Choices... Choices... Choices..:(

Well, here I am again CONFUSED...
First I find a dr that I trust who does the procedure that I would want.. (LSH)... then she suggests I try Birth Control pills for a few months, to see if she could stop my periods all together... possibly correcting the situation of heavy bleeding......... the thinking is when I get into menopause (im 46 now) the fibroid would shrink on its own)
I had a month long salivia test done, a total of 27 test through out the month... (not by her)
The results of the saliva test say that I need to use this cream their lab makes for each individual. They seem to think IF my adeniline hormones were better supported then the "sex" hormones (proges. est. and testostrone) whould then be in balance.
I ordered the cream and decided after talking to them that IF I took the pill........... I would be messing up my hormones not doing anything to improve them.

I guess I am dealing with two different approaches to how to treat my heavy heavy bleeding and fibroid condition. Regular medicine and compound pharmacy/(somewhat more) natural way.

A part of me wants to try this natural approach and the other part wants to just be done with the whole thing and have the **** hysterectomy.......... with all the risks associated with it.

For 6 months I was using just natural progestrone cream(that I got from health food store, after reading Dr. Lee's books).. and the saliva test showed I had too much in my system. The cream this lab makes up consists of (I think he said) 47 differnt things... just for my system, after analyzing my saliva tests.
So, when my gyno suggests taking the progestrone only birth control cream.......... HOW can that be good for me?
Sometimes it seems like one can get obsessed with differnt opinions........... and it makes things more confusing.
Had to vent............ hope you all dont mind.
I think I am leaning towards NOT doing the birth control thing............. trying the cream made for my system... and IF it doesnt work (control bleeding) then have the hysterectomy. (then my confusion will be about keeping ovaries.......... geeeze does it ever end?)
xoxo DonnaFay

I think I would try anther Dr,this sounds weird. You are right on not leting a dr do something you are not sure about.

rember we do have a chat room to ask questions and get real time answers marci

Marci,
NO, I think I might have confused you.. sorry..
I really like my dr... I think many doctors recommend that one trys birth control pills to see if that helps heavy bleeding before the final stage.. hysterectomy.

This other thing that I was doing (salvia testing) was from another sourse. She knows nothing about this. I did this on my own. (prior to even seeing her for a consultation).. I just got the results recently.

I was comparing the two totally different modes of thinking in regards to how heavy bleeding is addressed. And somewhere in the middle, trying to make sense of it all.

I will take her the results of this saliva test.. and show her why I chose to NOT try the birth control pills.
I am sure it will boil down to ............ different ways of thinking in the medical world... the synthetic approach to manipulate ones hormones to make the body do what one wants it to do. Verses, the "natural" approach of supporting ones system so it can function on its own, balance its self out.

Didn't you find two conflicting approaches when you first started out on this road of understanding options pertaining to your situation
Maybe I just do tooooooooooo much searching.... I can be a "tad" obsessive..
Sorry if I gave the wrong impressiong about my gyno, she is great........... someone I would trust to do a hysterectomy when/if the time comes.
xo DonnaFay

Wish I could help you out Donna Fay but it sounds like you need the assistance of the hostesses over in The Hormone Jungle. One of our hostesses in the Hormone Jungle is a registered pharmacist and does a lot of medical research regarding HRT. KimM is really up on compounded HRT. Between the two of them I think they could better give you an answer to your difficult delima. I think you'll find the hostesses and gals who frequent the Hormone Jungle to be very helpful indeed.

Best of luck on your quest and be sure to take your machetti with you when you head on over there to the jungle.

Donna Fay, I can't help you with your decision either. I think that the Hormone Jungle is a good place to find information regarding HRT and natural HRT.

I just wanted to say that I think it is a good idea to take the saliva test and explain all this to your doctor. It might help shed on the whole situation.

Best of luck in your quest for answers.

I'm sorry you are feeling so conflicted about your options and decisions. This quite often happens when one tries to meld medical science with alternative health. Sometimes the two can be done in conjunction with each other (cancer comes to mind). However, in your situation it seems to be only one way or the other.

From a personal point of view, I'm not into self-medicating or medicating via a self-help book. I don't know who Dr. Lee is but it sounds as if he is out to make a buck with a product you can only get through him. Of course he will have all the reasons in the world why his way is the only way. If you go to the self-help section in a local bookstore, you will find a myriad of other books claiming the same thing, i.e., their way, their method, their product. Basically, I think if their way is THE way, the whole world would know about it and be doing it. I'm pretty sure the medical world and pharmaceutical companies would pounce on something if it really worked and they could make a buck themselves.

You may want to try this web site. I tried it, found they were too negative and basically not for hysterectomies but you might find them helpful and informative. To each her own:

http://www.findings.net/sans-uteri.html

Very best of luck to you on your journey to a decision that is healthy for you.
Miranda

Miranda,
Thanks for you response.
Dr. Lee's book I was talking about, didn't include anything to buy (other than his book). I have read many books and articules about using progestrone cream to balance out excess estrogene. Before I started on the cream, I did seek out a MD to get guidance on using it. (felt I needed "adult supervision".. lol)
Never the less............. it didnt work for me.

You are right, about trying to blend two worlds......... reg. medicine and alternative medicine. It is hard to sort out what to do......

Did you try many different things prior to having your hyster?

take care
xoxo DonnaFay

To the other sisters who suggested I try getting some answers on the "hormonal jungle post".. thank you.. I did go there and post as well... thanks..

Hi DonnaFay! Yes, I did try a few things before surgery. I'm pretty sure most of us do as it isn't always known right away what is causing the problem. I switched the brand of HRT med. I was taking because it was a generic form and after some length of time some ladies started to bleed. My doctor wrote a specific Rx for the real brand (I'm in Kaiser which is an HMO and you get nearly generic everything). I used it and then more bleeding. I tried birth control pills, had endometrial biopsy, had an ultrasound, became anemic because of blood loss, then got shingles from being anemic and finally got lupron depot shots. The shots, however, came after it was decided a hysterectomy was probably the answer. The shots are only an attempt to shrink fibroids so they can come out via a TVH rather than a TAH.

I'm 5 weeks post-op today, feeling good, and glad I had it done.
Hugs,
Miranda