The start

It seems apt to make my first post in this blog at a time when I have just received a diagnosis of PMDD. For those unaware of this condition it might be worth reading this http://pmdd.factsforhealth.org/

PMDD, unlike PMS, affects the whole cycle. From day 1 through to the end. It affects my mental state of mind as well as physical symptoms. The physical symptoms consist of very heavy bleeding, severe cramps and bloating, weight gain and lethargy. The mental state of mind is a form of psychosis, it can be anything from being snappy to being suicidal. It is pot luck how I feel from one month to the next.

I have had bouts of a few months when I have felt fine and had hardly any symptoms but then I find I have a really bad month soon after. This was the case towards the end of last year. I found I had a relatively good few months over the summer, then in October I had excruciating ovulation pains which kicked off a horrendous two months in which I was suicidal. I had to make my husband stay home from work because I knew if he left me I would end it.

This has hopefully given a slight insight into what PMDD does to me. Although there is obviously more besides, I don't want to overload this first entry with woeful tales and misery! I am looking forward now, I will go into more details about what I have been through to get here, but for now I am celebrating the diagnosis that I have been after for so long.

The next step from here is that I will receive monthly injections at my local surgery. These injections will be an overload of the progesterone hormone which will bring about a menopause. My reproductive system will shut down and therefore alleviate the symptoms that cause me so much distress and pain. I should hear within a few days. My appointment with the Gynaecologist was last Wednesday (10th March) and it should take about a week to contact my GP.

To bring us up to date, I am now in the "dark phase" of my cycle, the final two weeks. The last two days have not been too bad, I have been exercising and following a low fat diet. Endorphins do help and a good diet is tantamount to helping curb the binge eating (yet another gruesome symptom), but more importantly I need to lose some weight for my sister's wedding in June! And a particularly terrible winter with PMDD has seen me pile on 19lbs in weight. Yuck.

I look forward to updating more!