Post by terceltina on Aug 23, 2014 11:43:20 GMT -5
Hi, thanks for allowing me to join the group.
I had my laproscopic surgery 4 days ago, which confirmed endometriosis.
I have been in pain for 4 or more years, depending on which doctors believed me, which ones said it was just stress. I'm 27 years old, which is what I've read is the average age. Pain is not exactly new to me, I have had tendonitis for many years, an issue which wouldn't resolve while I was waitressing for a living, obviously. Only a few months ago, my doctors diagnosed a platelet condition which could be the reason for why I have un-healed tendons. I have heavy, but not super painful periods. But outside of my periods, I had sharp pain in the right quadrant lurking continuously. But I get ahead of myself, the surgery thing was very fast. I had no warning, and I didn't believe in what the doctors were trying to tell me.
In May, the second ultrasound found a cyst. I said, understandably, 'get it out, get it out', thinking it would be the singular thing that was causing my abdominal pain. I refused early treatment with hormones, as I don't believe in messing with my body's natural systems. I don't use birth control pills for that reason. I didn't have the painful periods that people described. In fact, after seeing a chiropractor regularly, my period pain lessened in the past few years greatly, to the point where I don't take pills for it in particular. I was convinced that there was no endometriosis, that the gynecologist was wrong, and that they'd go in with the laproscope, and just pull out some cyst that had formed because of my low platelets and some sort of injury in my past, and that would be it.
The cyst had been reabsorbed by the time of the surgery, and they found, what they described as a 2/4 endometriosis, on the bladder and the abdominal walls. They cut it all out, and expect me to make a great recovery, likely with no pain, and no need for hormone treatments. They had photos to show me and everything. I was completely wrong. So my symptoms of rib pain, of heartburn, of all these little things which I had been told were stress induced, were all a part of things. It's great news, to think that they got all of the bad stuff out, and that I'm healing pretty good.
I'm just not prepared for it. I had been so sure it wasn't endometriosis, that I'd never researched it fully, never realized what it meant. Now it's like this avalanche of 'hey look, you've got a lifelong condition that you have to keep an eye on', in addition to the platelet condition which I only had diagnosed in February. I thought it was hard enough having to get my platelets tested every 6 months for the rest of my life. Now I have to keep up on being able to communicate to the gynecologist who doesn't live in my town, and change my lifestyle and diet. It's all quite life changing, and not what I was ready for.
I have a wonderful boyfriend, who is supportive, and doesn't want children, and who has been making me soup and being the nicest most wonderful person. I'm incredibly lucky, and now, with things treated, on the road to being able to simulate a normal life. But I don't feel normal. Not by a long shot.
I had my laproscopic surgery 4 days ago, which confirmed endometriosis.
I have been in pain for 4 or more years, depending on which doctors believed me, which ones said it was just stress. I'm 27 years old, which is what I've read is the average age. Pain is not exactly new to me, I have had tendonitis for many years, an issue which wouldn't resolve while I was waitressing for a living, obviously. Only a few months ago, my doctors diagnosed a platelet condition which could be the reason for why I have un-healed tendons. I have heavy, but not super painful periods. But outside of my periods, I had sharp pain in the right quadrant lurking continuously. But I get ahead of myself, the surgery thing was very fast. I had no warning, and I didn't believe in what the doctors were trying to tell me.
In May, the second ultrasound found a cyst. I said, understandably, 'get it out, get it out', thinking it would be the singular thing that was causing my abdominal pain. I refused early treatment with hormones, as I don't believe in messing with my body's natural systems. I don't use birth control pills for that reason. I didn't have the painful periods that people described. In fact, after seeing a chiropractor regularly, my period pain lessened in the past few years greatly, to the point where I don't take pills for it in particular. I was convinced that there was no endometriosis, that the gynecologist was wrong, and that they'd go in with the laproscope, and just pull out some cyst that had formed because of my low platelets and some sort of injury in my past, and that would be it.
The cyst had been reabsorbed by the time of the surgery, and they found, what they described as a 2/4 endometriosis, on the bladder and the abdominal walls. They cut it all out, and expect me to make a great recovery, likely with no pain, and no need for hormone treatments. They had photos to show me and everything. I was completely wrong. So my symptoms of rib pain, of heartburn, of all these little things which I had been told were stress induced, were all a part of things. It's great news, to think that they got all of the bad stuff out, and that I'm healing pretty good.
I'm just not prepared for it. I had been so sure it wasn't endometriosis, that I'd never researched it fully, never realized what it meant. Now it's like this avalanche of 'hey look, you've got a lifelong condition that you have to keep an eye on', in addition to the platelet condition which I only had diagnosed in February. I thought it was hard enough having to get my platelets tested every 6 months for the rest of my life. Now I have to keep up on being able to communicate to the gynecologist who doesn't live in my town, and change my lifestyle and diet. It's all quite life changing, and not what I was ready for.
I have a wonderful boyfriend, who is supportive, and doesn't want children, and who has been making me soup and being the nicest most wonderful person. I'm incredibly lucky, and now, with things treated, on the road to being able to simulate a normal life. But I don't feel normal. Not by a long shot.