Just diagnosed Stage 4 Endometriosis

by Chantelle
(Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Having surgery for endometriosis in 7 weeks time ...

Ever since I started my period at 12, I've had bad period pain. The doctors always told me that it was normal and put me onto Naprogesic. Month in, month out, I would spend the first day curled up in bed with a hot water bottle.

At 19 I went on the pill and it eased the symptoms. I married at 20 and often had pain during and after sex. I thought it was due to the physical differences between my hubby and I, and just learned to deal with it. The pain affected my libido and caused marital issues.

3.5yrs ago we decided to try for a baby, so I went off the pill. The period pains returned and sex continued to be painful, but as usual I just put up with it and formed a high pain tolerance. During infertility investigations 1.5yrs later, my hubby was diagnosed with 94% anti-sperm anti-bodies so the doctors stopped investigating. They checked my fallopian tubes were clear but looked no further.

1 year ago I started getting what I thought was ovulation pains... aches and sharp pain during my fertile period that would swap sides month to month. Then 4 months ago the pain started concentrating on my left side. If I had bad gas, it would come in waves and it would shoot into my back and down my leg.

Then 2 months ago I almost collapsed in a gym class from the pain, so off to the doctor I went. He sent me for an ultrasound which showed I had 2 cysts on my ovaries (2.2cm and 6.4cm) plus a growth inside my uterus that they thought was a fibroid.

I was sent to a Gynae-Oncologist who discovered during an internal examination that my left ovary had adhered to my bowel. Fearing the cysts were cancerous, she sent me for an MRI. Instead I was diagnosed with severe/stage 4 endometriosis, with 2 endometriomas on the ovaries, an adenomyoma in the uterus, a polyp near my cervix, and an adhesion between my left ovary and bowel.

I've been referred to an endo specialist and I see a bowel specialist next week to check the status of my bowel. I've been booked in for a Laparoscopy in 7 weeks' time to have the endometriosis and related growths removed. I've never been so keen to have surgery - I can't wait for this pain to be gone!!!