How come we don’t have classes in high schools that help us gain more knowledge about the things that threaten our health? Like beyond stds, smoking and drugs. For example, health conditions. Imagine how many women could’ve saved their uteruses from becoming a fused brick of organs had they learned about such a thing as endometriosis in their teen years and what symptoms to look for???
It could’ve been a class or simple weeks worth of introductory information that talks about all the common health conditions as well as old and new threats that exist. We could’ve learned how to identify signs and symptoms. Things that cause the conditions and so forth. It’s our lack of knowledge of things that gets us screwed over half the time in the world.
*sigh*
Despite my bitterness with the way things are in this world, I do still have my family and friends that make things bearable.
This past Sunday I got to spend time with my aunts and uncle on my father’s side. My parents were there too but they were on a mission to get my Aunt Sheri a garden so they were outside during the time I was talking to my aunts. For added info, my mother is a gardener and she put together a trunkful of plants to give my aunt to decorate her new home with.
During the time I spoke with my aunts, I discovered both had suffered horribly with endometriosis. I also learned that two of my aunts who passed away over a decade ago also suffered from endometriosis but they were able to have kids before it became a bigger issue. I also found out that more than one cousin is suffering from it on my father’s side. I only knew of three cousins suffering from it originally (one from my father’s side and two from my mother’s side.)
Both my aunts were suffering the worst from the disease when they reached their 30s. Both had gotten hysterectomies due to the extremely scarred and fused state of their uteruses around that age. I told them that I had recently discovered that one of my cousins [from my mother’s side] who had gotten a hysterectomy was told that she would be keeping her ovaries to avoid heart problems.
They only removed her uterus and cervix. When I heard all this I kept thinking, if you’re removing those things how do the ovaries remain? But seeing an image helped me understand a bit better.
As tiny hormone factories, the ovaries have a substantial effect on a woman’s cardiovascular health. Until menopause, the ovaries churn out a steady stream of estrogen and other hormones. These hormones help keep arteries supple, one reason why women develop heart disease an average of 10 years later than men.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Special-section-Cardiovascular-connections-The-ovarian-connection
My older Aunt wonders if having a full hysterectomy contributed to her growing number of health issues. She had also stopped taking her estrogen pills that she was prescribed after her hysterectomy so I’m not sure if this also played into her current health problems. Though if things were as bad as she described they may have had no choice but to remove her ovaries.
I myself am unsure of how to proceed when it comes to the thought of hysterectomy. In truth, I wish their were more options. Better solutions. Something to save my insides from this incurable disease.
At some point I will need another laparoscopy since more lesions have grown on my cervix. I’m being referred to a fertility specialist to check and make sure if where the lesion is, isn’t connected to any important bits. I haven’t heard from the clinic this specialist is from yet (it’s been two weeks now).
I plan on checking with my gynecologist about how much longer I need to wait for the clinic to contact me. If this clinic doesn’t accept the referral or my insurance doesn’t work with them, I’ll have to look to specialists elsewhere. I’ve been struggling with keeping my organs from being overwhelmed by lesions and scars since 2013 and I’m very weary after all this time.
Methodical Magpie 