With or Without Atypia?

That is the question.

In 2005, an endometrial biopsy showed I had simple hyperplasia with atypia. That was also sometime in August of that year. Earlier in January, I had bled profusely and my hemoglobin count really dropped. The first OB-Gyne I saw did not really say what was possibly wrong, except that she prescribed hormonal pills to regulate my menstruation.

In August, my period had extended to almost two weeks and it was horrible because I was almost peeing blood. I was having difficulty breathing because there wasn't enough oxygen due to the blood loss. I had to go to the emergency room of a hospital. I was discharged but a day or two later, I did collapse and had to be rushed back to the hospital.

My new OB-Gyne decided to do a D & C with biopsy to determine what was really wrong with me. The result: Simple hyperplasia with atypia.

Hyperplasia is simply a thickening of the uterine lining. That's why the blooding would not stop. Normally, this can be treated with hormone therapy. What aggravated it was the phrase "with atypia." Atypia is a cell abnormality, and most likely pre-cancerous. I was out on hormonal therapy and for the next two years, my period was regulated.

Until April this year when I noticed my menstruation became irregular. I would bleed for one or two days, giving me the impression I was having my period. But this would stop abruptly. Then I would menstruate a few weeks later like nothing was wrong. Finally, I went for a check-up and doctor decided I needed another endometrial biopsy to see if my condition remained the same.

She'd given me an overview: If it ends up I only have simple hyperplasia without atypia, I would be on therapy. But if it is with atypia, she wants to have a hysterectomy. Unless I plan on having a baby, she does not want to risk my having cancer because of it. Besides, I could end up bleeding like crazy again, in which case it would be better to have it removed.

I'll know the results on Monday and I do hope things won't be as bad.

Iron and Folic Acid

My doctor has had to induce my menstruation by prescribing progesterone pills. This after ultrasound results showed a thick lining on my ovary as a result of the irregular periods I’ve had in the past two or three months. She said that after taking the pills for 5 days, the menstruation should come within the next two weeks and warned that the first day I was to expect very heavy bleeding.

True enough on the sixth day, it came. I was expecting heavy bleeding but it was no more heavier than usual. Until the fifth day when it came gushing and I’ve had to use more pads than normal. It’s gone on for two more days and I do feel kind of weak. The doctor also told me to take my iron pills with folic acid because I had to counteract the blood loss.

I know the importance of iron intake, especially for women because studies show most women hardly get the recommended dose of iron daily. This is dangerous considering we shed blood monthly through menstruation. Iron is an important nutrient to replenish healthy red blood cells that aids in the transport of oxygen. That’s why during bouts of anemia in the past, I’ve had difficulty breathing after shedding what must have been buckets of blood, that eventually required blood transfusion.

Now what I did not know is that Vitamin C helps boost iron absorption in the body. Good thing I am very religious in chewing Vitamin C capsules, not because I was aware of this relation, but more to protect me from contracting coughs and colds. So now I know…

I’ve always wondered about folic acid or folate and why I need it when I am nowhere near getting pregnant. Folate, it turns out, is necessary for the production of new cells, which include red blood cells, which I have been losing since this period started. Lack of folate limits cell division, and the production of red blood cells, resulting in megaloblastic anemia, characterized by large, immature RBCs. Needless to say, immature RBCs don’t do any good when released to the marrow to cover up for anemia.

As previously mentioned in an earlier post, my sleeping habits is also a source of concern especially at a time like this. I need to sleep early to aid my body in regenerating cells. And I need to keep popping my iron with folate pills.