I KNEW something was wrong.. my pain was not normal
I was a late bloomer. I didn't get my period until I was 16, this probably isn't related to endometriosis but it's a fact.
Almost from my first period on, I would get violently sick every month during my period. I would have severe cramping to the point I would sometimes pass out, vomiting, and for days did little more than lay on my bathroom floor or in my tub. I missed school and as a young adult, I would miss work as well.
My period was always so heavy that even overnight pads only lasted two hours or so, and my period was never on time, always late or sometimes I would skip entirely. I knew my friends were not like this and when I began seeing a gynecologist, I expressed to her these issues and my fear that something was wrong.
The doctor at the time said I was fine, I just had rough periods and that it was completely normal. For months and then years I insisted something was wrong with me, this couldn't be normal and it fell on deaf ears. Upon getting married, I also found that sex was painful to the point I rarely enjoyed it and we tried everything to remedy this. I told my doctor and she said I needed to try condoms with more lubrication even though this was not the kind of pain I was having. Frustrated and still struggling with all these issues, I changed to a new doctor who immediately said, 'let me run some tests'. I cried the entire visit because the relief that someone believed me and was going to listen and try to help me was so amazing.
She ran tests and confirmed it's endometriosis.
I'm 30 now and I still struggle off and on with all my symptoms that have plagued me since 16, including ones that I developed more recently. My husband and I are in year 3 of struggling to conceive naturally but my doctor is planning on IVF or another form of fertility aide. This disease is very much a life sentence and my heart goes out to every woman who suffers from it with me.
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