Endometriosis (My Experience Of Endometriosis)

Member Name: pebbles

Product:	My Experience Of Endometriosis
Date:	11/12/00 (485 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: NONE!!!!!

Disadvantages: PAIN, PAIN and more PAIN

If you haven't got it then you probably wouldn't have a clue, unless you are a doctor. If you have then welcome to the club.

I've had this for 7 years and it's been hell on earth. I know I'm not the only one. It's the first time I've talked about it.

It's a painfull illness which is caused by the endometrium (or the lining of the womb). Sorry if I have to get graphic, but if I didn't you wouldn't understand it. This delightful lining is there to protect the womb should we get pregnant, however it also causes a lot of damage and pain. It escapes from the womb, generally via the fallopian tubes and deposits itself around the abdomen or the womb itself. These little deposits(this is a polite word that I will use!) bleed on the outside of the womb every time the lining bleeds inside of the womb. For the boys out there, that means our 'monthlies'.

It's a vicious cycle, each time you bleed, these blighters bleed and increase as they have nowhere to escape to. The more they amass the more damage they can do, infertility, tremendous pain, tiredness(no wonder if both lots are bleeding!) bloated tummy, mood swings(more release of hormones) constipation, diarrohoea...etc etc.

There is no cure as yet. The remedies to control it are laser treatment or drugs or a hysterectomy. You could use alternative therapy but they help your general well being rather than the 'condition'.

There is an excellent doctor in Oxford who has been researching this condition for many years. I hope that he succeeds and helps anyone who is new to the illness.

I've had 5 operations in 7 years, drugs galore, 3 blood clots and endless tears of frustration and pain and anguished words of ' I wish it would end' Anyone out there who has it, will know exactly what I am saying!

I never talk about it to anyone who doesn't know me, as no one even understands what on earth i
t is, and it takes ages to explain it all. Instead I have to pretend that the pain isn't really there, I'm not finding it hard to get up the stairs, I'm not wanting to cry, and I'm not frustrated that there is no cure.

The best way to hold it at bay is to have a baby. yes I've just done that, but it creeps back and I can't have babies non stop can I. Besides with this condition there is no guarantee you can have a baby, it does a lot of damage that prevents this happening.

Does anyone else have this illness? Don't feel you have to cope with on your own.

The people that know me well only have to look at my face to know when it is bad. I'm excused when I need to have a warm bath(this is a great help) and I often get a cuddle when I need a bit of comfort.

I'm now on a new experiement that may help a lot of sufferers. It's the 'Mirena Coil'. Sounds awful but it has stopped the pain. This coil releases hormones into the womb which makes it think it is pregnant and stops the lining being released, which is half the problem of this condition. The hormones are not released outside of the womb so there aren't awful side effects. The bleeding takes time to stop obviously as it takes time to kick in.

It has helped a great deal and can stay in place for 5 years, with 6 monthly checks to make sure you are ok internally.

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