Forty Years Without Answers

I've been suffering since I was twelve. For the longest time, I thought having periods that are so heavy you have to change the tampon every hour for seven to nine days was normal. That was just my lot. A LONG time.

When I received my diagnosis

At age forty, I got the most excruciating cyst on an ovary. It was so large, it caused my ovary to fall over. When I had that removed, that's when I got my diagnosis. But they weren't clear about it. They just said, "You have severe endometriosis. Your bowel is fused to your uterus." I went into early menopause and didn't do the research.

It only got worse for me

I felt relieved. I thought it would go away. It did not go away. I took NSAIDS until I ended up with a duodenal ulcer that almost killed me. Literally. Then I got diagnosed with GERD. I don't know what made me look up endometriosis and GERD, but suddenly all the pieces came together.

Finding my care team

I've now found a clinic that specializes in endometriosis, and I'll be getting surgery sometime this year. The plan is a full hysterectomy and possibly a bowel resection with a look-see at everything else. This is on the heels of a phyllodes tumor that resulted in the removal of my right breast. I wish I had known to look sooner, because clearly, primary care physicians have no idea about differential diagnosis. I wish I could get a TV doctor. They always know everything. LOL. Here's hoping things work out for the better.