Daughter has cycle problem: continual flow

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Barnabas

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I apologize if this is the wrong forum, but most questions of this nature seem to end up here. And I didn’t see a previous thread on this particular issue after looking at about 100 related threads.

My young daughter (almost 13) has suddenly started having a continual flow after 2 years of regularity. It has been 30 days now. I just found out about it yesterday (from her classmate’s mother…yes, I’m a single father).

She does not have cramping and pain during this unusual flow.
The unusual flow is constant, but ranges from light to heavy.

I set up a doctor appointment but my experience is that he is prescription happy with an emphasis on alleviating symptoms. We live in a small town so I don’t have a lot of choice. My concern is that he’ll try to put her on the pill. While I recognize that it is morally licit (in this instance), I am concerned about long-term effects (among other things) and identifying underlying causes.

My question: where can I find out about alternatives?
I just want to be prepared to steer the doctor properly.
 
OK, it is not unusal for a young girl to have cycles that are just plain weird. She might start to be more regular soon. It might be inconvenient for her to have this constant flow but it is not dangerous ( she could become anemic so a CBC might to be helpful to see if ther hemoglobin and hematocrit are ok).

As for the physician, be honest with him. Say that you do not want your daughter on the pill. Even if he wants to put her on the pill ask him to do a few tests and figure out why this is happening. Perhaps she has a clotting factor deficiency, thrombocytopenia, liver or thyroid problems all of which could be linked to irregular menstruation. Before any pill is perscribed he should test for all of these things and make sure there is not a secondary cause for the increased bleeding.

This article is very good and will guide you through what could cause this problem.

emedicine.com/med/topic1449.htm
 
I would recommend calling the Pope Paul VI Institute. Dr. Hilgers developed the Creighton Method. They are very kind and full of good advice.

popepaulvi.com/

The other place to check out would be One More Soul. They have a form to help you find a NFP doctor/facility

omsoul.com/nfp-only.php

I will be praying for your daughter. God bless you!
 
**I was exactly like your daughter. I got put on the pill and ended up staying on it for about 14 years!!! I wish I had known there were alternatives. Good job for being an involved dad and I hope you can find help for your daughter.

malia**
 
reganq said:
I would recommend calling the Pope Paul VI Institute. Dr. Hilgers developed the Creighton Method. They are very kind and full of good advice.

popepaulvi.com/

The other place to check out would be One More Soul. They have a form to help you find a NFP doctor/facility

omsoul.com/nfp-only.php

I will be praying for your daughter. God bless you!
Click to expand...
To add to this excellent post, let me include a link to www.fertilitycare.org. It is an arm of Dr.Hilger’s www.naprotechnology.org website, one specifically geared toward finding a teacher &/or consultant. Check them out! There is a so much eye-opening information on all of these sites, and I’m confident that you and your daughter will be well-educated through them.
 
Wow. Thanks so much everyone. I read the links and feel much better prepared.

I am hoping I have misdiagnosed this doctor but time will tell. At least I know he should be taking a good history and some blood workups first.
 
Doctors who don’t get to the bottom of the issue tend to dicourage alternatives because they take time. Be patient! It can be frustrating especially for your daughter because it can be scary to not know what is wrong. I really incourage you to contact the Pope Paul Institute. They may be able to put you into contact with a doctor near you.
 
i am likewise thinking of a larger issue. i can’t help but be so encouraged by this.

you’re a single dad who is respecting his daughter’s body enough to become informed, follow through with information, ask more questions-- really go into a place where you would naturally feel uncomfortable. but you are doing it because you love her and know what a treasure she is from God.

This will be an excellent reference point for your daughter in the fututre of choosing a husband. at some point, you can remind her of this time. you are teaching her to choose a husband who has as much respect for her as you have shown.

not too many girls have this particular opportunity.
 
God bless you for caring so much! Do let us know how it turns out. —KCT
 
monicatholic said:
i am likewise thinking of a larger issue. i can’t help but be so encouraged by this.

you’re a single dad who is respecting his daughter’s body enough to become informed, follow through with information, ask more questions-- really go into a place where you would naturally feel uncomfortable. but you are doing it because you love her and know what a treasure she is from God.

This will be an excellent reference point for your daughter in the fututre of choosing a husband. at some point, you can remind her of this time. you are teaching her to choose a husband who has as much respect for her as you have shown.

not too many girls have this particular opportunity.
Click to expand...
I totally agree. What an awesome dad you are.
 
Thank you all for your kind words and many resources. Yet another reason why CAF is so wonderful.

When we visited the doctor, a new female doctor had just joined their practice. She sat in with our regular pediatrician during the visit. He took an unusually extensive and precise history. We also had two nurses stay for extended periods (as witnesses, I guess). I’ve never seen someone get so much attention during a routine office visit before.

Anyway, the visit was actually by the book. Then we had to wait a few days for lab results. While we were waiting for lab results, my daughter’s situation cleared up. >> yeah <<

Of course, when I called the doctor to find out about the results, I let him know about my daughter’s improved situation. While he agreed this was good and not unexpected, he then started talking about treatment options should the problem re-occur. “Hormone therapy” was his big gun for “managing her problem.” I politely declined and said we wait to see how my daughter’s cycle behaved.

Thank you again for all your prayers. You are in our prayers.
 
I would incourage you to continue to educate yourself. She may have stopped bleeding, but the problem may not be resolved yet. If I were you I would continue to look for a doctor affiliated with the Pope Paul VI institute. They will treat her within the guidelines of the Catholic faith and make sure her fertility is kept for the future should she be called to have children. It would be helpful if she learned how to chart her cycle so that the doctors could see just how her hormones are working so that they could better determine treatment with a Catholic perspective. You would have to look into the charting method. Charting methods also instruct women when they are fertile and when a child can concieve and she may not be ready for all that information right now. I will pray for you. This had got to be hard as a father. What an amazing Dad you are! My Dad was on his own when I had mine and if this would have happened, I don’t think he would have handled it well. Poor Guy had to go buy the personal products all by himself. I hid on the floor of the car while he did it. I was sooooo imbarassed I didn’t want anyone to know what was going on.
 
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