Think about 10 women in your life. Line them up in no particular order. Now, imagine 9 of them walking out of your imagination. There’s one left. One that gets struck down with pain, heavy bleeding and issues with just going to the bathroom to do number two’s. She has been chosen.
So what is endometriosis and why should you care?
Endometriosis, in simple terms, is when the tissue that is much like the lining of the uterus/womb grows outside the uterus/womb. This lining is known as the endometrium. Endometrium can grow in your lungs, bowel, bladder and even in your brain. It has the power to cause unbearable pain and can even cause infertility. But! You can have endometriosis and not have any of these symptoms. It’s pretty serious shit if you ask me!
I never knew I had endometriosis. I always thought that my period pain was normal. As girls, we are taught that periods are natural things that you just have to live with. Society has made periods be somewhat taboo. Have you ever seen an advertisement for pads for your period on TV that uses red liquid to mirror blood?
Clear/Blue liquid in my experience is not the colour of blood. (Sorry for the rant but it is something that really grinds my gears. Why do they happily show a condom on a banana? Shouldn’t they just use glad-wrap or a plastic bag so they don’t offend other viewers?!??!?!) 😡😤
Getting back to my endometriosis discovery!
I could not tell you the last time I have had a period without crying and wanting to rip out my insides. It is the one week of my life that I wish I was a boy OR that I owned a chocolate factory with never-ending chocolate and Naprogesic. There was one day that I went to school and I had a practice exam in 4th period for Ancient Greek History. My mum came and picked me up and we went for a drive. In the car, I was feeling nauseous and had agonising pain in my stomach. I complained (no surprise) and my mum asked me when my last period was. I checked my calendar and realised that it had been two weeks since my last, so therefore I was not due. That night I didn’t eat much and all I wanted to do was sleep. I remember waking up the next morning and texting mum to come into my room because I was in so much pain. She came in straight away, and layed with me. She gave me two paracetamol and then massaged my back until I fell asleep. Because that is what Mum’s do…they stick with you until they know you are okay.
I woke up from that nap and called my Mum in tears. The pain was coming and going, and I didn’t know what was happening. My sister took me to the doctors and as soon as he saw me he knew it was mittelschmerz, but wanted me to go into surgery to rule out appendicitis. Surgery? Appendix? What was going on?
At this time, my dad was in Perth on business so I had to call him to let him know what was going on. Mum came back from work and took me to see a surgeon who could operate today. Everything happened so quickly.
We arrived at the surgeon’s office and I was asked to jump on the bed. He pushed down on my appendix and I screamed so loud, it was worse than any period pain I had ever experienced. Due to the obvious pain I was in, he didn’t want to try his chances. No scans were taken or medication prescribed. He made the call to Knox Private Hospital and I was to have surgery within the next hour. I was scared. I was worried. I was in pain.
I remember going into the hospital with my Mum and I was beyond scared. I got given bed 12 (my lucky number!) and I was sharing with six other people. We asked to be given our own bed and I was fortunate enough to get a room to myself. I recall watching the Bold and the Beautiful, before I was wheeled down the corridor of courage, to the surgery room. I saw my surgeon (who was like Satan after he pushed too hard and hurt me), and we were ready to go.
Waking up was still a blur to me. My sister and mum took the liberty of recording me whilst I was under the influence of endone. I don’t remember any of it but I know that it was entertainment for many.
The surgery went well. My appendix was not actually inflamed/in any harm, however they were still taken out. The worst part of the surgery was knowing that there was a burst egg, which led to 30ml of blood swimming inside my pelvis. 30 minutes longer, and my tubes may have been clogged. Whilst the surgeon was inside, he took photos of my uterus and found spots of endometriosis, but ruled it to be “mild” and that I was lucky there was only a few spots. Hmm. “Mild”. The dictionary states the word “mild” to be “not severe, serious, or harsh”. Dear Mr Surgeon, please do not tell me that my pain is not severe, when you have never had the experience that I have endured.
Endometriosis is more than just discomfort during periods. It is the pain in your reproductive organs, that leads to back pain and leg pain for a week straight. It is the pain before/during/after sexual intercourse. It is the stabbing pain in your belly from when you really need to poo, but it kills you when you finally do. It is the pain of needing to constantly urinate. It is the pain of not knowing when you will have your period as it is so irregular, and when you do get it, your period is like Niagara Falls. It is the pain of not being able to have children as fast as all your friends, because your body struggles more than others.
I was lucky enough to have caught my endometriosis early. The facts show that there is around a 7-10 year delay in diagnosing endometriosis. Although there is no cure for it, there are ways to temporarily treat the pain. I was put on the pill to regulate and stop heavy menstrual bleeding. It worked perfectly me. I never put on weight (touch wood), barely had mood swings (okay, that aren’t typical of a teenage girl) and my face was never a victim of acne (touch wood again). I have also begun my new fitness regime. Everyone I know has warned me that it won’t last long, but they don’t understand the reasons as to why I joined a gym. It has been proven that women that have endometriosis can treat their pain by changing their diet, lifestyle and just generally exercising more. So, come down to Fitness First and you will see me trying to cure my pain.
Next month, I will be undergoing my first laparoscopy to clean out and prevent the endometrium from growing again. I will be sure to write a blog about my experience and keep you updated with how it all goes. It is fair to say that I am beyond nervous, but I know that it will all be just fine. My gyno, Dr Pearce, is an absolute legend and professional, so I trust him!
Let’s demolish the stigma around periods and talk more about endometriosis.
Share the facts.
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~ K 🙂
http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/articles/endometriosis.html
Kate Lentini 