Hello lovely ladies, I was so astonished when I found this website and realised the extent of the suffering you are all going through. I was so glad to realise that I'm not alone but mostly so saddened by the pain so many of you are in.

I first went to my GP over 3 years ago. I had been having extreme pain during intercourse and really bad pain in my abdomen afterwards. It got so bad that I would break down crying only seconds into intercourse. My GP did a smear and an STI test which all came back negative. She then dismissed my pain as a psychological problem and told me I "probably just wasn't attracted to my boyfriend anymore."

Recently my symptoms started to accelerate. I was having more pain than ever during intercourse, recurring UTI's once or twice a month and a constant pain in my abdomen. The pain during my last period was so severe I even fainted. Something that has never happened before. I pestered my doctor every week for a month to help me out. Finally after yet another set of STI tests came back negative she mentioned endometriosis.

In May she referred me to the nearest women's hospital to have a consultation under the Irish equivalent of the NHS. I was horrified when I received my appointment date for the 24th of January next year. And that was just for a consultation! I decided to go privately as I just couldn't stand the pain anymore. I returned to my GP who referred me to an endometriosis specialist and it was the best decision I have ever made. I got an appointment for the specialist the next week and when I went to see her she was so understanding and helpful. I was so relieved after years of simply thinking I was a freak of nature. She did an internal exam and immediately said I probably have endometriosis and also a probable cyst on my right ovary and suggested an ultrasound and Laparoscopy. Once I agreed she scheduled me in for my lap three weeks later. I was amazed how quickly everything was getting sorted and doing it privately does not cost as much as I expected. I don't have much money but altogether including the initial consultation, ultrasound and surgery it costs around €2,300. In the grand scheme of things it's not much to pay for your health (and sanity!)

Soooo... my lap is booked for six days time and I'm thinking of getting a Mirena coil fitted while I'm under. I know they're hit and miss but I figure if it works, Great, and if it doesn't I can just get it removed again.

Wish me luck and I'll update you all in a week. I hope everyone is well. You are all an inspiration and you make me proud to be a lady!

Update July 2010

Hello everyone, Just a quick post-op update.

I had my Laparoscopy on Monday and had "loads" of endometriosis removed from my left side. Luckily the growths were all concentrated in one area and thankfully were not growing on my womb or ovaries. However there is some growth on my bowel wall which my surgeon couldn't remove in case of bowel injury. The doctor said if it was difficult to classify which stage my endo was at because usually if it is not growing on your reproductive organs it would be classed as stage 2 but because of the amount she had to remove she said it would be closer to a stage 4.

I would like to share with you all something I didn't know going into surgery which gave me a big fright! (Not for the faint-hearted!) The evening when I came home from the hospital I was sitting down having a cup of tea when suddenly I noticed a large swell of fluid leaking from the incision just below my belly-button. I removed the post-op plaster and pink fluid started literally pouring out of me. I soaked up a roll of kitchen towel and a roll of toilet roll in the space of twenty minutes. I rang the hospital straight away because I was terrified I'd ruptured something and my surgeon called me straight back. She explained that after removing the endometriosis she had filled my abdominal cavity with between 600ml and 1 litre of saline solution. This prevents fertility problems following surgery so that your womb or ovaries don't adhere to the scar tissue left from the endometriosis removal. She informed me that only about 200ml of fluid will remain in my abdomen and that it is completely normal for the rest to leak out. I was so relieved but I do wish she'd told me following my surgery so I knew what to expect. In all the research I had done coming up to my surgery I had never come across this so hopefully by telling you all about my scary ordeal you will know what to expect after your surgery.

Anyway I'm taking it easy at home here and am on the mend, with three small scars from my op. I'm taking my painkillers religiously as the pain without them is unreal. If you feel pain post-op don't try to be a hero and do take your medication regularly.

I'm very lucky to have my friends and family around supporting me and I'm so glad I've finally been diagnosed and treated. I know I will suffer from this condition forever but now I know what it is and how to handle it, I feel so much more confident in myself. If anyone has pre-op worries or just wants someone to talk to please feel free to contact me.

Love,

Faith's EndoStory has been viewed 429 times.

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