Missed diagnosis of endometriosis

This is a common story of not being correctly diagnosed with endometriosis even after seeing seven doctors and being diagnosed with PID, colitis and irritable bowel

This is Angie’s story …..

I am 29 years old and was recently diagnosed with endometriosis about a month ago, although I'd been suspecting this disease for about a year now. I have always had problem periods, specially the first day of my period that announced itself with low back ache (I rarely had abdominal cramps). For me cramping meant having to take medication every 6 hours for approximately 2 days and using a heating pad on my lower back.

My mom always told me this was normal, that her periods were the same problem when she was young and that I had inherited these painful periods from her. Anyway other than manageable cramps for a couple of days into my period I was perfectly good the rest of the month.

Then 2 years ago I got married and on my honeymoon I started to feel a lot of vaginal itching which I thought it would be thrush or a vaginal infection. I treated it with OTC meds and it helped for a while but it came back. I didn't have any strange discharge or odour, it was only the on and off itching that concerned me.

I talked to my Dr about it and he ordered a culture and everything came back negative. He advised me to change detergents and he also suggested that maybe I just had to get used to unprotected sex. After 8 months of having this unexplained vaginal itching, I had my period every 29 to 32 days as usual (my periods were always fairly regular), I started to have low back aches and cramping as if I were about to have a period except that I just had one a couple of weeks before.

The low back ache lasted for more than a month and along with this a bunch of things started to add up to it month after month. I started having severe PMS, very oily scalp, shooting pains into my right buttock and down my right leg ( My right hip and knee hurt like joint ache), mood swings and when my period was proximate I started to cramp really bad 5 to 10 days before.

All of these strange symptoms suddenly emerged overnight and got worse and worse each month.

I saw seven different doctors; I got diagnoses like IBS, chronic colitis, PID among others. Because nobody could give me answers, I went on the Internet day after day and when I googled my symptoms the first word on the results page was always Endometriosis. One doctor did mention endometriosis but was not very convincing so finally, I opened up to a couple of friends who turned out to know women with the disease.

That's how I met my wonderful Dr who performed my laparoscopy a little over a month ago.

He found endometriosis stage 3, I have it all over my ovaries, tubes and cul de sac. He burned it away and I immediately started zoladex injections for 6 months. I just had my second injection, I've felt so much better than before the laparoscopy, and the doctor gives me very good odds of becoming pregnant.

I just hope I can have a baby one day and live the best as possible with this frustrating disease. It is really important to have a forum like this were we can find support and know that we are not alone. I wish you all health and happiness and don't give up hope!!

Missed diagnosis of endometriosis

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