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Endocrine Disruptors Impact Women’s Health

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What Are Endocrine Disruptors?

The hormones in our bodies are regulated by the endocrine system and they impact a number of bodily functions, including metabolism, growth, and development. An endocrine disruptor is a chemical that disturbs the way the endocrine system normally functions, thereby interfering with the way hormones and the body functions, as well.

How Do Endocrine Disruptors Impact Women’s Health?

Scientists have found links between endocrine disruptors and a number of health problems in women. Since most studies have only tested animal responses, scientists cannot conclude that these compounds have the same impacts on humans, but most believe that they do.

The following are only some of the health issues that have been linked to endocrine disrupting chemicals:

Precocious Puberty Possibly Due to Endocrine Disruptors

The early onset of puberty may be due to endocrine disrupting chemicals that are pervasive in the environment. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics has found environmental toxins to be a possible explanation for precocious puberty.

While scientists are unsure if the early onset of puberty is due to endocrine disruptors or childhood obesity, it is important to note that endocrine disruptors also seem to cause insulin resistance, which can lead to weight gain.

Vaginal Cancer from Endocrine Disruptors

Unfortunately, there have been human cases that have shown a direct link between endocrine disruptors and the development of vaginal cancer.

Women took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriages and morning sickness, only to find that this chemical caused their daughters to develop cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Scientists are still not exactly sure why DES caused vaginal cancer.

Endocrine Disruptors Tied to Breast Cancer

The EPA also acknowledges correlations between endocrine disruptors and certain cancers, such as breast cancer. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found environmental toxins increase breast cancer by affecting the regular development of breasts and mammary glands.

The Yale University School of Medicine bolsters this research, showing that endocrine disruptors increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer, particularly if she is exposed to such chemicals during embryonic development.

Endocrine Disruptors Impact Ovaries

The McLaughlin Center for Population Health Risk Assessment in Canada cited the increased risk of ovarian cancer from exposure to environmental toxins, such as pesticides and herbicides, noting that hormone levels seem to impact such outcomes.

The journal, Endocrine Reviews, reported that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have higher levels of endocrine disruptors (specifically BPA) in their systems. PCOS is a disorder in which women, during their reproductive age, develop small cysts on their ovaries (in most cases). PCOS may impact a woman’s menstrual period, resulting in less frequent periods or none at all, and can make it difficult for a woman to become pregnant.

Uterine Disorders and Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine disruptors have been found to reprogram genes in the uterus to grow uterine leiomyoma, or uterine tumors. Although these tumors are benign, they may cause heavy menstrual bleeding and/or lead to infertility.

The American Journal of Epidemiology has found links between the use of hair relaxers and uterine leiomyomata, suggesting that hair relaxers, used by many women, have endocrine disrupting chemicals.

The Society of Toxicology reported findings that mice exposed to high levels of genistein, a phytoestrogen found in soy products, developed uterine cancer later in life.

This same organization has shown connections between endometriosis, or the development of endometrial cells outside of the uterus, and endocrine disruptors, notably TCDD, a dioxin. The study found that endometrial cells do not properly respond to progesterone hormones when disrupted by TCDD, which can lead to endometriosis and sometimes infertility.

The Yale School of Medicine has found that endocrine disruptors block gene expression in the uterus, thereby disrupting the proper development of the uterus, which can lead to cancers, endometriosis, and infertility.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Can Cause Infertility

Concentrated levels of hormone-mimicking chemicals can stop ovulation, just as contraceptive pills do, according to The Oxford Journals.

Polybrominated diphenylethers, chemicals used in fire retardants, are linked to cases of infertility. The Society of Toxicology has shown this chemical also reduces thyroid-stimulating hormones (THS) in pregnant women, which can negatively impact fetal brain development.

When Do Endocrine Disruptors Impact a Woman?

Most scientific findings emphasize that exposure to endocrine disruptors during rapid developmental periods, such as gestation, is more detrimental to a woman’s health than exposure at other times. In fact, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology reported that endocrine disruptors often target the genes responsible for the development of an organism, interfering with the proper development of that organism.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that endocrine disruptors stop affecting us once we’re grown. The very chemicals that cause breast cancer have also been found to lessen the effectiveness of cancer fighting drugs. This is because most of the drugs used to treat breast cancer are made to reduce endogenous estrogens – which usually stimulate the cancer. While endocrine disruptors are just as effective as endogenous estrogens in stimulating the cancer, endocrine disruptors are not hindered by these drugs.

How Do We Limit Our Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors?

Endocrine Disruptors impact us every day, but we can limit the amount of toxic chemicals we absorb into our bodies by being aware of what these chemicals are and where they can be found. A good rule of thumb is to start cutting back on the processed goods in your life. If you have difficulty reducing the consumption of processed goods, just start with a few items and continue from there.

Not only do we ingest endocrine disruptors when we swallow pthalates in medication coatings, but we also wear them on our faces in the form of toxic cosmetics and contaminate our water sources with chemical toxins in widely used herbicides. Determine what are safe substitutes, like kitchen cosmetics or safe pesticide alternatives. Start small, choose wisely, and stay abreast of known endocrine disruptors.

Further Reading on Lucine:
Endocrine Disruptors in Personal Products:
Toxic Cosmetics
Kitchen Cosmetics
Is Your Deodorant Linked to Breast Cancer?
Phthalates in Medication Coatings
Endocrine Disrupters in the Environment:
Milk, it Does a Body Good?
Early Onset of Puberty
Could This be a Contributor to Weight Gain?
Chemical Toxins in Commonly Used Herbicides

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Kitchen Cosmetics

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I like to consider myself a crafty person. However, more often than not, my good intentions and imagination get the better of me and instead of producing a home-made creation worthy of the cover of Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine, my project should be featured on Regretsy, my favorite site for DIY gone wrong.

As I started to research all the toxins in our cosmetics and personal products I also started pricing the “organic” and “all-natural” replacements, which, as I stated in my post, “Toxins in Cosmetics“, are most likely no better than the cheaper products. I don’t have the income to pay $10 for an ounce of lotion from a specialty store, but even if I did have that kind of income, I’m cheap. In the last year, I have researched various home-made recipes for beauty and personal products made with ingredients you very likely have in your kitchen right now. Most of the original recipes included essential oils and other froo-frooifying ingredients. If you are one of those people whose DIY looks closer to Martha Stewart than my regretsy projects, I’ll include some links to more complicated recipes. But if you consider yourself lazy or directionally impaired, please follow these very simple instructions for my extremely easy DIY Kitchen Cosmetics.

Kitchen Cosmetics #1 – Lotion

Your skin is the biggest organ of your body. The epidermis literally drinks the lotion you put on your skin. I live in San Diego where it’s dry. No matter how much water I drink in a day my skin is always dry. The average cost for an 8-10 oz. container of non-toxic lotion in a store or online is going to cost $10-15 or more. If you don’t cook with coconut oil, you should try it. Other than being the world’s healthiest cooking oil, coconut oil can also be used as lotion on your whole body – including your face! Worried that smearing oil on your face will make you break out like a teenager? Don’t be. Coconut oil is actually an anti-microbial and anti-fungal so it won’t clog pores or cause acne. In fact, it’s probably a better acne treatment than the chemically enhanced pimple creams sold at stores (I don’t have acne so I can’t confirm or deny this claim). Coconut oil has a melting point of about 75 F so it’s most likely solid at room temperature. Simply scoop some out of the jar with your fingers or a spoon and rub it in between your palms or directly against your skin. Your body temperature will melt it. Use it sparingly, as it is oil, and rub over your whole body. If you get too much, simply wipe it off with a towel; if you get it on your clothes, it will wash out.

Kitchen Cosmetics # 2 – Deodorant

If you are still using deodorant with the active ingredient aluminum, please reconsider this daily habit as the ingredients have been linked to breast cancer, Alzheimer’s and more. To make homemade deodorant you need coconut oil, baking soda and a container with a lid (preferably a glass jar or BPA-free plastic container). Take 1 C of solid coconut oil and put it in the jar, close the lid and run hot water over the container to melt the oil. Once melted add 1 cup of baking soda. Shake. I like to shake it as it cools so the baking soda doesn’t settle to the bottom. Once it has cooled, you can use your fingers or a spoon to scoop it out and apply to your underarms. I don’t have AC, so in the summer it melts and I apply the liquid the same way. Also, on warmer days I apply a second layer in the afternoon. The coconut oil is an antimicrobial and antibacterial so it fights the odor causing bacteria naturally. The baking soda is a natural odor neutralizer so it is a secondary guard. Only apply coconut oil the day you shave as the baking soda can irritate the skin.

Note: I know people allergic to coconut oil, so if you have never used it alone or in lotions I suggest applying to an inconspicuous area of your body first. If you are allergic to coconut oil, I’ve been told (but haven’t tried personally) that using lemon juice and baking soda works as well.

Kitchen Cosmetics # 3 – Toner

I add raw apple cider or coconut vinegar to my protein shake in the mornings to balance the pH level of my stomach. Guess what, it can also balance the pH level of your skin. I use it daily as a toner and acne treatment on my face. As I stated, I have dry skin so I dilute it with filtered water, dab it on a cotton ball and apply to my skin. You can use a stronger or more diluted amount depending on your skin type.

Kitchen Cosmetics #4 – Sugar Scrub

Previously, I wrote about the toxic and addictive properties of sugar. If you are looking for a way to get it out of your kitchen, here you go. Sugar scrubs can be expensive in the store, but made easily at home. Simply take a spoonful, or more, of sugar and mix with either melted coconut oil or just plain water and scrub away. You can also use grape seed or other oils as well.

Kitchen Cosmetics #5 – Deep Conditioning Treatment

This might be my favorite beauty secret of all times. I have long hair, or as my hairdresser would say, ‘mermaid hair.’ I love it, but it can be hard to keep healthy. The further your hair is from your scalp, the less natural oils it gets; only wash the roots using a tiny bit of shampoo. Additionally, once or twice a week you can do an overnight deep hair conditioning treatment using coconut oil. Simply rub coconut oil on the ends of your hair and let it soak in overnight (or at least an hour during the day). The next day wash it out (you will have to wash the ends for this). Again, a little goes a long way so only apply to the ends. I use a clarifying shampoo to wash it all out and still get the benefits.

Kitchen Cosmetics #6 – Teeth Whitener

Professional whitening treatments can be costly and questionably safe. Whitening toothpastes and at home treatments seem just as dangerous. All natural toothpastes don’t have the whitening kick needed to get rid of coffee and tea stains. Need a kitchen cosmetic secret? – baking soda. Either add it to your toothpaste or use it alone. It’s a completely safe and effective teeth whitener.

These are all tried and tested alternatives that I promise work. With exception of the deep hair treatment and sugar scrub, I use these tricks daily. If you are interested in trying more advanced recipes here are some links. Please share your own kitchen cosmetic treatments in the comments section!

Wellness Mama

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Frugally Sustainable

Revitalise Your Health

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Is Your Deodorant Linked to Breast Cancer?

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A new study reveals that parabens, a toxin found in most bath and beauty products, was found in 99% of breast cancer tissue tested. Parabens are used in everyday products like shampoo, deodorant, body wash, make-up, etc., as an antimicrobial. The parabens in various products enter the body through the skin and mimic estrogen in our system. This study demonstrates how parabens in our products are linked to the estrogen overload that can cause breast cancer and other health problems. For mor information please read Dr. Mercola‘s article on this study, our article on toxic cosmetics and DIY beauty products (including safe deodorant), and for an in-depth, scientific look you can read the study found in the Journal of Applied Toxicology.

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Milk it does a Body Good?

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Recently, I bought a lunch-box sized container of Horizon organic milk. I don’t use milk regularly, but do use other dairy products like cheese, sour cream, and butter often. I was a bit disturbed when I noticed something on the label that I had not seen on other dairy products: “Our farms produced this milk without the use of antibiotics, added hormones, pesticides or cloning.” I’d heard of the dangers of growth hormones in milk, but decided to do some research into what’s really in our milk, if they use cloned cows or if that’s just another advertising scam and if current regulations really protect the consumer.

Pesticides, Antibiotics and Hormones in Milk

If you are a woman and you have ever been prescribed an antibiotic or medication of any type, your doctor or pharmacist most likely asked you if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Why? Because the medications come through the mother’s milk. Why would this be any different in animals? It’s not.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, commercial dairy farmers feed cattle corn silage, alfalfa or grass silage, alfalfa hay, ground or high-moisture shelled corn, soybean meal, fuzzy whole cottonseed, and perhaps commodity feeds (corn gluten, distillers grains, soybean hulls, citrus pulp, etc.), instead of grazing on grass in a sunny field. It might be cheaper up front, but the feed is likely genetically modified (GM) to withstand dangerous pesticides that the animals then digest and process into milk. The feed is a very unnatural food for the cows, wreaking havoc on their poor digestive systems. This makes them susceptible to various pathogens, such as E. coli, mastitis and other diseases contracted through their diet and poor living conditions. Farmers give cattle antibiotics throughout their life, when all they need to do is let them graze on grass to balance the pH level of their stomach and give them better living conditions in general. These antibiotics are found in milk we consume.

In order to increase the production of milk the cows are injected with the bovine growth hormone rGBH. While labels state, “No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rGBH-treated and non-rGBH-treated cows,” the truth is out there. Investigative journalists, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, tell their story on PR Watch about how Monsanto, former manufacturer of rGBH, lawyered-up and hid their revealing report on the dangers of rBGH in milk. According to the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research (2003), there are at least 16 different harmful medical conditions for dairy cattle treated with rGBH, including:

40 percent increase in infertility
55 percent increased risk for lameness
Shortened lifespan
Hoof disorders
Visibly abnormal milk

It also increases the levels of Insulin Growth Factor -1 (IGF-1) in the cows as well as their milk. In this important report on the link between breast cancer and milk from cows treated with rGBH, Dr. Mercola explains that “IGF-1 is a potent hormone that acts on your pituitary gland to induce powerful metabolic and endocrine effects, including cell growth and replication. Elevated IGF-1 levels are associated with breast and other cancers. When cows are injected with rBGH, their levels of IGF-1 increase up to 20-fold, and this IGF-1 is excreted in the milk.”

In addition to the added hormones, we have to deal with the natural hormones in milk. Cows are now milked 300 days of the year, including entire pregnancies. According to Ganmaa Davaasambuu, who holds a Ph.D. in environmental health and is a current fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, “Milk from a cow in the late stage of pregnancy contains up to 33 times as much of a signature estrogen compound (estrone sulfate) than milk from a non-pregnant cow.” What does this mean to the consumer? Studies are not revealing that the increase in sex hormones are linked to cancers including prostate, breast and endometrial. According to Dr. Davaasambuu’s research, “One study compared diet and cancer rates in 42 countries. It showed that milk and cheese consumption are strongly correlated to the incidence of testicular cancer among men ages 20 to 39. Rates were highest in places like Switzerland and Denmark, where cheese is a national food, and lowest in Algeria and other countries where dairy is not so widely consumed. Butter, meat, eggs, milk, and cheese are implicated in higher rates of hormone-dependent cancers in general. Breast cancer has been linked particularly to consumption of milk and cheese.”

Cloning

Companies use different claims to appear more desirable to the health-conscious consumer. I have seen products labeled as non-GMO when the ingredients have not been genetically modified in general, yet. So, are cows really cloned, or is this a marketing ploy as well? The truth is stranger than fiction, I’m afraid. In 2008, the FDA approved the use of cloned animals for both meat and milk. Similar to genetically modified food, there are no regulations that cloned animal products have to be labeled and are thought to be safe. Personally, I’d rather not be the guinea pig to find out the safety of these products.

Regulations

Does the USDA and FDA protect the consumer? Well, I’m not so sure I’d consider rGBH or cloned animals safe. The FDA seems to be going out of their way to limit the sales of raw milk lately. However, consumers have been fighting for their right to buy and consume raw, organic milk so much that states have been forced to change their laws and allow the sale of it (Click here to see if raw milk is legal in your state). Meanwhile, the FDA continues to send SWAT teams out to arrest Amish farmers and the USDA allows the largest “organic” dairy companies to sell questionably organic products. The Cornucopia Institute is filing a formal legal complaint in an attempt to immediately halt the USDA from allowing factory farms producing “organic” milk from bringing conventional dairy cattle onto their farms. Cornucopia claims the practice, which places family-scale farmers at a competitive disadvantage, is explicitly prohibited in the federal regulations governing the organic industry.

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Sugar and our Hormones

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It’s Easter season, which outside of religious practices, means candy, candy and more candy for a lot of Americans. Peeps, Cadbury Eggs, jelly beans are just a few of the hallmarks of this spring holiday. But, along with our growing waistline, scientists and Americans are both scrutinizing our diet and a common culprit seems to repeatedly point back to the white stuff. Even CBS News, 60 Minutes is looking at the toxicity of sugar. Is candy and sugar in our diet really the cause of America’s obesity and health problems? It’s now estimated that the average American consumes up to 180 lbs of added sugar per year. Here’s another statistic that demonstrates the increase of sugar in our diets over the years:

  • In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.
  • In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
  • In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
  • In 2009, more than 50 percent of all Americans consume one-half pound of sugar per person
  • DAY—translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

“Walk away from the Peeps, Ma’am!” might be what you’re telling yourself, but this sugar epidemic is out of control thanks to the highly processed foods and soft drinks where sugar hides under a variety of names. Here are some fancier names for sugar:

Sucrose, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, syrup, mannitol, molasses, ethyl maltol, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, diatase, cane sugar, caramel, carob syrup, barley malt, beet sugar, C12H22O11,

But, that’s not all. There are as many names for sugar as Eskimos have for snow. As the public becomes more aware of the many dangers of sugar, the food industry has to try to hide it under different names.

Is it ironic or coincidental that this heavenly, legal substance that give us so much pleasure looks identical to illegal drugs such as cocaine, meth, heroine? In my opinion the only difference is that sugar is a legal drug. Am I exaggerating? No, actually I’m not. In a recent study where rats were given the choice between water, sugar and cocaine the rats choose … SUGAR! This is vital information for you and your family’s health because when you start cutting sugar out of your diet you will likely go through withdrawal symptoms as you would with any addictive substance. As an adult you can cope with the headaches, irritability and fatigue; but if you are cutting sugar out of a child’s diet they won’t understand what is happening to their body. Something to be aware of as a parent when you start cutting processed foods and sugary treats out of your children’s diet.

I’m sure some of you are reading this thinking, I’m not diabetic, this doesn’t apply to me. What if I told you that your high cholesterol and muffin top is more likely linked to the sugar than bacon? Interested now? To break it down barney-style, sugar (whether it be white rice, processed bread, soda, lemonade, plain ol’ sugar in your coffee) turns into glucose in your body. Your body releases insulin, a hormone, to cleanse the blood. What your body can’t use immediately as energy is stored in the liver and fat tissue of the body for later use. When you overload your system with sugar, your whole body has to work overtime to clean it out of your system and this means putting its everyday tasks aside to deal with this toxic overload. So, instead of processing healthy fats, proteins, good carbs, etc., your system is processing junk. Then, it has to do its normal jobs after that. No wonder you’re so tired and lethargic all the time – you’re forcing your whole body to work double shifts everytime you reach for that candy bar or soda!

SUGAR = FAT = HEART DISEASE/CANCER/DIABETES/OBESITY/LIVER DAMAGE/INFERTILITY/ACNE/AND MORE.

Can it get worst? Actually, yes. In 2007, Child and Family Resource Institute released findings that sugar disrupts the sex hormones as well.

“Glucose and fructose are metabolized in the liver. When there’s too much sugar in the diet, the liver converts it to lipid. Using a mouse model and human liver cell cultures, the scientists discovered that the increased production of lipid shut down a gene called SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), reducing the amount of SHBG protein in the blood. SHBG protein plays a key role in controlling the amount of testosterone and estrogen that’s available throughout the body. If there’s less SHBG protein, then more testosterone and estrogen will be released throughout the body, which is associated with an increased risk of acne, infertility, polycystic ovaries, and uterine cancer in overweight women. Abnormal amounts of SHBG also disturb the delicate balance between estrogen and testosterone, which is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, especially in women.”

So, what can you do? How do you beat the cravings? The first step is to remove table sugar and processed foods out of your house. If it’s not there, you can’t be tempted. The second step is educating yourself on the hidden ingredients that are actually sugar. (Here’s a scary tip – did you know that juice is depleted of all nutrients, flavor and color, stored for a year, and then artificially flavored and colored?!)   Thirdly, check out my post, Sweet Alternatives, for some healthy alternatives that will help you and your family beat that sweet tooth for good.

 

Photos Jdurham, jasoncangialosi Creative Common 2.0

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Underinsured, Underdiagnosed and Anonymous: My Hormonal Hardships, Part 1

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It all started in my late teens. Recent high school graduates, my then-boyfriend and I were on our way from O.C. to L.A., when a driver entering the freeway rear-ended us as they were coming off the 91 onramp. A suddenly totaled car and severe case of whiplash quickly changed our prior plans, sending us instead to the local E.R. for immediate medical attention. A series of rush diagnostic tests later, my CT and MRI scans confirmed that I had suffered a C2 cervical neck-spine fracture with lumbar nerve involvement in the collision. I was fortunate to be alive, and luckier still to have survived without brain damage or paralysis, but I would not be simply walking away from this, either. Quite the reverse, it was actually just the beginning of a long battle to come.

Injuries sustained from the crash had triggered a myriad of chronic side effects and secondary conditions, including (but hardly limited to) chronic pelvic pressure, lower back pain, hip misalignment, fatigue, dizziness, and at that time, as-yet “undiagnosed hormonal issues.” I was 19, hurting, scared, and tens of thousands of dollars in debt overnight, due to my emergency room stay, all, through no cause of my own. Having to drop out of college to go through rehabilitative therapy and further hormone assessments over the next couple of years only seemed like more of an end-all to my young future back then. Launched head-first into a cold, cruel world of consistently inconclusive diagnoses and expensive, limited healthcare options, I truly felt the social stigma of being sick and uninsured. Splitting up with my high-school sweetheart a mere few years later, in no small part, because he wanted to have “children of his own”, I also really grew to feel the societal shame of being female and infertile, as well. So, I found myself dually disheartened as my abdominal pain and pressure continued to worsen, going on undiagnosed and untreated clear into my early twenties, despite the ever-growing list of costly blood labs, urinalyses, ultrasounds, and other screening tests, that my doctors had already exhausted.

Even with an employer-provided PPO, it would still be almost five years before any specialist would finally suggest what might be wrong with me (maybe endometriosis, maybe not), or explain what could have caused my prospective condition (maybe trauma from the earlier wreck, maybe not), much less tell me about potential treatments (oral contraceptives, laparoscopy, hysterectomy, or just plain living with the pain and hoping for the best). I was again referred to yet another gynecologist for yet another pelvic sonogram when, at long last, the ultrasound image revealed the suspected endometrial mass, once and for all (or, so we thought). The new gyno’ subsequently diagnosed me with endo’ and put me on low-dose combo estrogen-progesterone birth control pills, taken seasonally, as an alternative to surgery and nerve damage risks. The pill helped relieve some of my symptoms for a while, but it was far from being a permanent cure to my ailment, and ultimately became much more of a curse than a relief to me. Additional complications from an unexpected, ruptured ovarian cyst, followed by an increasingly negative response to the synthetic hormones, also lead to questions about my original diagnosis and method of treatment. Did I have endometriosis at all…was it something else entirely…what do I do now…what do I do next? …

To continue reading, click here.

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Underinsured, Underdiagnosed and Anonymous: My Hormonal Hardships, Part 2

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We left off from Part 1 of my story with a tentative diagnosis of endometriosis, a ruptured ovarian cyst, and ever-increasing doses of oral contraceptives. At that point in my life, I was scared, in pain and worried that I and the doctors should be doing more.

But, as it turned out, there was not much more that I could do.  The doctors said that even if it wasn’t endometriosis, the pill would probably still be the least invasive and least risky treatment option available to me.  They told me this without any intention of scheduling further abdominal inspections, pelvic imaging, endometrial biopsies, or blood draws for biochemical markers, despite my pleas for each.  Then again, they had confirmed my endo’ diagnosis without a laparoscope, or CA-125 antigen test, as it was.  So, what else should I really have expected from them now?  Life on oral contraceptives continued because, apparently, my only other choice was living without a uterus (and risking paralysis due to prior cervical vertebrae injury) at only twenty-five years of age.

I had never had long, frequent, heavy, or uncomfortable periods, much less menstrual cramps, as a young teenager.  But, as a woman on COCPs in her mid-twenties, I was experiencing altogether nonexistent cycles, regular breast discharge, ceaseless bloating, and unrelenting gastrointestinal pain and pressure (on top of chronic neck and back pain from the past car accident).  One silver lining to my proverbial cloud was that I had finally regained most of the neck control and movement previously lost in the collision.  Another consolation to this difficult situation was that I had also saved up enough money, working through physical therapy, to return to school.  And, maybe best of all, I had found (without trying) a steady, supportive, and understanding boyfriend, who was not only my match in every way, but who always stayed by my side, through the ups and downs alike.  Little did we know the coming financial and health woes to befall us, yet again, over the next few years.

Fast forward about three more years into the future—I had transferred to the university as a junior during the Fall term.  My boyfriend and I had been together, going on strong, for four years.  And, I had been working part-time at a job that I loved for nearly two years.  The future again seemed bright.  Healthcare access, however, remained bleak.

The COBRA benefits from my old employer had long expired, not that I could have afforded them at $600 per month anyways.  I didn’t qualify for health insurance at my new workplace because I wasn’t full-time there, owing to a loaded class schedule on-campus.  And, the only medical coverage that I had been able to afford since leaving the other company was a short-lived, hybrid POS-HMO plan, which I ended up having to cancel early as nobody in my area would accept it (there went another few hundred dollars, I couldn’t afford to lose, down the drain).  We had been working around the system, paying out-of-pocket for generic prescriptions, and general lab procedures, at local understaffed health clinics, since no one else seemed willing to work with us.  This got us by (it had to) until an unexpected slip-and-fall accident that December rendered a hidden colon tumor palpable in my lower body (something we wouldn’t learn for another four months or so).

The ER wouldn’t treat me, and only served in referring me to a GI/Endoscopy specialist, who in turn refused to see me because I didn’t have insurance.  A major medical carrier subsequently denied me coverage as uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions (namely my C2 fracture from nine years earlier, and my endometriosis diagnosis from four years prior), essentially blacklisting me among all other healthcare providers.  I couldn’t even qualify for government assistance of any kind.  I had come close to dying in just a few short months without knowing what was wrong with me, and we were running out of time and options fast.  That’s when my boyfriend popped the question, to get me on his insurance, and to save my life…

To continue reading, click here.

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Underinsured, Underdiagnosed and Anonymous: My Hormonal Hardships, Part 3

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We eloped without much fanfare at the Office of Civil Marriages in the Spring and over-nighted a certified copy of our marriage certificate to my newly-wed husband’s H.R. Department ASAP.  A month later, we received our new medical cards, and my husband’s primary physician gave me referrals to a network-approved gynecology specialist and internist.  The gynecologist ordered another abdominal ultrasound, blood draw, urine sample, and pap smear to check for viral, bacterial, and/or urinary tract infections, as well as to rule out other possible conditions like kidney stones or gallstones.  The internal medicine specialist referred me to a gastroenterology-endoscopy doctor to get my spleen, colon, appendix, and liver more thoroughly checked out.  I also remember asking both of them about going off the pill back then, but each one had advised me to stay on it, at least, until my initial lab results were in. It was definitely no honeymoon as the poking and prodding officially commenced once more.

My upper-left abdomen was tender to the touch below my ribcage, and my lower-left abdominal pain had grown much more intense, now radiating from my stomach to my backside in sharp, rapid, debilitating jabs.  It felt like my organs had dropped, and my insides were trying to force their way out of me.  It stung to urinate, hurt to have a bowel movement, my urine was very cloudy, and there was a lot of (too much) blood in my stool.  The burning sensation in my bladder and the rigidness of my muscles were limiting my mobility, aggravated lower quadrant soreness and spasms were impairing my sleep, and a newfound fear of vomiting or otherwise using the restroom was inhibiting my appetite.  I was faint, weary, and weak from excess blood loss, malnutrition, insomnia, distress, and delayed treatment.  And, I was just about to begin another taxing hodgepodge of could-be prognoses throughout a long (almost too long) diagnostic process of elimination.

The gyno’ reported that I had crystals but no stones in my urine, and prescribed me antibiotics for a bladder infection (one problem down, many more to go).  The ultrasound image still showed a small mass and fibrous tissue, but they did not appear to be ovarian or polycystic in nature.  Likewise, although my iron levels were down, my lab panel showed no sign of kidney or gallbladder abnormality or dysfunction.  And, there did not seem to be any cervical or vaginal lesions, viral or bacterial.  They said that a small uterus might explain my short, light, and irregular periods during adolescence (previously a non-issue to me), as well as an increased susceptibility to endometriosis, and a decreased success rate for surgical assessment or treatment thereof.  So, laparoscopy was ruled out as a viable diagnostic test or care option for endo’ altogether, rendering my prior endometrial diagnosis unconfirmed (but still, ironically considered a pre-existing condition), and my current status was again in question.  It was, however, recommended that I ask the gastroenterologist/endoscopy specialist about the possibility of any additional bowel, thyroid, and/or pancreatic involvement, though.

By the first time that I saw the GI/endoscopy doctor who the internist had referred me to, a few weeks later, my bladder infection had cleared up and my urine was back to normal.  But, I was now passing mucus, tissue, and blood clumps, without bowel movements, in addition to suffering from constant rectal bleeding (without any bowel activity).  I could now also feel a throbbing lump bulging against my insides from somewhere near my perineal area, making it extremely difficult for me to sit down (when it had already become problematic for me to lay down on my stomach or even to lie on my back).  The gastro-endoscopy physician told me that I had injured my spleen in the slip-and-fall accident, and that it would probably take another month or so for it to fully heal on its own, thus explaining the tenderness that I had felt under my ribs.  The doctor also suspected that I had colitis (inflammation of the large intestines) with internal prolapsed piles, and wrote me a prescription for sulfa antibiotics, hydrocodone painkillers, and corticosteroids, for at-home treatment.  The second course of antibiotics made me feel a little bit better, and the painkillers helped me to sleep some, but the corticosteroids made the small lump inside me swell into a larger bump ready to burst through my very skin.  No, I didn’t have piles or colitis, either.

Five weeks and a bunch of different tests later, I also didn’t have appendicitis, pancreatitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, thyroid disease, or diabetes, among other things.  I still didn’t have gallstones or kidney stones (they double-checked), but I was still on oral contraceptives (and hating it) as continued to be advised for no given reason.  I had been married for four months; the summer was half-over and we were spending hundreds of dollars per month in medical premium deductions, on top of hundreds more in mounting insurance co-pays, and other related expenses to no avail (needless to say, our savings and hopes were dwindling quickly).  They didn’t want to do a colonoscopy on me because I was way under the age of fifty,  had no recorded family history of colon polyps, colonic ulcers, diverticulosis, or diverticulitis, and nobody really expected to find anything anyways.  But, they too had run out of other tests to perform, even though I wasn’t getting any better under their watch.  A preliminary colonoscopy and biopsy, a repeat procedure, and multiple follow-up biopsies, however, ‘finally’ and shockingly confirmed that I had an adenocarcinoma tumor in my colon. I had colon cancer?  …I had colon cancer…

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