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MENOPAUSE EXPLAINED
Why is being over 45 carte blanche for someone to tell you “oh it’s probably MENOPAUSE“. Well, guess what YOU’RE WRONG! Ladies, listen to your bodies and when something seems off for your body call your doctor. In the past month, I noticed my cycle (yes I still have one of those, close your mouth) was not consistent with previous month or prior year for that matter. I was experiencing and a longer cycle and at least four days of clotting. Although, this may be a normal occurrence for some it was not my normal for my cycle. When I talked to my mom about and “she said it was more than likely related to menopause”. Then I called my OB/GYN practice and the nurse told me “based on your age” blah, blah, blah. Initially I was going to pass on scheduling an appointment, however, I thought what if there was a real issue.
Think about it ladies as moms spend so much time scheduling everyone else’s appointment and neglect our health. I’m diligent about scheduling my annual OB/GYN appointment and mammogram. If it comes to a blip in the radar I usually put it off for later. In this case, I scheduled my appointment.
It was a typical appointment with the nurse taking my weight, blood pressure and then reviewing what prompted me to make the appointment. She informed me the doctor may do an endometrial biopsy and I will bring you some Advil just in case. As you can imagine, my head started spinning after hearing the word biopsy and discomfort all in one breath.
When the doctor came in the room, she reviewed my chart and asked all the pertinent question. She explained the biopsy would rule out the presence of cancerous cells of my endometrial lining. The biopsy was uncomfortable but I assume all of this is based on your tolerance of pain. I took the Advil too soon before the biopsy so providing pain relief was out the window. One thing she noticed with biopsy was the presence of more tissue than normal. She told I did really well. While I’m not sure what this means again I assume it depends on your tolerance of pain. After she completed the biopsy, I was ready to jump off the table until she instructed me there was still the internal pelvic and anal exams. Can you say OMG?
In addition to my biopsy, she also ordered a full pelvic ultrasound because she wanted to rule out any polyps or cysts. I appreciate the fact she was covering all bases. In my mind, I feel there needs to be a pill created to just stop your menstrual cycle if you are finished with family planning. No such luck my OB/GYN told she has seen patients have their cycles up to the age of 54. My mind was screaming…
I can’t believe this monthly visitor has 8 more years, who ordered this up. Oh, and did I mention the additional expense every other month for pads, tampons, and panty liners. Who has time for this? My OB/GYN gave me the benefits of staying on the PILL up to menopause and the alternative of using an IUD. Here I was led to believe taking the PILL in your 40s was an NO,NO! This is an obvious reason why we should always seek a healthcare professional whenever we have questions related to our health.
FOLLOW-UP:
Fortunately, my biopsy was benign and there was no presence of polyps or cysts. The only thing she found was inflammation of my endometrial lining and in some cases the biopsy causes bacteria to enter the endometrial lining which is treated with an antibiotic for 10 days. My ultrasound was normal with my ovaries being normal size and my uterus slightly larger but this is common in some women after childbirth. Another fact she cleared up was taking the PILL is safe up to menopause. The IUD is also available if I find the PILL is not working for me. While the PILL will give my cycle consistency she did advise it may take 2 at least two cycles for me to see a decrease in my heavy flow. She also cautioned me to continue taking the PILL even if I see breakthrough bleeding. Stopping the PILL through a cycle has unpleasant results.
I can’t stress enough how important it is for women to listen to your body because only you know when something is not on point. Always consult a healthcare professional with questions and concerns related to your body and ultimately your health. Although friends and family mean well not everything is always related to MENOPAUSE if you are over 40 or in my case over 45.
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Awesome post! Definitely some great advice, it is certainly important to visit your obgyn regularly. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Selene. It is definitely important for women to listen to their bodies and consult healthcare professionals annually as well as when you have concerns.