Post by christi on Sept 30, 2006 22:28:48 GMT -5
HI! I am new here...waiting for membership approval. I am 22 years old, have a wonderful husband, and no kids yet.
I started my period at a very young age-- 10 years old. I have suffered from the affects of endo for 12 years. I always dreaded having my period more than my friends because it literally knocked me off my feet for 2-3 days. No playing, no school, no nothing. My periods would be so painful that I had to sleep through the first two days. I felt cold sweats, excess bleeding, extreme pain in my abdomen and back, nasuea, vomiting, migraine... you name it, I felt it.
I was 16 when I moved in with my dad and stepmom (who had endo and a hysterectomy at age 22) and she said that I coulnd't live like that anymore and took me to a nurse practitioner. I was prescribed a low dose birth control pill and 1000mg of ibuprofen. That helped ease the symptoms, but in the course of six years, I was on nine different brands of pills because my body would adjust to the hormone.
Finally, at age 19, a visiting nurse practitioner saw me at my normal doctor's office and said "you have endometriosis" and sent me down the hall to a fertility/endo specialist. He agreed and gave me my options. I choose a lap with laser removal and a D&C and had it done August 2003, two and half weeks before my sophmore year in college. I had never felt such pain as I did after the surgery. I practically ate Vicodin (because you can't eat much else) listened to classical music with nature infused and slept for a week.
My endo was not a lot in quantity, but it was very deep on my left fallopian tube, left uterine muscle and wall, in my cul-de-sac, and sporadic on the right side. It was placed on all the major veins and arteries and nerves in those areas. I was told I had a, 80% chance of it coming back within 5 years. My doctor wanted to put me on Lupron for 6 months after my surgery, but I said no. It was far too scary for me to think about.
All of my symptoms were practically erased, except for cramping, but a regular dose of Advil took care of it. I remained on the birth control pill to manage my estrogen levels. It worked for about one year. I started to feel symptoms again and have accepted my fate as a woman who will always have endo.
I can really feel that symptoms now, because my husband and I are trying to get pregnant, which is hard because I have been on the pill for 6 years now and it has lowered my testosterone levels, and hence my libido, drastically. Now I wonder if maybe I should have taken the Lupron and taken my chances.
When I was diagnosed, I learned that my mother, maternal grandmother, and maternal aunt had the same symptoms (undiagnosed endo). Also, one of my paternal aunts has a severe diagnosed case and my paternal grandmother and other aunt have had reproductive issues. And now my little sister is beginning to feel the pain...it won't be long before my stepmom will take her to the doctor for her problems.
Sorry this was so long, but it was a lot to say. I hope to get a lot of info/support through others in this forum and maybe provide some too. We just moved from Indiana to Florida and I have no one to talk to...plus I have to find a new doctor (one who knows about endo). Thanks for reading! Enjoy your morning/afternoon/evening! ;D
-Christi
I started my period at a very young age-- 10 years old. I have suffered from the affects of endo for 12 years. I always dreaded having my period more than my friends because it literally knocked me off my feet for 2-3 days. No playing, no school, no nothing. My periods would be so painful that I had to sleep through the first two days. I felt cold sweats, excess bleeding, extreme pain in my abdomen and back, nasuea, vomiting, migraine... you name it, I felt it.
I was 16 when I moved in with my dad and stepmom (who had endo and a hysterectomy at age 22) and she said that I coulnd't live like that anymore and took me to a nurse practitioner. I was prescribed a low dose birth control pill and 1000mg of ibuprofen. That helped ease the symptoms, but in the course of six years, I was on nine different brands of pills because my body would adjust to the hormone.
Finally, at age 19, a visiting nurse practitioner saw me at my normal doctor's office and said "you have endometriosis" and sent me down the hall to a fertility/endo specialist. He agreed and gave me my options. I choose a lap with laser removal and a D&C and had it done August 2003, two and half weeks before my sophmore year in college. I had never felt such pain as I did after the surgery. I practically ate Vicodin (because you can't eat much else) listened to classical music with nature infused and slept for a week.
My endo was not a lot in quantity, but it was very deep on my left fallopian tube, left uterine muscle and wall, in my cul-de-sac, and sporadic on the right side. It was placed on all the major veins and arteries and nerves in those areas. I was told I had a, 80% chance of it coming back within 5 years. My doctor wanted to put me on Lupron for 6 months after my surgery, but I said no. It was far too scary for me to think about.
All of my symptoms were practically erased, except for cramping, but a regular dose of Advil took care of it. I remained on the birth control pill to manage my estrogen levels. It worked for about one year. I started to feel symptoms again and have accepted my fate as a woman who will always have endo.
I can really feel that symptoms now, because my husband and I are trying to get pregnant, which is hard because I have been on the pill for 6 years now and it has lowered my testosterone levels, and hence my libido, drastically. Now I wonder if maybe I should have taken the Lupron and taken my chances.
When I was diagnosed, I learned that my mother, maternal grandmother, and maternal aunt had the same symptoms (undiagnosed endo). Also, one of my paternal aunts has a severe diagnosed case and my paternal grandmother and other aunt have had reproductive issues. And now my little sister is beginning to feel the pain...it won't be long before my stepmom will take her to the doctor for her problems.
Sorry this was so long, but it was a lot to say. I hope to get a lot of info/support through others in this forum and maybe provide some too. We just moved from Indiana to Florida and I have no one to talk to...plus I have to find a new doctor (one who knows about endo). Thanks for reading! Enjoy your morning/afternoon/evening! ;D
-Christi