Endometriosis has turned my life from bad to worse

by Brenna Pelegrina
(Niceville Florida)

I think I've had endometriosis since I was 12 years old. It started with constant heavy bleeding and pain symptoms.

For years I didn't find it to be a big issue because it didn't take over my life yet. Most pregnancies were caused from rapes. By the age of 20 I have had my seventh miscarriage.

The last one I had, my stomach looked like I was nine months pregnant for over 4 months and gained over 70 pounds.

By the age of 23, I started to have issues again with the bad periods and pain symptoms. A few more years go by and my symptoms were getting worse. The pain got so bad, I pretty much lived at the hospital.

I was put on birth control pills as treatment, they didn't work. I was put on the depo shot, helped a little but not enough for me to stop taking pain killers on a daily basis.

With not having medical insurance and living in New York, it was easy to get some help but not enough. I moved to Florida and having no health insurance really sucks.

I get no help what so ever. It's been almost a whole year since I last worked and still can't work because of always being ill. For me it's not just the pain the bothers me, it's also because I look like I'm 6 months pregnant, for almost a year now.

Also the symptoms of nausea, the tenderness in my stomach, the lack of energy and the fact that I have been bleeding for almost 5 months after having a laparoscopy, plus major back pain.

I really wish that I could find someone who can help people like me with this illness and medical help for women with no insurance. Is there anyone out there that can help?