*****Possible trigger warning for those affected by this disease*** Endometriosis;
it effects an estimated of 1 in 10 women. I am just one of these women. This
disease has affected me since I was 16 years old and thankfully I got diagnosed
at an earlier age than most. Not only did it affect my school life, work life
and social life but also my personal life.
I was 16
years old, 6 months into having my monthly war with my body I noticed that the
pain was getting worse and worse each month it came. I felt nauseous, sore and
just really down in the dumps. 18(ish) months on and I finally went to the
doctor and they finally recognised the pain I was in every month. A couple of
ultrasounds later they diagnosed me with endometriosis, my treatment consisted
of, monitoring of the cysts I currently had, nurofen, ponstan, heat packs and
rest for that week I was ill.
After awhile
I honestly felt like I wasn’t being taken seriously and was finally referred
onto a specialist to do a laparoscopy operation. After months of being on a
waiting list I FINALLY got into my specialist and 6 months later I found out I was
going to have a baby, much to my specialist surprise. This then put everything
on hold and my symptoms went away for the 9 months of pregnancy. About 3 weeks
after Xavier was born I got the dreaded monthly war back again and basically it
was hell from there. I was back seeing specialist again and now currently on
the waiting list AGAIN for the lap operation. Currently I’m taking a
combination of nurofen, ponstan, tramadol, tranexamic acid, endep and the
highest estrogen pill they can get me on as my treatment until I go under for
my laparoscopy, hysteroscopy and d&c (yep all 3 surgeries in the one go whoohoo!).
It’s a monthly struggle and the only time I really feel any relief currently
from the pain is the 3/4 days I have before I’m fertile. Luckily enough I have
plenty of support from my partner who lets me complain about how much pain I’m
in (I’ll honestly give him a lot of credit for listening to me ramble on about
it!). He heats up my heat packs, gets me my pain meds and offers to help out
with the kids when I’m in pain so I can lay down and rest. The only thing that
can really get you through these crappy times is having supportive people
around you.
I live in a
constant worry of what this disease is doing to my organs and most of all my
reproductive organs which at my young age of 23 I shouldn’t have to even worry
about. I always have that worry that in the back of my mind that I won’t be
able to have more children, which is really upsetting as I want nothing more
than to give two little boys a sibling and to have a baby with the person I
consider my soul half. I can’t wait for the day I no longer have to complain
about pain and no longer have to worry about having the opportunity to hold
another little tiny bundle of joy in my arms that’s half me and half William.
But for now I’ll get through this sh!t time, focus on the good things I have
going in my life and keep positive thoughts about one day having the chance to
feel baby kicks again.
I urge
everyone who feels unsure or uncertain about the period pain to get it checked
and don’t give up on having the proper diagnosis!!!
The basic ‘run
down’ of this disease is, endometrium tissue (basically the lining of the
inside of the uterus) is found outside the uterus. This causes inflammatory
which then leads to scar tissue that causes damage or cysts that can either be
removed by a laparoscopy operation/s or some have more long term damage which
result in the need to take reproductive organs out (hysterectomy) .
https://youtu.be/MEh0egZJf58 (video link to 'endo & us' video which I personally really urge female's to watch.)
The scar
tissue or cysts cause immense amount of pain (I’m talking childbirth like or
sometimes I could say it’s worse than popping out a newbie) in your pelvic area
where your uterus and ovaries sit. The pelvic pain then leads to lower back
pain which basically makes it hard to do any physical task.
There are a
lot of symptoms to this disease and it occurs differently to everyone. Some
notice or have severe pain as a teenager/young adult and some may not
experience any pain until they’ve finished having kids. This disease affects
women in so many different ways. Many go undiagnosed as there is a lack of
information and research on why this happens and how it happens.
Thankfully
there is more and more research and diagnoses happening each year and slowly it
is becoming more of an apparent disease rather than a ‘normal period type pain’
which I myself got for 2 years before finally being taken serious after much
whining about how I was struggling to get to work for that week once a month,
each month.
Im really passionate about this disease becoming more aware to women!
There are a
lot of events going on for endometriosis awareness month which is the month of
March. Please visit http://www.endometriosisaustralia.org/for more information on these events and more information
on this disease.