If you're male, and/or don't like to hear about feminine issues, then don't continue to read this. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
This will be WTMI..
All of you know I have what the medical industry calls 'chronic migraine' (15 or more migraines a month) I tend just to try to keep track of the days I don't have one, much easier to do. Many sufferers only have one or two types of triggers for theirs, I, OTOH, have triggers in all categories (environmental -odors, bright lights, loud sounds, too hot/humid, emotional, stress, sleep or lack there of, hormonal, and food I believe are the major categories). One category is hormonal fluxes (ie
monthlies). So, my OB, and Neuro thought to minimize the number of
fluxuations with BC (VERY difficult because I am very senisitive to
artificial hormones. Vomiting up a bc pill would not help me in any way) and ended up with the NovaRing.
It worked fairly well for 9 months, but see, almost every morning I would get up to use the toilet and would have to reinsert the ring. I was putting it in correctly (my OB checked), it just was being ornery! After much discussion, hubby and I decided to try the Mirena IUD again. Last time I had one in (2002), my next PAP came back abnormal and eventually lead to a LEEP (2004), then 2 Laproscopies because my cervix sealed shut (2005). Which made us have an emergency C-Section (2008) for our third child. AND when my OB went to insert the IUD he had to manually dilate my Cervix. Needless to say, THAT was an experience I would care not to experience again.
With the Nova Ring, I was leaving it in for 4 weeks, then just changing it the same day (as per instructions from my OB). Since the Mirena IUD has a similar amount of the hormones, it should still react like I was wearing the Nova Ring. The procedure to put the IUD in happened in Jan. February, I was ok and March was so so. I spotted some, but nothing like what I was having before: 5 days of constant migraines so bad that rolling my head on the pillow was painful and cramps like someone was stabbing me and twisting the knife around.
Did you notice I didn't say April above?Right now I have cramping so bad I feel like I am going to vomit. And I have had a migraine that just won't go away for 3 days now.
I did get the results back from the blood screen for gluten intolerance. One of the two came back positive, so since April 3rd (Monkey's Birthday!) I have tried my damnedest to eat gluten free. It's been about 3 weeks, and I have noticed some difference in my guts, but that is all. My Neuro said it could take 3-6 months to notice a difference.
Also, my GP AND our pediatrician think its a smart move to get the kids tested too. Now, the trick is, how to do it so Buddy doesn't freak out?
I couldn't use the Mirena because of the hormones thing (stupid risk of pulmonary embolus again), so my OB inserted a Paragard IUD.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the manual cervix dilation. Even with the (mostly ineffective) local, I went so white with the pain that my OB was concerned about me passing out when I sat up.
I went home and cried.
And then, after going through all that, paying out the nose and totally out-of-pocket, for an IUD that would be good for 10 years, my wonky-shaped uterus (due to those lovely fibroids) wouldn't hold in the Paragard, and it fell four months later. Had to take it out. I was a very unhappy camper. And refused to go through that again. (Not that the doc would have let me; what's the point if it won't stay put?)