My name is Rachel and I live in San Diego. Here is a little about my life with endometriosis...
In high school my periods became significantly more painful. I remember thinking to myself “Well everyone gets cramps during their period so this must be normal”. Little did I know, the pain I was experiencing was far from normal.
I will never forget one night during sophomore year, I woke up at 2am with the most excruciating pain and immediately knew something wasn’t right. I managed to make it down the hall to my parents room and cried out “I don’t know what’s happening to me!”. My parents both leaped out of bed in a panic (sorry mom and dad!) and quickly decided that my dad would drive me to ER. Once we got to the hospital they quickly ruled out a few tests and discovered I had an ovarian cyst that ruptured. They kept me in the hospital for 2 days to ensure the fluid would drain properly and I wouldn’t need surgery. Luckily everything passed on its own and I was able to go home, surgery free!
I had no idea this night would be the beginning to a journey of life with endometriosis. However, it wasn’t until 6 years later that I would actually know what endometriosis was.
After my visit to the ER , I had routine ultrasounds to monitor my ovarian cysts. My OBGYN wanted to make sure they didn’t grow too large. I still struggled with extremely painful and heavy periods. The pain was so intense at times (usually the first 2 days of my period) I would just lay in fetal position and cry, knowing it would eventually pass. Some days, I could barely get out of bed and would be on the verge of passing out.
After a few more years of unbearable pain, I decided it was time to finally make an appointment with my OBGYN. I gave him the list of my symptoms and his first suggestion was to go on birth control and re evaluate after 3 months. The very next day I picked up my prescription. The birth control didn’t work, in fact, it made EVERYTHING worse. I had my follow up appointment and this time I was even more desperate for an answer. It was during that appointment that I heard the word endometriosis for the first time. My OBGYN suggested that all my symptoms could in fact be endometriosis. I left that appointment and did some research on my own. I decided it was time to have the diagnostic laparoscopic surgery.
After surgery I was sent home with a diagnosis of endometriosis. My OBGYN told me “Wow, good thing I operated on you today or else you probably would have never been able to have kids”. This statement really stuck with me and hit pretty hard. Why did I wait so long? I reflected on how much time I had spent in pain over the years.
While there is no cure for endometriosis, my OBGYN discussed some treatment options. I decided on hormone theory, which consisted of getting an injection once a month for 6 months. Wow! What an adventure that was...at just 22 years old these injections made my body go into what was early menopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, you name it!
It was a long 6 months to say the least. And unfortunately I didn’t notice much of a difference with the pain. 6 months after the injections my OBGYN and I decided on another laparoscopic surgery, this time to remove some adhesions from the endometriosis.
Fast forward another 6 years, my husband and I are trying get pregnant. I ran into many complications. I thought back to the statement my dr had said after my first surgery “Wow, good thing I operated on you today or else you probably would have never been able to have kids”. Infertility can be a symptom of endometriosis and I struggled with this idea for a long time. After 3 miscarriages over the span of 3 years and a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, I was finally able to carry a pregnancy full term. I gave birth to my daughter just a few months ago and we couldn’t be more in love with her!
My advice to young women is to pay attention to your body. If you think something isn’t right, follow your gut instinct. Ask questions and get the necessary help right away. Also, now that I have hypothyroidism, I’m a huge advocate for getting your thyroid levels checked! An extra blood test can go a long way.
If you’re someone who suffers from endometriosis I suggest gearing up with supplies for when that time of the month comes. A heating pad, over the counter pain relief medication, and anti inflammatory foods (leafy greens, ginger, turmeric, etc) were always my go to. Talking to others who suffer is a great way to cope with the pain as well. Keep a positive mindset and remind yourself of how strong you are.
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