end of last year. My GP decided that he would refer me to see a specialist consultant at the hospital. At the first appointment it was decided that I would have some scans at hospital. These were carried out back in January to discover what the mass in my uterus is.

A Worrying Time

Over the last few months I have been rather frantic on finding out what the mass was in my uterus because lets face it when you are told something like that then its natural to think the worst.

The Last Hospital Appointment

Finally a few weeks ago I  managed to get seen by the specialist and I was eager to find out what the mass was. I had presumed by this stage it wasn’t anything to stress about. Hoping the hospital would of contacted me if there was an issue.

Thankfully it seems that my 6 previous abdominal surgeries have created some mass scar tissue. And that was what the Dr felt at my first appointment. However with lots of abdominal scarring it means for the time being a hysterectomy is out of the picture.

What I have been offered however is an Endometrial ablation. 

An Endometrial ablation is a procedure that will surgically destroys the lining of the uterus. This procedure can reduce the menstrual flow in some women and even stop periods altogether. However there is a small percentage that it doesn’t help at all.

I am hoping the latter is not going to happen as this procedure is not a comfortable one. It also will mean that I am going to have to go under general anaesthetic for the 4th time. Obviously this not something I am looking forward too. Any procedure can be scary. 

Normally this procedure is done as a day case but with my more complicated surgergical history my consultant is thinking of airing on the side of caution and booking me in as an in patient just in case of any complications. 

Waiting Game

So with a plan of action to try and stem my symptoms here’s to the waiting game and to hopefully a symptom free me.