Hi all
Thought I would become a member after reading loads on here over the last month or so. I also wanted to become a member simply to say ‘Thankyou’ to everybody who posts here. Especially the regular posters who have already given me so much advice, info, relief
and understanding. And they don’t even realise it
sooooo THANKYOU so much xx
My story is quite long, so I’ll try and keep it brief here, and hopefully will talk more on other posts about my journey getting to where I find myself right now.
I am 45 years old. I started Evorel Sequi 29/10/22. I’m a couple of days into my 3rd week and put my first conti patch on this Saturday just passed 12/11/22.
My ‘journey’ to where I find myself today probably became noticeable in August last year. Although prior to that I had been suffering UTI after UTI for several years (had never had one or any other ‘lady problems’ before this.) It wasn’t investigated, just treated with copious amounts of antibiotics, which did the trick, but then a month or 2, or less, or more, would pass and the UTI would return. I didn’t think much of it. Just took the antibiotics and carried on. I was holidaying in Scotland last August and was having horrific menstrual cramps…..but no period came. My period did eventually come, but something felt amiss. Just….weird. Anyway, fast forward a few months to February this year and I started having horrid vaginal discomfort. I confided in a friend who said I was describing how she had felt when she had a prolapse. What the heck was that I wondered?!?! I was mortified and terrified and mortified again
. I googled ??. I did the old ‘mirror’ investigation and was shocked at what I saw. Was this my faff?! Who’s faff was this?! It didn’t look like mine, but then again, i probably hadn’t had a good look down there for many many years
.
I went to the Doc. Told him I thought I had a prolapse. He barely looked at me. Told me to undress, spread them
and told me to cough. ‘Ohhh I see it’ was his reply. ‘I’ll refer you’. Waited patiently whilst in intense pain and discomfort. To the point that I actually had to go on sick leave from work. I had an ultrasound scan, a transvaginal scan. All clear. Prolapse wasn’t mentioned. When I asked, she said ‘oh I’m not looking for that’. Ok then, I thought when I got my next appointment with the consultant, I’d get to discuss the prolapse then. I then get an appointment for a hysteroscopy. I go, I have a very painful procedure done. A biopsy is taken from my womb with no sedation or pain relief
. I get dressed. The consultant tells me I’ll get the results in due course. I ask about the prolapse and the pain and all the other symptoms I’m having…..urinary frequency/pain when bending/intense vaginal pain. ‘Oh I’m not looking at that’ was the response. ‘I’m looking at why your periods are heavy’…….WTf?!? I was completely perplexed. I had mentioned heavy periods during my phone consultation a few months prior. Gynaecology ALWAYS ask about your periods. It’s just procedure, right?! I never told them the heavy periods were a problem. All I wanted to find out was what was causing my pain and discomfort. The pain and discomfort was not going away and I still had no explanation of what the heck was wrong with me
.
So fast forward another month and I finally manage to get my routine smear. I’d been waiting months because of the covid backlog on things and just no availability at my surgery. I assumed the position ; legs spread eagled. Dreading the intrusion, because of what was happening with me, and knowing that even though smears had never bothered me in the past, I just knew this was going to hurt!! She’d not even unwrapped the speculum, when her head popped up over my knees and exclaimed ‘Oh My! You’re a little sore down here?’
. ‘Errrrrrr YES I am!’. Apparently the inflammation down there was off the scale. I was promptly given an appointment with the menopause clinic at the surgery and told I had bad atrophy. No prolapse?
Nope. A grade 1 rectocele, but that was all. It was/is the atrophy that’s been causing my problems all this time. I’m astounded that it took a doctor, a gynaecologist, another gynaecologist and then finally a practice nurse to look at me intimately and only the fourth person saw how raw and sore and shrivelled I was down there
. I’m still in shock quite frankly. I could have been helped months ago, yet had lots of procedures done that weren’t even necessary. I also had a gastroscopy (referred again by GP) to investigate my stomach pain and bloating. I suppose he had to do this to rule out anything sinister. But surely the dots should’ve been connected sooner?!
. I’d never even heard of atrophy, until researching myself. And subsequently finding out how unrecognised and undiagnosed this life changing affliction is.
I’m now on week 2 of my first 2 week load of Ovestin, and even though I’m still having a lot of pain, I’m hopeful that I’m on the right track to feeling a little better. In time. One day at a time.
Thankyou for reading
