What it Really Means to Have Endometriosis

What It Really Means to Have Endometriosis

Above is a link to a great article written by one doctor who seems to know about endomitriosis.  A man no less. If you don't know me personally, I suffer from this horrible 'disease'. I hate that word. But that's what it is. Up until recently I though I was alone in this battle. I guess not alone, but I didn't know anyone who had this but me.  For years I had pelvic pain and shrugged it off not really knowing what it was. It wasn't until 2010 that I was in the doctors office or ER constantly during the start of my husbands deployment that the military finally started to realize what it was. I was immediately sent to the military OBGYN where he seemed to know exactly what it was. I went in for my first laparoscopic surgery a few weeks later. Sure enough,  Endometriosis is what I had.  Three hours later I came out of surgery. The doctor explained, and showed picture after picture of a horrid amount of tissue build up on my uterus and everything around it including my colon. I even had one that was wrapped around one tube and stretched completely across my body near my rib cage. Gross right? How could I have this? I couldn't understand because I had no idea what it was.

 A year later after tons of pain and  two rounds of clomid I got pregnant with MJ. What a blessing. I had doctors told me this was the cure! Pregnancy often helped subside pain during and after. Not for me. The pain continued. Then it continued after we were blessed with the birth of our son. I spent some time with the OBGYN who delivered MJ trying to figure out a plan to help with pain. I was 23 too young for it to be so bad. To young for drastic measures. We tried a few different birth control pills but that was it. We talked about another surgery but after wondering if it was worth it considering the pain came back within weeks of the first one, I decided against it. Now I have the meirana IUD which has been said to help in time. Although it has only been a few months, I see no difference. I have googled everything there is out there on this disease. I have thought about doing endomitriosis clinical studies and have even asked my doctor for a hysterectomy which at 25 they just aren't ready to to. When we get to Ohio my plan is to find a doctor who knows more about this then the doctors I have seen. I am 25 if this is the pain now I can't imagine it as it gets worse as I get older like they say that it does. 

I know what a sob story right?? I was just looking online at research groups and support groups and came across this article and thought it was truly amazing. How someone who has never had this can describe it perfectly. So those of you who do not know about it do now. Those who have it feel my pain and those who know someone who have it understand a little better. This is a disease. One that is rarely heard of but becoming extremely common. I am hoping now doctors and researchers are finding someway to help with this because it is no a fun thing to live with.