Thank you for your responses. My periods just started doing this about at the beginning of the year. I thought is was due to the cyst. Then when the cyst resolved we didn't know what was wrong with me until surgery. It was scar adhesions. But when I started this month the same thing happened. I guess there are some things we'll never know for sure.

I had very heavy bleeding, and lots of pain during my periods.  Sometimes it was a steady ache, other times it felt like there was a hot coal burning in my uterus (I also had fibroids, I think that might have been when the fibroids were bleeding).  My whole lower abdomen hurt during the first 2-3 days of my period.  Sometimes I passed clots.  Some periods were horrendous, and others were not as bad, I never could figure out why.

I was diagnosed based on an MRI, prior to that they thought my problem was from fibroids and an "enlarged" uterus. I have read that with adeno the gyn might describe your uterus as feeling soft and boggy when they do your exam.  

The pathology on my uterus after surgery was adeno & fibroids.

I was very conflicted about having the hysto, felt guilty for my husband and mom having to rearrange their lives to help me out for surgery that wasn't due to a life-threatening condition.  I was also paranoid that something would happen during the surgery and I would die.  But the last period I had before the surgery, I was sitting in a training class at work and the only thought in my head was, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..." I had no idea what the teacher was saying and all I cared about was that they give us a bathroom break before I bled thru the maxi pad and all over my seat.  So it was definitely time for the surgery.  Removing my uterus was the BEST thing I ever did.  My recovery was faster than I expected, 90% of my PMS symptoms vanished, and I have much more energy now that I'm not anemic.  I feel like I got my life back!

No, unfortunately I did not get more information.  I go back in about 4 weeks before I am released for work and will ask more questions then.  I am going to submit to the hospital to get a copy of my pathology report.

thanks, that explains a lot and describes my former situation perfectly!The bleeding was outof control (90 days at time sometimes, and not just "bleeding", maxi-pads-soaked-in-an-hour-type bleeding!)

I saw an article on adenomyosis within the past week that said that birth control pills are not helpful for this condition. No kidding, that explains why I tried about 6 different kinds and it was useless. One time I had my period and it was the 5th day, clots coming out of me, I was practically on the floor with the pain. Called the gyn, thought I was having a miscarriage, and his advice? Change the pill, go to the pharmacist and pick up the new stuff.

Sigh.....20/20 hindsight, don'tcha just love it?

Oh yes, I had a partial hysterectomy too.

~Suzanne

oh ps...i too had two c-sections and also an abdominal surgery when i was 19-20 for a grapefruit sized ovarian cyst. Maybe all that caused it?

If you don't mind my asking. What were your symptoms for adeno? I've had endo and 2-c-sections myself, and when I get the monthly visitor I feel like my uterus is full. It's not a heavey flow, but I do get blood clots alot.

hi pphelps, you didn't ask me but...my symptoms were the horrible bleeding, abdominal achiness, pelvic pain, back pain to the point where I could not sit up from a lying down position, knee and leg pain, I knew I had fibroids before my surgery, didn't know about the adenomyosis until after. Don't know which symptoms belong to which problem, other than the very very bad bleeding which was not under control with bc pills.

P.S. I never had c-sections.....regular deliveries of my twins and my son.

~Suzanne

I had a hysto for adenomyosis 4 years ago.  I was told that adenomyosis means that the endometrial tissue is still inside the uterus (as opposed to endometriosis, where it's outside the uterus), but that instead of just lining the inner walls of the uterus the endometrial tissue has actually worked its way INTO the muscle wall of the uterus itself.  So when you get your period, the muscles of the uterus are too swollen and are actually hemmoraging, they can't clamp down on the blood vessels and cut off the bleeding like they normally do.  I read a book called something like "Keep Your Uterus/Alternatives to Hysterectomy," it said if you have adeno the only effective treatments are hormonal (BC pills) or a hysterectomy.

I also saw an article on the web about adeno, it said they think some women get it during c-sections, when the endometrial tissue may get sutured into the incision in the uterus.  Makes sense for me, I had 2 c-sections.

Anyway, I agree with you -- having my uterus removed was the best thing I could have done, and the only real cure for adeno, which was very painful!

hi greenthumbs, did you get any more info on the adenomyosis? I too think of things to ask "after the fact". I had a TAH and BSO two weeks ago and along with fibroids and a tumor (benign yay!) I was told I had adenomyosis.

Just curious, thanks.