Moderate endometriosis and fertility worries

[XHollyX]

Hi everyone, I had a diagnostic laparoscopy last month and they discovered that I had a moderate case of endometriosis. It was pretty much confined to my pelvic cavity, except for a 9.7cm cyst and a few tiny specks of endometriosis on my right ovary. They drained the cyst and cleared my pelvis and decided to treat me with 4 months' worth of Prostap injections. I've been researching a lot about endometriosis since being diagnosed and have come across a lot of (sometimes conflicting) information about it. One thing I've become very worried about though is having fertility issues in the future. I've read that although it can be more difficult for women with endometriosis to conceive, most women do manage to conceive naturally or with the help of various treatments/IVF. The doctors said that my ovaries are healthy and my tubes are clear, and initially I thought that meant that infertility wouldn't be an issue for me. That is, until I started coming across theories that suggest that toxins caused by endometriosis may be one of the culprits for fertility issues. That freaked me out quite a bit.

I'm just wondering; judging by the nature of my situation (healthy ovaries/clear tubes/no scarring etc), is it likely that I won't have issues? I've really wanted to have a baby for a while now. I'd love to within the next few years or so. I have exactly the same symptoms as my mum did when she had periods, and my sister has the same symptoms as I do, so it seems likely that endometriosis runs in my family. I'd kind of hoped that because my mum managed to have three children with (potentially) endometriosis, it would mean that I won't have problems either. Is this quite an ignorant thought process? Could anyone shed some light on the issue? It'd be really appreciated. Thanks

[givemeananswer]

Hello XHollyX,

I am curious, by your pic you appear quite young.

Also how did you manage on the prostrap for side effects?

I've read on webmd that GnRH treatment treats endometriosis, but from this site I understand that it's only a temporary effect much like pregnancy and once your ovary function returns the endometriosis is reawakened.

I can tell you that I had no difficulty conceiving but I don't know the extent of endometriosis I had at the time because I wasn't' officially diagnosed till 4 years after having my 2 children.

We are all unique creatures however but from the sounds of things your doctor's don't see that you'd have any issues.

There are many theories about the cause, the toxins I think your refferring to are dioxin. But why does this scare you? It seems you more likely inherrited the gene.

I try to refrain from harsh chemicals ie cleaning sprays, fragrances and I would recommend you check into what foods you should be avoiding to help keep your endometriosis under control, as least for as much as wecan possibly can.

Have they discussed what to do following the prostrap injections yet? There is some good information on this board to research before you go with the doctors recommendation.

[XHollyX in reply to givemeananswer]

Hi, thanks for the reply Yes, from what I understand the injections stop the ovaries' production of oestrogen, which causes a temporary menopause. My doctor hopes it will starve the endometriosis and maybe stop it from coming back. I'd hoped it would get rid of it for good, but from what I've read that isn't a given. If mine is hereditary then I don't really see how the injections will stop it from coming back. I think my doctor also wants me to have them to stop the cyst from growing back (as they only drained it).

I haven't really had any side effects yet, apart from a low mood at times. I only had my first injection two weeks ago and am currently having the period from hell. I've read that the period after the first injection can be really horrible. I wish I'd known that beforehand :/

Also, I'm 21. The pic is a couple of years old and I've always had a very young looking face. Discovering that I have endometriosis hasn't fully sunk in yet, so I'm still in a worried/unsure/shocked sort of phase. I've also read others' experiences of issues they've faced with endometriosis, and that hasn't really helped my worries.

Thanks a lot for your advice. I've been researching natural ways to manage endometriosis in the last few days. I read that vitamin B is good for the pain and helping to balance hormones, as well as certain herbal treatments. I'll definitely be looking into eating more of certain foods.

No, they haven't discussed that with me yet. I'm considering going on the pill after the injections though, just to ensure that there isn't much opportunity for the endometriosis to come back. What do you find are really effective ways to manage it?

[givemeananswer in reply to XHollyX]

I misunderstood ,I thought you already had 4 months worth of injections, but when considering the pill please read the response I got from the member Impatient if you search "I don't get it" here in the endo forum. A lot of doctors will prescribe combo pills but that's not a good way to go for us warriors from what I understand.

To manage I have just started avoiding meat that may have been raised with antibiotics or hormones, eggs, dairy, soy is apparently really bad for us, cut out gluten this is an interesting one because you'll find if you look at the Gluten Free Guerrillas forum here that a lot of them also seem to suffer from endometriosis. And adding more omega 3's from fish or fish oil capsules. Some women like evening primrose oil. Basically for now I'm doing this for more than this one reason I am 50 years old and have recently been told to lower my triglycerides and cholesterol as well so I'm starting with just vegetables a little fruit and fish, walnuts, almonds, beans for protein. I've lowered my weight in two weeks by 5 pounds just doing this and I'm not starving myself. Bonus! Cause I can afford to lose about 20.(I'm from Canada BTW so we use lbs. instead of stones). We store estrogen in our body fat too but judging by your pic this isn't an issue for you.

There is no cure yet but we have to be advocates for finding proper doctors who understand the disease and we have have to be a lot more conscientious

of what we put in our bodies. I'm sorry if I'm the one telling you this for the first time. It's nice that with today's technology we can be more informed though through web sites forums like this and facebook and instagram. There are a lot of us out there I didn't have this when it was discovered with me, but I sure appreciate it now.

Take care , XHollyX Hugs, givemeananswer

[givemeananswer in reply to XHollyX]

Thought I should pass this on Impatient just informed me in reply to one of my posts that evening primrose oil is not a good choice as it raises estrogen, I tried it and my symptoms got worse too so I layed off of it but it is as well as a lot of other natural supplements recommended for endo but they are not all good.

[XHollyX in reply to givemeananswer]

Oh right, I see. Thanks for letting me know. And thanks for all the info further up. It definitely is the first time I've heard a lot of that. Thank goodness for the internet :') I've ordered a book called Take Control of Your Endometriosis (Henrietta Norton) that's apparently really good, and I'm going on a big food shopping spree tomorrow, so hopefully a changed diet and lifestyle will make a difference.

Thanks again for all your advice Take care.