Do you suffer from heavy bleeding or fibroids? Have you been told that you need a hysterectomy and you wonder if it’s really necessary? Since many (most?) hysterectomies are done to treat heavy bleeding and/or fibroids (this is so common now!), I wanted to let you know that below in the related links you’ll find information on how high doses of the right vitamin A (in high vitamin cod liver oil) can take care of that problem; unfortunately most doctors don’t know this. You’ll also read more today about how taking bio-identicals can help.
Is a hysterectomy really necessary?
Recently I received a very interesting email from a reader friend, Susan:
Hi Kelly, I am in my 40′s and at that age where everyone around me is starting to get, or has already had, a hysterectomy. I always used to joke that my uterus was for sale; I was done having periods! But then after
reading in one of Suzanne Somers’ books, Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness, that hysterectomies are way over-performed unnecessarily in this country, I started to investigate, should I need one in the future. Suzanne says the ONLY time a woman should have a hysterectomy is when it is cancer or medically necessary from childbirth, etc.
But the sad fact is, that doctors are doing them for no reason at all. (There’s that evil money thing again!) One of my girlfriend’s doctors told her she should do it even though she is not having any problems. When she asked him why he told her it was time, that she is the right age! Another girlfriend was starting to get the heavy bleeding that comes with age, her doctor told her that all he could do to help was to take out her uterus. A forward thinking doctor would have balanced her hormones with bio-identicals to ease up on the bleeding. Instead, 2 weeks later, she had her uterus removed. Since then she has had her bladder operated on twice because it keeps falling down. Her joints ache, she has gained weight and she is often depressed. Keep in mind, her only complaint before the surgery was heavy bleeding.
When I think about the people I know who have gone through it, 8 out of 10 of them have failing health that all started shortly after their hysterectomies.
I came across this video while researching, and coupled with the info I’ve learned from Suzanne and her doctors, and the info in the video, I will never, ever let someone remove my uterus. (Unless, of course, there is cancer.)
I think every woman should see this movie. Young and old. Women with a uterus and women who have already had it removed, because I don’t think doctors are ever very honest with us. How many women who have had a hysterectomy and are wondering why they feel so crappy, yet all the doctors do is give them Prozac and tell them to go home? Obviously, they can’t get their uterus re-installed, but it may provide some knowledge that will help them get help from someone who understands. And for those, like myself, who always believed a hysterectomy would be a blessing, will be in for a real eye opener.
Here’s the video. It’s only 12 minutes, but it is packed with info. Listen to the symptoms and see how many of your loved ones and girlfriends you recognize.
I think this is something that all women should know!!
(Note from Kelly, even though the information in this video is read in a monotonous voice, parts of what you’ll hear are very disturbing, but being aware is always a good thing.)
Female Anatomy Video, sex, orgasm, post-menopausal hysterectomy, uterus, video, hersfoundation.org
A quote from the video:
“The most consistent problems women experience after a hysterectomy are loss of sexual feeling, a loss of vitality, joint pain, profound fatigue and personality change.”
More from Susan:
P.S. I did show this video to my friend before she had the surgery and when she went to the doctor with the facts she learned, he blew her off and told her, “I’m the doctor.” Now crippled with pain most days, I bet she wishes she would have found a new doctor.
The book that Suzanne spoke about this in is “Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness” and the person she is interviewing who said a uterus should only be removed for cancer is Dr. Jennifer Berman – the urologist and renowned expert in the field of female urology and female sexual medicine. Dr. Berman said most doctors don’t acknowledge, or simply don’t know, that there are many other ways to deal with female problems. It is too easy, and lucrative, to just encourage a hysterectomy.
Another person she interviews in the book, Dr. Steven Hotze, said that any woman, regardless of age, whom has had a hysterectomy, is being surgically thrown into menopause, and then usually left to fend for herself as her hormones begin to decline and she becomes more and more ill.
Kelly, I don’t know if you have read any of Suzanne’s book, but if you are new to her work, I would start with “Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones” and then go onto to “Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness.”
“Ageless” gives a complete look at bioidentical hormones.
Are you familiar with them? If not, let me sum them up for you quickly: The reason Suzanne, and a growing number of doctors, love bioidenticals is because our bodies have a clock in them. Once we are no longer considered “viable” any longer because we are too old to procreate, our hormones begin to decline. It’s natures way of slowly shutting us down and preparing us for death. This is why older people get Alzheimers, MS, arthritis, heart problems and strokes. We can’t procreate, so it is time for us to leave the earth. But by balancing those fading hormones through bioidenticals, you trick the brain into believing you are still young and vital. The brain, receiving plenty of the youthful hormones through replacement, now has no reason to allow the body to become ill because it believes you are still young.
Many of the doctors she interviews for her books believe hysterectomies can be avoided simply by bringing balance back to the brain and body.
I know that’s true because my friend had a hysterectomy at 32 and the doctors gave her nothing afterward. Not even the toxic Big Pharma hormones – nothing! She has since been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, depression and then MS. I begged her to get her hormones checked. When she finally relented, and was put on bioidentical estrogen because she had NONE, within days she was out of bed. Within weeks her husband was calling to thank me for encouraging her to look into bioidenticals because he finally had his wife back!
Have you already had a hysterectomy?!
There may be times when a hysterectomy is necessary. Please know that this post is not a judgment on your decision. Just be aware of this information and share it with others so they can be informed about all the risks and options before moving forward. Do not use this information to beat yourself up over what you didn’t know until now!
Are you familiar with bioidenticals?
I’d love to hear more about that if anyone has experience with them or with anything mentioned today.
Susan also shared some interesting links:
Here’s a link showing how many hysterectomies are done each year. Take note of how many are done in the 15-24 age group…- This link has some good stats too…
- Another book that many have been recommending is this one: Sex, Lies, and Menopause: The Shocking Truth About Synthetic Hormones and the Benefits of Natural Alternatives
- Did you see this post? The Dangers of the Birth Control Pill
- Read Three Case Histories: 1. Living with cancer (unrelated to this post), 2. A woman who was tricked into having a hysterectomy (!), 3. Learn more about vitamin A for bleeding disorders.
- One woman’s story of treating heavy bleeding and fibroids – more about vitamin A and taking more fermented cod liver oil for heavy bleeding.
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks, Kelly, for the post. Great health is a great wealth.
Ciao, Pavil
How incredibly interesting!! My doctor suggested putting me on bioidentical something or other – I didn’t fill the script, I don’t think I need it yet. She thought I was starting to experience menopause, but the symptoms have subsided. At any rate, I have heard some about them and it seems the way to go IF you have to go on something. I am 39 and no talk of a hysterectomy. No way would I have surgery if I didn’t have symptoms of SOMETHING. How crazy is that? Thanks for this info.
No doctor has ever suggested it to me, even the GYN to whom I complained about heavy bleeding. He just suggested it was due to age, at which point I got a new GYN, lol. He was a little rude about it.
I’ve been on bio-identicals for several years. I’m almost 61, and stopped menstruating almost immediately after being treated for thyroid cancer in 2005. I ran out at one point for some reason I don’t remember, and was pretty miserable until I got back on them.
After listening/reading to Chris Kresser (www.chriskresser.com) I wonder if I should investigate trying non-prescription alternatives. Haven’t pursued that, though.
In Fall of 2008 I had 2 large fibroids on my uterus. They were pushing directly on my bladder. I was 46 years old and I had to go to 4 different doctors before I found one who would remove the fibroids and not insist on a hysterectomy.
I have a long history of gynecological problems and infertility. Let’s just say my uterus never did me any favors and initially I was very ready to have it removed. However, I began to research and pray about it and I was surprised to find I felt very strongly about keeping it.
Now, 3.5 years later, I’m struggling with hormonal imbalance and again I’m fighting doctors about keeping my uterus. I do not have heavy bleeding, do not have cancer or any real pain, yet they still want to take it out and “solve all my problems”. I wish I was kidding, but I’m not.
You need a doctor that you don’t have to fight with. You might be able to find one here: http://www.abihm.org/. I did.
or here: http://www.acamnet.org
I have read that fibroids in the breasts can be cured with iodine. I heard an interview with Dr. Jorge Flechas. Perhaps that is something that will help.
Wow Liz…time for another new doctor? Maybe a naturopath?
There are times when it’s necessary to take it out – someone in my family had a SERIOUS issue where she could barely move (i think it’s called adenomyosis?) and got immediately better when she had her hysterectomy. But it’s scary to think that this is the “trend” now…I’d say this is worse than the c-section trend.
My mom had a hysterectomy in her 40′s. She’s now 83 and in a nursing home with advanced Alzheimers. Maybe a correlation? I am 43 and do not have any health problems. I should be thinking about menopause as it is approaching, but really haven’t. After reading this article, I am curious about these biodenticals. Being a real foodie, I try to only take natural supplements and these don’t sound natural. I’d be interested in more information.
Sally- Believe me, Suzanne Somers is all about the natural, too. She eats the way we do and only takes anything made by a pharmaceutical if it is the very, very last resort.
In Chapter 5 of “Ageless” she explains bioidenticals…..”Bioidentical means biolgically identical to human hormones -the exact replicas of what we make in our bodies. Bioidentical hormones are synthesized in a lab to exactly replicate human hormones. Bioidenticals are not drugs, however. They are completely different from synthetic hormones, which are made from the urine of pregnant mares and have nothing to do with what we make in our bodies.”
Here’s an explanation from a physician who prescribes bioidenticals…..
http://www.drdach.com/BioIdentical_Hormones.html
Bioidenticals are most definitely worth a further looking into. BUT REMEMBER THIS: Many doctors have not jumped on the bioidentical bandwagon, simply because they do not know any better. They only spend 4 hours on menopause/ hormone issues while in med school and from what I’ve read that section of class is sponsored by Big Pharma (as with most of the programs in med school), so many docs out there only know what they have been taught about synthetic hormones, which are very dangerous. And because bioidenticals cannot be patented because they are natural, Big Pharma wants us to believe they are dangerous so we will be lured into taking their stuff instead.
It is a topic worth looking into, but I wanted you to know upfront that you will read info from opposing sides, but now that you know why they oppose it, it should help your research. Also, Suzanne lists docs throughout the country we can make an appointment with who are forward thinking and have advanced their training into the bioidentical field (Lists are in back of “Ageless” and “Breakthrough”). Good luck!
I use bioidentical progesterone for my endometriosis. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I went from multiple vicodin during my periods and just laying in bed crying, to having a life during my period. I now need no pain killers at all, and can walk and talk and laugh, no PMS symptoms, nothing. A life saver.
Great post! I sent your earlier post about birth control pills to my daughter who was on them for six or seven years and is now off. In my case, I never took them, but now I’m on hormone replacement “therapy” (doesn’t that have a nice ring?) for severe hot flashes that begin in my late 40s and persisted ten years before I caved in to the drugs. I tried every over-the-counter menopause remedy I could find. I even participated in a clinical study through the University of Minnesota where they were testing a “natural” herb combo for a powdered drink. (It actually helped a little, but then lost its effectiveness toward the end of the trial.)
The HRT patches have eliminated my hot flushing, but the cancer risk is always lurking in the back of my mind (I’ve been using for a little over a year, now). I would much prefer to find a natural remedy that actually works! Sex, Lies, and Menopause is going on my reading list…thanks for the tip.
Cathy, you should read “Ageless” by Suzanne Somers. The bioidentials are different from the synthetic HRT and are thought to actually reduce your cancer risk.
The progesterone cream is also thought to help reduce or rid us of fibroid tumors in the breast. You rub the cream on your breasts. I’ve done this just because sometimes mine still “hurt” – I’m 58 and have been done with active periods for about 4 years. But I swear sometimes my breasts feel like their full full full of milk – which has to be a hormonal thing. I know it sounds kinda nutsy, but that’s the only way I can think of to describe it.
I use the progesterone cream (called ProgesterAll) right from Dr. John Lee’s web site.
IMO no body organs should be removed unless there is a serious immediate need. Symptoms that can be managed by addressing the underlying cause naturally should be. The whole “let’s remove it” trend is disturbing.
I agree with you Kate.
When I downloaded the pdf (from the first link) and looked at how many are done on the 15-24 age group I was bothered, but then I looked at the bottom of the page and the little cross by “ALL” was explained like this:
“†Includes hysterectomies for those under 15 years of age.”
That is bone chilling. Not only are they knife happy with older and younger women, but they do it to the very young as well. Yikes!
After years of suffering I mentioned it to my doctor who set up a plan for me about 4 years ago that quickly included a hysterectomy (after progesterone cream and D&C and ablation) for my heavy bleeding (qualifies as hemorrhaging and it’s quite miserable! My dc have missed countless activities because of it – mommy guilt!). I vaguely remembered something about menorrhagia in the old CCL book about the cycle and nutrition. When I asked on the NT group several responded and I consequently upped my FCLO (then just CLO) to the therapeutic dose (doubled) and went from 12 straight hours of, um, let’s just say horrible bleeding down to a manageable 4 hours of misery (plus a regular/heavy period before/after those hours). Setting a timer for every 30-45 minutes through the night gets very tiresome! However, I am too stubborn to have her recommended surgery (the progesterone did NOT work for me). It took about 12 months to lower it to 4 hours and I plateaued so I went back to a normal dose. It immediately shot back up to 8, then 12 hours! So, I stay on a therapeutic dose of FCLO/BO daily. It’s my big health splurge.
Last month I found in my notes that someone had recommended chlorella on those days, which I just happened to have in my cupboard
. I tried it and it seemed to help but I would need to try it again next month to see if it was what actually helped.
I’m looking forward to visiting the links and watching the video. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot and also be nudged to do other things I’m not doing. Thanks for addressing this issue. My problems started with Lyme Disease many years ago (about 10??) and this is one other manifestation of how it messed up my adrenals and my hormones.
BTW, at that appt 4 years ago when I asked my dr if any of the recommended treatments affect childbearing she looked at me like I was nuts since I’m so obviously *not* in a position to have children, lol. As a Catholic I needed to know, regardless.
This is the book that first sent me on the road to approaching it with nutrition. Also, sorry for the novel I wrote! Maybe it will help or encourage someone?
http://tinyurl.com/72xxzw9
Kelly,
thanks for this post – it’s so important to get this word out! I have been working with women with all sorts of fertility, menopausal, hormonal, prolapse and bleeding issues since I learned the Arvigo Mayan Massage. I have seen amazing results with clients as well as for myself, and I am convinced that it can be life changing! I am also working Naturopathically with clients so it is a balanced approach, but the massage is incredible! You can learn more and find a practitioner in your area by going to https://arvigotherapy.com/
Thank you for the post! I have never looked into this much but I’ve always been very disturbed (read: ticked) at how many young women just (seemingly) have this done haphazardly at their dr’s order. Rightly or wrongly I just assumed that most young women are looking for a quick ‘out’ of managing their fertility and avoiding pregnancy. What I want to know is where are the husbands!!! I know there isn’t one in every circumstance, but why don’t men step up and advocate for their precious wives! I feel very badly for these vulnerable women who truly believe they HAVE to follow the first opinion they get and don’t have any support. Once again, very grateful for this blog and all of you wonderful followers out there who are helping shed light on health issues and spreading the good word – the TRUTH!!!
My mother in law was being advised to have a hysterectomy in her early 30′s due to heavy bleeding. Her husband didn’t want her to have surgery and was treated like a pervert by her parents. As if it has something to do with sex! She has had numerous problems since then, beginning with high BP. Her daughter also had the same thing happen about 10 years ago. She was bleeding heavy, where she went through a pad in an hour. and her period came every 2 weeks. She is also dealing with weight gain and blood pressure issues. It’s a shame medicine is so unenlightened. My husband’s other sister had endometriosis. She married late and went through fertility treatments, where they put her in early menopause for a while and then started hormone injections. After the doctors gave up on her (or her insurance ran out more likely), she went to a Chinese medicine doctor because she didn’t want to lose her uterus. He sold her lots of herbs and correctly predicted the start of her next period. Her goal is to gracefully age, completely intact.
My husbands oldest sister (he has 3) had so much trouble with her periods that the pill was a godsend. Luckily she found a chiro that does muscle testing and homeopathy. He got her off all prescriptions and sugar. It was a gradual thing but her health has improved very much. She doesn’t follow WAPF, but she has eaten organic food way longer than I have. I was thinking we have to warn our daughters because of the hormonal problems in my husband’s family, but now I believe the majority of the issues are nutritional. Native people’s in Price’s book knew none of this.
I heard a story on NPR about the uterus and its role in pain tolerance. It said that the uterus helps us manage pain. My mother in law has had many surgeries (hips, knees) and it is difficult for her to get enough pain medication after surgery. She needs more than the average person. The hospital is always afraid of giving too much. I think it should be a pre-surgery question as to whether you still have your uterus.
I get upset when I even see the word hysterectomy because its root is hysteria, a made up disease for women. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria. Plato had this idea that the uterus travels inside the woman, blocking things and causing problems.
This hysterectomy boom has been happening for DECADES. My father in law lent me his copy of Male Practice by Robert Mendelsohn. It was published in 1981 and is out of print now. This book validated what he was trying to communicate 10 years earlier. Sometimes I think about previous decades and how much suffering was inflicted through the best intentions. Like telling people to eat margarine!
I read Dr. Mendelsohn’s books in the 1980′s and loved them! He was one rebel doctor and had many readers who loved him.
I loved his book Male Practice.
@ ValerieH: You can still get the book Male Practice. I bought mine at Amazon.com but I think even the online Barnes & Nobel and places like that sell it. You probably would be hard-pressed to find it in a bookstore, though. I would keep checking online. I found mine just this past spring (2011). I have all three of Mendelsohn’s books. Great stuff.
For all you women out there that bleed heavy, try apple cider vinegar. Take 2 Tbsp. in a glass of water 1-3 times a day. Don’t know why, but it cuts the bleeding and alkalizes your body. Yes I did this for myself and it works. You can read more about it at http://www.earthclinic.com
I LOVE LOVE LOVE earthclinic!!!
I reposted this.
I’m a BIG believer in pogestrone cream. it helped repair and reset my ovaries and uteries…..and now this baby machine is working again !! (^_^)
Homeopathics are also a way to balance hormones – in the hands of an experienced doctor.
That is a very good and informative video. I have never had any problems and don’t plan to. I am in menopause now and am hoping this time it will stay away. I went 10 months last year without a period, then had slight show (pinkish discharge) and must now start counting months again.
Last February I awoke thinking maybe I was having a heart attack. It felt like butterfly flutters on my heart. I began to research and ask menopausal women about this and was told, Oh, yeah, and that is just the beginning!” After being awakened two more nights, I thought to myself, I’ve had enough of this! I began to take some Dong Quai and upped my magnesium intake. Within the week, no more butterfly feelings and I’ve not had anymore heart issues since! I knew it was a hormone imbalance and decided to see if I could help myself first before finding someone. It worked.
My mother had a hysterectomy at age 33 (I don’t knwo why, she wouldn’t ever say anymore than ‘female issues’), and both of my sisters had hysterectomies, one at age 30, the other at age 36 due to endometriosis. I tried to tell both they needed hormone balancing, but both ‘trusted’ their doctor. Both my mom and my next oldest sister came down with lung cancer, my sister died from it this past Sept (she would have been 51 in Oct) and my mom is now dying of a returned cancer. Both smoked and both came down with differrent lung cancers, but I have to wonder if the loss of some of their hormonal functions made them more prone to cancer? My father smoked up until 5 years ago (til lage 70) and so far, his lungs are fine.
Anyway, I am determined I will not lose my uterus or anything else unless it is cancerous and beyond help.
Thanks for another great post!
Lori
most illnesses are symptoms of an underlying issue. Good job taking care of yourself!
When I reached mid to late 40′s, I began to experience symptoms of menopause–I’m early 50′s now and still going through it. My doctor suggested hormone therapy, but I decided to do something this natural…naturally. Besides googling for information I started asking around among women in my family and friends–NOT ONE of the women in my age group or one generation older (my mother’s age) went through this naturally! NOT ONE. Every single one either used or was still using hormone therapy or had had hysterectomies. EVERY SINGLE ONE! I guess that two generations ahead of me (my grandmothers) may have had a natural experience, but NO ONE in my or my mother’s age groups did. This tells me that either a.) every single woman I know in these age groups have had health problems serious enough to require drugs or surgery, or b.) something is seriously wrong with the way women are treated medically.
or c) the last two generations have been malnourished of key nutrients.
I think it is also important to know the numbers of women who are abused during pregnancy/childbirth. Two weeks ago, our church body had 4 women who gave birth in the same week and 3 were induced out of the four! This is insane.
I believe it is incredibly important to find the underlying cause of an illness or problem. I’ve tried everything, even participated in studies at the NIH, but we cannot find the cause of my disorder. I have premature ovarian failure. I began menopausal symptoms at 17 years old. My first trip to the family practitioner, she just threw me on birth control, because I needed estrogen to prevent osteoporosis. A few years later, I was actually diagnosed after revealing to the doctor that I had severe hot flashes. They kept me on BCP.
Then, after much research, I found these studies at the NIH, where I was able to consult with an expert, Dr. Nelson. He put me on bio-identical hormones. They have the same make-up as the ones you’d naturally produce. The estrogen I use is Vivelle. It is a patch and is absorbed through the skin, so you don’t have to metabolize it. Then days 1-10 I use prometrium to build a lining. After day 10 I go off the prometrium and get a period. If a woman has an in-tact uterus, she should use cyclical progesterone! If she doesn’t, then just the estrogen would suffice. Dr. Nelson recommends using the HRT until 55, but not after. Prolonging what your body would wean off naturally is where studies show a higher risk of cardiovasular disease or breast cancer.
I’m not familiar with the use of the hormones past that age, but I’m sure many women are. I just know that because I cannot be healed of my disorder, I need these to function normally. However, I suspect environmental issues as my cause, especially using bottled water with BPA (I am an obsessive water drinker) could have altered my endocrine receptors causing my LH receptor go get out of whack. For now, there is no going back. I will just try to take care of my body the best I can.
My hormones get all wacky after having a baby- anxiety,insomnia, weight loss then weight gain, low thyroid. I recovered pretty quickly after my first but not my second. I and my natural doctors (homeopathic/naturopath & a BEST practitioner) have been treating my symptoms for over a year and although some have improved many were still a problem. Weight gain and insomnia (trouble fall asleep and staying asleep) where what I was still dealing with. Everything I was reading was pointing to low progesterone. So finally I bit the bullet and bought some bio-identical progesterone and in less than a week I was finally sleeping like my normal self! Falling asleep quickly and sleeping for 5-7 hours at a time. Getting up just to use the bathroom and fall back asleep quickly for a few more hours!! And then the extra weight started coming off! I have only used the cream for 2 weeks ( I am on my 2 week off time) and I am so excited cause I am finally back to me!! Amen!
Stacy, where did you get the bio identical progesterone?
We so need to develop more of a culture in which people are willing to go for second opinions. A doctor who doesn’t want their patient to have one and dismiss their concerns is not the kind of doctor I want to see.
Great post. There are unnecessary surgeries being done all the time for a variety of reasons. We have to begin educating ourselves and those we love how to avoid these situations. As always, you help toward that end.
Kelly, I have been using a natural bio identical hormone since my late 40′s. I am now 58, menopausal and will continue to use it. I also take pure herbals of Black Cohash, Don Quai, Ginseng every day. Back in my mid to late 40′s I started having extremely heavy periods that progressed to major blow outs that no amount of padding in the world would help. At a check up for all this my doctor found I had fibroid tumors, he did a biopsy to be sure I did not have any cancer cells (it was benign). He said I he could do a D&C but advised me that it would be my choice, but he prefers to never do them. He told me that D&C’s don’t stop them. Once you remove one they come back as 2, then 2 become 8, 8 become 64 and on and on it goes. What he has found that if you leave well enough alone (unless there are other health issues going on) they will just slough off. So for me to just give it time. I chose his advised route….with in time my body rid it’s self of the fibroid tumors. At this same appointment I told him of my research about bio identical hormones, he had no problems with me using it and actually encouraged me.
Once I started using natural progesterone my cycles balanced and went to 28 day cycles for the first time ever. Then I moved into menopause around age 54-55 and I keep using it. It keeps me even keel as do the 3 herbals.
P.S………….I forgot to mention, if I had chosen the D&C route I could have ended up being one of those that ended up with a hysterectomy. So glad I chose the advice of my doctor. I’m far better off today for it.
I have a special needs daughter who at 16 has very heavy times of the month. The public school nurse is very pushy that she needs to get the “shot” so not only she lightens up, or maybe even “luckily enough” won’t get them at all, “like a lot of the girls that she recommended the shot to!” also, she says, “in case anything else would happen so she doesn’t get pregnant!” Any advice?
What “shot” is she talking about?
I’d take her to a naturopath for the heavy bleeding and see what natural ideas they suggest. For adults I’d suggest lowering carbs and increasing the FCLO, but that’s probably not easy with a special needs 16 year old…
she is on Green Pastures FCLO, 2 a day – would you do more than that? our naturopath said we can put an estrogen cream on her belly & that might help. Do you know anything about this?
a birth control shot that you get once every 3 months I believe, maybe its 6 months…
probably Depo-provera–you get it every 13 weeks for birth control
likely lightens or nearly prevents menstrual flow
My mother was advised to have a hysterectomy at the age of 18. This was in the 1940′s after having two children and a miscarriage. She refused and never went back to that doctor. She found a doctor who gave her deep heat treatments and she was absolutely fine after that. She had two more children and kept her uterus for the rest of her life.
A friend was not quite so lucky with an experience while she was in menopause. Her ob/gyn told her that she had severe fibroids and would need to have a hysterectomy. She did and was absolutely miserable with all the symptoms that Suzanne Somers talks about. Then, to top it all off, she found out, just from chance, that she did NOT in fact have fibroids, the doctor gave her a hysterectomy because he thought her previous problems were psychological and having a hysterectomy would help her feel better.
Seriously, no matter what our age we need to protect our uteruses from senseless hysterectomies.
My sister was told back in September 2011 that she needed an oophorectomy (she’s 68 and certainly has no plans to have more kids, so my first question was why?). Long story short, she had great insurance. They botched the surgery and had to do a complete hysterectomy and then told her she had uterine cancer. I don’t believe that for a New York minute. Nevertheless, before it was all said and done she endured a total of four surgeries, during which the surgeon nicked her intestine which led to much bigger complications. She passed away on Sunday January 8th.
I have now lost two sisters to the modern medical paradigm.
Ironically, I also lost a brother-in-law on Saturday January 7th with complications from his alzheimer’s meds. He was 69 but had suffered with complete and total alzheimers since age 52. Many people who knew him think the disease was collateral damage from a polio shot gone wrong when he was younger.
Your friend Susan is right in her assessment: doctors are not honest with patients, which is why it’s absolutely vital to try to take care of ourselves. In my humble opinion, that begins with good nutrition, good water, and a little exercise – very few supplements if you can help it. But, that’s just me.
It’s been a heckuva 2012 so far.
I’m so sorry to hear of your losses. That’s truly heartbreaking.
I hope 2012 gets much better for you from here on out.
Thank you CCMama. So far things are not going much better. 10 days ago we lost my husband’s business partner. My DH is a retired EMT/firefighter and after retirement he couldn’t stand just being home all day (neither could I – he nearly drove me nuts) so he went back to his first love of restoring old cars and submitting estimates for damage, etc. Long story short, he went back to being a “body man/adjuster” for insurance companies. He did that many years ago (and also does other types of adjusting, too). He’s also a mortician but hasn’t done too much with that in the past few years (he only does autopsies, never worked in a funeral home). He will do it if the state calls on him, but otherwise he generally prefers to mess around with cars.
Keeping my fingers crossed that this is the last loss we’ll see for a while.
I am in my late 20s and pregnant with my first child and am so glad this information is becoming more available, especially to younger women. I’m surprised sometimes at what my friends my age don’t know about the consequences of tampering with reproductive organs and what the truth to keep getting out there.
I went to a doctor mentioned in Suzanne Somers book. My husband took me to the Hotze Clinic. It has been amazing for me. I started seeing small results immediately. After one year my body is normal. They treated the adrenals, thyroid, and used the bio-identical progesterone cream. They also addressed diet. The doctor really got to the source of the problem.
Being a trans guy I’m a guy with a womb.
I signed an informed concent form recently for my hormone treatment. I agreed to a hysto or more frequent smear tests in the future due to an increased risk of cancer (because obviously male level testosterone and womb/ovaries aren’t terribly compatable). I don’t like the thought of getting it removed (for a number of reasons) but I also don’t like the thought of smears (although I’m 28 I’ve managed to avoid any so far because I completely ignore letters inviting me for them). I do wonder whether many of the problems you described are low sex hormone problems rather than no womb issues.