Pain and bleeding between periods

Hi Kelly, thanks for taking the time to write to me :-) I'm sorry to hear that things have been difficult for you although at least there's been a happy ending. That's encouraging to read! And better to have one ovary free to function well rather than being hampered by a useless one! We haven't been trying for very long at all really, so there's still some chance. It's just that the pain and weird symptoms are really disheartening. Take care xxx

Hi Bel, 

I just wanted to say, like Kelly, don't give up hope! We're so often told by doctors and health magazines and anyone willing to offer their 10 cents on the issue that our fertility clock is ticking. What they often don't realise is that our bodies are a complex balance of processes and parts and that we need to find balance, sometimes with surgery, sometimes with lifestyle changes in order for things to work as they should. 

Remember, your fertility is as much about you being healthy and happy as much as it is about sperm and eggs. So, while you wait to see your specialist, look after yourself as best you can - try to eat well, sleep well and exercise gently. It might not seem like much, but these things all directly and powerfully impact the parts and processes responsible for your symptoms and fertility. I have endometriosis, a uterine fibroid and an ovarian cyst; I've experienced spotting, crippling pain and stress and I've found my diet, sleep patterns and activity levels to be the things that manage my symptoms the most effectively. The best part about that is that these are all things that I, and you, can control and stop our bodies feeling out of control.

Kia kaha / stay strong,

Lauren. 

 

Hi Lauren,

thanks for your wise and kind words! I saw the specialist today but since there wasn't any pain when he was examining me he just sent me away with a prescription for a pelvic ultrasound and urine test to have done the next time it happens... He brushed off my talk of cysts and bleeding.

My husband and I are both trying to eat more healthily by filling up on fruit and veg and cutting down on sugar. What dietary changes did you make? I'm curious about low carbing. 

Anyway, thank you again for replying to me and I wish you all the best.

Bel  

Kia ora!

The sad thing is that there are specialists who are like that; dismissive and patronising towards women having problems of this nature. The good thing is that he gave you the referal for an ultrasound and urine test. If it were me I would go ahead and get them done anyway. Don't wait until it happens again, although if you're anything like me you'll be feeling it again tomorrow anyway. Get the scan and the test done and keep the ball rolling. Be persistent. YOU know your body; you know things aren't right AND you have a previous diagnosis which should set a precedent for action on these symptoms. 

As to diet, here's a link to an article about oestrogen dominance, a situation that many women find themselves in which exacerbates the conditions and symptoms that you're experiencing http://www.naturalhealthmag.com.au/content/oestrogen-detox. It is easily managed through diet.

Personally, I've found that balance is as much about adding plenty of good things to my diet as it is about limiting unhelpful things; and to be honest, the things to limit are things that aren't really any good for anyone - refined flour, refined sugar, saturated fat and alcohol. So I guess the kind of diet I have now is low carb, because I try to steer clear of things like white bread and pasta, pastry and alcohol. I don't worry so much about carbohydrates that come from veges and pulses because they come with all the other goodness of veges, which is what we need most of - especially leafy greens, raw if possible.

I'm intollerant of homogenised dairy products (the fat molecules have been made too small for my gut to digest properly, which causes nausea, bloating and lethargy - something that's often mistaken for lactose intolerance), so I stick to whole milk and yoghurt made from whole milk with no symptoms at all. Not nearly as damaging for weight gain as you'd think; in fact the opposite has been the case. I've been 58kg consistently since making this change. 

I avoid refined sugar almost completely as its really damaging for liver function and try to add good quality protiens (almonds, fish, chickpeas etc) and fats (coconut, cashews etc) where I can because they're good for liver function and gut health.

I guess I try to stick to whole foods as much as possible. 

From everything I've read and experienced, the best thing we can do is bolster our bodies' natural ability to deal with these problems, which means supporting the liver and immune system, as well as being kind to our digestive system so that we can get the best from what we eat and reduce inflamation - the article above gives a really good basic overview.

I hope this helps! 

Lauren x

Hi Lauren!

It's frustrating not be able to describe my symptoms in full to the doctor. I may not be trained in medicine but it's my body, I live with it day in day out and so am entitled to have an opinion. I don't want to diagnose myself and patronise him, just describe what's happening and what it feels like.

I'll have to wait until it happens again in order to have the tests done. I've had so many internal ultrasounds and lab visits that I want to make sure they're able to get the diagnosis right first time. A lot of time there's a dull ache and on two separate occasions there's been vicious pain that paracetamol or aspirin couldn't dent. I had to tap into my leftover stash of tramadol. My right ovary/tube is a mess and there's always some sort of sensation in the area. I'd be happy for it to be removed TBH.

Thank you for the link to the article on oestrogen dominance. It's an interesting idea and some of it seems to correspond to me. Think I'm in need of a total overhaul. Diet-wise I'm trying to stick to the good things, as you say. Make each meal count and make an effort to prepare food, real food. It's the right season to start as there is great produce in the shops. The fridge is stuffed with salad veggies and there's fruit, too. We haven't had pulses in a while, so maybe now's the time to make some chana masala :-)

 

I'm with you on the whole milk dairy foods and don't see them as contributing to weight gain. The homogenised dairy products being problematic is interesting as the last time I had non-homogenised milk was back in the UK years ago when there was still cream at the top of the milk for the lucky person who got to it first :-) Here in France it's not great, mostly UHT (for milk, anyway). 

You sound like you have your issues under control! Since your dietary changes have you been ok? Fewer visits to the doc? 

I appreciate the time you've taken to write to me with your excellent advice and I hope you are doing well.

 

Bel xx