Hi, I've recently been diagnosed with Endomtriosis in January, I'm having an laparoscopy early April and just wanted to share and not feel so isolated with the situation I'm currently in.
I'm 23, and have had terrible periods since they started when I was 13. It was a year ago when I went to my GP with really bad pain symptoms, heavy bleeding and floods, pain during and after sex as well as bleeding. It took around 8 months for the GP to refer me to an gynaecologist and in my view that was because of my age. Just to note my body doesn't meet the doctors guidelines about what I should have at my age, as I had my gall bladder removed when I was 16 due to it failing and just not working. So its very frustrating when doctors say 'oh but your young' and dismiss symptoms which are apparent.
When I was sent to the gynaecologist I had a ultrasound which shown a chocolate cyst of 5cm, which has bleed out and re-grown over itself and from a scan last week is 8cm, I also have a fluid cyst on my left ovary of 4cm. An internal examination showed something on the lining of the neck of my womb but the gynae just mentioned it was 'something' and said it would be removed in my laparoscopy. The pain has been terrible, I'm taking paracetamol and Tramadol but this only takes the edge of the pain, water bottles help sometimes, is there anything else I could do at home for the pain?
Also, I'd been diagnosed with IBS since I was 19 and it appeared that these symptoms can now be related to the endo. I also recently have been getting such bloating and swelling, I've tried to stay away from bread and pasta etc but I'm still bloated, is there any dietary options anyone has used to help with this?
And lastly my main concern is over my fertility, I'm currently not looking to start my family and with all of these cysts and complications being at such a young age my worry is over my ability to get pregnant in later life. Would just love to hear some positive things concerning fertility and endo, no matter how small.
Thanks for reading, and I'm sorry its more like an essay than a post