Post by janelac on Apr 17, 2015 7:54:34 GMT -5
Amiright?
As my username probably gives away, I'm Janel. And it's been a long long journey, and much as it's appalling to read your stories and how much pain and confusion you all have gone through, it's nice to know that I'm not alone.
Unlike a lot of you all, I never had problems with my period as a teenager. They were much longer, about 7-9 days, and heavy and irregular (I skipped a month every few months) but not painful. I was also kind of overweight, and I didn't start running until I was 20. Then, I started losing weight, like a lot. I lost about 110 pounds and probably swung the other way on the dieting pendulum. I didn't eat very much, and actually stopped having regular periods. I was running about 8 miles every other day, and on top of that I walked 3.5 miles just getting to and from school and work. I went to a gyno when my periods stopped for 6 months and she said what any sane person would say: "You need to eat something other than oatmeal and kale." So I started eating again. I gained a healthy 7-8 pounds, and my periods started again. Then, about a year later, my periods started to get really heavy and debillitatingly painful. I first chalked it up to the fact that I was getting older, and this kind of thing happens. When I was a teenager, I really only had pain one day per cycle. And it could be relieved with an advil. I was taking naproxen and nothing. Midol and nothing. The pain would persist, and it radiated down my legs and through my back. And I suddenly started getting extremely fatigued for days on end. I kept up my running, even though it felt like I was running with a lead vest on. I had to start taking time off work because I couldn't function. I know this probably sounds familiar to a lot of you all, but I was not used to being slowed down by my period. I wasn't used to sex being so painful, and the bleeding was really heavy. I started bleeding at odd times of the month, after sex, even after running sometimes.
My doctor put me on birth control, ordered a transvaginal ultrasound, and gave me tramidol. Tramidol is not a good drug for me. It made me itchy and paranoid and didn't really dull the pain. The transvaginal ultrasound showed nothing, but I also read the report and it said that my right ovary was obscured. That's the bad one too, so I don't know what to think about that. The birth control helped for a while. But then, probably about a year later, the symptoms started back, and with nothing on the ultrasound, my doctor just shrugged. She changed my birth control, which didn't really address my symptoms and made me depressed. I went to a gynocologist this time, who put me on another pill and ordered another transvaginal ultrasound. She did the same thing as my GP, which is to say nothing. She offered to put me on a Camrese so that I wouldn't have my period as often, which might help. Camrese was fine for a few months, but I bled almost constantly.
Finally, I went to a gynocologist that someone who has endometriosis suggested to me. It was the first time I had even thought that I might have endometrosis. I described my symptoms (which along with pain, pain, and more pain involved a whole host of GI issues) and she said "Me too. Go to my guy." This woman is actually a coworker of my very recent exgirlfriend, so I haven't really talked to her about her experience too much. Which is why I wanted to start reading and writing on a message board. I can't talk to most people about my pain. They hear me, but I feel like I'm complaining a lot. When they ask if it's any better, I can't honestly say yes. I'm at a constant low level of pain and pressure when I'm not getting a massive cramp. And I've tried very hard to act as if everything is normal. I still keep up with a lot of physical activity. I rock climb a couple times a week. I do yoga every few days. I run 4-5 days a week. I ran the marathon in October of last year (and yeah, I did have cramps throughout), and I push through and come to work every day even when I'm dizzy and fatigued from the pain. But I'm starting to feel worn down and hopeless. While for me, the pain never really gets above a 7 out of 10 on the pain scale, it's pretty consistently at a 4 or a 5. And the fact that I feel like I'll never be normal again has drained me.
Here's where I stand now. I have not been formally diagnosed. I just went to a new GP who thinks it's a good idea to get a formal diagnosis. I have an appointment with my gynocologist on Monday, and I plan to ask for a diagnostic/excise laproscopy. I have almost every day for the past two months. I actually got a migraine with aura for the first time this past week. I wake up every morning (and sometimes in the middle of the night) with a throbbing sensation in my ovaries (I suspect because my bladder is full). It hurts when I empty my bladder. Anything GI related hurts. I have a constant throb and pressure. I've stopped drinking, eating bread, and drinking coffee. Nothing seems to help. It feels silly to give up now, but I'm having trouble. I'm not suicidal or anything. It's just hard to be positive when I'm always in pain with no relief in sight. I do all the things I usually do, but I don't enjoy them as much. I'm getting through my days at work, not learning or growing. I hate feeling this way, and I'm scared of what a laproscopy will find or not find.
As my username probably gives away, I'm Janel. And it's been a long long journey, and much as it's appalling to read your stories and how much pain and confusion you all have gone through, it's nice to know that I'm not alone.
Unlike a lot of you all, I never had problems with my period as a teenager. They were much longer, about 7-9 days, and heavy and irregular (I skipped a month every few months) but not painful. I was also kind of overweight, and I didn't start running until I was 20. Then, I started losing weight, like a lot. I lost about 110 pounds and probably swung the other way on the dieting pendulum. I didn't eat very much, and actually stopped having regular periods. I was running about 8 miles every other day, and on top of that I walked 3.5 miles just getting to and from school and work. I went to a gyno when my periods stopped for 6 months and she said what any sane person would say: "You need to eat something other than oatmeal and kale." So I started eating again. I gained a healthy 7-8 pounds, and my periods started again. Then, about a year later, my periods started to get really heavy and debillitatingly painful. I first chalked it up to the fact that I was getting older, and this kind of thing happens. When I was a teenager, I really only had pain one day per cycle. And it could be relieved with an advil. I was taking naproxen and nothing. Midol and nothing. The pain would persist, and it radiated down my legs and through my back. And I suddenly started getting extremely fatigued for days on end. I kept up my running, even though it felt like I was running with a lead vest on. I had to start taking time off work because I couldn't function. I know this probably sounds familiar to a lot of you all, but I was not used to being slowed down by my period. I wasn't used to sex being so painful, and the bleeding was really heavy. I started bleeding at odd times of the month, after sex, even after running sometimes.
My doctor put me on birth control, ordered a transvaginal ultrasound, and gave me tramidol. Tramidol is not a good drug for me. It made me itchy and paranoid and didn't really dull the pain. The transvaginal ultrasound showed nothing, but I also read the report and it said that my right ovary was obscured. That's the bad one too, so I don't know what to think about that. The birth control helped for a while. But then, probably about a year later, the symptoms started back, and with nothing on the ultrasound, my doctor just shrugged. She changed my birth control, which didn't really address my symptoms and made me depressed. I went to a gynocologist this time, who put me on another pill and ordered another transvaginal ultrasound. She did the same thing as my GP, which is to say nothing. She offered to put me on a Camrese so that I wouldn't have my period as often, which might help. Camrese was fine for a few months, but I bled almost constantly.
Finally, I went to a gynocologist that someone who has endometriosis suggested to me. It was the first time I had even thought that I might have endometrosis. I described my symptoms (which along with pain, pain, and more pain involved a whole host of GI issues) and she said "Me too. Go to my guy." This woman is actually a coworker of my very recent exgirlfriend, so I haven't really talked to her about her experience too much. Which is why I wanted to start reading and writing on a message board. I can't talk to most people about my pain. They hear me, but I feel like I'm complaining a lot. When they ask if it's any better, I can't honestly say yes. I'm at a constant low level of pain and pressure when I'm not getting a massive cramp. And I've tried very hard to act as if everything is normal. I still keep up with a lot of physical activity. I rock climb a couple times a week. I do yoga every few days. I run 4-5 days a week. I ran the marathon in October of last year (and yeah, I did have cramps throughout), and I push through and come to work every day even when I'm dizzy and fatigued from the pain. But I'm starting to feel worn down and hopeless. While for me, the pain never really gets above a 7 out of 10 on the pain scale, it's pretty consistently at a 4 or a 5. And the fact that I feel like I'll never be normal again has drained me.
Here's where I stand now. I have not been formally diagnosed. I just went to a new GP who thinks it's a good idea to get a formal diagnosis. I have an appointment with my gynocologist on Monday, and I plan to ask for a diagnostic/excise laproscopy. I have almost every day for the past two months. I actually got a migraine with aura for the first time this past week. I wake up every morning (and sometimes in the middle of the night) with a throbbing sensation in my ovaries (I suspect because my bladder is full). It hurts when I empty my bladder. Anything GI related hurts. I have a constant throb and pressure. I've stopped drinking, eating bread, and drinking coffee. Nothing seems to help. It feels silly to give up now, but I'm having trouble. I'm not suicidal or anything. It's just hard to be positive when I'm always in pain with no relief in sight. I do all the things I usually do, but I don't enjoy them as much. I'm getting through my days at work, not learning or growing. I hate feeling this way, and I'm scared of what a laproscopy will find or not find.