Hello all, I'm new here as have recently been diagnosed with endo through laparoscopy. This may be quite a long post but please could people read it because I have a symptom that is never mentioned on these sites and I'm getting really concerned that no treatment is getting rid of it.
I feel like my experience up to getting the diagnosis was unique, as I have done a lot of searching on here and can't find anything about the symptoms I've had.
Let me explain... About 4/5 months ago I started to feel a cold/burning/throbbing sensation 'up there', the only way I could describe it was that it felt like it was the beginning of cystitis. It wasn't a constant sensation that was always there, it would come on a few times a day, and was very uncomfortable causing me to squirm in my seat at work. It wasn't cystitis because I went to the doc for a check and I was able to go to the toilet fine.
The burning sensation went on for a few weeks and I did leave it hoping it would go away, it didn't of course (still no troubles weeing and no pain during). So that's how I ended up at the gynaecologist (a very good one). She examined me and told me that I had Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and prescribed me 2 oral antibiotics and 1 cream to put 'up there' every night for a week- strong stuff basically.
After this week I still had the burning symptom, perhaps not as bad, but I was still getting the burning pain. So when I went back to her I told her this. She examined me and said it looks great up there, the infection has cleared etc. She said if I told her I was feeling fine then she would send me away and that's that. But, because I was still feeling this weird symptom she suggested further examination, a scan or laparoscopy. I chose the lap.
So, couple months ago I had the laparoscopy. She diagnosed me with endometriosis. I had grade 2 endo in 3 places on my ovaries, and grade 1 on other areas in my pelvis (I saw photos and there was a lot of increased vascularity all over). She removed the endo on the ovaries.
Now, I want to say here that my periods have always generally been ok and quite normal. I do get period pains every month for the first two days and they can be quite painful but I wouldn't say anything out of the ordinary. Anyway, I do have endometriosis and I saw her 3 weeks later to discuss further treatment. Now I thought that after the surgery maybe the endo was the cause of my burning feeling and that it would go. It didn't, and was pretty upsetting. I told her I was still getting the burning feeling, she said I definitely don't have the PID anymore as I look really healthy in there. She said she reckons the burning was a mixture of the PID and the endo. She prescribed me the contraceptive pill (3 months on at a time, then 1 week break etc) and told me the pill will clear me all up inside and stop the endo coming back.
Also..I seem to have had a lot of discharge since the op (anyone else have that??). Sex has been a little painful (before and after op) too.
So I have now taken 2 pill packets back to back so far (took the pill at exactly same time everyday). In the middle of the second pack my period has decided to show up!! It seems to be a fairly heavy period (I thought the pill should make it lighter?). What I'm about to say now is really gross, here goes........ this morning in my knickers there was a fairly big blob of fleshy stuff which was covered in blood but I moved it with a tissue and it looked like flesh/tissue and was solid matter, it was not blood. What is that?? I have looked that up and I hear it is normal in periods sometimes. Never had it before though! Anyway, period is here and I'm afraid I still have the burning sensation. Compared to 4 months ago nowhere near as bad, but its there and no treatment (antibiotics, laparoscopy, pill) seems to be getting rid of it. I will be going back to the gynae in couple of months for check up but I want to know if anyone else has this.
If ANYONE can shed ANY light on what is going on I would be so grateful. I'm concerned about the burning, the painful sex, the constant discharge etc.
Thank you so much in advance x