A pain in the ....

So here it is. I thought I should start recording my symptoms for reference since I tend to forget them whenever doctors ask me on the spot. As a matter of fact I've recently noticed new symptoms. For a clearer picture of the condition, this is a short informative video about endometriosis: healthline.com/vpvideo/endometriosis

Since a year ago I experienced some bleeding from the back passage which was put down to good old hemorrhoids. But of late I noticed a pattern to the bleeding. It seems to start a couple of days just before my menstrual cycle begins. More alarmingly I've been passing some big clots along with copious amount of blood but no stool.

I'm also experiencing lower abdominal cramping. This is not actually a new symptom, only that I've specifically picked it up and tried to study it. It appears to be in the region just below the navel and is continuous, almost always signalling the need to pass blood and/or clots through the back passage.

Having had children and experiencing contraction and labor, I've come to the conclusion what I'm experiencing now is not dissimilar to these. The lower abdominal cramps are the uterine muscles behaving in the same way as going through labor. Unfortunately since my endometriosis has quite possibly perforated my colon it has resulted in what seems to be hemorrhoids.

www.innerbody.com

the physics of labour

wikipedia.org/wiki/Uterine_contraction

Interestingly, while reading some articles about contractions, there have been mentions of measuring how strong these can be. I was instantly reminded of what a friend told me years ago. She was told by a doctor that the pains that come with endometriosis are much stronger than labor. Drawing from my personal experience, I think I can vouch for that. When I was having my third child, labor was spontaneous and I certainly wasn't in much discomfort. It only felt like I had to go to the bathroom. I was even chatting and joking with my friend in the labor room. The midwife was so amazed she actually commented that my threshold of pain must be so high since I didn't seem to be in any pain.

So now I'm waiting for my appointment with the consultant Mr. T. Miskry of St. Mary's Hospital, London. I was discharged from his care when I fell pregnant the second time. My GP and I both agreed that once I have a confirmed diagnosis then a hysterectomy might be the best way forward. Hopefully this will finally put an end to all this. I will post more in due course. In the meantime, keep well everyone!

Hello again, world...

Wow..It's been over two years since my last entry. Maybe that's good. Maybe it means I spent less time wallowing in self-pity and feeling desperate. Or I was just too busy and tired to write.

2015: new year, new beginnings. I know my ramblings get read sometimes but I don't have any dedicated followers. I'm not a witty writer. And I don't care for politics. The main reason I'm starting again is just to record my experiences with my long-lost 'friend'. Here's a useful link for more information: nhs.uk/Conditions/Endometriosis 

It's been a very long time since I've experienced any symptoms. I can't even remember when I was first diagnosed. I didn't notice the symptoms initially so I have no idea how long I might have had it. It was probably in the late 90's.

What I do remember is being in so much pain during every cycle especially the first 2-3 days. Before then I'd get the usual abdominal cramps that most people associate with menstruation. But as time passed the cramps were getting worse and my lower back began to hurt too. Sexual intercourse also started to feel less pleasurable and more agonising. One day I came across an article about endometriosis and I realised that I had most of the symptoms that were described. But still I couldn't get a diagnosis. Once I saw a male physician in our hometown to get painkillers and told him I suspected I have the condition. He actually laughed in my face and said: "Do you have any idea how serious the condition is?" Well of course I did, the idiot. I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

I think it was a couple of years later that another doctor finally picked up on it and got me moving in the right direction. By then it must have been quite bad: I could no longer get up whenever I had my menses. If I needed the bathroom I had to literally crawl out of bed and into the bathroom. Bowel movements were so excruciating I'd be screaming in agony and begging for mercy. I had prescription painkillers from a different doctor that would knock me out for a couple of days so I wouldn't be awake and feeling the pain.

So that particular night my husband called the doctor to the house as I was crying and curled up in pain. After examining me and asking some questions he said he knew someone who might be able to help me. I was so relieved that someone finally took me seriously.

After several appointments, various tests and different scans I was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. Unfortunately I was still quite ignorant of it all that I didn't ask too many questions. A year later the consultant decided to retire and transferred my case to another doctor.

I went through 4 different consultants I believe. Several procedures to remove the growths and hormonal injections in between procedures to subdue them. It wasn't till the last one that I found out I suffered from Stage 4 rectovaginal endometriosis. Apparently mine was quite severe and I had two procedures done in the space of 8 months, the second of which lasted about 5 hours.

To be continued...