Went through hell for 8 years because of endometriosis

by Katie Horton
(Estacada, OR USA)

Because of endometriosis the last eight years have been hell.

Well for a start the pain all started in 2004. They kept telling me infections, blah blah blah and just sent me home with pain killers and to deal with the crap.

It wasn't until 2008 I found a good doctor who gave me the option of having surgery to diagnose endometriosis, which i agreed. Within a month I had the surgery.

Upon waking after 4 hours of surgery and I was told it would only be an hour, but if they found something it will be longer. SO after I was fully awake from surgery my doctor said I had a lot of endometriosis and she was only able to get 40% of it out!, and I had a functional cyst on my left ovary.

I was in relief to find out what was causing my problems the last few years. 2005 I got pregnant, the first time it was unplanned so I had an abortion which I regret to this day, but soon after that my periods got heavier every month and didn't think anything of it.

Then after being on another round of bc pills for over a year I got off of them because I had pain. Then I got pregnant again in 2007. I was diagnosed with being Bipolar earlier in 2007 and was on meds and was sort of forced into aborting this pregnancy.

I fought it for a long time, went to the ER a few days after finding out I was pregnant due to severe pain and feared ectopic pregnancy. That was not the case. I had two blueberry sized cysts on right ovary and until my 2008 surgery I thought it was just cysts.

Now its been four years after the operation, no bc pills due to severe mood swings from Bipolar. I just dealt with it until the periods gotten worse. It was late 2010 when my periods only came every other month and be super heavy, which I was ok with because I didn't have it every month.

This went on for almost a year until august 2011 when I had a blood clot in my lung and had to be put on Warfarin. The blood thinners made the bleeding worse. I was still having my period every other month, but when my periods came it was like a gush of hot lava coming out!

I mean clots after clots the size of quarters and would soak through the overnight pads every few hours and even tampons. I went to the ER for that thinking I was dying and found out its the warfarin making my periods heavy, so I was relieved until this past few months.

I have a period lasting 3 weeks at a time and it gets heavier each week and then stop for two weeks then I'm bleeding again. Fearing of something wrong we had a biopsy done in July it was ok.

My mom had the same issues going on too during this time and that's when they discovered her bleeding was not just from endometriosis, but she had uterine cancer and ovarian.

Now you think the doctors would be more on the ball to check things on me to make sure I don't have this right? Nope! they want me to get the Mirena IUD which is approved by my haematologist.

Due to past clots I have to be on warfarin for life now due to a disorder called Factor 5 Leiden. Im frustrated that they are not taking charge to make sure I don't have cancer and just want to insert a IUD.

I had a bad experiences prior to endometriosis diagnosis, the first one I had was the Paragard, when my first period came on that thing I bled two weeks non stop and was in labor pain from hell. I had it removed, then in 2008 I had the Mirena fitted, it was ok until I had more cysts and decided to remove it.

SO now I hear Mirena is being recalled for problems is this true? And what good would the IUD do for someone who has endometriosis real bad?

Would it really control the super heavy bleeding and pain I experience? Please help, I have had some loss in my family the past few months and this just doesn't help.

I have had some bad flare ups with my mental illness and have thoughts of killing myself, but after almost dying two years ago from an attempt to kill myself I'm afraid of that.

I try to avoid doctors as I think they are all quacks and just want you to take their poison. I would appreciate some comforting advice please? I'm awake and have been the past few hours having gone to sleep at 8pm and got up around midnight due to pain. I would appreciate some advice and help.
Thank you