Will I ever stop bleeding?

[ShowOfHands]

I have had a lifetime of predictable periods. 28 day cycle and manageable. Over the last 18 months or so, they've become slowly closer together and I now have a 21 day cycle and bleed for 8 days, often heavy with flooding and clots and it's more painful. I don't think I'm ovulating anymore either as I used to have clear signs.

I'm currently 16 days into bleeding and for the first 13 days it was so heavy. I'm on norethisterone from the GP to try and stop it but after 3 days, it's slowed down massively but still there when wiping.

I'm clearly anaemic and the GP has given me iron tablets and referred me for blood tests for everything she can think of (no appointments for 2 weeks for that), and ultrasound but that will take a few weeks and she's recommended a Mirena but the GP can't do them and the clinics have a 6 month waiting list and will only give them for contraception. So I have to lie given that DH has had a vasectomy and I don't think I'm fertile anyway.

Meanwhile, I swing between thinking this is normal and just the perimenopause and being terrified that it's something sinister.

I am so so so so done with bleeding. I feel grey and lifeless and exhausted and I don't understand what is happening and if it will ever stop.

I don't even know what I want from this thread.

I'm really glad you've had some positive news! I know it probably feels like ages but the time will pass quickly and then you'll be on the road to recovery and feeling so much better!

I hope it's positive news. I don't want to get my hopes up but if they've arranged for me to meet the anaesthetists and have a pre-op, surely they must be planning the surgery for soonish after that. They did say within 6 months (should have been within 3 but the waiting lists are longer than their targets) and I was put on the list 7 weeks ago. I'm just going to keep everything crossed.

Today I'm around 15 weeks since I joined the waiting list for urgent surgery. I'm no further forward really except the pre-op established I have dangerously high blood pressure. I monitored it at home for a few days with no change so I'm now on meds for that as well because they won't operate without reducing my blood pressure.

I'm no longer allowed ibuprofen and they've given me codeine (which makes me constipated and itchy and isn't very effective), I've had to reduce the norethisterone in case it's contributing to my blood pressure and I am in such horrific pain around half the week that I can't speak or stand up. And I'm still bleeding every day.

Still no idea of when the surgery will happen but the consultant predicted it might be "July ish".

Sorry to resurrect a thread when there's no real update but I feel so bloody lonely and have nobody to talk to about this. I'm convinced DH will leave me because I've become an utter shadow of the woman I was. I've had to cancel every nice thing we've had booked for months now. I just can't drag myself out of bed for anything other than work.

Fucking hell that's horrific. I am so sorry you're being left to suffer.

Part of me wonders if you could go on "holiday" to another area and seek help there. Might not help anything but maybe being seen by a new set of medics would kickstart something for you.

I've genuinely thought about having minor accidents to see if they'll admit me and give some pain relief just for a few days. I keep wondering if falling down the stairs might do it. I can't believe they won't just operate and deal with the issue. But presumably the people higher up the waiting list are in the same state as me.

My colleague's daughter remortgaged to make home improvements. Except she didn't, she paid for a hysterectomy instead.

It's almost funny except it's desperately miserable.

I feel really sad for you and I am sorry that you are physically and mentally worn out.

I experienced a similar set of circumstances to you. Its a very long story but resulted in a hysterectomy when I was 32 (I don't have and now can't have children).

I had years of GP visits, admissions to hospital, complaints, operations and procedures which were not needed. In the end, I experienced an incredibly rare complication with fibroids which meant that the then top consultant in the UK took over my care. He performed my hysterectomy.

I know how broken you must feel. I understand how lonely it all feels, I understand how each appointment you attend seems to require a level of mental and physical energy that you simply don't have. It's horrendous.

I saw so many medical professionals who frankly should never have been in a job. Some were sacked as a result of poor treatment that I had. There was very little care or understanding of what was going on.

I refused to have a coil - I argued my case with a junior doctor. He insisted, I said no because he had no idea what the issue was which was causing the bleeding. The answer was not a coil , the answer was to investigate the cause of the bleeding. The consultant surgeon I finally saw, agreed with me. So please do not accept another coil if you don't want one / feel that it will benefit you. It seems to be the stock response from the NHS and as you know, you've already had one drop out!

Happy to chat if it helps even if you simply want to vent x

I’ve just seen your update and I’m here just to say I’m so sorry you’re still waiting like this, it’s inhumane. Just sending good thoughts and I really hope your surgery is scheduled soon. You deserve to feel healthy and be able to live an active life.

I started out being shocked by how many people had a story of women's healthcare letting them down but after dozens of similar stories where women and their female friends and family members have been left in terrible pain with unmanageable situations, I'm now just very angry.

They definitely won't try another coil. They accept it won't stay in situ and I'm just in limbo waiting for surgery.

I'm so sorry this has such a significant impact on your life. How many hundreds of women are currently enduring the same?

Thank you. Every kindness helps and I do feel less alone with people to talk to.

I don't have the first idea of how to explain to my colleagues how bad things are. I take as many drugs as I can at the start of the school day, top them up the second I can and am a pro at turning to face the board and silently screaming on bad days.

I just want my life back. I want to be a better Mum, a wife, a friend. I am existing at the moment.

I can imagine it’s really hard to explain. Even if you actually want to give full details, I think there’s so many people that just think oh, it’s a heavy period (unfortunately, all women are the worst) I have no idea, why.

For what it’s worth, though, there are lots of us who do understand and have massive sympathy.

I had an ablation for far, far less than you’re going through, and even that was difficult to deal with practically (the bleeding, not the ablation). I can only imagine what you’re living with. I truly am wishing for better days ahead for you. I can only imagine how brilliant it will feel once you don’t have to live with this though. The freedom!

Could you let them read this? 💐💐

Your post just popped up for me and I think the hysterectomy is the right choice. Hope the wait goes fast. I’ve had floodinf and help in the hospital and mine is nowhere near as bad as yours. I can’t believe how you’re being treated

I had this a few years ago and ended up having a temporary menopause injected. It shrank my largest one down massively! I'm in Scotland. I then had it removed but appreciate it's not as simple for everyone. It was honestly the worst time of my life, I feel for you. The bleeding was horrific, my car seat was ruined and I couldn't work as just had massive clots pumping out of me all day. It was genuinely so depressing

I am on temporary menopause injections. They're making no difference at the moment and I've had three months' worth.

I've had to reduce my norethisterone due to the blood pressure and I'm bleeding heavily again. So this is just my life now apparently. I've ruined sofas, chairs, car seats, all of my underwear, pyjamas, trousers. It's embarrassing and awful.

Hospital have just rung and I have "alarmingly" low iron and iron saturation so they're arranging an IV infusion. Well yes, I've been bleeding for a year, it's hardly surprising. And you keep taking me off the iron tablets the moment the levels improve.

I am so fed up with this.

I've told my - lovely, female - head of department everything now. Her sister has been through the same thing so she understands completely.

Sorry you are still waiting and feeling terrible. Good re iron infusion though. I hope head of dept continues to be supportive.

I know how terrible bleeding and flooding is but happily was saved by natural menopause.

I'm so sorry to read you are no better. It really is shockingly horrible for you and you must feel so low. .

I'm sure your dh won't leave you as you wouldn't leave him if the situation was reversed.

I nearly called an ambulance a couple of days ago as the bleeding and pain were off the scale again. It was 3am, I'd been rolling around in agony since 10pm and was incoherent with pain. I saw the GP the moment they opened and they've said I can increase the norethisterone again to try and stem the bleeding but they've taken me off the codeine and said there's nothing else they can do. The pain is caused by the fibroids, pain relief doesn't seem to have any effect and until they operate, this is just my life.

No word on the infusion yet and the volume I've bled this week can't have helped, I've been in agony since 5am today and this week, I called in sick for the first time. My life has completely reduced down to struggling through each hour.

There's fuck all way my blood pressure is reducing with this continuing. The GP suggested breathing exercises and yoga.

I swear I'm going to have to cut my uterus out with a bread knife.