Sunday, February 3, 2013

Overshare: An Update on Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding & Naturopathic Medicine

Today is the end of the third month where my uterus has been magically fixed.

What the traditional western medical system had no way to solve, no answers, absolutely no hope- sending me along my way with no more than a "well- I guess you'll just have to live with it"- a Naturopathic Doctor was able to fix with a natural, vitamin tincture, some supplements and whole vegetables.

I am at a complete loss.

Honestly, I don't *really* believe in Naturopathic Medicine. Shocking, I know- since this site is all about the "Granola", the natural, with a good dose of Yogic fouffy. Sure, I can easily accept the mind-body connection- our brains are connected to our bodies after all. I use yoga, pranayama, every day to manage my IBS and stress. But an actual, medical issue that Western Medicine has no alternatives?

What can I say? I must be a skeptic at heart. That and it irks me when vulnerable people are taken advantage of... and often Naturopathic Medicine costs a lot of money and isn't covered. Sick people would count as "vulnerable".

However, I need to swallow the pill and admit that, whether it's the placebo affect or not, the tincture is working. After six years of having only 1-2 weeks of period-free followed by 12-14 days of moon time, these past three months have been scary amazing. (for a bit more background on this moon story).

If you haven't experienced dysfunctional uterine bleeding, than you have no idea what being on your period for 75% of your life for years on end will do to your emotional well being... to your relationships... and how utterly amazing it feels to have the freedom of 3 entire weeks without one tiny drop of period.
(this moment, dancing in my galaxy leggings on NYE is how it feels)

This entire story-line is a massive, personal overshare on my part that I've considered keeping to myself. Mostly because- after the bullying post (which you may noticed has been removed, as I was actually threatened to the point that I had to do so), I don't feel as safe in sharing online like I had been.

After some careful thought, however, I felt it would be useful to share my story and my success with Naturopathic Medicine in case there is another "me" out there, feeling hopeless and desperate. Having gone through years of medical doctors and painful tests to be told to "live with it".

To the other "me"s- I wish to share two things:
- the DivaCup will save your sanity.
- if you have coverage for Naturopathic Medicine- look into it.

11 comments:

  1. Congratulations, first and foremost!! I am going to a naturopath right now to explore my issues with my hypothyroidism. I love naturopathic care because it looks at each part of body's relationships with each other. The problem with Western medicine is that most physicians separate our bodies into parts (i.e., the ob/gyn only looks at those particular organs), while holistic doctors, such as many naturopaths (and a few primary care doctors), look at the whole body.

    There's a reason Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years. Six months of plantar fasciitis and podiatrists, to no avail, then 5 visits to an acupuncturist and it was 100% gone and has never returned.

    BTW I'd not just look at naturopathic care if you have coverage. I've found it, at least in the US, to be *cheaper* than Western doctor visits - plus they disclose charges upfront AND mine allows me to email her :)

    I'm SO happy to hear you are on the mend- much deserved!! And NOT oversharing - why should that part of us be more private than any other part? THANK YOU for sharing!!!

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    1. thank you! i think i'm just so entrenched in the western medical system with my job and education it's definitely been a journey of letting go some skepticism. this is a huge leap though in my acceptance path lol. i just can't argue results!

      also- that is interesting re: naturopathic costs vs western. here in canada doctor's and specialists are free... so naturopathic medicine is definitely for those with insurance (so well paying jobs) or money.

      5 gynocology visits, dozens of doctor's visits, ultrasounds (4), 3 blood tests, one painful terrible procedure/test=free.
      Two Naturopathic visits+supplements and tincture: 410$. (i got half back through insurance).

      Weird eh?

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  2. Something I've learned in recent times is that western medicine doctors are given minimal training on internal medicine (ie. gut health). So no, it's not surprising that they don't know how to treat it.

    No, I don't know why that is, or why there's been no work on furthering the understanding of gut health in western medicine! It seems to be all about alleviating symptoms rather than discovering the root cause.

    Whereas naturopathic doctors are trained to look at root causes of illness! This is where true health and healing comes from - not via applying a band aid, but instead, looking at why the wound developed in the first place.

    Anyways... congrats on your awesome news!! I actually had almost all-normal blood test results myself in January and I still can't believe it :)

    Its wonderful to feel well, despite previously being given no hope!

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    1. exactly!! and congrats to your normal (almost) bloodwork!!!

      yes, i do think there is definitely something to say for looking holistically at a problem, and the Naturopathic doctor actually LISTENED to what i had to say... which was something all by itself.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your journey. Over the years I have found that western medicine is good for some but not all ailments and have gained an appreciation of alternative medicine. Homeopathy and herbs have helped me overcome issues that medical doctors insisted had to be treated with pharmaceuticals and/or surgery. So glad you're doing better.

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    1. yes i agree with you 100%. I am still VERY glad i went through western medicine first- and i feel like they will complement each other. i am still in "surprised" mode when these herbs are actually working... and i have a funny feeling that when i see my gynecologist in march she's going to be doubtful.

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  4. Congratulations! Overshares always make the best blog posts. That's why I love reading blogs. I seek others out who are willing to share their lives and make me feel less alone and less secretive about my own ups and downs emotionally and physically. Sharing is caring! I think it's especially important for women to share about their bodies because we have been so shamed and suppressed and made to feel like it's dirty or wrong to talk about these things publicly.

    Your bullies were dumb dumbs and they can go fuck themselves - yeah - I said it! JERKS!

    Once I have my period back I am definitely getting a diva cup and it's mostly because I read about yours on your blog. So thanks!

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    1. Thanks Steph!! yeah... that's what i'm hoping for- sharing IS caring!! (teehee, sounds like care bears).

      and thank you for being so supportive re: the bullying stuff. So glad to have a friend like you!

      YAY DIVA CUP! I am excited for you!!!!!

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  5. Way to go and thanks for sharing. I have endometriosis and even though you did not say that you had that here, it's encouraging to know naturopathic medicine has helped your cycles. Happy to know that you are healing!!

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    1. thank you!
      oh endometriosis is not fun at all :S nope, my cycles are a 100% mystery to western medicine. they don't even fit the traditional "dysfunctional uterine bleeding" definitions (which are pretty scary when I googled them). no one really knows why they were all messed up.
      But if this tincture is all I need, then hey- i will take that :) and I will no longer scoff at Naturopathic medicine for these things...

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  6. I'm SOOOOOOOOOO happy for you, girl! Wahoo! Isn't it amazing what one simple thing can do? I had debilitating cramps my whole life, to the point where I couldn't hold down a regular job and finally...just the daily ingestion of a quart of high-calcium tea has cured me. Wish I had been told that twenty years ago!

    Anyway, I'm so happy for you. Must ask you about the bullying issue, as well - I missed that one! Sorry to hear of it and hope you know you are SUPPORTED! We love you!!

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