Its never ending. I am so sad and in pain

[wp22]

I find myself taking more and more pain killers as time goes on. Three years ago I only ever took paracetamol for the odd hangover headache. Its ruined my life x

[shali1981]

I am the same. Only discharged from hospital today with tramadol. My partner is exhausted with our 21month old daughter who is up all night teething and I can't help. X

[Amb43]

Am with you ladies on that one. Never in my life thought I would be taking morphine x

[stephchad]

Right with you all on this one, and since January mine has taken a turn for the worse. Im getting pain so extreme that my body goes into shock, my arms, legs, hands. feet, head and upper abdomen spasm and cramp and get pins and needles or go numb, and the doctors still insist that paracetamol is my answer, because the asprin I was taking gave me gastritis, and codine and tramadol have no effect.

What I will tell you all that obviously I have been sick for quite a while (Im sure this story sounds familiar, right?) and I keep pushing for some answers with the doctors.

With research, it seems that endometriosis very seldom arrives by itself.

The reason you have it is because

A: it is hereditory, or

B: you damaged your immune system in some way.

If your immune system was working correctly, those cells would never have been able to get a hold in the first place.

There are many ways that this could happen. Extreme stress, anti-biotics, vaccinations, poor diet etc.

I am sure that soon they will class Endometriosis as an auto immune desease or auto immune defect.

Auto immune deseases never arrive alone, and chances are what you are feeling and what you are going through are probably several different illnesses all at once. It is difficult because most auto immune deseases display the same common symptoms.

I wont bore you with all of my symptoms because they are legion, but as they advanced, certain symtoms worsened and more arrived, until when I wrote them all down, it sounded like I was a hyperchondriac or just making it up.

With pushing for answers despite the usual reaction of "oh you must be depressed, take an anti-depressant" I am finally starting to get somewhere.

I have surgery booked with a specialist surgeon for Endometriosis. Did you know that we have these? I was told that mine was not operable, and to take lupron for six months, and as I wanted to try for a child, hurry up and get pregnant, then have everything removed.

I have stage 4 recto vaginal with obliteration of the pouch of douglas, and this surgeon plans to remove as much as he can safely. It has risks, but at worst I will have to have a colostomy bag for several months if they have to cut the bowel. But not able to pee, not able to go to the loo without unspeakable pain and not able to have sex with my husband, I am very happy to take that risk.

I am also being investigated by a rhumatologist, who thinks that I most likely have fybromialgia, but it may also be lupus (still awaiting results). He was able to recommend a drug that has much improved my insommnia.

Comlaining of pain in a specific area, I was finally sent for an ultrasound on the upper abdomen and found out that I was born with one horse-she-shaped kidney which is in totally the wrong place (right of my stomach).

My advice to you is firstly to change your way of thinking. This didnt "happen" to you. Unwittingly we have probably done this to ourselves. Once you take responsibility, read as much as you can about the immune system, how it functions and how it effects your body when it malfunctions.

Diet, mental status and exercise play a huge role in our bodies. There is an author called Carolyn Levett that has published two books that I found incredibly useful. The titles are:

Reclaim your life - Your guide to aid healing of Endometriosis

Receipes for the Endometriosis Diet

This author write from experience as she has Endometriosis.

The book I found most useful for the immune system is called: The Immune System Cure by Lorna R Vanderhaeghe and Patrick J D Bouic PhD.

This will sound lame, but diet, defeated mental state and lack of exercise is causing a bad situation to become unbearable for us all.

We all need to take responsibility for ourselves. Take responsibility for what we eat, how we face these issues and our own lives and however difficult or painful, we need to exercise. Walking, swimming and bycycling being the best for our condition.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Regards

Stephanie

[classiebird in reply to stephchad]

Oh thanks Stephanie, all very helpful. I do believe endo is classed as an autoimmune disease now. Or at least all the research points in that direction hence the lack of treatment. All autoimmune diseases have rubbish treatment plans most focus on relief. Looks like we'll just have to carry on

[Hidden]

I know how you feel... i feel like a druggie druged up on painkillers all the time

[Lilyloulou]

Hi I feel your pain too. Tramadol helps but then I can't focus and I fall asleep all the time. Needing something that really does take the constant pain.

[wp22]

Tramodol is what I live on but sick of the constant high it makes me feel all day, every day x