Do I have endometriosis?
Hello. My name is Melody. I am 20 years old. I have been struggling with figuring out what is going on with me. As this is a site with many diagnosed endometriosis women, I want to know what you all think of my situation based on your symptoms. As a teen, I had heavy, painful periods. I started birth control at 18. My periods lightened at first, but are now back heavier and longer than ever before. I am fatigued to the point that I can sleep for over eight hours and still feel tired. My body aches, especially in my pelvic area. Going to the bathroom has been painful during my periods. It was not until recently my cramps take my breath away. I have vomited before due to cramps.
I went to the doctor recently and she gave me all kinds of blood tests. My thyroid is fine. She is convinced I am depressed and not sleeping at all, but I know that is not the case. I am going to get a pelvic ultrasound soon but don't know if that is the right path to take. I have a family history of uterine fibroids, PCOS, and endometriosis. Thoughts?
, thanks for reaching out. I am sorry you’re having to suffer through all of these symptoms, they sound very disrupting. We are not doctors, so we can’t give you any medical advice, but we can speak from our own experience. I have been told before that my symptoms were due to stress, depression etc. And it was really frustrating to hear this. From my experience, it’s important to speak to either a doctor who knows about endometriosis or the other illnesses you mention or see an endometriosis specialist. You are going down the right path, with the ultrasounds. If they find nothing, consider searching for a specialist. Nancy’s Nook on Facebook is a great place to go when seeking a supportive health professional.
I hope this helps 😀 - Jessie (team member)
, thank you so much for your comment. It's comforting to know that it is possible to find answers. I appreciate your advice! 
Hi
, you are so welcome and we're so glad you reached out to us. Seconding what Jessie said above, we are not doctors and cannot give medical advice but I wanted to leave an article or two here with you that discusses bladder and bowel problems, both common known issues with endometriosis. https://endometriosis.net/symptoms/bowel-bladder-problem <- this one discusses both general overview of bladder and bowel problems. -> this one speaks directly to bladder pain https://endometriosis.net/living/bladder-pain. This article is a general overview of symptoms related to endometriosis, including fatigue which is a very common symptom of endo ->https://endometriosis.net/symptoms. I really hope this information helps and at any point while you're reading, please feel free to search around the site and research. If you have any questions about anything you read, we're here for you! Thinking of you this afternoon 💛 Kayleigh, Endometriosis.net team
, your articles were so helpful. Thank you! 😊 I do have some more questions for you or others to answer. I typed them above but don't think they posted. Is laparoscopy the only way to diagnose endo? What if you cannot get a laparoscopy but have symptoms of endo? Can endo be found in a pelvic ultrasound?
Hi
I'm so glad the articles were helpful. Laparoscopy isn't the only way to diagnose endo but it is the gold standard. The biggest thing you want to do in any situation is document everything and tell your Doctor everything. The more your doctor knows about what you are experiencing, the better. It's possible that a pelvic ultrasound can detect some endo issues but again, as of right now, laparoscopy is the gold standard. I'm including another article about the whole process of getting diagnosed and what the usual steps are. I hope it helps answer your questions a bit more in-depthly. https://endometriosis.net/diagnosis. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with 💛 Kayleigh, Endometriosis.net team
