Diagnosed with endometriosis this year

by Erika Tapper
(West Hartford, Connecticut, USA)

For as long as I can remember I always had pain during my period. It started getting worse around the time I turned 18. But in September 2011 (2 months before my wedding) I started feeling pain on an almost daily basis on my ride side, right where my ovary seemed to be.

I said that when me and my husband returned from the honeymoon I was going to see the doctor about it.

On the honeymoon I wasn't having any real issues so I decided to let it go. 1 month after my wedding was my 21st birthday, it was around that time that the pain got worse and being intimate with my husband became nearly impossible.

I called the doctor, told them what was wrong and went in that same day. He told me he didn't feel a cyst and mentioned that endometriosis could be a possibility with my symptoms, but he wanted to get an ultrasound before talking about anything else.

I went back for the ultra sound a week before Christmas, and it didn't show anything, we talked about the laparoscopy, and decided after the holiday would be best. Over that time the pain got so bad I had a hard time getting out of bed, I felt so alone.

On January 11, 2012 I got my laparoscopy, my doctor did find a small amount of endometriosis on a ligament near my uterus. In April 2012 I had a very bad cramp during my period, it lasted about 2 minutes and was the worst pain I have ever felt in that area.

I called the doctor, he said it was most likely a cyst that ruptured. 3 months after my surgery and I was already having pain again. He put me on seasonique to try to cut down on cysts and my pain.

In June 2012 I was having more pain, and the advice nurse at the office didn't listen to me and blew me off completely about my pain. I called again 3 weeks later when the pain got so bad I couldn't go to school or be intimate with my husband again. I made them realize how urgent it was.

This time when I went in I was told I probably have chronic pelvic pain along with my endometriosis and more cysts. I have to go back in for another ultra-sound and we had the talk I was fearing since I learned of endometriosis, to go on "long term medication" (lupron, depo provera), stay on birth control and continue to have the pain, or get pregnant.

My whole life I have been concerned for my chances of getting pregnant, my mom had a lot of issues trying to have me, and I have always feared I would have to go through the same thing.

I feel very lucky I was diagnosed so early on.