Let’s rate this posting PG13 and for women only because I don’t think male readers want to discuss cycles this fine morning \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Okay so I feel a bit frustrated post my Dr. apptmnt.?? First of all, I was correct, it was my ferratin level that is a 3.?? Because the Dr. I have been seeing works at a teaching hospital, I always see one or two interns first and then him.?? Today I gave 5 minutes of very thorough info to the interns and about 10 minutes later all three came in to the room.<\/p>\n
Very quickly the conversation got derailed to assumptions (may be good assumptions but still assumptions).?? The first thing the Dr. wanted to discuss was my pain level from my FMS because he assumed that was robbing me of sleep thus the fatigue.?? He started writing down prescriptions for anti inflammatories and an anti depressant.?? WHOA!!!?? How did we get here??? I wasn’t even complaining about FMS pain.?? I only cited last years issues to the interns as a point of reference.?? I told the Dr. I didn’t want to medicate my FMS\/CFS and that I had made that decision months ago.?? I was here to discuss what place the IRON factored into my fatigue issues.?? (Although, I do admit that I have been having more trouble sleeping in the last 2 weeks due to neck and back pain so he could have a point).<\/p>\n
I asked about iron infusions and the Dr. said he hadn’t heard of any benefit from them.?? What does that mean??? Simply that he doesn’t know or he has heard they don’t work??? I didn’t want to push this point too hard because it could sound insulting but I never got a satisfactory response on that.<\/p>\n
He ruled out Celiac right off the bat because while I do have Celiac symptoms, I do not have the most classic symptom, irritable bowel.?? I have many gastro issues but not irritable bowel so he thinks that rules it out.?? Hope he is right – that is GOOD news.<\/p>\n
He believes that I am losing too much blood every month thus the low iron.?? Without hearing all the reasons why the GYN thinks a hyster is in order, he suggested uterine burning.?? This conversation was interesting.<\/p>\n
D – I can explain why I don’t want to do that but you may not understand my explanation.?? I am a prolife lobbiest and I don’t support destroying my uterus while I can still ovulate.<\/p>\n
Dr. – I am very prolife too but I don’t see the correlation.?? Biblically speaking, I can’t see any reason not to burn the womb when a health issue is involved.?? (I think he thought I was anti contraceptive because of go forth and multiply principles)<\/p>\n
D – Let me ask you a question.?? If I have my uterus burned and I still ovulate, theoretically could I conceive a child?<\/p>\n
Dr – (Hesitantly)….yes…theoretically.<\/p>\n
D – If a child was conceived and you burned my womb the child could not implant.?? (Then I just let that hang)<\/p>\n
Dr – (Looks down and thinks a moment) I see your point.?? I admit I have never thought of it like that.<\/p>\n
From there the conversation went all over the place.?? He does insist the Ferratin of 3 is VERY low and I must stay on supplements but he offered no other wisdom or alternative so I question how serious he is taking the iron issue.?? He also wants to do a sleep study to see if apnea is causing some of my fatigue.?? I agreed because I have this question??as well??but still I was frustrated because I could not keep anyone on track with the question on my mind – WHAT ABOUT THE IRON?????? In my mind, the answer could be staring us in the face so shouldn’t we first spin our wheels on that conversation??? He agreed to do another iron panel to see if the supplements are helping.?? I guess we’ll just go from there.?? I am considering going to a hematologist to ask about the infusions and Jim and I decided that I need to get a second opinion from another GYN to discuss the hysterectomy.?? Even thinking about doing a partial hysterectomy and leaving my ovaries if they looked good.?? This is questionable because I do have ovary risk factors but I do NOT want to be on hormones so that is why I keep fighting this.?? IF the monthly issues are causing severe anemia in ADDITION to all the other issues that the Dr. insist I get a hysterectomy for last year though, I feel I need to solve the root of this issue.<\/p>\n
Now I have a new question though.?? If my ovaries are left and my uterus is taken, could I (ignoring the infertility issues because we are discussing principal here) still theoretically conceive??? I have never in my life heard someone address this.?? Can the sperm still get to the egg if you don’t have a uterus but you do have ovaries and fallopian tubes??? The developing baby couldn’t attach to a non-existent uterus obviously so the child would die.?? Would I then get my tubes tied in addition to removing my uterus??? I think so many woman who don’t understand biological function assume that if they have a non working uterus (as in uterine burning), they don’t get pregnant.?? That is not correct.?? The baby aborts.?? Remember though a DR. will say “No you can’t get pregnant” but that is only because the medical definition of pregnancy is implantation NOT conception.?? ENOURMOUS difference.??<\/p>\n
So I now have more questions than I started out having and I don’t know what to do.?? In the meantime, I guess I will wait and see what my next blood panel says.?? If the iron supplements can prove to dramatically increase my levels maybe I am already addressing the problem.?? If not, I don’t know what to do next.??<\/p>\n
On a side note, this morning Center for AZ Policy asked if I would speak briefly at a bioethics seminar in November.?? I was only too happy to agree to that at the moment especially considering conversations this week.<\/p>\n
??<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Let’s rate this posting PG13 and for women only because I don’t think male readers want to discuss cycles this fine morning \ud83d\ude42 Okay so I feel a bit frustrated post my Dr. apptmnt.?? First of all, I was correct, it was my ferratin level that is a 3.?? Because the Dr. I have been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mamas-diaries"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/523\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}