Monday, January 27, 2014

Amenorrhea--revisited, revisited

Quick update (since I live my life on the Internet): the round of birth control pills did not do what they were supposed to do, which was to force me to have a period (and no, I'm not pregnant). I realize that most women do not look forward to their 'monthly visitor,' but it's been so long (and I took the pills against my better judgement), so I was disappointed to not have a period. By around Wednesday of last week (when it was becoming pretty obvious that nothing was happening), I was getting worried.

Worried, but yet still very, er, calm?

In the back of my head, crazy thoughts started to pop up, like maybe my ovaries are full of cancer and that's why I haven't had a period in over a year and a half. Then the more rational part of my brain kicked in, and I would think, absolutely nothing else is wrong with me. I'm pretty sure if I'd had cancer manifesting in my reproductive system for the last eighteen months, something else would have shown (more extensive weight loss, pain, weird lumps, etc.). I am fine. Regardless, I was kind of on the emotional side on Wednesday, having unexpected tears a couple of times during the day.

On Friday I emailed my health care provider at MIT Medical to let her know about my lack of flow. She got back to me later on in the day, and her response gave me a great deal of relief. Although it seems to have been something of a surprise that the birth control pills didn't trigger a period, she also didn't seem alarmed (i.e., she didn't tell me I needed to come in immediately). I'm to do a couple of extra tests, an ultrasound, and more blood work, but this is just to make sure everything is indeed all right.

So, that's where I stand, or sit, or whatever. I'm most likely normal, and I'm just to carry on from here. Personally, I will try to eat more on a consistent basis (rather than making up for the lost calories during the weekend), and I'll continue to take a multivitamin to help me get the iron I don't get from my pseudo-vegetarian diet. I'll also assume that for now, I'm mostly normal, until proven otherwise.

Ciao,

Andrea

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