Endometrial Ablation

That's what I had done yesterday, Friday July 31st. The brand name for it is called Novasure. Go to the website and you can read glowing testimonials from women who no longer have periods. And I am going to be one of them.

Most of my readers are women so I am just going to forge ahead here with the gory details. My periods were bad since the first one at age 12. So eventually I went on the pill and it controlled it nicely and that was that. Then 2 months before my wedding I go off the pill in anticipation of getting pregnant and I had some cramping but nothing too crazy.

Well I got pregnant on my honeymoon, and then again when Mike was 9 months old and then I got pregnant again when Bekah was about 7 months old. Basically for 3 years I was pregnant or nursing and did not have a period at all. Once I weaned Jake my monthly visitor came back riding a Harley, fully armed, and with a bitchy attitude.

My very first period came on a weekend to Las Vegas (I told you she was a bitch), and I was hit with a menstrual cramp so hard that I couldn't walk. I stopped in the middle of the casino floor and pretended to be searching through my purse for lipgloss. For anyone who has been in labor we are talking 5-6 cm. dilation with no epidural, that's how bad it hurt. I prayed that was just because it was my first cycle in 3 years.

Nope a few months later it continued and one Saturday morning while I was doubled over with cramps and irrationally yelling at my husband, he shot back, "You don't have to live like this and I don't want to live like this. You need to go see your OB. I wish I had an excuse to be a complete pyscho once a month.". He was forgiven for the last remark because he took the kids to the park so I could nap.

So I saw my nurse practioner who agreed that I am getting too old to go back on the pill and with a family history of strokes, that it's generally not a great idea. But before we went for the Novasure we decided to try large doses of naproxen (Aleve) 2 days before my period starts and continue it for 3 more days. And she prescribed some narcotics as well.

Genius! This method actually worked for a couple of months and I didn't even need the Darvocet. But then my cycle started to become irregular so I wasn't able to take the naproxen 2 days beforehand because I didn't know when it was going to start. Then the vomiting started. Then my cycle started to last 8-10 days leaving not too many good days out of the month to enjoy my life. I was ruining sheets and panties and losing sleep due to the painful cramping. I am sure you can figure out what a lovely mood this left me in and how parenting 3 small kids was a complete joy when you feel like Hell.

A recent blood test came back borderline anemic, and that made total sense, I was sooo tired. Finally I got an appointment with my busy OB and he cut me off in mid-sentence, "You really don't have to sell me on this, you are the perfect candidate for this procedure. You have 3 healthy kids, you are almost 40 years old, your body is healthy and your husband has had a vasectomy. Are you busy this Friday?". I was completely ecstatic!! That means for my upcoming 20 year high school reunion and my brother's wedding in September I would not be having a period!! Sign me up!

On my way home from that consultation appointment last Tuesday I was reminded of a friend whose mother had a full hysterectomy and asked her surgeon for her uterus. She took it home in a jar and I guess had a nice ceremony and buried it. I dug deep down into my heart but, I just could not dredge up the same feelings of sentiment towards my uterus.

I don't view this as a death, it's more like a divorce. We had an active 26 year relationship where she cradled 3 gorgeous babies for me. But then she turned into an unpredictable, belligerent hag and it was better for everyone to go our separate ways.