Endometriosis

Hey all. I was talking to Sarah about Endo this afternoon, and thought I'd float it here as well...

My doctor suggested to me about a year ago that I might have endo, and she suggested getting it checked out. I freaked (because I am a terrible wuss ) at the time, and haven't thought much about it again until recently. As the months tick by and the baby factory remains stalled, I wonder if she might have been right. I know that endo is anti baby factory, but I never thought it was bad enough to be endo. I thought endo was horrendous. But then, maybe what I have is horrendous and I'm just used to it.

Here's how it goes:-

Cramps of varying intensity (but not extreme) from O onwards (so the last 2 weeks of my cycle).

AF last for around 8-9 days on average, and is relatively regular (give or take 48 hours).

Days 1 and 2 of AF are horrendous (very painful, often loads of nausea, dizzyness, backache, usually diarhea (sorry - TMI, and the spelling is ...erm ...hehe ...crap! I usually get a bad headache as well). The rest of the days aren't too bad - just crampy and tiring.

So ...I guess what I'm wondering is, how normal does that sound to all of you?

Oooo ...thanks CaraMel! That's hopeful, especially since you're up the duff !

Did it take you long to conceive?

I'm sort of at the "Huh...Am I broken...??" but pre-panic (well, sort of!) Stage

I was diagnosed with Endo when i was younger, had surgery but my gynae was a muppet, so i waited a few more years and in 2004 went and saw a specialist and told her all my symptoms and she said YEP endo and i had surgery to remove it, all i can say is if u have endo look at getting it removed soon coz when i had mine removed it had just started growing on my ovaries, my bowel was riddled with it and now i have issues there

My symptoms were:

- Heavy clotting periods that lasted over a week

- Extremely painful i was in a ball and crying ended up on codeine for them

- Mood swings i was a real biznitch lol apparently i had PMS 2 weeks outta 4 lol

- Horrid Back pain

- Intense Nausea

and just in general felt like the whole world hated me lol

I was diagnosed with Stage 3 endo stage 4 is the worst and PCOS, tried for a year after surgery to no avail, was put on a round of clomid CD 2 - 6 and were so determined to make it work that it did Now im 13 weeks away from our little princess hehe

Where in NZ are you?

Edited by Jezsika

My sis in law has it and she said that "relations" are real painful - not sure on the severity of hers but she's had an ectopic and a m/c - but that is also a family problem (her mum and 4 m/c and 2 children and no endo oh and a hysterectomy after my man was born)

First things first ...Jess - I'm in Auckland (I live in Hillpark in Manurewa).

I must admit that my symptoms are nowhere near as bad as they were when I was on the pill, and some months (few, but some) are ok (hassle-free AF), while others are pretty interesting!

Mostly though, the pre-AF cramps are sharp, niggly, annoying cramps, as opposed to debilitating ...it's just the first few days of AF which are really bad.

When I was on the pill, I'd often get horrendous pain after ....mmpmfm ....but that stopped the instant I stopped taking the pill.

I might make a diary of my symptoms for a couple of months, so that if/when I see the Dr, I have a clear idea of what happens when and how.

Thanks so much for the baby dust caraMel!!

Thanks sweets!!

You've gotta love this waiting game Hopefully, it's just that I'm a stress-ball ...I just remembered about the endo question yesterday and thought "Hmmm". You know how you do!

Ooooo ...fussing. This is sounding better already

I had mild endo removed last year. I had been on the pill for around 10 years so pre pill is a bit hard to remember. I do know that I would get very bad period pain and alot of time actually vomit from the pain. Don't remember getting pain outside of my period though (I was only 14/15 so didn't really take much notice!!) So anyway doc put me on the pill and it got better. Then in the last few years I was getting pain during my period when I passed a bowel motion also had diorhhea (sp?) and still had period pain - sometime painful intercourse. Doc sent me to a private specialist (in Auckland, meant to be the best - let me know if you want her details!!) She thought it was endo and did a laparoscopy and removed it. Was on my bowel , bladder and some ligaments going to my back (oh yeah used to get bad lower back pain) That was in February. Decided to come off pill in August and conceived on my fourth cycle off the pill. I have family history of problems conceiving so was surprised that it happened reasonably fast. Not sure if the surgery helped or not as the endo wasn't on any reproductive organs but I think they do a D & C as a standard so that may have helped. Anyway good luck, hope you won't need to pursue this option but do keep it in the back of your mind because if left untreated can cause worse problems!

No worries Simonne, Here is a link to a bit of a bio about her!

http://www.endometriosis.co.nz/wa.asp?idWebPage=6470

simonne i too have endo and also PCOS. i've had 2 laproscopys, one to remove ovarian cysts and the other to remove the endo. it was stage 3.
i'd have painful pre AF cramps and back pain and very random, sudden sharp stabbing pains in my lower belly that would go just as quick as they came. pooing was also often painful, (sorry if TMI) and stabbing pain during 'relations' was a common occurance and usually bought an end to things as i'd be in tears
unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if you have endo is a laproscopy but they aren't that bad and yes, it's worth it for all the fussing
aside from all that, both my babies were conceived within 2 wks of trying....i'm not bragging i just wanted you to know it doesn't mean you will have probs.