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Post by romeosgal on Aug 4, 2013 7:37:12 GMT -5
When I was diagnosed with endo 2 years ago my dr told me I basically had 3 options. Hormones, hysterectomy, or pregnancy. I opted for the hormones because 1. I don't want kids and 2. my dr won't give me a hysterectomy until I'm 30, so felt there weren't really any other options. My endo is extremely painful and I am getting sick of taking medications. I had a lap a year and a half ago and have been on birth control ever since. My dr has been asking me about trying Visanne for a while, so I finally did, but I ended up having a really bad reaction to it. I ended up stopping the Visanne, but unfortunately I'm out of town and have no access to the birth control pills I was on for another 9 days. I'm sitting here in agony now and going through options in my head... Options other than cutting out my uterus myself. Sigh. I was wondering though - does pregnancy REALLY help endo pain? The fact that I'm even considering it surprises me because I really don't want kids... But if I could get pregnant and it would help reduce my pain, I may consider being a surrogate for someone else. Anyone have any insight? My dr seems to think it would make a difference but I have some doubts.
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Post by Karen on Aug 4, 2013 9:41:32 GMT -5
First off, I'm sorry your doctor only gave you 3 options. There are SO many more out there, though some you'd have to take matters into your own hands. Listing only a few options can make us endo girls feel absolutely helpless, but that's not necessarily the case. For some, hormones just don't work - or the side effects are so awful that they aren't worth it - or a combination of those. I fall into that category. A hysterectomy isn't always a cure, either. If your endo resides outside of just your uterus and/or ovaries, removing those two organs is no guarantee that the other affected areas won't continue to cause issues. Although we have several members that are symptom-free after a hyster, we have just as many that are not. And third, pregnancy does seem to make symptoms almost non-existent, but typically only during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Some are able to extend the symptom-free period beyond that, but many do not. Here's a thread on endo symptoms returning after pregnancy: endo-resolved.proboards.com/thread/2876/return-endo-after-childbirthBeing a surrogate may not be a viable option. First, I believe the criteria to be a surrogate often require the surrogate to have a successful pregnancy of their own prior to being a surrogate. If someone's going to spend the resources on a surrogate, they want an assurance that the woman has had normal pregnancies before and already has a child that they attached to. In addition, endo can complicate getting pregnant, potentially increasing the cost required to achieve pregnancy. Lastly, surrogates often have to go through some pretty intense hormone treatments to get pregnant, so if hormones don't agree with you, that could certainly be an issue. Here are a few sources that came up in a quick Google search, though I'm sure there are many others: www.creatingfamilies.com/SM/SM_Info.aspx?Type=131www.babble.com/pregnancy/gestational-surrogacy-how-to-be-a-surrogate-mother/In my opinion, no doctor should tell a patient that getting pregnant will help them. I was asked no less than 3 times if I wanted to try for a family, AND I WAS SINGLE! I mean, seriously, how the hell could I take care of a baby when I was so incapacitated with endo?? The relief is most often isolated to pregnancy/breastfeeding. My thoughts: get a new doctor with a brain and some compassion, research some other options to treat pain in the meantime - whether it be diet (HUGE for inflammation, healing the immune system, and balancing hormones naturally), pelvic physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, etc. There are so many other options than what your doctor gave you. I hope the worst of the pain passes for you soon!
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Post by romeosgal on Aug 5, 2013 9:58:24 GMT -5
Hm interesting thoughts Karen. Thanks for the reply.
On the topic of surrogacy - I have a friend in mind who has asked me in the past if I would consider carrying a child for her. She's unable to have children of her own. At the time I didn't think much of it, but might be worth exploring if it will help. If it won't make a real difference for me, then I won't bother looking into it more.
As for my doctor. I REALLY like my doctor and she has done a lot to help me. She's very kind/compassionate and open to a lot of things. She referred me for physio but I've been unable to go due to lack of funds and I had no medical insurance for quite some time so we have been very limited in what we can do. I do have insurance now so I know that may open up some doors. However, my insurance is only good until my current job ends and my contract only goes to the end of September. It may be extended but there's no guarantees of that.
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