Prayer Request

[blueeyedmanda]

My sister Carrie, who is 21 has been dealing with some issues in her health for the past few months, for awhile it was headaches of no origin and stomach problems, which no scans and tests could ever prove or find anything. Lately, her stomach aches have been real bad and she is bleeding *in her feminine area* She is on that birth control shot where you never get a period...so we were thinking that it might be spotting or her bodys way of trying to have a period.

The other day she is in the ER with stomach cramps again, nothing found on CT scans, X-rays or ultrasounds.

Yesterday she had bloodwork done for hyplori, celiac (my request), and stools samples for Samenilla....probably spelled that wrong sorry.

For awhile she was having major "D" after eating but now it seems more "C" than anything, so maybe she has IBS and is stressed out...my mom and I think it is more....

Please keep her in your prayers, she is such a warm caring person and I hate seeing her this way. These should be her best years.

PS-she is finished with college tomorrow, she is graduating early due to great grades....her insurance runs out tomorrow....so that is another big concern.....

[confused]

I will defintely keep her in my prayers. And please keep us posted. Do you thinking maybe all the stress from grduating college would just been her trigger for celiac?

paula

[jerseyangel]

Of course, Amanda, I'll keep your sister in my prayers. I hope it all gets figured out soon.

[dandelionmom]

I just said a prayer for her. Is there a way to pay a little extra to extend her insurance coverage?

[Cheri A]

Saying a prayer for Carrie.

[jennyj]

She will be in mine.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Adding my prayers.

If I were in her shoes, I would discontinue the birth control IMMEDIATELY. Who knows what preservatives and adjuvants are in those shots in addition to hormones that your body should only be producing on its own.

Think about it--how many MEN would consent to injections of hormones? Oh, wait, that's right, the sports world already does--and look at all the steroid health risks that we hear about all the time:

* premature balding or hair loss

* dizziness

* mood swings, including anger, aggression, and depression

* seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)

* extreme feelings of mistrust or fear (paranoia)

* problems sleeping

* nausea and vomiting

* trembling

* high blood pressure that can damage the heart or blood vessels over time

* aching joints

* greater chance of injuring muscles and tendons

* jaundice or yellowing of the skin; liver damage

* urinary problems

* shortening of final adult height

* increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer

But do we ever hear about the risks of birth-control hormones for women? Of course not--it's (again) big $$$ for the pharmaceutical industry. But compare the list of side effects of Depo-Provera:

Side Effects:

*70% of women using Depo Provera gain weight. Almost half of the women using Depo Provera gain more than 5 pounds after one year of use. Many women gain more than 10 pounds.

*Irregular, heavy, or no bleeding are common side effects of Depo Provera. After a year of use, many women stop having periods. Lack of a period becomes increasingly common with longer use.

*Other side effects of Depo Provera can include headaches, nervousness, mood changes, bloating, hot flashes, decreased interest in sex, breast tenderness, acne, hair loss, and back ache.

*After the last shot of Depo Provera, it can take over 6 months for the drug to leave the body. Side effects may linger until the drug is completely gone

The more research I do, the more I learn that if we swallow what the pharmaceutical industry feeds us (including their "medicines"), we pay a huge price...

[Guhlia]

Oh Manda, your family has been through a lot this year, both happy and sad. I will keep your sister in my prayers and hope that they find something soon.

[UR Groovy]

Amanda,

Also saying prayers for your sister.

I wanted to add that a few years ago when I was taking DEPO shots, my whole system went completely haywire - very irregular bleeding (of concern), huge moodswings, headaches (some migraines), I was very out of control on that stuff. All kinds of really nasty stuff happened to me. It may be the DEPO with your sister. I had to get off that stuff ASAP.

Hope she's doing better soon.

kat

[blueeyedmanda]

I know she just started the BC shot. She had been having problem for some time before that. She is still pretty ill tonight and with the nasty winter weather I wont be able to get home to see her this weekend.

[Green12]

Amanda,

I hope your sister finds some answers and gets to feeling better soon.

[Green12]

Amanda,

I hope your sister finds some answers and gets to feeling better soon.

[debmidge]

Some health insurance advice....however I don't know if this applies to every state in US but it's worth checking out.

When a health policy is stopped or ends due to end of employment etc. your state might require that an employer offer a COBRA extension if the employer you work for is large enough and qualifies.

If coverage is thru school there might be a way to convert it to an "Individual Policy" for a premium cost of course.

Generally, in some states, if your health coverage lapsed more than 60 days, and you take out new insurance you are subject to a "pre-existing condition" rule. If you take a policy out within that 60 day window, a "pre-existing condition" rule does not apply. To verify if your state has this rule or not, you should talk to a health insurance agent in your state.

Manda, have your sister check with the school's Health Care Coverage Administrator about an extension and its cost; or call a local health insurance agent (but you have to bug them as an individual health policy doesn't make much commission and agents tend to ignore clients with lower premiums - for example, a business health policy could cost $30,000 per year and that's the phone call the agent would most likely call back immediately and not an individual whose coverage would cost only $2000 per year. Sorry to say this, but I know my own industry & how they think.)

She might want to call a Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance office in her state of permanent residence and get a quote from them directly.

If she's married, and her husband has coverage at work, he should add her to his work coverage immediately.

Now, having taken hormones and had bleeding as a young 20ish woman I can testify that you can get some really bad "breakthrough bleeding" on it. Estrogen does stimulate fibroids and makes them grow...and if a fibroid is located on an artery in uterus, the bleeding is more and sometimes never really stops after a menstrual period....(yeah, I had this going on too) perhaps she has these benign fibroid tumors?

[ravenwoodglass]

I will pray that they get to the bottom of this quickly. Sounds like you aren't the only celiac in the family.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I know she just started the BC shot. She had been having problem for some time before that. She is still pretty ill tonight and with the nasty winter weather I wont be able to get home to see her this weekend.

If she had problems before, her doctor should NEVER have started her on BC shots.

I think she needs a new doctor. And possibly a malpractice attorney.

[blueeyedmanda]

I will pray that they get to the bottom of this quickly. Sounds like you aren't the only celiac in the family.

If she is celiac that will be interesting, my sisters were both adopted I have no biological siblings.

[wolfie]

Saying a prayer for Carrie. I hope that she gets some answers and starts feeling better soon.

[confused]

If she is celiac that will be interesting, my sisters were both adopted I have no biological siblings.

its just like me and my stepson, no blood relation but are both celiac, so go figure lol.

paula

[Guhlia]

Any updates on Carrie?

[DingoGirl]

Amanda......I am late to this thread! I had no idea.....any updates?

Saying a prayer.....let us know.

hugs......

[blueeyedmanda]

Still waiting on test results. I did talk to her and she is not in as much pain, no more bleeding but still not feeling well. She said when she is better she will go snow tubing with me and my Little Leah.

Little Leah is a child who was a baby in my parents foster home and she then got adopted when she was 3. We remained in close contact with her adoptive family who lives about 15 minutes away. She always said I was her best friend. She turned 8 yesterday. We are penpals now since she can read and write letters. I live 2 hrs away and don't get to see her as much now.

[Judyin Philly]

AMANDA, PRAYERS BEING SENT FOR YOU AND CARRIE

[ravenwoodglass]

If she is celiac that will be interesting, my sisters were both adopted I have no biological siblings.

Well I have two children both biologically mine but with different biological fathers from opposite sides of the world. Both show up in blood work, I don't. They both got a celiac gene from their Dads also. This is really an extremely common genetic difference that does not follow the normal dominent - recessive pattern that other genes do. She sounds very much like she should be on the diet also, I am praying that if that is the case that she will show up in blood work. If she is not I hope they get to the bottom of her problems soon.

[blueeyedmanda]

Carrie's Salmonela and Hpylori both came back negative....sorry for the misspellings.

[blueeyedmanda]

Carrie went to a GI dr today, she has insurance coverage until Jan. 1st. So up until now the family dr was treating her, but said it would be a good idea to see a GI dr.

Carrie called me tonight in tears, she said the DR did not listen to her at all and just kept saying IBS IBS IBS.....well yea that could be an option but lets look at them all. She said he didnt seem to care about what she was describing. In part of the exam he did a rectal exam and she was very uncomfortable with that....I think that really upset her.

I suggested a new dr. She needs to see someone who will listen, she is young and the sooner we figure out the problem the better....

Celiac panel still pending....