Endometriosis diagnosis

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women in the UK and around 176 million women worldwide, however, it's an illness that is a mystery to many, but to those suffering it's a completely debilitating condition they must battle every single day, knowing there's still no cure.

What endometriosis is for me

Endometriosis is chronic pain.

Endometriosis is infertility.

Endometriosis is severe fatigue.

Endometriosis is bladder and bowel problem.

Endometriosis is severe bloating.

Endometriosis is pain during intercourse. 

Endometriosis is more hospital trips than you can count and a million internal examinations. 

In technical terms endometriosis is a disorder in which the tissue that forms the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterine cavity; the lining of the uterus is called endometrium and so endometriosis occurs when the endometrium grows on the ovaries, bowl, bladder and tissues lining the pelvis. Every month a woman’s body goes through hormonal changes, hormones are naturally released which cause the lining of the womb to increase in preparation for a fertilized egg and if pregnancy does not occur this lining breaks down and bleeds which is then released from the body as a period. With endometriosis, each month the cells react in the same way to those in the womb, building up, then breaking down and bleeding but unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape which leads to inflammation, pain and formation of scar tissue.

My personal journey with endometriosis technically started before I was even aware of it and when I look back now the diagnosis explains so much. For as long as I can remember I have experienced extremely painful periods and ovulation often putting me in hospital with such severe abdominal pain, only to be sent away with the answer of a grumbling appendix, a polycystic ovary or just to be told their period pains and I should get on with it.

In the last two years, these problems had a dramatic increase and made them a challenge to say the least. This last year I ended up in an ambulance or hospital near enough every month when the pain became so crippling, I was unable to manage it any longer. So, every month that my period would arrive it became quite traumatising, tied in with desperately wanting to conceive, they would leave me feeling like I'd been hit by a ton of bricks. Once that had subsided, the next challenge was to build myself up again.

On average most cases of endometriosis take around 10 years to diagnose, something which for me, is hard to get my head around. A condition which carries the same statistics as women with diabetes which to the contrary, can be diagnosed pretty quickly. I have been very blessed that from the point of it taking over my life, to the point of getting diagnosed was only around a year and in December I had my first laparoscopy in which they discovered the endometriosis. Sadly they were only able to remove some of the spots and I am still left with it on my bladder and bowel. This means I may continue to suffer in the same way I did, I am just waiting to see. However with endometriosis, even after it is removed it can and most likely will grow back, meaning that most of us either face a life filled with many surgeries or constant chronic pain.

I still count myself lucky as I know there are people suffering greater than I do with endometriosis and all sorts of conditions, but I want to raise awareness for a condition which is otherwise still very mysterious. The biggest problem anyone suffering with the condition will tell you is that it cannot be seen, meaning most of the symptoms aren't visible and can only be explained. Symptoms which a lot of people do not understand the severity of or believe all together.

For me the hardest part has been infertility, as much as the pain is unbearable and makes me entirely bed bound for days it's something I find easier to deal with and I've essentially just become use to it. Fatigue is also a symptom I battle every single day and is challenging but again I've learnt to live with it. Alternatively, my fertility journey definitely affects me a great deal and is something I have to really battle with. Anyone going through a fertility journey will tell you it's like riding a rollercoaster, except it's your whole life. I have days where I am positive and hopeful, but more commonly have days where I'm fed up and feel like the whole world's against me. There are also days where I feel completely numb. Once more, I know there are thousands of people far worse off that me and I have a lot to be thankful for which I am every day, but I just wanted to share an insight into the fact infertility is nevertheless, extremely difficult to go through. 

I hope that this post can provide anything, I desperately want it to bring awareness to a condition which not a great deal of people know about or understand. To help a person understand better what someone they know, may be going through or for anyone experiencing these symptoms to know, they're not normal. The first thing that prompted the first thought of endometriosis in my mind was an article I'd read online, before that the condition had never crossed my mind, nor did I know barely anything about it. This thought helped me to push for the correct treatment so I pray for anyone suffering that this can be your trigger, to help you finally get the answers you desperately need. It's important in this battle to make one another feel supported and to know we're not alone.