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!