I am new to this site, so a bit of background. My name is Lisa and I am 35. I've been TTC for almost 18 months.
I've had heavy periods since age 11. It got so bad I would have pain 2-3 weeks prior to period then the 2 days before period I would be bedridden. I would often have sharp bowel pains, sometimes with blood as well as bloating, diarrhea, constipation - you name it! Funny, but I just assumed all women had periods like this and didn't fully investigate until last year. How naive! Most of the women in both sides of my family have endo too... I once had a doctor tell me endo isn't hereditary, what a load of you know what!
I had a lap in Dec 08 and was told I had endo connecting my bladder and bowel to my uterus as well as other spots. But thankfully, nothing on my ovaries and tubes. Last week I had a lap to remove the endo and also had about 10cm of bowel removed. Its been a very tough and painful week (5 days in hospital and at least a few more weeks off work to recover).
My doc tells me that I should be able to fall naturally now and wants us to try for another 9 months before going to IVF. He also told me that he has never seen my kind of endo grow back. I find that hard to believe, but can only assume he is right. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
So I'm now slowly recovering (gee its painful!) and waiting to see if it helps with period pain/cycles and most importantly whether we conceive soon!
I've searched the net for weeks trying to find information on endo, results etc and this forum has it all. Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories, really makes me feel I'm not alone.
LW17 - I sympathise. Sounds like you've been through a lot with your endo. I hope your recovery goes well. My gyno told me my endo was just a mm or two away from my bowel, which would've meant a bowel resection like you.
Since my last post I have been getting the same endo pains back, so am not real positive about the endo not coming back. I keep thinking back to my last lap and the recovery (which was long and painful)...
Good luck with ttc.
Hi I feel kinda weird posting, because i never really posted about me personally but to be honest I am very frightened about the surgery and maybe not been able to have children. Im still yet to find out how this endometriosis is affecting my body.
ABOUT ME
Im 19 years old and i have been newly diagnosed with endometriosis. I kinda always knew I had it like some of you... but i first suspected last year during my second year of my nursing degree when we were learning about the female reproductive system. Anyhow when i started studying about endometriosis all of these symptoms i have, like the usual; severe cramp (WORST SYMPTOM!), tiredness, moody, stomach aches, constipation, diarrhoea, and headaches. So then I knew that this is the answer to my problem..
Endometriosis and my life
You know I always thought once my painful period came since i was 14 that the excruciating pain was normal and was part of been a woman. I would go to work with the pain telling myself not to be a sook and put up with it, because i didnt want people to perceive me as a lazy person at work but the reality was I JUST COULDNT HANDLE IT somedays!. Its weird because there were days were it was just so painful and I would be using pad after pad (So annoying, specially during school) but then there were other days where it wouldnt be as bad, those days were wonderful. The point is that this medical condition is not been made aware to the public and women like myself.
This is just a bit of my story, but im so glad i found this thread even though we are all strangers our words and our experiences really unites us in a supportive way.
I can understand your fear of surgery and the possibility of problems having children.
I have had a lot of surgery over the years and was very young when I was told that I wouldn't have children. I had grown up understanding and accepting this. At 23 years of age, I had dose of the flu that lasted 9 months and produced a son. When he was 4yrs I had to have another LAP and then another and another, and so on. They could only do so much and I had a hysterectomy. Now, I face more surgery again. The endo is back.
The surgery is easy, you sleep through it. The recovery is hard for me because I don't feel that I'm in any more pain than any other time and it's difficult not to do the things that I shouldn't after surgery.
I think my hardest lesson was to accept things as they are and make the most of the life that I have. I just seem to get over one hurdle and there is another one. So now, rather than sprolling through life, I take it in leaps and bounds.
My son is nearly 18 years old now, and he and my husband have always been very supportive. Without them my journey would have been considerably harder.
The bottom line is, no matter what anyone says, you will have to find your own way to cope with everthing that you have to endure. The upside is, there are sites like this where you can read about what other people are going through, and you know that you're not alone.
Dee - good luck with your surgery. When is your lap scheduled?
Pr20 - thanks for sharing your story. You've obviously been through a lot but have kept on keeping on. That's an inspiration.
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