Well, folks, I’m back to taking birth control. I feel like I’m 16 years old again, but really I’m just too old for this shit. I have a zit the size of China under my nose (I think it has actually changed the way I breathe), and my boobs feel like they might fall off they are so sore (They aren’t any bigger, they are just sore. Pointless and inconvenient.) Oh, hormones, why are you so good to me? But let’s start from the beginning of this story, shall we?
After I had my surgery last October, my surgeon specifically told me that I had two options: go on birth control or get pregnant. If I did not exercise either option, my period would come back with a vengeance (heavy, cramps, the works). So L and I decided to give the baby dance a try. We tried for about four months. Granted this is not a long time to try, but I think I was hoping for some miracle to happen and poof I’d be pregnant. But, as we all know, life ain’t that easy. At least, mine isn’t.
To be honest, I believe my inability to get pregnant is my fault. I am not the healthiest person, and I have neglected eating well and exercising for the past year. I am also somewhat underweight, and anemic. I don’t like to talk about being underweight (because it’s like “cry me a river, biznatch”) But, it really can be a problem, especially if you are looking to get pregnant. You NEED to be hearty and healthy or else you and the baby are going to be in bad shape.
L and I both decided that if I didn’t make a real effort at being in top baby-incubating shape, I should just forget about getting pregnant for awhile. Well, coincidentally, last month my heavy period came back, and in a nasty way! Who has the time to change pads on the hour and feel sluggish for days at a time? Not me.
So last month, I made the decision to start the Pill. (Cue ominous music)
I need to regulate my periods and give my body a break, and this is the only way to do it. (Or is it the only way? It’s the only way according to western medicine.) My surgeon gave me a prescription for Microgestin (a low dose hormone pill). I filled the prescription at my local pharmacy and started taking it on a Sunday. Well, a funny thing happened. My period started on Sunday, and ended on Tuesday. Then it started again on Wednesday, and kept going and going and going and going. I thought I was going to bleed out. I was dizzy, and worried I might pass out at any time. Even after eating a steak the size of L’s head, I didn’t feel any better.
I ended up calling my general doctor, and asking her if I was going to die of blood loss. She told me that Microgestin is notorious for causing heavy breakthrough bleeding, and that I needed a higher dosage of hormones to get my period to stop. So she prescribed me a pill called Mononessa, which is the generic for Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I was so worried about taking Mononessa, because I had a bad experience with Ortho several years ago, and swore off of it for life. (Read: I gained ten pounds, and basically became dragon lady from hell). But I was desperate, and willing to sell my soul to stop the bleeding, so I switched to Mononessa. (I plan to switch back again to a lower hormone pill, but I needed the higher dose to stop the bleeding.)
After three days of doubling up on the new pill, it finally ceased. Hallelujah!
Now I am back to taking one pill a day and waiting for next week……when my placebo pills start. Dammit. Can’t I even catch my breath before I am supposed to bleed again?!
I am now more motivated than ever to get healthy. If not now, then when? I am also very frustrated because my doctors don’t seem to have any answers. They keep wanting to put a band-aid on my problems, but they aren’t getting at the ROOT of what’s going on.
Anyone else taking the (dreaded) Pill? **UPDATE: A couple of days ago, I had a life-changing meeting with a scientist/nutritionist/health expert. I may be going off birth control despite just re-starting it. Oy. But I think it’s a very, very good thing. More on this to come…**