My Endo Story, Part I

The year was 2009, yes I remember my first memorable flare-up (that's what we in the Endometriosis world call the worst stabbing pain, sitting on the toilet for an hour bleeding profusely - episodes we experience). I was at work at a swim school and I had just finished filling in for a co-workers swim class. During this class a little boy kicked me in the ovary and I immediately felt a sharp pain. Thinking to myself, that this will hurt once I get out, I didn't realize how much it was going to hurt. But I literally thought I was dying.

Me, far left in May 2009 a couple months after first flare-up...apparently I didn't like my picture being taken in 2009 because this is 1 of 2 pictures I found from that year. Thank you, Facebook.

Once I exited the pool, I felt what would normally be a period starting, for me; periods mean  really bad, sometimes incapacitated pain. This time was VERY different, I was bleeding blood clots and felt weak. I had always had heavy periods but this was dark and nothing I had ever experienced before. Since this was new to me, I was freaking out; but in a quiet, how do I not let the whole swim school know that I am in the worst pain I have ever felt and bleeding enough blood to fulfill my whole blood donation quota for a year, way? I remember my mom was out of town and having fun with a girlfriend in her home state and I was trying to be considerate and not freak her out on top of my freak out.

So I did what every early 20-something year old girl did with 3 part time jobs and no insurance right out of college would do (The Affordable Care Act was not a thing yet and I had to be off my parents insurance the moment I graduated college....awesome right?); I called Planned Parenthood. Love them or hate them, they do wonderful work with women who do not have insurance and can't afford a private practice gynecologist.

After my pap smear and blood work with the doctor at Planned Parenthood, she referred me to an imaging place in town that would accept payments due to my lack of insurance.
*Insert Halleujah chorus here*


My blood work came back normal, so there was nothing to be concerned about at the time that was taken to go into any further care. The ultrasound tech, however, did find 2 cysts on my ovaries, which is common for women of childbearing age, so again no need to be alarmed by those. What they figured it was is that I had another cyst and the kid kicking me was the cyst bursting. My treatment plan was birth control and massage therapy to help reduce my stress. While these did help for a bit I could not afford to do them for a long period of time...like I said 3 part time jobs and no insurance, I graduated college at THE worst possible time for healthcare and the economy. As time passed, I started to feel a little better and would be able to detect when I was going to have pain in my abdomen and be able to breathe it out and make sure that I did not experience that type of pain again.

Stay Tuned for Part II....yes this is a 9 year journey; there will be multiple parts.