| Product: |
My Experience Of Endometriosis |
| Date: |
30.01.08 (94 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Can make you infertile, is painful, draining and affects your relationship
As long as I could remember I had experienced difficult and painful menstruation. In my twenties and thirties an undiagnosed Thyroid condition finally received treatment and many of my menstruating problems eased and were put down to my thyroid. The thyroid condition reoccurred a couple of times until eventually I underwent radioactive iodine treatment and this seemed to finally get things under control.
However in the mid 1980's my periods became even more difficult. Being in my mid to late thirties by then the Doctors considered that I was having an early menopause or was just a baby. Eventually I returned to my GP'S again, however this time I found a much younger, more up to the minute doctor who referred me to the local gynae hospital. Initially a young trainee doctor, having remarked that I looked very well, and done the dreaded internal examination, told me that nothing appeared untoward. As I told him, 'I looked well as I has just returned from two weeks abroad and had a lovely tan'. Wouldn't you look well? I had however bled for the two weeks and this to say the least had put a dampener on things.
The consultant agreed to admitting me for day surgery for a laporoscopy. This examination under general anaesthetic was keyhole, day surgery and enabled the surgeon to view inside and around my womb. After the surgery I was asked to return in three weeks to the outpatients for the results. I knew this meant that nothing serious had been found and was almost expecting them to refer me to another department. I was quite shocked when I returned and was told that I had a mild to moderate case of endometriosis. Having no idea what this condition was I was given some leaflets, had a further appointment made and was asked to return to discuss the alternatives as far as treatment went.
This is what I have learnt about endometriosis:-
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The medical world is unsure why some women develop this condition. However it is nothing you have or have not done.
When you menstruate each month the patches of endometriosis that you have will bleed also. These may be outside of the womb and can even be on other organs or in the lungs.
When these bleed where there is nowhere for the blood to flow away they can cause what are called 'chocolate cysts'. These can cause further problems by eventually bursting.
If you have endometriosis you may be infertile. However women who have had children can develop it.
Once oestrogen levels decline with the menopause or by treatment these patches shrink away.
Some people with bad endometriosis have few symptoms whilst others whose condition is not so bad may have extreme pain and heavy bleeding.
Marilyn Monroe was a sufferer and apparently would scream in pain.
There is an endometriosis society. I saw their details on the hospital leaflets and joined for a while. They provided much more information than the hospital did.
Treatments
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Having returned to the outpatients I was given a few choices. These days doctors are reluctant to carry out an hysterectomy unless it is essential. If you have an hystero-salpingo-oopherectomy, or total hysterectomy, you will not be able to take HRT. Now since writing this review a reader has queried this statement, however that is what I was told. I have taken the statement below from a website relating to endometriosis:-
'Some women chose, as a last resort to have a hysterectomy. However, this does not guarantee complete pain relief. If you opt for a hysterectomy it is important that all the endometriosis is removed at the same time'
This is the problem that, although your womb may be removed, it is not always possible to remove all of the endometriosis patches. They could be in your bowel or attached to your bowel for example. Of course due to the various surgical procedures and the hysterectomy most sufferes have scar tisses and adhesions also.
My doctor tells me that with most HRT treatments there is the chance that the endometriosis will return so I cannot take such treatment to ease the menopause. However the menopause is bliss after all those horrendous periods. Still damn those hormones. Also some endo patients are offered a partial hysterectomy were the ovaries are left in place.
I was offered initially a course of hormone treatment which was an absolute pain. I had a constant period for six months, suffered depression and generally felt moody. When this treatment finished I was offered a different course of hormones. This involved an injection once a month for six months. The injection was Zoladex, it is also used to treat men with prostate cancer and was injected in my belly. I dreaded these and would come home black and blue until one kind doctor used a local anaesthetic first.
This treatment gave me a temporary menopause for the six months and was almost heaven. The problem was I had the hot flushes, mood swings and weight gain associated with the menopause. This treatment also weakens bones which is only partially recovered when the treatment stops. The beauty was no periods for six months though.
The first period after treatment ceased was hell and then things settled down. Everything seemed fine for about ten years but with the onset of the menopause I begun having further problems. I will not go into details other than to say my periods were excessively heavy. I will let you use your imagination. I became terribly anaemic and was referred back to my gynaecologist. I went in for a further laproscopy and at the same time I had a hysteroscopy, D and C and microwave ablation. This microwave ablation is something fairly new. Ten years earlier I had enquired about this and was told it was not available and not that good anyway. How times change.
I went in as a day patient and as usual was not very well. I always struggle a lot with anaesthetics. However I was home the same day. Initially I had a few problems with some strange looking discharges and then nothing. My age and this treatment has finally, hopefully, seen this condition off.
Advice
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Overall my advice if you have such problems is don't let your doctor poo poo you. YOU know how you feel. Endometriosis cannot be seen on an ultrasound or x ray. It has to be seen as via a laporoscopy. Although as far as I am aware this condition is not life threatening it can certainly screw your life up. It can make sex painful and so affect relationships etc.
I read somewhere that most patients are suffering with this condition for about seven years before they are diagnosed and that was me. If you go to your doctor and he says it is nothing believe him. However if the symptoms continue return and demand investigations. The sooner you start a course of treatment the better. Endometriosis can affect your life in so many ways the sooner you get sorted the better.
Thanks for Reading and Good Luck
(C) Eiley 2008
Summary: It's great to be middle aged
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