Hi Everyone,
This is a long one but I hope it helps someone out there who may be on the same journey!
From my first period when I was 11 I had long heavy painful periods, It would wipe me out, I was told that it was normal and that periods were painful and that as a young lady I needed to get on with my day, go to school do PE and not complain. Take some paracetamol for the cramps and pain.
My periods weren't regular, I could have periods that last days, weeks, months and I could have a week, day or months off from having a period too; as I got older and the more periods I had they became more intense with pain. My mom eventually took me to see my GP, a registrar who I saw when I was 16 told me It would be a miracle if I had children with no real explanation as to why, and being 16 I didn't ask questions. He was a doctor in my eyes and he knew best. At this point I had an ultrasound and as I was 16 didn't have my mom with me. I was devastated but became accustomed to the fact I would never be a mother of my own biological children.
Between the ages of 14 and now, I have tried contraceptive pills, injection, implantation, coils and nothing stopped my periods and they seemed to make me feel worse.
Through my late teens and early 20's I started getting recurrent Pelvic Infections after having a period and I was left in absolute agony. I had miscarriage after miscarriage and it became so hard on my body and heart I honestly considered never having sex again. It was just all too painful the physical side of it and the emotional side of it.
When I was 24 I got pregnant with my son, he's 10 today and I thank whatever god or universe allowed my body to carry him to a healthy term! When my periods returned they were even worse than before, so I tried the copper coil, this made my periods heavier. I then got an infection from the coil and I was hospitalised with the coil needing to be cut out as there was so much swelling it couldn't just be pulled.
After not having any contraception for a while and letting my body just get on with what it was doing, I was blessed with a second son. Again it was another miracle. I shouldn't of been able to have one let alone 2 children!
After 10 months, the pain from periods again and infections got so intense my pelvis was broken, it was swollen constantly, it was painful to move, I spent days in bed crying from pain, I couldn't enjoy my family or anything else, I became severely depressed and anxious, I wouldn't go for meals for the embarrassment of not being able to sit on a chair because of the pain, I was taking months at a time off work. I was put on the pill, started co-codamol and naproxen, this then moved onto tramadol, morphine, naproxen, Gabapentin, amitriptyline all at the same time just to be able to get out of bed and take the kids to school and try and work. I had to drop my hours at work too because I couldn't sit for long periods of time.
My periods were now ailing my pelvis, going to the toilet for either number 1 or 2 would make me scream in pain, I had pain in my stomach, my back, the pain would send shooting pains up my back and down my legs, I had recurrent falls, falling down the stairs, while I was shopping because I had just been in so much pain for so long my body just stopped fighting. I even asked my GP to put me into a medically induced coma until it was solved and sorted. (They didn't 😂)
I had a lap on mother's day 2 years ago, I was told that they couldn't find endo, there was nothing wrong with me. A woman surgeon stood there shrugged her shoulders and said there is nothing wrong with you, there is no reason for you to be under our service. Maybe you need help from the mental health trust! 4 weeks later I was sent to the emergency Gynae clinic, where a Dr there referred me back to the consultant to have prostrap injections to induce menopause, low and behold the pain started to subside after about 4 months of having no periods, I had the nerves burned in my coccyx around the 4 month period and the pain just started to vanish.
After waiting a year to be seen by the consultant, a month ago, I was told from the consultant that I have Adenomyosis, and enlarged 'angry' vessels that sit around my uterus. The appointment was 5 minutes long. She took one look at my lap results and said that it was Adeno and that I had options. I took the hysterectomy. After 21 years of pain and agony and being told to see mental health professionals, I was told that I wasn't insane. That there was a reason for it all.
Now I go to the gym, I've lost 2 stone, I can enjoy time with my kids, I have a job that I can work full time in and love, go for meals and dancing with friends. I have my life back.
Please keep fighting for your body. Don't give up. You know yourself better than any doctor. If something isn't right fight for what you need and deserve.
Sending Love to all those still fighting.
Xxx
Endometriosis & Adenomyosis... Endo Removed but still struggling!
Adenomyosis
Finally, diagnosis, Endo on both ovaries.
Endometriosis/adenomyosis specialist - Herts/London
New diagnosis how to cope? General advice
