Menstrual cycle returns??

I haven't had a cycle since I was diagnosed with a pituitary brain tumor in 2003 (craniopharyngioma).  My pituitary gland was completely destroyed during the brain tumor surgery and I have no functioning hormones.  This of course caused a bunch of problems for me not to mention the damage to the hypothalamus and my weight skyrocketed. The only cure for this type of hypothalamic obesity is WLS. So I finally had it on 3/18/11.  Now this week, I have been having spotting and it appears to be getting heavier today. Although it is quite dark (not red). What is this? I was told I was in menopause due to my no longer having pituitary function and no estrogen....I am very confused how this could happen to me! I enjoyed not having a period!! Yuck!

My first period after surgery was crazy also. It was like you described really dark almost like mud and it would come and go for about a week.  I would bleed really lite for a day and then nothing for a few days and then it would come back.  I wondered if it was a real period or just leftover gunk from the surgery.   Anyway, hopefully what your getting is just leftovers from surgery because I feel you on not wanting to go through having a period again. 

I could be wrong but i was told a rapid weight loss can cause fluctuations in estrogen...... maybe that is why you would be getting a period. I have had irregular periods for the last 2 years, we were TTC so i knew that i hadnt ovulated.... not once in 2 years. I am 3 weeks post op and just ovulated for the first time..... looks like weight loss is the culprit!!! I am so super stoked by this.......... Now to wait a year before we can TTC again!!

 kriskj, I was reading the thread and got caught up in your signature. Sorry to hijack OP, but kriskj, did it really take 4 years from your referral date to your first appointment?

Well kind of, lol!! I put in referral may 2006 first appt march 2007, i went but i was a smoker and 20 weeks pregnant. I thought that if i went and seen him i would have my foot in the door for after baby was born. I was sent out the door 20 mins later without seeing the surgeon cuz i was a smoker. No foot in the door. I put in my 2nd refferal in may 2008, i had my gallbladder removed in june 2008 by a surgeon in the same office, and when i had that surgery my refferal somehow got lost. I never heard anything and decided that we would try to have baby #2..... we tried and tried with no luck and was pretty much told that at this weight no fertility specialist wasgoing to help us. So i asked my Dr to look into WLS surgery again since i had still not heard anything. So he called the bariatric office to ask if there are other clinics to go to and they gave him the info. Then a week later i got a call saying that when my doc called the bariatric clinic it stirred things up and that they realize now that i never recieved an appt. so i was booked in a week later Nov 2010.


So yes it was that long but a combination of my error and theirs..... So glad its all behind me now and that i have this new journey to partake in!

 Ahh, ok. That makes much more sense. I know our waiting lists here in Canada can be pretty long, but I thought that 4 years was just a little ridiculous! lol

Congrats on your progress so far :)

Thanks!! I do agree that they are long but def getting shorter. In 2006 my first appt was 14 months later, now here in Red Deer they are referred in feb and seeing surgeon by may:) Way quicker!!

 I don't know if this is true, because I've never read anything that supports it- but it would explain you're situation! My trainer told me that estrogen can be store in our fat cells, and as we burn fat, our estrogen levels can rise.... perhaps that's what is going on with you?

For whatever it's worth? I have PCOS, and rarely have periods, plus I'm using the Mirena IUD which stopped my periods altogether.  I had my RNY on 3/10 and 3 weeks later ended up with a period. I know my situation is obviously different- but clearly the surgery does something weird to our girly parts! 

I had an ablation in sept 07 and had rny in nov 09, in between those dates I had 2 very very light periods....after surgery holy mother of god, the flood gates opened up and ive had horrible periods every month since then :(