My endometriosis story

It is endometriosis month and I have been a bad blogger. There is nothing to write about. I am on the pill. I am waiting for IVF. Instead I thought I would write about endometriosis and how it has affected me in all aspects of life, not only fertility.

I have always had painful periods, I used to throw up every month, I would get through so many tampons and pads. In the end I went to the doctors at the age of 16 and asked to go on the pill. This was for two reasons; I had met my DH (i was 16, he was 19 when we started going out) and I had heard that the pill controls periods.

The pill helped for a while, but the pain was still bad each month. One month I was in so much pain I went to my doctor, I got rushed to A&E as had a suspected appendix about to blow. My appendix was fine, but I was booked in for a gynae appointment. I had a laparoscpy in 2004 and was diagnosed with stage IV endometriosis. I had the endo lasered and was told I would need a repeat in 2 years. I was a vet school at the time and decided to get through finals. DH and I got married and we talked about starting a family. By then my periods had got so unbearable, I was in so much pain, vomiting a lot of the time and could hardly cope. I came off the pill anyway, we started TTC, but after 6 months the pain was so bad I had my 2nd lap. I went through 6 months of injections to suppress my ovaries and endo and had a 3rd lap in Nov 2009. The lap was a big one, I took a while to recover, but eventually I came off the pill. We tried to get pregnant for 2 months, but the pain has been so terrible, I have had to go back on the pill. I have been approved for IVF on the NHS so we are waiting for a date, will most probably be in the summer.

Endometriosis has ruined my fallopian tubes. They are dilated and blocked. It doesn't look like I will be able to get pregnant. My fertility is screwed up due to endo, but so is a lot of my personal life and my sex life. I missed out a lot of nights out with friends due to being in so much pain, I lost friends as they did not understand the pain I was in, and I missed a lot of time off uni and work due to my pain. My sex life has also suffered. Sex is so painful a lot of the time. There are certain positions I cant do and a lot of the time I have to turn my DH down due to pain. I feel bad when I turn DH down. Thankfully he is so wonderful, so understanding and so supportive.

I just hope I can give him the baby he deserves and the baby I long for.

Endometriosis has ruined my life, ruined my fertility, causes me so much pain and upset. I do not wish it on my worst enemy. The fact it is an incurable disease and I am facing a hysterectomy at the age of 35 no doubt, it depresses the fuck out of me!