Self diagnosis of endometriosis

by Vanessa Andersson
(Gloucestershire, UK)

After many years of silent suffering and things progressively getting worse, one particularly bad menstruation I really thought I was going to die from the pain. Eventually I passed out the pain was so intense. It went on for 2 days.

I got to the point where I would be out of action for 1 week of every month, something had to change. I had to change GPs to get a referral to a gynaechologist (from a woman GP whose name ironically was Dr Cramp to a male GP who couldn't argue with my predicament).

By this time I'd been researching for almost a year and had concluded I must have endometriosis. I've always had terrible PMT and took depo-prevera for 10years to help with the PMT. I also had been a vegetarian for 20+ years and had been using soya products.

When I eventually saw the male gynaecologist I sat down and said 'I think I may have endometriosis', without a blink of an eye he said 'No you don't'! I tried to protest and explain how awful my life was because of my periods and how much pain I had endured and the symptoms, but he kept saying no.

I couldn't believe it. He then said I'll give you a laparoscopy but you won't have it. I asked why when he thought I didn't have it, would he put me through surgery, not to mention the waste precious NHS money. He examined me, brutally I felt and said there was nothing wrong.

I know my own body well enough to know something was really wrong, he was clearly a god complex doctor that despises people taking responsibility for their own health and doing research on what they think may be wrong. I left his surgery thinking to myself I'm just going to carry on assuming it is endometriosis and I'll deal with this my way.

Endo Resolved changed my life. I was beginning to slide into a hopeless depression, dreading each menstrual cycle in case I couldn't get a handle on the pain. Endo Resolved gave me my power back. I was able after 4 months of following the advice at Endo Resolved to live a fairly normal life again. The pain still shocks me sometimes but mainly I can control my symptoms though diet and progesterone cream.

The kind lady that wrote this website is genius! Thank you!!!



COMMENTS


Name: Anonymous

Title Outcome?

Maybe I miss-read this, but did he ever give you the results to your laparoscopy? It sounds like you should get a second opinion. I've read online that sometimes endometriosis can be so small or hidden that sometimes it can be missed even during a laparascopy. Not to mention, your gyno didn't even care to look for it to begin with.