Older women/endo/perimenopause

[Anastasia17]

Hi all,

1. Care for older women

Hi. What is the care like for older women with endometriosis?

I am forming my impression that we are left to our own devices, long delays between appointments, not taken seriously, the menopause will solve all your problems, appointment cancelled, etc. Or maybe I have got it all wrong?

Do any of you combine perimenopause/endo/ breast cancer in the family? Or am I a single duck in the water? if you have/have had the same experience, please could you let me know how it was treated, if you were taken seriously or not, etc.

Thank you for your help.

[AkiBoo]

Difficult one to say but, my consultant does seem to think once I hit menopause, endo will become a scar tissue and the issue will resolved.

I had to push for my recent laparoscopic surgery otherwise, I would not have had it.

So you could be right, we seem to be left alone.

Although I think as we had endometriosis for a long time, older aged women probably suffer from more severe cases.

I have endo on liver and diaphgram confirmed but my consultant does not want to touch them...

[Anastasia17 in reply to AkiBoo]

Hi Akiboo. Thank you for your reply. It's terrible that we have to fight so much, beyond appalling! I was told recently that I couldn't have a cystoscopy because I was menopausal, this lady GP unfortunately, got it wrong as I am not menopausal. In the end, after a visit to her with my husband, she agreed to it. I have had a cystoscopy under local anaesthetic, but this Consultant has seen a few red patches and has now organised another cystoscopy under general anaesthetics. It may be nothing, possibly endometriosis, but if I hadn't argued and pushed, what could the consequences be long term? Continue fighting for your health, we deserve it! No one should be pushed aside, ignored.

[AkiBoo in reply to Anastasia17]

Yes, agree with you totally about fighting back to this NHS system which does not seem to cater for maybe not only for older womem but also for entire endometriosis population.

Hope you can get the treatment you need, Anastasia17, it is awful to have bladder symptoms.

I had a nodule grew on my bladder which gave me bladder symptoms, really not nice. I still get the symptoms now and then but not as bad as before an excision surgery 3 years ago.

Hope your consultsnt will sort it out for you.

Good luck!

xxx

[Anastasia17 in reply to AkiBoo]

Thank you. Are you under any hormonal treatment? Either for the endo, and/menopause/perimenopause?

At the moment, I have received no treatment for anything, my endo diagnosis is incomplete, ie no level, no location (lap last September, follow up appointment end of Jan). To be put into menopause scares me as I am worried that it's swapping one problem for another. Am I correct in thinking this way? What is your experience on this if you don't mind me asking?

[AkiBoo in reply to Anastasia17]

I have had hormon treatments.

Th very first one was Mirina coil, which I had a new one placed during my op 3 weeks ago.

While I had Mirian coil in, I had Decspeptyl injection, which did givr me a hot flush but I didn't get too much menopausal symptoms.

You can only have the injections so many months but it was so crucial to have them to suppress endo growing before my first excision op.

After the first excision op, Mirins coil was left in and I was taking mini pills like Cerazzet.

I don't seem to suffer too much of menopause while on hormonal treatment. And I guess if pills are to be used, you can come off instsntly.

When I put Mirina coil for the first time, I suffeted with disconfort as I think the hormon was affecting endo growth. But after about 6 month, I felt much better with it.

The only draw back with it was causing some bacterial vagina.

Saying that, I am not suffering from it so far after a new one placed.

It is all up to you but to me, if hormone can suppress endo, I am for it. I am worried endo can grow on my lung as I have it on diaphgram.

I don't know if I am perimenopause as I don't bleed anymore.

When I spoke with a junior Dr before my op, he said people are lIikely to have menopause at the age of ones mother had it.

So I still have 2-3 years until menopause.

[Anastasia17 in reply to AkiBoo]

Thank you for your reply, it's very useful. The hormonal treatment does scare me at the moment.

[AkiBoo in reply to Anastasia17]

You do what you feel is comfortable and right for you, Anastasia17.

Hope all goes well for you.😉