hi! I have simtpoms of endometriosis since 2 yeаrs. i have pain 10 days before my periods starts and hard pain furst day of my menstruation. i pass out because of my pain. my mother think that i'm hypochondriac, because i think my pain isn't normal. i can't go on school and i can't even walk. my tighs hurts, i have also rectal pain, diarrhea, pain during sex. so i'm very tired during the half of a month. i take painkillers but nothing helps. i took contraceptives for 1 year - they did't help also.
My mother refused laparoscopy, because she think that everything is on my head. so i'm asking you because i'm bored. i think when the blood test become available to do it. do you think this test will give me reliable results?
thanks in advance
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alex_on
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If you read up on the blood test it'll tell you the percentage it reports to be accurate, so you can make an informed decision when it becomes available. From memory it has a decent reliablility but isn't 100%, as with most things.
All the evidence out there points to blood tests not being a definitive way to diagnose endometriosis. See this post published by Endometriosis UK in response to the blood test news.
Yes it could work and may show you could have indicators but you'll have no idea of what the severity / extent of it is. Plus it costs which isn't fair if it's to help diagnose something, it should just be readily available if it's that amazing at diagnosing something so severe.
The only way to diagnose endometriosis currently and to be certain is by a diagnostic laparoscopy with an endometriosis specialist. They can see the endo, where it is, how much there is and what it's doing to your organs, You seem to have all the symptoms that a specialist would be looking for. Have you thought about recording your symptoms? It's really useful to track stuff and explain to a GP or specialist. Use a month a page sort of thing, diary / app / printed, whatever works! On it record your symptoms, where it is, how painful, type of pain, any medication including painkillers, heat packs, etc, mark on it your period, flow, how heavy, add in when you think ovulation would be (if not on contraceptives), mark any spotting, when you've had sex, any symptoms after. I've found it really useful to put how I'm feeling each day - for example; tired, stressed, worried, just generally feeling down. It sounds weird but to have stuff marked out as you go through each month can show up patterns and it's something you can actually show to a doctor.
It's difficult when you have family who don't understand; my family for years just told me it's normal and everyone has painful periods, that we're meant to just get on with life. Well it is not normal! And I so wish I'd known and pushed that point much sooner.
You can have a look at amazon for some books, to help with reading and understanding what to do next, there's lots on amazon. My faves are:
Endometriosis: The Experts’ Guide to Treat, Manage and Live Well with Your Symptoms
The Doctor Will See You Now: Recognizing and Treating Endometriosis
Living Well with Endometriosis: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know
Maybe get the first one, and have a read then encourage your mother to read it, if she's into reading, there's a kindle version too, it may help both of you understand what you're going through and what to do next. Just remember it's as much a learning curve for her as it is for you - she wouldn't want you to be ill and may not know what to do to help so she may feel lost. I'm going to give a copy to my parents when I visit them!
Unfortunately, in my country there is no endometriosis specialist. Before two weeks i went to gyn and he tought me that i'm too young for endo. I'm 16 and I know it's possible. That's why I hope for this test. I use blank, I found it in endometriosis.org and i write my sympoms there. i will see another Gyn soon so i will show him my recording sympotms. I will hope to pay attention to me. The problem is that my mother will not agree laparoscopy. I know that this test what the severity is, but if the test confirm endo, my mother will agree for laparoscopy.
I hope you get some sort of answer. Do consider though if your mother agrees, one form of treatment for now is hormones (contraceptive pill - but it has so many other uses), most doctors prescribe it to teenagers because laparoscopies are invasive at such a young age. It obviously doesn't give you a diagnosis, but it could be something you could consider for the moment as it will slow your possible endo growth, control your symptoms and your periods, which could give you the time to just be normal for a while until you're old enough to decide what's best for you. Sometimes when we live at home we kind of have to listen to parents - I hope you find a good specialist whom can explain what you're going through to your mother. It's good that you know something's not right so keep pushing for that diagnosis!
See if you can get any books online - if you can order them, or even just read up on the net, the endometriosis org website you've used and I've mentioned has lots of info too.
My mother wouldn't even acknowledge I had painful periods, so I just struggled through school with no help, I didn't know what was wrong, she just said all our family have that so just deal with it - periods aren't talked about in our culture, or any sort of sex education. When I got to uni and talked to other women I worked out this really isn't normal so I found a GP and they put me on the pill which was amazing, helped my studies, controlled my period and symptoms for about 10 years.
I took contraceptives much than 1 year. they did't help me and I have headache... and i don't have other option. stronger painkillers did't help also. that's why im so insistant, becouse i can't live with this pain anymore.
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What do you use to manage your pain?
What remarks do people say that annoy you?
Worried about my diagnostic laparoscopy - do you think I have endo? 
What pain relief do you use? Also, sickness with endo?
