The return of shark week after a health crisis?

TheGaudyMagpie

So in May I had gallbladder removal. About a month later I had TOM, lighter than my usual flow but there. Before that, it had been about six months, again with a much lighter flow. Before that, every 2-3 months. A couple of weeks ago, I started having really bad B pain with all of the PMS symptoms, and boom, here we are again, only 34 days after the last one. This one is real. Awful cramping, my usual heavy bleeding, uterine shedding (which didn't happen much with the last two). So I am really curious about whether this is going to be the return of a regular cycle. I went from being regular to having menopausal hormone levels very quickly and a little prematurely (at 47 years old). I've seen some anecdotal stuff online about gallbladder surgery affecting cycles, but doctors say there is no connection (Western doctors, anyway, in Chinese medicine there is a connection recognized between liver function and hormones and gallbladder issues impact the liver).

Could it be the 13 lb weight loss (I'm on thyroid hormone so that could have an impact)? Malnutrition from malabsorption of vitamins? My body's resources devoted toward battling the low-grade infection I think I've had off and on for the past couple of years (I've had inexplicably high WBCs from time to time)? All of this is just speculation, and premature based on two cycles, but I'm wondering if anyone has encountered anything like this -- an absence of cycles and then a return following the resolution of a health crisis. I feel so much better since surgery, so I know that my health has improved, despite the ongoing healing process.

Also, this real period thing sucks -- if I had any ability to not be at work today, I wouldn't be.

SweetP27

I haven't had any health crises but I know that I will go months with minimal TOM (if at all) and then BOOM! Hell Week! And then back to the new normal of minimal to nothing. It really stinks not knowing what is going on with your body!

Hope4Beth

The best way to know what is going on is to bite the bullet and make an appointment with your gynocologist. Speaking as someone waiting on biopsy reaults, I wish I had seen my gyno when I first started experiencing issues.

TheGaudyMagpie

I had a biopsy less than a year ago (I'm on HRT so it's pretty routine with any bleeding at all). It's nothing weird. Just a period. Gyno said I can still expect them from time to time, but it was just unusual to have a near normal cycle length after so long. The drop in hormones in the beginning was also very sudden so we did question if there was something else going on, like my thyroid wasn't quite at the right dose or something. Again, I've just seen some anecdotal stuff here and there about gallbladder removal affecting cycles and the most common theory was that the ongoing infection led the body to shut down the hormones.

But, yeah, this one is ugly. It's probably been a year since I had one this bad. The one bright side is that my appetite has been meh since the surgery and now I'm taking a drug to treat a side effect that seems to make my appetite even meh-er. Usually if I can maintain control over this week, I lose the most weight for the month. After, of course. Right now I'm about 4 lbs over my weight on Friday and wearing jeans in the size I just left.

We'll see what happens next month.

TheGaudyMagpie

Also Hope, I hope the biopsy comes out OK. They're no fun.

Sabine_Stroehm

I go months without, and then stress will cause one. I just traveled for a month and had 20 days of (unexpected) spotting and bleeding. Good times.

TheGaudyMagpie

Ugh. Luckily I have not had any breakthrough bleeding/spotting since the first month or so on HRT. Everything else has been recognizably a period, even if unusually light for me, and has lasted only that long (though mine usually go 7 days and always have). Mine aren't usually triggered by stress, but I usually know when they are coming because I get migraines and neck pain and I'm super cranky.

Hope4Beth

So relieved that my biopsy results came back normal. Praise be to God!

TheGaudyMagpie

Glad to hear it!