My Story

Well after 12 years of fighting Endo I decided to write a blog about it as every day is different,as you all know who have this we have good and bad days.Below is my story.

At the age of 12 I started my periods,at 14 they disappeared for a year and returned at 15.I was told by my GP that this is normal and nothing to worry about.From the time I started my periods at 12 till 16 I was fine,I didnt even know when I had them and they would only last for 3 days.

At 16 I started to get really bad pains in my right side,this would happen about 2-3 days before my period.I would then have pain in my lower back and abdomen.I remember the 1st time I got this pain,I was lying in bed and my Mam gave me paracetamol and a hot water bottle to put on my stomach.After about 4 hours my Dad called an ambulance and I was taken to A&E.A doctor was coming over to see me when a nurse said ''she is only in here with period pain,she doesn't need to be seen straight away'',well I tell you my Dad didn't let that go.

I was diagnosed with a bladder infection,this became part of my routine every month and if it wasn't a bladder infection,it was a kidney infection.After about 6 months of this a doctor that I seen in A&E referred me to see a Gynae as he could see a pattern.

Off I went to see the Gynae who did scans and blood tests,but guess what,nothing showed up.At this stage I had started to collapse every month with the pain.The Gyane put me on Ponstan pain killers,which didn't work and one night I took the bottle just to try and get rid of the pain.

I was studying for my Leaving Cert at this stage and was missing alot of school.One night I went to have a shower and the next thing I woke up with 2 ambulance men beside me and I was on oxygen,I looked at the floor and there was a pool of blood and I could hear my Mam crying.The ambulance man asked how long I was gone and I explained that I wasn't pregnant that I was having a period.

When I arrived at the Hospital,they did more scans,which showed up nothing.My Mam was so upset that she told the Doctor that she wasnt taken me home and wanted something sorted.At last they decided to give me a laporoscopy,I was 17.After my Lap the doctor came and told me I had Endometriosis,before we could say anything she was gone.My poor Mother thought it was some type of Cancer.Luckily enough we had a health care nurse who came to my house for my
Gran,she was able to explain it all.

The Gynae decided that the best thing to do was to bring me back to theatre to laser it away,but the endo came back and was more aggressive.I was then put on Deca Peptal,this was really bad.I got hot flushes,depression,mood swings.I couldnt cope on this and again was missing school.The Health nurse told us about a Gynae who is top for Endo in Ireland so I went to see her.

Thankfully I passed my Leaving Cert but was unable to work due to the pain that I was constantly in.Nobody in my family ever heard of Endo and no one suffered like me.My parents tried to understand but I knew they didn't really know what I was going through and my friends just thought I was a hypochondriac.

I went to see the new Gynae,who was very good and knew exactly what I was going through.I had another lap and she removed the endo again but never discharged me from her clinic because she knew it would come back,just a matter of when.
A few months later I was back to square one,this time the pain was so bad in my right side and I was vomiting.Back to the hospital I went,they wouldn't see me,I was told that the A&E was only for pregnant women so I had to go to another hospital.I was then rushed to theatre as a chocolate cyst had burst.

I then changed Gynae's again as there was no point in attending the top doc for Endo if I couldn't see her when I really need to.I was put on Provera to stop my periods which was great and really worked well for me,but I always had a cyst that would come back,and the more I got the Endo lasered away it came back.

I'm now 29,I have had 12 laps and my Endo is back since August.I am back on the Provera but unfortunately they don't seem to be working like they use to.I was bleeding for 3 weeks on them,but it has stopped,so far so good.My Gyane wants me to have another Lap,but I really dont want another one,I think 12 is enough,so my last option is to have the Mirena fitted which I have until Feb to think about.I am going to try it,Il try anything before Surgery.I also have to get abnormal cells removed from my Cervix,still waiting for a date for this.

I dont mind talking about Endo to anybody,I am very open about my condition,if people want to know,I tell them,as I know how difficult it is for people to understand what we are going through.

I use to let Endo control me and my life,now I try my very best to control it,I missed so much because of it.

Keep smiling Endofighters,we must not let this disease win.

Please leave a comment for me.