Since 2009, I've been trying to manage a tendancy towards anaemia (lack of red blood cells) due to heavy bleeding every month. I visited the gynecologist, a Senior Consultant at KK Hospital. He placed me under general anaesthesia and scraped the cells from my womb for a test. Happily, all my tests were normal. The whole thing cost me a four figure sum for day surgery and consultation. Apparently, there was nothing wrong with me.
Meanwhile life went on. As my womanly cycles ebbed and flowed, I got used to maintaining a steely grip on myself. It's part of being female, I told myself. I will lose blood, so I have to eat enough iron rich foods to make new blood. Since the Senior Consultant Specialist in Gynaecology had told me there was nothing wrong with me, I decided it was a case of mind over matter and tried to discipline my errant body back into good health.
I prayed too, and God gave me comfort.
Lately though, I've experienced debilitating fatigue. It's the sort of fatigue you see in babies who can't keep awake no matter how hard they try. From Day 14 to Day 21 of every monthly cycle, I would feel as devoid of energy as a corpse. Sometimes, I was a more lively corpse. At other times, a more dead one. I, who never take naps, began to nap in the afternoons. The rest of the time, it was a matter of forcing myself to get work done.
Next, from Day 22 to Day 28, I would bloat up with 2 to 3 kgs of water. There would be terrible breast aches (sometimes sharp and shooting)... persistent migraine... and a constant feeling of heat in the chest that made my face feel flushed. 2 to 3 times every night I would wake up to change clothes because mine were soaked through with perspiration... despite the ambient 25 Deg C of the bedroom.
At these times too, "emotional stability" began to sound like words from an alien language. I took to removing myself from people I did not wish to hurt. This meant everyone... friends, family, husbands and children. I didn't want to attend dinners and receptions. I didn't want to see nor meet people.
I wanted to be alone.
At times like these, I knew that my heart was so full of angst that I would lash out for no reason at all. Being alone, I would not be able to hurt anyone. I asked The Daughter to help facilitate my classes so that I would not hurt children. I escaped to behind my laptop where I developed the habit of holding back emails a day or 2 so as to make sure hormonally barbed words would not reach their intended target. It had become almost like a monthly werewolf transformation. There was a Were Mama in me clawing its way out, ready to tear hearts and people to pieces.
As things progressed from bad to worse, I started to read and research. And then The Husband found Dr John Lee's book for me -
What the Doctor May Not Tell You About PRE-menopause.
The Cause of My Heavy Bleeding
I learnt the cause of my heavy bleeding. From Day 1 to Day 14 of a woman's monthly cycle, the hormone OESTROGEN stimulates the growth of a layer of blood tissue inside the uterus (or womb). Round about Day 14, the woman's ovaries produce an egg. Once this egg is produced, the ovaries produce the hormone PROGESTERONE. If for whatever reason, the woman fails to produce an egg, the ovaries do not produce PROGESTERONE.
My ovaries weren't producing PROGESTERONE.
The role of OESTROGEN is to ensure that cells multiply. The role of PROGESTERONE is to block the cell multiplication function of OESTROGEN and ensure that cells specialize (i.e., they become different types of cells). Every month, PROGESTERONE stops OESTROGEN from thickening the layer of uterine blood tissue. Without PROGESTERONE, the layer of blood tissue continues to grow from Day 15 to Day 28. This results in a double thick layer of blood that needs to be shed at menstruation - i.e., heavy bleeding results. The cell multiplication function of OESTROGEN (if unblocked by PROGESTERONE) also results in uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, breast cancer, ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer.
In my case, the blood layer formed (by levels of OESTROGEN running amok) was so thick that it grew into the uterine walls. This meant that the uterus had to cramp violently in order to shed the lining of blood tissue. This made for very painful menstrual cramps. When I put these symptoms into words, it does look like I lived through hell... and it has been years of repeated suffering.
I am sure there are women out there with the same repeated suffering.
The Cause of My Debilitating Fatigue
PROGESTERONE is also the precursor of cortisol. This is a steroid hormone that is responsible for releasing energy stored in cells. OESTROGEN is responsible for storing energy in cells as fat. Since I wasn't producing PROGESTERONE, I had little cortisol. Since I had little cortisol, I couldn't burn the calories I was eating. Since I had too much OESTROGEN, my body was storing fat as fast as it could.
No wonder I couldn't keep the weight off!
I was tired and not burning the calories, all whilst my body went big time into energy storage mode. It was like having a lot of money you can't spend!! The bank account gets fatter whilst you're still wearing rags and eating out of the garbage can.
Progesterone Cream
The Husband went online at my behest to procure a bottle of Natural Progesterone Cream. The heavy bleeding has gone away and I have my energy back. I almost can't believe it. I've been suffering for at least 4 years... and it had become progressively worse. I kind of feel like the man by the pool in John 5:10 - "At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked."
Note the words "At once..."
I can't believe that I spent a four figure sum on a Senior Consultant Specialist (in a public hospital) who then told me that there is nothing wrong with me... and the best solution for my condition lies in a bottle of cream that costs little because it is a natural plant derived product that cannot be patented by pharmaceutical companies. Without prejudice to the Senior Consultant Specialist, I feel that yet again, God is telling me that his natural pharmacopeia is enough for my needs. I don't think man, no matter how highly trained can compete with God in healing... because God made us and he knows us so intimately well.
To God be the glory for my healing.
Thank you too... my wonderful wonderful wonderful husband for buying the book, and for swinging into action to get like SEVEN bottles of progesterone cream. Sigh... these husbands! When they get worried, they tend to believe MORE and FASTER is better... but I ain't complaining.
Next, if there are women reading this who have terrible PMS symptoms. Do get Dr John Lee's book and have a read. There are different conditions described inside there. Your condition may be different from mine but you might learn something to help you from his book. Your solution may not be Progesterone Cream but you might find something that works for you.
Lastly, I am pretty sure an overdose of Progesterone has side effects so if you decide to use it, please read Dr John Lee's book first and don't slather yourself with it like you would moisturising cream. It's a medication, even if natural, and needs to be handled with respect. Also, there is a difference between progesterone and progestin. Progestin is the pharmaceutical companies' version of progesterone... but it is NOT progesterone. There are molecular differences between the 2. Progestin is sold because it is a man-made invention and can be patented. It is different from what our bodies produce... and progestin has known side effects even in small doses. So... make sure you get the right cream and that there isn't any progestin mixed in there.