I'm not Type 1, I was diagnosed Type 2 after the menopause.
For about 15 years, from my early 40s, I had really heavy, painful periods, irregular with clotting. "They" treated me for endometriosis for about 8 years, including meds (Danazol) which put 4 stone on me, and it took a gay male nurse with an ultrasound scan to tell me I didn't have it (he was lovely!)
I discovered the Mirena coil quite by chance, and had it fitted under local anaesthetic. It stopped my periods completely (a bit of spotting for the first couple of months) and was quite honestly the best thing that ever happened to me - it gave me my life back!
Now I've to go in to hospital for the removal of polyps and a potential fibroid under anaesthetic (Dec 8th - watch this space) and the gynaecologist is intending to fit me with another Mirena, despite me being through the menopause. I'm still obese, despite weight loss, and fat tissue produces oestrogen which causes the endometrium (womb lining) to thicken, even though I'm not producing eggs. The progestogen in the Mirena prevents that thickening.
Because I have diabetes, I shall be at the top of the ops list. Type 1s are at the very top.
At the moment the Mirena is considered reliable for contraception for 5 years, but my new one will be left in permanently, assuming there are no problems (I don't expect any).
So all in all I would recommend it to anyone to control heavy periods. I had no problems whatsoever with it, and if I'd known what I know now I would never have had the first one removed, which I did nine years ago.
I've had two hysteroscopies in the last 18 months, without anaesthetic, and they are bearable but not pleasant. I hope your gynae has explained the procedure to you in detail? if not, ask him/her exactly what will happen, so you know what's going on. Also, make sure they lie you right down - tilt the chair back until you're at least lying flat. I had my head lower than my pelvis for the last one, which made things easier (I am very fat, so there's not a lot of room inside :lol: ). PM me if you want more detail. If you haven't posted enough yet to PM, ask again on here and I'll tell you.
If they are going to do it under a light general anaesthetic, which they do sometimes, you'll know nothing about it. Otherwise, the hysteroscopy is worse than a smear test but as I say, bearable. No pain afterwards, but some bleeding after they've taken samples etc.
Don't worry about it, just go for it. Heavy periods are the pits, and you'll never have another!
Let us know how you go on.
Viv 8)
