HiJust me. Here is a link to the interview I did on This Morning http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=10067167339For me this was a huge step in my 'recovery journey' as even alot of my friends and family had no idea how badly I had suffered. It is only now that I am feeling good that I can look back and reflect upon the last few years, and I have to say I have no idea how the hell I managed to get through it. In a strange way, I had to get worse before I could get better. Before having the boys I knew I suffered from PMS but kinda just got on with it, however after 2 pregnancies my hormones were all over the place, and having the boys meant I could no longer 'lie down' to it. Not an option with two young ones to chase about!! They kept me going, but on those bad bad days I have no idea how I made it to the end of the day still standing. For me the chronic exhaustion was one of the worst symptoms. That tied with the whole lack of confidence, paranoia, and hopelessness was just no way to live. Glad to say life is now 'normal' all the time. Which means yes I still get tired, grumpy etc but not in a ridiculous way!!

People are noticing the changes

It is not just my imagination - other people are noticing the changes in me. I will post some pictures, you will see that I do not look happy in many - I look anxious, uptight etc. However now I genuinely look happy, because I am. However I will say that tonight for the first time I have thought about the sacrifice I have made, ie my fertility. It is by no means an easy get out - a hysterectomy. And my mind boggles as people who think I may be mad and that I just had it to 'prove' something!! Although at 29 I was certain that I did not want anymore children, what if at 35 I decide I do? Well im buggered!!! However for me I took the decision based on the following, do i give my boys the best life I can all the time, or only 2 weeks a month. However as im sure all u mums no, we do our very very best to shield our kids from what is happening, but the tears speak for themselves. I made my decision based on what was best for my children, and for the first time tonight I have kind of realised I didn't actually think about myself very much. But I have absolutley no regrets. I guess what Im trying to say is when we are feeling ok, we always think about others before ourselves, we need to think about ourselves a bit more.
See you Soon
Dx

Lets Start at The End

My Blog is going backwards. I am going to work from life as it is now, back the way to reflect upon what life was like when I was in the midst of hormone hell. I hope this will show others how different life can be. I am 9 weeks post op, and I am fantastic. My husband and I went out on Saturday with friends and we had an absolute ball. For the first time in so so long I went out, loved every minute. I was not paranoid, I was not tired, I was not bloated, I had a ball. And best of all my husband said he had me back, ie the woman he married-not the emotional wreck that I had become.
Life is good and that is why I will continue to support other women.
Donna

Welcome

HI
My name is Donna, and welcome to my PMDD blog. 8 weeks ago at the age of 29 I chose to have a complete hysterectomy, including removal of ovaries. WHY? PMDD
If you have found your way to this blog you probably are already aware of what PMDD is, but here is the current definition from the National Association for Pre Menstrual syndrome:

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder ( PMDD ) is currently diagnosed when a woman's premenstrual symptoms are so severe that debilitating mood and behavioural changes impair basic daily activities such as work or social relationships, resulting in a form of clinical depression.
To be diagnosed, a woman must suffer from at least four of the following 11 symptoms:_ markedly depressed mood_ marked anxiety or tension_ persistent irritability or anger_ difficulty in concentrating_ decreased interest in usual activities_ noticeable lack of energy_ marked change in appetite_ insomnia or hypersomnia_ sense of being overwhelmed or out of control_ sudden sadness or depression_ physical symptoms such as joint pains, headaches, breast tenderness or "bloating."The symptoms must occur a week before a menstrual cycle begins and disappear a few days after the menstrual cycle starts. The symptoms must recur in at least two consecutive menstrual cycles and must also "markedly interfere" with work, basic functioning or social relationships.The defining of PMDD is an important breakthrough because it enables women to cateforise their symptoms in terms of a specific set of clinical criteria for the first time. This will enable clinical treatment protocols to be developed and should lead to women with PMS receiving more focused diagnosis and treatment. NAPS will be campaigning to get GPs to encourage women to keep a menstrual chart and to work with women to develop the most appropriate treatment tailored to individual needs

To put it simply IT SUCKS!!! Over the next few posts I will talk about my experience, and why I took such a huge step to get rid of PMDD. Please keep in touch and add your comments
Donna xxx