Endometriosis and the changes in my life

by Dianne
(USA)

I was diagnosed with endometriosis just as I was leaving college and hoping to embark on a career. It hit me very suddenly and not like some women whose symptoms seems to gradually get worse.

My diagnosis of endometriosis was with a laparoscopy which was performed not long after starting my first job, which was a job I loved. I started having to take time out of work due to my severe pain and I began to feel washed out and weak for much of the time.

It was not long before things got 'difficult' at work because of the time I was taking off sick. My colleagues were making remarks behind my back and I felt marginalized. Eventually I had to leave my job, partly because of my symptoms and partly because how I was made to feel by others.

My social life suffered too, as friends stopped calling round or inviting me to social events. My symptoms left me feeling too sick to get involved socially. I felt very isolated, rejected, lonely and began to get very depressed.

Most of my family were supportive but could not really understand the full extent of what I was dealing with.

I tried to get relief from the pain using the hormone meds, but I started to feel far worse than I did without them, so I stopped taking them.

For the past 9 months I have been using natural therapies, supplements, and changed or improved my diet. I have been feeling gradually better so I will continue on this route.

This disease has affected so many parts of my life. My finances have suffered (thankfully I have a supportive family), my social life, my confidence has taken a knock, and forming an intimate relationship is something I have had to put on hold for the time being, I want to focus on improving my health before I am prepared to get involved in a relationship.