Endometriosis story


  These stories can help other women so they do not feel so alone when trying to cope with effects of this disease.





Diagnosed with endometriosis this year

by Erika Tapper
(West Hartford, Connecticut, USA)

For as long as I can remember I always had pain during my period. It started getting worse around the time I turned 18. But in September 2011 (2 months before my wedding) I started feeling pain on an almost daily basis on my ride side, right where my ovary seemed to be.

I said that when me and my husband returned from the honeymoon I was going to see the doctor about it.

On the honeymoon I wasn't having any real issues so I decided to let it go. 1 month after my wedding was my 21st birthday, it was around that time that the pain got worse and being intimate with my husband became nearly impossible.

I called the doctor, told them what was wrong and went in that same day. He told me he didn't feel a cyst and mentioned that endometriosis could be a possibility with my symptoms, but he wanted to get an ultrasound before talking about anything else.

I went back for the ultra sound a week before Christmas, and it didn't show anything, we talked about the laparoscopy, and decided after the holiday would be best. Over that time the pain got so bad I had a hard time getting out of bed, I felt so alone.

On January 11, 2012 I got my laparoscopy, my doctor did find a small amount of endometriosis on a ligament near my uterus. In April 2012 I had a very bad cramp during my period, it lasted about 2 minutes and was the worst pain I have ever felt in that area.

I called the doctor, he said it was most likely a cyst that ruptured. 3 months after my surgery and I was already having pain again. He put me on seasonique to try to cut down on cysts and my pain.

In June 2012 I was having more pain, and the advice nurse at the office didn't listen to me and blew me off completely about my pain. I called again 3 weeks later when the pain got so bad I couldn't go to school or be intimate with my husband again. I made them realize how urgent it was.

This time when I went in I was told I probably have chronic pelvic pain along with my endometriosis and more cysts. I have to go back in for another ultra-sound and we had the talk I was fearing since I learned of endometriosis, to go on "long term medication" (lupron, depo provera), stay on birth control and continue to have the pain, or get pregnant.

My whole life I have been concerned for my chances of getting pregnant, my mom had a lot of issues trying to have me, and I have always feared I would have to go through the same thing.

I feel very lucky I was diagnosed so early on.

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Your length of time for diagnosis of endometriosis.




You might like these




As featured in: