I was diagnosed with stage 2 squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina in October 1998. I was 44 years old. I had been experiencing a non-irritating, non-odorous discharge for a couple of months prior to going to the doctor. I had undergone a complete hysterectomy seven years before for severe fibroids, so any kind of discharge was very unusual for me. The doctor examined me and told me that I had a yeast infection. He prescribed Diflucan®, and told me to renew the prescription if one dose did not cure the infection. Needless to say, I took the two doses and nothing happened. I went back to that doctor every month for three more visits. Each time, I was told that I had a yeast infection. I was then told to use some over-the-counter cremes etc. I diligently followed the doctor’s advice to no avail.

In August of 1998, my husband suffered a profound stroke. Miraculously, he survived. By the time he returned home and things were beginning to settle down for him, I began to experience some vaginal bleeding. I went back to the doctor and begged to be seen by a gynecologist. I had an appointment set for a week later.

I saw the gynecologist on September 30. He examined me carefully and asked if I was experiencing any bowel trouble, or if I had ever been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. I never had, so he remarked that since I was so young, he wouldn’t want to think it was a malignancy. However, just to be sure, he needed to rule out a fistula from the bowel to the vagina. I underwent a gastrografin enema (similar to a barium enema) which proved to be negative. He then booked me for a biopsy.

I arrived at the local hospital via my next-door neighbour, as my husband had still not recovered from the stroke. My gynecologist arrived in the operating room looking a bit somber when he asked how I was doing. When I awoke from the procedure, the nurse told me the doctor would see me in ten days. My neighbour drove me home and I went to bed to sleep off the rest of the anesthetic.

That was October 26. It had been two days since my daughter’s 13th birthday. Two days after that, on October 28, 1998, I took a call from the gynecologist’s secretary asking me to come in to the office that day so the doctor could “discuss the results” with me. I was a little apprehensive, but drove myself over there. I thought that I probably had a little polyp or something. I never imagined that it would be anything serious.

When the doctor came into the room, he looked really solemn. He said, “Well, it’s about as bad as it can get; it’s cancer.” He went on to tell me a little more, but I was so dumbfounded I didn’t hear much. I remember he told me he had already spoken to a gynecologic oncologist in Halifax, and that I had an appointment for the next week. He also warned me to be prepared for major surgery, a radical vaginectomy, and possibly more. I remember asking, “My God, I have a thirteen-year-old daughter and a husband recovering from a massive stroke. What is the prognosis?” He simply shook his head and said he really didn’t know. He explained that vaginal cancer is relatively rare, especially in younger women.

I did have enough presence of mind to ask for a photocopy of the pathology report, and was able to have my physician cousin ‘translate’ for me. The doctor also told me that if my husband wanted to call, he would explain everything to him. I remember getting into my van and driving toward home. My husband called me on my cell phone and asked how the appointment went, and I remember saying, “It’s as bad as it can get.” After that, I have no recollection of driving home.

The next thing I remember was arriving home where my husband was on the phone with my mom in British Columbia. She had called to see how I was feeling after my biopsy. When I broke the news to her, we both started to cry. She said she would be out on the first plane possible. My husband called the doctor who explained everything to him. Bless that gynecologist! He was wonderfully understanding and so kind and compassionate.

I went to see the gynecologic oncologist and was examined by both him as well as a radiation oncologist. When I expressed my fears about having to undergo a radical vaginectomy, they told me that, for now, they would just remove groin lymph nodes to see if the cancer had spread in order to plan my radiation treatments. He then went on to explain that there was no chemo treatment for this type of cancer and that it was usually treated with radiation. I had my surgery to remove my lymph nodes ten days later.

What an ordeal! I developed post-operative infections and required two months of having the area packed with FOUR YARDS of 1/2″ saline-soaked gauze and then filled with a gel, which eventually healed it. I had to have a CT (computed tomography) scan of my abdomen and chest x-rays. The CT scan showed something on my liver. I went back for more tests; this time a liver scan showed that it was a benign hemangioma. I was probably born with it.

In the meantime, I began my radiation treatments. The radiation oncologist was a wonderful young man who was the most compassionate doctor I encountered throughout my entire “journey to Planet Cancer.” He was so polite and kind, and extremely gentle. He always took the time to answer my many questions, never making me feel stupid for asking. I will always be grateful for this doctor being there for me.

After 25 external beam radiation treatments, I was booked for brachytherapy. I was to undergo a surgical implantation of a device to keep a cesium rod in place for three days or so. I underwent that surgery early in February of 1999.

I did suffer some side effects from the treatments. I had burnt skin and all my pubic hair fell out. Radiation left me feeling like a limp rag most of the time. However, I was fortunate to be able to utilize “The Lodge That Gives” in Halifax. The Cancer Society runs this wonderful lodge and it didn’t cost me a cent to stay there. It was located right across the street from the hospital, so every day, I would get up, get dressed, slowly walk across the street, have my treatment, and slowly walk back. A two-minute walk took me 15- 20 minutes each day. I also suffered horrible lymphedema from the removal of the lymph nodes (which were all negative, thankfully). I wore compression hose diligently for about a year, but now I can wear regular support hose and the swelling seems to be well controlled. Sometimes I get pitting edema, but if I’m careful, wear the compression hose, put my feet up if there is swelling, and walk, walk, walk every day, it doesn’t get too bad.

I returned to work five months to the day of my diagnosis. It took me a long time to recover my strength and energy. In fact, to this day, I still suffer fatigue. The radiation left me with some permanent reminders. Most of my pubic hair regrew, but I suffer terrible vaginal stenosis and dryness. There is a dark stain on my thighs where I was burned during the internal treatments. I also developed radiation proctitis that causes rectal bleeding from time to time. My legs continue to swell as I mentioned, but all in all, I’m so grateful to be alive that I feel very blessed. I know that many women are not as lucky as I was.

I hope that my story will help other woman who may be facing the same ordeal. I remember staying up late into the night when I was first diagnosed. I looked everywhere on the Internet for information. Some of the best cancer information I found was on the OncoLink web site. However, there’s not a whole lot out there about vaginal cancer. I hope that HowIWasCured.com will inspire other women to come forward and tell their stories.

Soon, it will be three years since I finished the treatments. I still have to return to the cancer clinic every six months for follow up checkups. So far, everything is great. I feel good, am working full time, and my husband is more or less stable now. Life goes on, we are busy, but so happy to have each other.

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1. Living With Limited Small Cell Lung Cancer
2. Early Detection is the Key
3. Growing Up With Cancer

by Lynsey

Morning sickness is something that a lot of pregnant woman go through. Why it is called “morning sickness”, I do not know, As “morning” sickness can happen at anytime of the day or night. I am going to tell you about my experiences of morning sickness in hope that if anyone reading this is dealing with the same problems I can help to show them that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I had to go through a lot of PAIN and SUFFERING to write this review so I hope it helps someone.

When I was pregnant with my first son, the sickness started the day I found out. I am not sure if it is a psychological thing or not but as soon as that stick turned blue I felt sick. Or maybe that was just the horror of finding out I was pregnant. That night I felt terribly sick and so it started for 4 whole long months. I tried everything that was in the books, ginger, Peppermint and so on. But nothing. The sickness was constant throughout the day the only time I got relief was when I was asleep.

The same happened when I was pregnant with my second son. The sickness started the day after I found out. And continued until I was 19 weeks pregnant. I knew what to expect this time and managed a lot better with it. But just when I was beginning to think pregnancy was a doddle, I got pregnant again with my daughter. They say that girls are supposed to be worse for pregnancy sickness but I was never prepared for what the next 9 months were to be like.

I first found out I was pregnant when I was 3 weeks. I prepared myself for the sickness; I was expecting it to start straight away. I got all the usual things in like the ginger biscuits and the peppermint and I dug out the travel sickness bands. I waited for the sickness, Two weeks passed with nothing, With my other two pregnancies I managed to quit smoking straight away and remained quit throughout them, the taste never appealed to me when I was pregnant and It made me sick, but this time I couldn’t quit. I was now 7 weeks pregnant and just as I was thinking that I would get away with it this time it started.

The sickness was so bad I was waking up in the morning and the first thing I would do was be sick. I couldn’t eat anything and I was losing weight dramatically. I was constantly feeling sick all day and when I did eat I would automatically throw it back up. Life was becoming a living nightmare and I couldn’t cope with my lads. I was so weak I never wanted to move of the settee I was becoming a couch potato. My husband eventually had to leave his job to look after me so the stress of not having any money didn’t help me. The social weren’t much help they kept telling me I couldn’t claim income support because I wasn’t a single parent. In the end the only thing that I could claim was invalidity allowance. I had to keep getting sick notes from the doctor to do this.

At 13 weeks they admitted me to the hospital for re-hydration I was so weak and frail and I hated being in hospital. They did loads of tests to check the baby to see if she was ok, as I had not been getting enough fluid. The baby was fine they told me, which was a huge relief. But that didn’t make me feel any better. I was in hospital for 5 days and I missed my lads so much. I would cry myself to sleep at night, but being in hospital made the sickness bearable. They told me it was because the drip that I was on was giving me the fluids I needed to keep my hydrated, and that was why the sickness was easing.

When they discharged me it was such a relief to be able to go home to my own bed. It was hell in hospital seeing all the other parents with there babies knowing that I wasn’t going to be having mine for another 26 weeks. After two days of being at home the hell started again. The sickness continued and I started to feel weak again I had lost 2 stones in weight by this time and at 15 weeks pregnant I looked anorexic. I was becoming a recluse. I never wanted to go out for fear of being sick everywhere. I never wanted to pick my son up from school or go to the shops. My poor husband must have been fed up with having to do everything.

I was going to bed at 7pm every night because I couldn’t wait till bedtime. It was the only time when I got some relief. I dreaded waking up the next morning and every night I would pray that the sickness would go away. Every day I would lie on the settee watching the Salon on E4 and become addicted to it. Daytime tele was really bad then. (It still is) Then at 25 weeks they decided to try me on sickness injections. I would have to have a nurse round 4 times a day to inject needles into my backside. My bum looked like a dartboard by the time I gave birth. The nurse would come at 8am, 12 noon, 6pm and 12 midnight, this meant I had to drag myself out of bed to have the needle.

The injections never really helped and at 29 weeks they re – admitted me to the hospital. They gave me my own room this time, which was so much better. It was so embarrassing to be throwing up in front of other people. Again as before the drip helped and I stopped feeling sick for a few days, that is until I got home again. The nightmare started again. I tried so much to stop it and I was getting so depressed. I have suffered from depression a lot in my life and I was worried about my mental state. I started to look pregnant but not as pregnant as I was. Then at 34 weeks one morning I woke up and prepared for the sickness, it never came. I was so relieved I cannot put into words how happy I was. I could finally get some of my life back. I had been scared to go outside at one point and was worried that I might have a serious problem. But as soon as the sickness stopped I was out.

I made it to 38 weeks and my daughter was born. I was so overjoyed I had a sickie labour but I don’t remember too much of it. They always say that you forget the pain of labour and its true but you never forget the pain of pregnancy. My daughter is the light of my life and she was so worth all the pain and suffering that I went through to get her. I had always wanted a daughter and I finally had one. But when she is old enough to understand I will tell her all the problems she caused her poor mummy.

The doctors told me that I had suffered from Hypremisis gravidarum. It is a complication of pregnancy affecting less than 1 percent of pregnant women. In cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, the expectant mother is afflicted with extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting (20 to 30 times a day), will lose between 10 to 20 percent of her body weight.

There are a lot of myths about morning sickness and how to avoid them but I am going to tell you some of the things that I found do help to a certain extent.

· Eat frequent small snacks rather than large meals
· Eat dry foods like bread and crackers, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Avoid foods that are fatty or spicy
· Drink plenty of water or herb tea or fruit juice. Rest as much as you can
· Avoid cooking smells, tobacco smoke if they make you sick
· Some women swear by ginger. Try ginger biscuits, crystallised ginger, ginger ale, ginger tea, or get some ginger in capsule form from a health food shop
· Some women find wearing the wristbands that are designed for travel sickness can ease the nausea
· Research has shown that acupressure and acupuncture can help relieve nausea

There is no cure for pregnancy sickness but a lot of these can help with easing it. I hope I have helped someone in my situation. Don’t worry it will stop soon, and remember at the end of it all there is light. That light is your new baby and no amount of pain and suffering could ever take away the feeling of love that you get from that.

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I suffered from Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) for many, many years. I hope that doctors and other health care professionals begin to realize that this condition is very serious. If untreated, it can rob a woman of the best years of her life. This is my story:

I am 53 years old. I started my periods a week before my 13th birthday. How well I remember that God-awful day. My periods started to taper off about 2 years ago and as of now I haven’t had a period for almost a year and now I am finally free.

I suffered with PMDD for 38 years. I hope that my story keeps some young woman from suffering the way I did. I hope that it will wake up at least one doctor who will come to take PMDD seriously. Young woman shouldn’t be joked about and shouldn’t have to suffer today. The information is out there. Doctors, parents and loved ones need to listen and doctors, especially, need to start taking this seriously.

PMDD destroyed my life. In my time there was no diagnosis called “PMDD” and PMS and cramps was all in a young girl’s head! Even now it is hard to find doctors who will take a woman seriously about this–that has to change.

Every month for 38 years of my life it was like my whole world ended. I could feel and even see (PMDD can cause visual problems) that dark gray cloud descending on me 2 weeks or so before my period and I began to turn into someone I didn’t recognize (and didn’t want to know). It was almost like looking at life with grey shades on. On top of that I couldn’t go to school or hold a job for very long because of the severe cramps I suffered each month. My period did not always just flow. It came down in clumps. I doubled over, I couldn’t eat or sleep I was in so much pain. I ended up in emergency rooms. I had four D&C’s. Was put on strong pain medication (darvon, demerol) at a very young age. Nothing helped. I wanted a hysterectomy and probably, now that I look back on things, that would have been the best thing for me but no doctor would do it and, as I remember my parents would not agree to it. That’s too bad, because I believe my life would have been much different had I received the PROPER treatment whatever that treatment might have been even if it meant a hysterectomy.

For 38 years of my life I only felt normal for 1 week out of each month! One week, that’s all I had. During that week I felt physically and mentally somewhat normal. At least I felt human. The sun came out again and that gray cloud came off of my eyes. I felt like I was literally emerging from a coffin–digging myself out of a grave. I remember feeling exhausted and hungry. My menstrual cycle, with the PMDD and agonizing cramps took an awful lot out of me. I would lose an average of 3-4 lbs. during the week of my period. Other times I ate everything in sight. Junk, mostly. I ate whatever the food cravings told me to eat. Most of the time I was either in agony physically or spiraling out of control mentally and emotionally! I was someone I didn’t want to know. I was either depressed or angry most of the time. I was angry because I had to deal with this every month and I felt that if I had to deal with this I might as well die. I had severe mood changes. I was tired all the time, I had severe muscle aches, I was impulsive, irrational, at times violent, promiscuous, irritable, angry, bloated, depressed, in pain, sick and just plain miserable! I could not think straight nor could I focus or function. My memory was also very foggy at this time. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride every single month and I just wanted to get off! I never knew how I was going to feel from day to day. I had, during my menstrual cycle, what I used to call, “a bad case of the **** its” (I used to laugh and try to turn it into a joke, but it was far from funny!). I didn’t give a D*** about anything, and THAT feeling made me feel even worse. I felt like I was just a worthless waste of space. I couldn’t understand why I didn’t give a D*** about anything. I didn’t understand why I did some of things that I did because I was not raised that way. I never had any hope, any dreams, any goals. I never gave thought to the future or what I wanted to be or do in life because most of the time I wanted to die. I didn’t dare look to the future because every month I descended into what I can only describe as the depths of hell. I knew from a young age that what was happening to me had something to do with my menstrual cycle but I don’t think doctors listened so good-neither did anyone else. Not only that, it did take me some time to equate the personality changes, mood changes and behavior to my menstrual cycle—I really wasn’t sure. Many times, I just figured I was just a weak, worthless piece of sh*t who couldn’t “suck it up”. I couldn’t plan anything. Plans made constantly had to be cancelled once my cycle started. I had to plan my whole life, around one week out of every month. I just stopped trying. I’ve had a lot of jobs but I’ve been fired from a lot of jobs also. I had to have very understanding supervisors because for 1-3 days out of the month I would not be in! Because I was a very good worker, I got cut a lot of slack in some cases, but not always.

I spent my 13th birthday in a mental ward diagnosed with schizophrenia (any mental illness back then was “schizophrenia”). I ran away from home as a teenager more than once. I had a lot of problems it seemed as though I was incapable of any rational thought. I started drinking and smoking pot off and on when I was 14 years old. However, I did not develop a problem with drugs until I was in my 20’s. That’s when I discovered cocaine. As I got older crack came next along with other drugs. I’ve been in several rehabs but to no avail. Drugs made me feel better–they took the emotional confusion and discomfort and the pain away–at least for a while and a little while was fine with me, I would take what I could get. However, in the long run, as I look back on it, drugs made things worse, much worse. Drugs did make me feel better at the time I took them but when they wore off I felt ten times worse. So I would just do more drugs. And on, and on, and on round and round. Throughout my life I also committed several crimes. I believe that crime gave me a sense of power and control that I didn’t have in any other area of my life. It’s just by the grace of God that I didn’t end up dead or in prison for some of the things I’ve done. But frankly, I didn’t much care if I lived or died. I never knew what I was going to do next. All those years, all those years I felt so bad, so bad for so long. I felt so useless, like I was just a bad person. I hated myself, I hated life, I hated my parents for having me and I felt like crap all the time. Then came the birth of my son. Pregnancy gave me much relief from PMDD but motherhood scared me. It literally petrified me. I remember the first time I saw him when he was born. He was about 1 month premature but he was beautiful and healthy as a horse. I remember going to see him in his incubator every day all day. However, it was not how it was in the movies—automatic love. What I felt for my son when I saw him can only be described as AWE. I was awestruck by him! I counted his little fingers and toes. I remember looking at him and saying “God help you, you have a space cadet for a mom”. I felt that giving birth to my son was the only right thing I’d ever done in my life and I was drawn to him. However, in the same token I also wondered how someone so beautiful and perfect could ever come from me. I thought that God had made a mistake in giving such a beautiful little life to me. Consequently, I felt he would be better off without me. I just thought I was no good, bad, a failure, irresponsible, weak and crazy. When my menstrual cycle came around each month and I would feel so bad I thought to myself no one goes through this, why me? I began to think that I was being punished for something and that I deserved that punishment. I thought I was weak for not being able to handle this. I must be crazy, right? It’s all in my head, right? I give into everything, right? I felt like crap and my self-esteem was non-existent. Needless to say, I was not a good mother at all. My mood changes, irritability, low-self esteem, confusion, fear, on top of my severe monthly menstrual pain and my alcohol and drug use caused me to be very unpredictable, even evil and even treat my son badly at times and because of that I was not there for my him and missed out on his whole life. I can’t get that back. I don’t spend a whole lot of time wallowing in regrets. But I do so regret not being able to be a mom. That’s the most important job a woman can have.

I had gotten into a lot of drug and legal trouble in New York so after my marriage failed in 1994 I moved to Tucson. For several months after I got to Tucson I stopped using drugs and found temporary work. However, I still was dealing with this roller coaster ride I went though each month and the severe cramps so I could not always make it to work. Drugs entered my life again. I made somewhat half hearted attempts at suicide more than once while in Tucson. In 2005, I nearly succeeded. A neighbor found me passed out on my living room floor with my front door wide open after taking a bunch of pills. He made sure I was breathing and put me in my bed then left and locked my door (addicts tend not to call ambulances). I woke up the next evening wondering why I was still alive. I was hospitalized more than once in Tucson and put on several medications which did not help me at all.

At the end of 1994, my first love, who I somehow managed to find after 23 years came out to live with me. At the time, he was getting out of prison in New York and told him that maybe he should come out and live with me. Before he came out I quit drugs again and remained relatively clean for two years. At the time I was working. I had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and put on psych meds. However, I had read that the medication I had been on would rot my liver after a long period of time so I quit taking the meds. The PMDD symptoms returned and the cramps never left. Even so, I found a really good job in 1995–a job that I really enjoyed but bosses are not always to keen on a person who has to be absent 2-3 days a month or who double over in pain each month and have to leave or taken to the hospital! After four years I was forced to resign. I felt like sh*t–another failure. I started using again. On top of that the monthly roller coaster ride continued. After that, my boyfriend and I started dealing drugs and living a pretty wild life. However, the more my boyfriend used drugs the more paranoid, abusive and controlling he got. We fought–physically–a lot!

In 2000, I applied for disability and got it in 2001 based on my bi-polar disorder diagnosis and a diagnosis of anxiety and panic disorder. I was still not diagnosed with PMDD until a couple of years after that. Finally, I managed to see a gyn doctor who told me that it sounded like I had PMDD and dietary changes were recommended to me along with certain vitamins I should take. This did little good probably because by that time my life was pretty much out of control. I was told by this gyn doctor that the bi-polar disorder and the PMDD probably exascerbated each other. I was also put on other psych meds by a psychiatrist that reeked havoc on the body and suffered some bad side effects and they did nothing for the PMDD. My life was a mess and my physical and mental state and emotional state was very bad so it was difficult to adhere to any medical advice. Finally, in 2002 I could not take the lifestyle I was living and the abuse. I moved out from my boyfriend and got my own place. However, I continued to see and visit him. In March, 2003 he died. I fell apart. For three more years my life continued to spiral out of control and I felt worse and worse each month. I was finally court ordered into drug treatment in 2006 and finally got clean (I did have relapses but since I no longer suffer from the debilitating effects of PMDD or bi-polar disorder, drugs have never become a compulsion again). A new doctor put me I on Effexor in 2006 and it worked wonders also I was not using. However, I felt scared. I didn’t know how to start over. I felt like my life was over and that it was just too late to start over. Finally, my periods started to taper off about 2 years ago. 2007 though, was a very bad year because menopause, at least in the beginning, made me feel pretty bad. I suffered from muscle aches so bad to where I could hardly get out of bed. The period started coming every 3 months and each time it was on its way I got those muscle aches. I also went through that old familiar roller coaster ride every three months–only not NEARLY as bad as when I got a period every month. I did go though periods of intensive fear and paranoia where I was afraid to leave my house. I also suffered from depression, loneliness and hopelessness. However, I believe that after all I’d been through this was normal and I was able to work through it. I just could hardly wait until the periods stopped for good!

There is a happy ending! I think I’ve beaten all that! I still have some fears, but at least I feel capable of working through them. I no longer spiral out of control or double over in pain every month. I feel great and can think clearly and rationally. As of now I haven’t had a period in almost a year. I do have night sweats from the menopause and they can keep me up at night. Sometimes I use sleep medication given to me by my mental health professional but basically, I am no longer on any medication. Menopause is a walk on the beach compared to having a monthly period. I feel so good now! No more dark clouds. No more jekyll and hyde. No more roller coaster ride–I got off finally! I’ve also come to the conclusion that I probably was not bi-polar after all. I believe it was all PMDD because I am no longer on any medication and I feel just great! Not only that, the symptoms I had only occurred for three weeks out of the month. I always had one week where I felt normal. Also, once the periods stopped for good I had no more symptoms. Now I go out every day and do volunteer work. I’ve joined a gym and have an eye on going back to college in January. I would eventually like to go back to work. Luckily, I have no other health problems and I am no longer so afraid. I’m finally going to get to do the things I could not do in my younger years. I’m finally free!

I tell my story now, so that any young woman or health care professional reading this could see just how bad PMDD is and how bad it can get! PMDD is a SERIOUS hormonal/chemical/ medical/ emotional/psychological condition that does not go away by itself. Without proper treatment (and that may include hormones, nutritional guidance, stress management, vitamins, lifestyle changes, medication, hysterectomy, whatever) PMDD will go on until menopause and rob a young woman of the best years her life! It also gets worse as you get older. It’s too late for me to get back those 38 years but maybe, by telling my story, I can help some young woman not go through what I went through. Maybe some doctor will see this and begin to take PMDD seriously. If anyone out there is suffering each month like I did and not know why or if any young woman can not understand what is happening to her each month–it just may be PMDD. Find an open minded and understanding doctor, preferably a woman, (I don’t believe in going to male gyn doctors, they have no idea what goes on with a woman’s body and mind during the menstrual cycle and they don’t take women’s health problems seriously) who will listen to you and give you the help you need. There is hope!

Hope I’ve helped. Thanks for listening.

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I suffered with acne badly as a teenager and was put on Retin A and tetracycline, along with many other products. They all seemed to help while on them but as soon as I went off things would return to “normal.” The one thing I could always count on was the acne on my back and chest and neck would always come back with a vengeance. There was nothing I didn’t try.

When I was pregnant 4 years ago, I got a really bad yeast infection on my back. The doctor said it was Tinea vers. He prescribed Ketaconzole (my daughter was 4months old at the time). I really didn’t want to take the ketaconzole so of course I didn’t.(don’t know if that was a smart thing or not)I instead found a website that told me I could put Selsun Blue on the rash for 10 minutes twice a day every day for a week. I did that and lo and behold it got rid of the rash.

Anyhoo the acne on my back and chest had been exceptionally bad for the last 8 years or so. Last week I decided to start doing more research and found the website
NewZealandDermnet. It has pictures of every skin condition under the sun.

Wouldn’t you know there is a condition called Malassezia furfur AKA Pityrosporum furfur.That usually shows up along with acne or coincides with it because they both thrive under the same conditions.And topical and oral antibiotics seem to work a little but actually make it worse because it is a yeast infection!!

I started putting the Selsun Blue on 3 days ago and then using TeeTreeOil after washing and I am happy to say that it is almost all gone!!!So my acne wasn’t acne.Well not all of it anyway.And yet it looked exactly like it.

When I went to the doctor 4 years ago the rash (tinea) was pink to orange splotches mainly on my lower and middle back. I didn’t connect the pimply rash on my upper back, shoulders,chest and neck with the tinea because they presented so differently so I didn’t use the shampoo on the acne.

I know that the doctor can do a skin scraping to check out if your acne is a fungus.They can grow it using olive oil.

Anyway I am just starting a parasite cleanse then going on to use Threelac (I just got the product so am hoping it will work but don’t want to use it until after the critter cleanse and then going on to do the liver flush then a fast. I want to be very CLEAN!!

Anyway I am just hoping that this helps someone else.Many doctors diagnose this fungus as acne vulgaris because it is so similar.

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Thanks for the opportunity to share a part of my life that most women don’t want to talk about. I live away from my family, so I haven’t really had anyone to talk to about it.  I think it is good for women to talk to each other.  Hopefully my story will help someone.
Well, menopause was an awful experience for me.  I had perimenopause for five long years.  Really, my periods had been hard since I was 14 years old.  It just seemed like they got longer and with more bleeding when perimenopause started.

Finally full blown menopause began.  I felt like I was in a tornado.  My emotions were up and down.  I felt like I was going to explode at everyone for anything.  My husband would pick on me, which definitely didn’t help.  My kids thought I was going crazy.  I tried herbs and medicines, but nothing fixed it, some maybe helped a little.  One minute I was up then the next down, one minute hot, then the next cold.  My hair was real dry. I was afraid I would lose it all!  My husband really pulled away from me.  I didn’t know what to do.  I loved him so much, it just seemed like he couldn’t do anything right.  We fought a lot, I cried even more.  After a few years of this, we went for counseling and that helped some.  Finally, I got over most of the symptoms.  I feel like a new person.  My husband says the aliens took me away for 8 years and at last returned me to earth!  Well, now that menopause is over I look forward to a great rest of my life.  I hope my husband doesn’t go through his mid life crisis now!

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