I finally have an answer to my pain symptoms and don't need to feel crazy any more.

by Jess
(Australia)

Suffering extremely painful periods, with a long time to get diagnosed with endometriosis ....

Ever since I got my first period at age 13 I have suffered excruciating pain. I would always know when my period was due because for a week leading up to it I would suffer strong pelvic pain and have bowel pain and discomfort.

I would get extremely bloated and then when I would get my period I would spend the first couple of days vomiting and curled up in a ball crying and screaming in pain. My period would always last for at least 7 days and was extremely heavy.

I thought that I must have had a really low pain threshold as none of my friends seemed to experience this kind of pain. My parents saw how traumatic this was for me and sent me to the doctors many times. The doctors always put me on "the pill"; there were many different kinds that they tried and none of them ever seemed to work. In fact some of them made my period last for up to a month or caused me to experience other problems and pains.

I would stock up on pain killers before every period and nicknamed these my period cocktail. I would take nurofen, panadol extra and naprogesic, yet my pain was still strong and often debilitating. This caused me to miss many days of school and to not want to partake in sports as I was unreliable.

As I got older the pain just got worse. Doctors had told me that it would probably get better with age, and I even had one doctor tell me that maybe I should think of having children as that would make it better.

At the age of 21 everything all just got too much for me and I fought a long battle of depression. I really felt like the pain must have all been in my head. I got through that time of my life and decided that I needed to focus on my health. I started running and doing yoga and Pilates, and I changed my diet to just vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans and spices. The pain did decrease a little bit but I still suffered at times.

My work was always impacted by my periods and I have been so fortunate to always have the most amazing and understanding bosses, because if I didn't I could have lost my job due to the problems they caused. One day I was late to work due to intense period pain and vomiting. When I finally got to work I went to start but had to rush to the bathroom. It was awful, my bowels were in pain and I had diarrhea, while at the same time I was vomiting. I walked out into the the staff room and collapsed in pain to the point of almost being unconscious. I was shaking and screaming and nobody could do anything to ease the pain, so they called an ambulance and I was rushed to hospital. This was embarrassing for me, even though everyone was very supportive. However, unfortunately the hospital couldn't tell me what was wrong.


I was finally sent to see a gynecologist and they did some tests and told me they would check for endometriosis. The gyno told me after testing for everything that they didn't think I had endometriosis and I must just have heavy periods.

Again I was given another pill that never worked. I gave up on finding answers because if the gyno couldn't find anything it must have really been all in my head.

I then moved countries and started a new job, however I continued to experience extreme pain during my period. My new friends and workmates constantly told me that I really needed to see someone about the pain I suffered. I didn't really want to have to waste my time and money to go and see another doctor, to hear the same answers I had always heard but I didn't want to let my new job down, so thought that I should at least do it for them.

My new doctor was amazing, she sent me for tests for everything and sent me to the best gyno she knew. My gyno was also amazing and booked me in for a laproscopy and also inserted an IUD.

Finally I received an answer... I have endometriosis and have had ever since I was a teenager. I am now 30 years old and have only just found out that I am not crazy, I do suffer immense pain and I'm not the only one.

The pains I suffer don't only last during my period, I also get pain and discomfort when I ovulate and after my period as well as the week leading up to my period. Sometimes I get what I call a pre-period, which is when I get my period for a couple of days then it goes away and a couple of days later I get the real thing, which usually lasts around 8 days and is extremely heavy the whole time. I fight my way through my periods, I try so hard not to let it rule my life. I try to ignore the pains and carry on but sometimes I just can't and the pains win the battle.

But now I have an answer; now I know why I have pain, so now I can try and control my pain by diet and by communicating everything to my new fantastic doctor and gynecologist. I can't get rid of endometriosis but I can at least explain why I live the life I live.