What is Toxic Shock Syndrome?

Just about every box of tampons comes with a warning about toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome is a complication from a bacterial infection most often seen in women who use tampons. Staph bacteria and strep bacteria have both been associated with toxic shock syndrome, but staph is more often the bacteria to blame. But toxic shock syndrome isn’t just a problem for women who are menstruating — and using tampons or contraceptive sponges. Men, children, and postmenopausal women can also develop toxic shock syndrome after a skin wound or surgery. Common symptoms include: high fever (102 degrees Fahrenheit or … Continue reading →

Surgical Countdown: One Month!

My hysterectomy is scheduled for one month from today: April 7th. I’m still feeling generally positive about the whole thing. One of my coworkers said I seemed “sparkly” about the thought. And in my mind, there are a lot of good things about the upcoming surgery. Good thing number one: there’s an end in sight to the pain, the abnormal flow and irregular periods, the feeling that I have to piddle all the time… all the problems caused by my football-sized fibroid are going to go away once the football leaves town. And I think that’s awesome news. It’s like … Continue reading →

Why I’m Blogging My Health

I’ve talked about “liveblogging” your health: writing openly and publicly about your health issues as they happen (or as close to “live” as possible). A writer friend of mine blogs his experiences with cancer — the good, the bad, and the ugly, no holds barred. Former Pets Blogger Courtney Mroch wrote very openly about her experiences with her cancerous “hitchhiker”. One advantage of liveblogging a health issue — or other important goings on in your life — is that lots of people can get the news quickly and easily. They can stay up to day with your progress without you … Continue reading →

Fun with Hormones!

I was on birth control for part of my twenties… and I have to say, I really liked it. I enjoyed the regular periods and the lack of PMS symptoms. It was great knowing exactly when things would start and end. But once I wasn’t sexually active (between relationships, you see), I stopped taking birth control. I didn’t need it for the birth control aspect, and my periods stayed relatively regular for a few years after I stopped the hormones. The doctor I saw at the teaching clinic said that he thought “birth control” wasn’t the best name. For women … Continue reading →

Is That My Final Answer?

Yesterday, I talked about my conversation with the doctors at the teaching clinic about my not-so-mysterious-any-more growths. I’ve got two fibroids — one inside the uterus about the size of a mandarin orange and one in the uterine lining about the size of a football. Between the two, I’ve been pretty uncomfortable over the last year or so. My periods are irregular, my cramps are incredibly painful, my bladder always feels full, I have constipation problems, and more — all thanks to the football and the orange. In the last six weeks or so, the pain has really become a … Continue reading →

My Mystery, Solved!

Did you miss me? I missed you! But my computer’s breakdown came at a pretty opportune time, as it gave me a few days to focus on my health. Here’s the latest news. First, a quick recap: a pelvic exam suggested that I might have fibroids. My doctor ordered an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but the results weren’t quite clear. I was handed off to a teaching clinic for more testing. Or so I thought. The doctor walked into the exam room and greeted me with a cheery, “So, you’re here to talk about surgery?” After I picked my … Continue reading →

Hurry Up and Wait

I’ve been joking lately that I’d like to take the next step in figuring out my health mystery soon — and not “soon” in dog years. Things feel like they’re moving very slowly. To recap: just before New Year’s, I had a physical and pelvic exam. Because my uterus was enlarged, the nurse midwife suspected I had fibroids. She ordered an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis. But the ultrasound results were unclear… so the plan is to hand me off to a specialist for further testing. It hasn’t quite been a month since the pelvic exam and original diagnosis… but … Continue reading →

A Mystery is Afoot!

Well… a mystery is a-uterus. First, a quick recap: I went to my doctor before New Year’s for a physical, including pelvic exam. After running down some of my monthly issues — and after finding that my uterus seemed enlarged, the doctor suspected I had fibroids and sent me off for an ultrasound. The results of my uterus are in… and they’re not quite clear. The ultrasound showed that I have two pretty good sized growths. One is inside the uterus; the other is outside the uterus. In fact, the outside growth is larger than my uterus itself. For the … Continue reading →

Do You Need a Biopsy?

Finding a lump in your breast can be scary. Although there are several different causes for lumpiness, your mind might jump right to the big C: breast cancer. Cancer is often the first thing your doctor will try to rule out if you find a lump. A physical examination can help assess breast cancer risk, and help determine whether or not the lump is cancerous. Cancerous lumps are often — but not always — hard, not movable, and don’t change during the menstrual cycle. Benign lumps may or may not be tender to the touch, movable, or change during the … Continue reading →

My Crash Course in Fibroids

Chances are, you know a woman who’s experienced fibroids — growths of the uterus. These growths are pretty common; at least a quarter of women have signs of fibroids that can be detected on an ultrasound or with a physical examination. And if you didn’t know someone with fibroids before, you might know someone now. Yesterday, I had a physical with a pelvic examination. Fun times! Let’s just say that my uterus is not the best-behaved organ out there. In the last year or so, my periods have been very irregular and have come with terrible cramps and hormonal migraines. … Continue reading →