Coming off the Pill - My Journey 03 - 15 Months On
Hello there beautiful people. It's been a hot minute since I showed up here but finally I'm back & with a mini update on my post-birth control journey...
If you've read my previous two posts on this topic you will know that after being on the pill (Microgynon) for 15 years (literally half my life), I decided to stop taking it & finally get to know my body & her natural rhythms & cycles. If you'd like to read the first two posts before diving into this update, you can by clicking the links below.
So it's been 15 months since I last took birth-control & my periods are still irregular. I've had months at a time with no bleed at all (up to 120 days) & then a six week time-frame where I bled three times. After a year of this happening I went back to my GP to ask if this could be investigated as although I knew it could take a while for my cycle to settle after being on birth-control, after 12 months you'd expect it to at least have some sort of trackable rhythm.
The first Dr I spoke to agreed that by now I shouldn't be seeing such irregularity from my bleeds & they put me forward for numerous tests, including multiple blood tests to check hormone & thyroid levels (amongst other things) & an internal ultrasound (transvaginal) to look for any abnormalities.
My initial blood tests all came back normal, apart from my iron levels which were extremely low. I immediately started taking high quality iron supplements & after a month or so, saw an improvement in my energy levels but not in the regulation of my periods.
My transvaginal ultrasound showed that I have Fibroids in/around my womb/uterus. Fibroids are fairly common, non-cancerous growths & I was told these are nothing to worry about but that further tests would need to be taken in order to rule out possible PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) as Fibroids, along with the other symptoms I was presenting may be leading us towards that diagnosis.
A few months later I had more blood tests & once again they all came back normal. This should have been a relief, however, still having super irregular bleeds & no diagnosis was now becoming extremely frustrating. Following on from this, I called the Dr again to discuss the next steps. That phone call was disheartening.
During this last phone call I had with a Dr (a male GP that I'd had no previous dealings with before) I was told that because all the blood tests I'd had so far came back as normal, my options were as follows...
Go back on birth-control to regulate my periods
Leave things as they are & deal with the irregular bleeds because "sometimes that's just the way it is for some women"
I know I am no healthcare professional but I have done my fair share of research in this area & I know that even though there is no one exact time frame for people with uteruses to bleed for (every 28 days is just the average not the 'norm') I know having periods this all over the place is not ok. I can also feel it, in my womb, in my bones. The more in tune I become with my body, the more I just inherently know, something isn't right, my body is trying to tell me something & I refuse not to listen.
I recently listened to a podcast by Ella Woodward of Deliciously Ella where she interviewed Dr Hazel Wallace of The Food Medic. In this interesting & informative episode Dr Hazel explains how in America, there is a health organisation that's actually campaigning to get the menstrual cycle recognised as the fifth vital sign alongside heart rate, body temperate, breathing rate & blood pleasure because it's THAT significant in showing us whether or not someone with a uterus is healthy or not. That's HUGE & shows the extreme importance of us knowing what the true rhythm of our cycles are so we can address any underlying health conditions we may have.
Even though that last Dr I spoke to left a bad taste in my mouth, maybe, just maybe they are right. Maybe I just need a bit longer for my body to regulate herself? It is possible. However, I plan on continuing to keep an extra close eye on my cycle, noting down when I bleed consistently, finding out the health history of my Mum in this area in case I may have any hereditary conditions & consuming as much information from reputable sources (on the menstrual cycle & related health conditions) as I can so I am armed with as much information as possible the next time I speak with a Dr.
It's not that I don't trust the NHS, I am extremely grateful for our National Health Service here in the UK, I know we are incredibly blessed to have such a service. However I do believe the training for many healthcare professionals in this area is outdated & they more often than not look at & try to treat a single ailment or condition on it's own without looking at the body as a whole.
Because of this I am holding off talking to a GP again, for the time-being at least, as I look into more holistic ways to heal & regulate my system. I'm grateful that anything super scary has been ruled out but I don't believe everything is 'normal' as my blood tests suggest. I am a firm believer in listening to your body & becoming an expect in yourself & that is what I plan to continue to do in the coming months & beyond.
At the time of writing, I'm not sure exactly where this journey will take me. I am convinced that I will be able to heal myself eventually, whether that's on my own, with the help of the NHS, a holistic healthcare professional, all of the above or something completely different that perhaps I haven't even discovered yet. Instead of being disheartened I'm using this as an opportunity to educate myself, to get to know myself & take care of myself on a deeper level than I ever have before & that feels empowering. I encourage anyone going through something similar to do the same.
Have a blessed day,
Cassandra Fay xx
Please note I am purely speaking from my own personal experience in the piece, I am not a healthcare professional & I am not giving you healthcare advice. If you have a health condition of any kind, please seek out the help & advise of a qualified healthcare professional that you know & trust.
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