This post is not for the faint of heart.
I will reveal a secret... I am 46 years young and 3 months ago I went stark raving mad.
It has been a painful process as it involves an ovarian cyst and raging hormones. Almost 19 years ago they took out 1 ovary due to a cyst. I functioned normally with only one ovary, I even became pregnant 6 month post-0p... while taking birth control pills. My youngest daughter is a high school graduate and is currently attending Cosmetology school.
It was a shock to get pregnant with that kind of odds against it, and the fact that we had not planned on having more wee ones, but we adapted, loved our little surprise (my other daughter is 11 years older) and life went on.
Then, in 1995ish I had a hysterectomy, they took my uterus but left the one little ovary "due to my age" I guess I was considered too young to not have any parts that would give me problems later in life.
Then one night about 3 months ago I was rudely awoken with a horrible pain in my side. The pain persisted and radiated down to my knee. It became worse and finally after 2 weeks (I don't rush into things) I went to the doctor. The Dx, an ovarian cyst "but it should resolve itself in about a month." The pain continued and I got very cranky, weepy, my boobs ache, my hair is falling out, I growl at people and things ( I didn't know that I could growl), I can't sleep at night, my hot flashes have become worse and now I have night sweats too, I can't remember anything either, I am also very tired during the day.
I attempt to go back to the doctor but my doctor of 15 years has had a death in the family and will be gone for a month and the Dr. I end up seeing doesn't want to do anything, like order lab work, because she isn't my usual treating physician. She says that my hormones are out of whack. NO S#**! I scream. I want to know why all of a sudden they went wonky. Well, it is the cyst on my ovary. Either it has caused the hormone inbalance to occur or the hormone inbalance caused the cyst. But I am pretty much SOL until my doctor returns in a month.
Then the stupidity really kicks in ... I get on the Internet and start talking to friends. I refuse to take synthetic hormones and die of a heart attack or stroke. So with all of the information I gathered from the above sources I am currently on 10 different vitamins, herbs and supplements plus a progesterone cream.
Good ole doc that I have seen for 15 years returns... I see her. She concurs with the Dr. I saw a month prior... hormone inbalance, that damned old cyst. So we draw some blood to see what the hormones are doing. I wait another week. At this point 3 months have passed. I am now having migraine headaches and only sleeping about 3 hours a night. I live on chocolate and carbs. Plus I have gained 8 lbs in 3 months. I am not a happy camper.
A week later, I get the phone call, they are worried about my glucose level, it is 99 (non-fasting) the normal range is 70-99. Of course I am talking to a "phone nurse" who cops and attitude when I insist on talking about hormone levels and she won't get off the glucose. I told her that I had 3 Pop Tarts for breakfast when I usually eat Cherrios. So as concerned as they may be about the glucose I will deal with that after the hormones get in check. I got so pissed off at my doctor of 15 years for turning this little twit loose on me that I finally used a very inappropriate explicative and hung up the phone.
Finally I had a lucid moment and before the thought had a chance to escape my brain, I took action. I called my Ob/GYn that I had seen for 10 yrs. he delivered my grandaughter as well. His wife and I are good friends. I quit seeing him about 6 years ago just because it was easier to see one doctor for everything. I called and talked to her, his wife, and explained what is going on. She put good ole Dr. F. on the phone and I think we have a plan.... the ovary will go. If I keep it, there is a very good chance that I will continue to get these cysts that will throw my hormones into the ozone. I have a history of these cysts anyway and as "we get older" the problems become worse. Then, if my hormones are still really out there he will have natural hormones formulated for me and throw in a few herbs and supplements.... but not the 10 that I am currently taking.
I am sssssooooo looking forward to a resolution to this matter. I have endured many things in my life but this really sucks. I have been robbed of 3 months of my life because of my body.
It is truly amazing how hormones and the adrenal gland can affect all parts of your mind and body when they are not functioning properly. It is equally amazing how many "reputable websites run by Doctor's" are out there to take advantage of women in this situation. I found one that charges $93 "payable in 3 monthly installments" for progesterone cream and supplements. After that you only pay for the price of the cream and supplements but they don't tell you how much those are. Oh, and you get a newsletter filled with stories from othe women. I purchase all of my vitamins from Puritanspride.com, they often have a buy 1 get 1 free and for my whole family I don't spend $100 a year.
I relish my aging process, I have earned every wrinkle on my face and grey hair, strike that auburn hair. I exercise, eat right (the past 3 months don't count), take care of my spirit and mind. And I encourage you to do the same. Aging is not to be feared, it is a state of mind but when your state of mind has been altered just make sure that your loved ones understand what is going on.... it too will pass.
FYI:
I dress in layers so that I can strip off clothes when the dreaded hot flashes hit me. Now, if you see a woman in a store pulling off sweaters and stripping down to a T-Shirt ... don't gawk and pull your children away. She isn't going to strip down to nothing, as much as she would love to, she will stop at the jeans and T-Shirt. Because in 15 minutes the clothes will go back on, as soon as the hot flash ends.
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