The Return of the Endo Cells

I've been a bad blogger. The demands of a medically complex newborn and an equally medically complex almost 6 year old have left me with little time to blog much less anything else other than quick Facebook status updates.

About two weeks post-partum, I got that familiar feeling, and no, it was nothing good. The intense stabbing, cramping and gnawing feelings left me not only breathless and speechless, but laying on the floor in a ball unable to move. Its made me nauseous and sick to my stomach. I was hoping that it was still my body adjusting to the end of the pregnancy. No such luck. It was the familiar pain of having endometriosis. The pain was located in the exact spots that I've had the pain before; around the kidney area in my back, the utero-sacral ligaments, and then just the lower pelvic area in general. To add insult to injury, you can also see the "bruising" the endo has left on my torso area thanks to the likelihood that it's endo cells in the muscle lining. Of course I don't have confirmation that it is the endo causing the bruising since that would require a biopsy of the torso area and not something that I would want to do, especially since they can't really do much other than medications for that area. But the bruising does get more intense with each cycle that I have.

I met with my RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist for those who aren't up on the shortenings of the medical professionals) for my 6 week post-partum check-up. The hemmorhagic cyst on my right ovary is still there, which leads him to believe that it was an endometrioma but we had to do my CA125 test to rule out ovarian cancer since I have the history of estrogen-based cancers. He also did a biopsy of the cervix as it appears that I have abnormal cells there which bled when touched. He also discovered a fibroid which he believes went undetected because it was hidden under the placenta. We finished the appointment with my favorite procedure of all (ok, not really), the endometrial biopsy. I got scheduled in the following week for the D&C (dilation & curetage) and to have a LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) done just to be on the sage side with the cervical cells.

So I had the D&C done, which is where they "scrape" out the uterine lining. This was done to remove any cancer cells that might be in the endometrial lining. I then had the LEEP done. It was right up there with the endometrial biopsy in terms of being my not so favorite procedures. Because I haven't had luck with birth control pills for treatment, we decided to go back on my trio of medications; the Mirena IUD, Arimidex (an aromatase inhibitor) and the norethindrone acetate (a progesterone only birth control pill). I've started back on the Arimidex and the norethindrone, and have an appointment on Tuesday to get it inserted.

I've also been back to my pain management doctor. He started me back on my Cesamet (nabilone) to help with the pain. Since adding it to the Lyrica that I take daily, I have been for the most part, pain free. It has been an amazing feeling. I know that the drugs only mask the pain, but it allows me to be able to function without fear of passing out from the pain or being in the bathroom all the time throwing up from the pain. I'm thankful for the break, however long it may last, since it has been so long that I haven't been anywhere close to pain free, and also because I have so many appointments for my son and daughter, as well as my son's birthday coming up in the near future.

And that is the update on the battle against my endo cells.