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Just letting everyone know that this blog will no longer be updated. I have moved it to Wordpress as they give me more options in posting. PLEASE come over there and give it a check. Thanks!

MY NEW BLOG:
Endometriosis: the silent life sentence

Pictures from my Laparoscopy

I've been meaning to post the pictures from my laparoscopy since I began this blog. I had my surgery on September 12, 2006 in the morning hours of a brisk Illini autumn. Endometriosis was found on various pelvic organs and was lasered off. There was also some found in my uterus - adenomyosis. I've had these surgical snap shots lingering on my shelf since and have been combing the web in search of others like it. I have found some.

They've been tucked away for months until now, as the pain begins again even with the Mirena hanging out in my uterus. And it makes me wonder, with such a chronic condition would I just be better off living through this daily hell of heating pad and NSAID therapy or a hysteroctomy. My mom had a hysterectomy at my age and I lived the hell she went through with the various menospause symptoms. It's like chosing between one hell and another hell. And it stinks!

But - here is four pics from my surgery. They are of adhesions on my bowel from the critter we call ENDO. I'm sure this is the reason I am now having a constant, daily battle with abdominal pain and constipation.

The first pic you can see fine web-like adhesions connecting my bowel to my abdominal wall. A colonoscopy later discovered that I had no underlying colon issues and these adhesions were confirmed as a result of endo inflammation.

The second pic is the same, really.

The third pic is the money shot. You can see adhesions covering things and such. The doctor told me that while they can look innocent, they can cause great deals of discomfort and pain.

I will be posting more pictures of my endo laparoscopy throughout the week. So, check back!

I Hate Mirena

OK - I know I've previously went on and on about how wonderful the Mirena is. Well, I'm changing me mind. IT SUCKS!

I will admit that I'm not having my period but I am having all sorts of crap I don't want:
Achy muscles and joints
Headaches
Cramps
ACNE (I've NEVER had acne in my life!!!)
Oily skin
Mood Swings
Hot flashes
Exhaustion

And the list could go on and on and on and on. And I will elaborate more later. I have laundry to do and can't sit here long typing.

Not a good start...

I'm not in a good start at the beginning of this year. Nope.
I've somehow lost 1 1/4 inch of height in the last year. I've gain weight despite really trying. I'm taking my thyroid meds like I'm supposed to yet I'm still bloated and my face is insanely puffy. I look like a huge marshmallow. And I'm at a BMI of 39! OMG! Just two years ago I had dropped thirty pounds and was hoping to drop more. Now here I am heavier than I've EVER been! It's insane! I thought after beginning the levothryoxine the weight will come? That's what my doctor said! You'd think he would know what he's talking about, after he did go to medical school and all! Gee!

I have to do something about it though. I have to. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know it will help this premature arthritis that's raging my bones. I'm sure it will help my endo and hormones by reducing my weight. I just know I need to get this under control! It's ridiculous!!!

I don't know what I'm going to do. I have The Biggest Loser Workout DVD but it's really, really hard on my knees. I'll do an exercise and then be in pain for three to four days. I could do with an eliptical or treadmill yet I have no room for these. I don't know what the solution is. I may have to swear away sugar. Yes, gulp, the S word. I can always switch to that Splenda business. And I can save, maybe, Dark Chocolate for deserts or when I deserve it. And no more soda pop. We don't drink this around the house but at work I go crazy. I get tired of plain water after a while so maybe I'll go with those no cal flavor adds or something.

And I can stomach fruits and veggies, actually I love them. I'm toying with cutting out milk products but that damned commercial says drinking one 12 oz glass of milk a day helps you lose weight. And I'll probably be relying on yogurt - ALOT! I just have to make a change and I know it's going to be excrutiating.

Here's to drinking water, eating right, exercising and living the grand life in 2008! Let's hope I've lost 60 lbs. by next year.

And the verdict is...

Positional Vertigo. Are you lost?

I've been experiencing vertigo and episodes of dizziness with this pelvic pain and somehow my brilliant doctor concluded it was positional vertigo. This does explain the vertigo, ok, but not the pelvic pain, which is most likely just crazy endometriosis crap.

I don't know. Something is saying it's not all there.

So, I'm taking meclizine and will probably spend some nice time completely out of my mind. This isn't so good as I have some important final research papers for my classes that need done this weekend. I wonder if coffee will combat the drowsiness???

The doctor made me this Dix-Hallpike test which I'm still trying to come down from. This made me so freakin' dizzy and I had a feeling like I was going to pass out or white out! It was horrid.

Well, I'm off to experience my first anti-dizzy med. I hope it works but doesn't make me a zombie.

Pain!

I am STILL in pain! I've been in pain all day yesterday, last night, and now I wake up with the still constant pelvic pain. It's getting worse, too. And last night, at the epitomy of my pain, I did a self-medical evalutation quiz on my health insurances website which suggested it was either
A) Ovarian Cancer
B) Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
C) Ectopic Pregnancy

And I have the following problems with this list:

1) I highly doubt the pain associated with ovarian cancer occurs suddenly. Also, the fact that I'm in my late twenties and not my late fifties should give me some insurance that it's definetly not ovarian cancer.

2) PID is something people with multiple partners get. I don't have multiple partners! I've also haven't just had my Mirena inserted. Everything says that Mirena caused PID occurs within one month post insertion. I'm at 9 months with thing in me.

3) I don't think it's ectopic pregnancy because of the Mirena. It's in the right place so actual sperm getting through would be an insane miracle of sorts. I mean, something like this can't be ruled out until I see my doctor today. Of course, though, I'm seeing moron adult med PA - not my gyno. And if I had had the pelvic pain first and not the dizziness than I would've went to her.

I don't know what it is at this point but I do know that I've only been up for 30 minutes and have already peed twice and working on a third. Seeing as it I just took heavy antibiotics a few weeks ago for a mild bladder infection, it shouldn't be this.

As long as the pain doesn't get worse I will go to my docs office this afternoon. If it gets worse, it's off to emergency.

I can't believe this! You pay your copay, you seek their advice, and you end up with unethical bullshit like this!

I hope my doctor's aren't retarded morons and practice this moronic, barbaric experimentalism on their patients. It makes me wonder what I was getting those times when some shot to end vomitting didn't work and left me only more dehydrated?!? As stupid as my current physician is, I wouldn't be surprised if he practices this unethical crap!