Sneak preview of upcoming novel.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Today was See an Endocrinologist Day.(This entry is also titled WARNING: TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Squeamish people, flee.)
Last time I was in the mood to yammer about my health and lady parts, I hinted to you guys that I have two periods per month, every month. (Twice the PMS = twice the fun!) And y'all gave me good advice, suggestions, doctors' names, and possible diagnoses.
Well, today I finally went to see the endocrinologist I'd been waiting to see. He said, right off the bat, that double periods are caused by four things: Menopause, too much prolactin (breastmilk-making hormone), jacked-up thyroid, or some other thing that I can't remember. Back when I last talked about this, I was thinking it was PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome. Then, I was thinking hypothyroid.
Right off the bat, while interviewing and examining me, he ruled out hypothyroid. He ruled out prolactin overage, too. Then, he said twice during the exam, "That's a sign of early menopause." So it's probably that or the other thing. They took blood, of course. I have to go home tonight and chart my temperature and bloodflow for a month, then go back and see what's up. The temperature charting will tell us if I have estrogen running all month, or estrogen plus progesterone. I can't remember which will mean what.
He asked if anyone in my family had early menopause. I explained, "Well, everybody in my family was too poor for regular check-ups, and there aren't many women in my family, and I'm the only one with a uterus, seeing as how the charity hospitals like to do hysterectomies, so I have no idea." He said he understood.
I'm still not convinced, though, because I never have hot flashes. I'm always freezing to death, instead.
Funny but gross:
When they told me to take off my clothes for the exam, I took off everything but my socks. When they examined me, the doctor had to pull off my sock and look at my foot. I asked why. He said, "I'm checking for hair on your toes." (Symptom of too much testosterone.) (No jokes about me being a man, please.)
I said, "Well, I'm glad I asked, then, because I do grow hair on my toes, but I shave them, so you can't see it."
He said, "I saw the stubble. That's a big part of my job - checking for stubble."
Ha.
I'm just glad I don't have hair on my knuckles. (Yet?) He checked for that, too, but I don't shave my knuckles.
Well, anyhow. There it is. We'll see what happens. Normally I don't get into talking about my health here, but for stuff like this, I think it's good for people on teh Internets to share as much helpful information as possible. Especially since, if it does turn out to be early menopause, that's something women my age usually don't suspect. However, my doctor told me today that one of his menopausal patients is sixteen years old. Aw.
Otherwise, I guess it'll be the other thing, the name of which I forgot.
I'm excited about doing my little temperature chart. My friend Julio facetiously suggested that I scan it and post it on the blog. He was kidding, but I might just do that. I sure as hell just might.
Labels: health
3:19 PM #Comments:
You could have more than one uterus.No, I am not kidding! And they don't necessarily even catch it when you have kids. Just a thought. They don't have to be synchronized either.
For your chart, you might want to look into fertilityfriend.com. Even though it is designed for people trying to conceive, it is great to just keep track too and you can add in all your symptoms. They have a free trial for the fancy stuff too so you should be pretty well set for a month of charting. You're going to look for a chart that starts out relatively low and then (after ovulation if you have it) gets higher until the next period. Progesterone makes your temps elevated.
# posted by
Stephanie : 9:38 PM
Stephanie: Thanks!
Actually, that fertility friend chart looks a lot like the blank one my doc gave me. And then mine has room at the bottom to write "heavy flow" and "cramps from hell" and "I called in sick AGAIN today" and etc. And he gave me sample charts that show the normal and not normal (all estrogen, all the time) graphs.
The only weird thing? He told me that those charts aren't good for predicting fertility - only for mapping hormone activity. (His office does reproductive specialty work, too.) Which was news to me...
I never even heard of peeps having dual uteruses. Dude. Do you know someone who dealt with that? Please share.
# posted by
Gwen : 10:44 PM
(I'm glad I logged on and read your comment, because otherwise I would've forgotten to set up my chart and thermometer on my nightstand tonight.)
# posted by
Gwen : 10:46 PM
We don't hear enough about Julio. I've never even heard that name, and I spend quality grocery store time with you. Julio has good ideas.
# posted by
olive & rose : 11:39 PM
You've heard his name, but not his pseudonym. He gets your pseudonym confused with your name.
I used to post about him more, but then that resulted in me having to listen, all day, to him composing response comments aloud. And then he'd never post them. Therefore, he is being punished by decreased mentions, and I mention some chick named Rose, instead.
# posted by
Gwen : 8:16 AM
Your doc is right, the charts do map hormone activity, which is an indicator of fertility. A lot of people use them simply to confirm ovulation (you can't tell in advance from a temp chart though, which would be the "fertility" part).
I don't know anyone personally with two uteruses, but when I quit taking the pill and started this quest to reproduce, I found out about the condition. If you google it there are certainly some interesting cases (some have two of other parts also - oddly, no porn). What really blows the mind are the people who have had babies and find out later that, even with all that attention, people missed cervix #2.
# posted by
Stephanie : 8:36 AM
Gwen, wow. BUT your doc sounds as if he really took the time for a good exam and he listened to you!!! Rare these days. I like man docs better than female docs as far as listening, Mine is a woman and she barely even listens to my first word.
About being cold. I do hope they checked you for iron deficiency. I had pretty much one LONG period every month oops I mean every 21 days until it was only like a few days I wasnt bleeding. And I was cold and sleeping all the time and blah blah blah and it turned out to be that I was severely anemic and hypothyroid which I've told you. If you are losing that much blood with 2 periods than I'm sure your being cold has to do with anemia. Did you try the big sea scallops yet?
Also; do you eat a lot of soy? I heard that soy messes with the balance of our body too.
I'm so sorry you are going through this. ESPECIALLY with a boyfriend. Having one period is awkward moments enough, but TWO!!!??? sheesh girl, I send you bazillions of comfort hugs.
PS
Loved that you shared about the hairy toes. Do you know that the only time in my life I had hairy toes was when I was taking the pill? Had to shave the toes DAILY!
# posted by
pixielyn : 8:52 AM
Stephanie: Oh my gosh, I can't even imagine.
Pixie: Not yet on the scallops. I haven't even had a chance to eat oysters lately, yet. I think they are checking for anemia on this latest batch of bloodwork. We'll see. I really don't know if I can believe that it's menopause. But he really doesn't think it's thyroid. I guess we'll find out.
# posted by
Gwen : 4:11 PM
My mom had something like this, and it was early menopause for her. I think she wound up getting a hysterectomy when I was 12 or so in order to stop dealing with the incessant periods.
Do make sure they check for anemia (sorry! bossy!) because that can make you cold. And tired. And it's not like you can even eat spinach for iron now. Fucking E. Coli.
# posted by
Nyarly : 6:28 PM
I use www.fertilityfriend.com to chart my temperature. It is a little fun.
# posted by
M : 12:39 PM
Hi Gwen,
It's probably peri-Menopause, and there is no cure,Sigh. I drink a whole glass of soy milk every morning for breakfast, and it does help with the hot flashes and the mood swings.
Yikes, I got harry feet and knockles!
Janice~
# posted by
Janice : 1:35 AM
OK, should I be worried? I have both hairy toes (shaved) and knuckles!! I've always suspected I have too much testosterone but I haven't really given it much thought.
# posted by
ShoeGirl : 1:25 AM
Nyarly: I know!! I ask every time I go to Einstein's "Do y'all have spinach yet?" It's so annoying. Effing isolated CA incident, ruining it for the whole country like that. Give me New Jersey spinach!
M: You and Stephanie both. Thanks.
Janice: What if I just eat soy ice cream, instead?
Shoegirl: I'm no doctor, but I think it's common for women to have high testosterone. If those are your only symptoms, I wouldn't worry. Then again, there's no harm in getting checked out, either.
# posted by
Gwen : 11:49 AM
Post a Comment
