::sigh:: life...

As life gets more complicated.. or i think we just make it that way... i have to say once i over came those horrible 3 days on my period.. there was a silver lining of semi pain free days... which im still currently experiencing... but unexplained reasons why i'm not hungry.. any guesses why?

Just a small vent..

I have to say it hasn't been too bad of a period... besides the horrible outburst of cramps last night on my 25th bday ... ugrrrgh but i made it through most of the day/night fine... :) i had to take 2 ponstels and 2 extra strength Tylenol every 6-8 hours to take the edge off the pain... lets see what tomorrow brings...

Day 3- No signs but killer mood swings??

Yesterday was day 2 and i had the ONLY cramps... i was walking sideways in the city! Laugh it up all you want but unless you experienced those "endo" cramps you cant compare them to anything you have EVER experienced!! Today being day 3 i have not so much cramping as i do mood swings.. and fatigue.. lets see what tomorrow brings but i'm wearing a pad because i'm anticipating a disaster...

DAY 1- no Nuva Ring

Ok so Now what?? haha j/k I have done this many times but this is my first official time taking out my nuva ring while being officially diagnosed with Endo.. although i suffered through the migraines this mth i have to say it wasnt half as bad as i thought it would be... i didnt start getting pains until today ... My first official period is comming since sept of last year.. im not so sure if i should be excited or scared?!?! Dr Vosough told me to expect hell and have percoset on hand.. which im def taking that advice to heart... i have my trusty friends on hand ( "Matilda"- who Gabby has so lovingly named my heater, percs, tramy and my AC.) I have NO idea what to expect but i am almost afraid bc im experiencing UTI symptoms... i guess which is no surprise here jk Maybe i should fill the cipro he gave me last week... they also gave me something that turns my urine blue that actually takes the edge off my everyday pain in the bladder!! surprise!!

Yeay!

Since September of '09 i have not had a period... I was put back on nuva ring... so yeay (sarcasm) it should be coming by the end of this month... but the migraines are a bit of a killer... uggh :-/

Why is it no one understands?

Sometimes i find myself wanting to screammmmmmmmmmmmmmm because i know no one understands what the daily life of someone who has endo is... its not easy and it is very painful. The constant migraines, tired/achiness... what can you do!!! ???

What It Really Means to Have Endometriosis

What It Really Means to Have Endometriosis - Directly from Dr. Cook's blog

In last week’s post (“What is endometriosis?”), I said that endometriosis by definition is a disease process where the inside lining of the uterus, the endometrium, flows back up inside of the body around the ovaries and bowel where it implants and begins to grow. Quite frankly a lot of this medical stuff can be quite dry and boring and does not convey what it is like for a woman to have this disease and how it truly impacts her life, her family, her career, her sex life, and her ability to live her life in very basic ways.

In reality, this disease can be like having tens or hundreds of excruciatingly painful blisters covering the inside of the pelvis. Infertility and pelvic pain are the two most common symptoms of endometriosis.

Patients with endometriosis can experience horrific pain – for the lucky ones it lasts just a couple of days during their period, and in the worst cases the pain is 24/7. The dichotomy between the way women with endometriosis look well on the outside but are experiencing excruciating pain internally can cause even well-meaning people to doubt the severity of their pain.

Most women begin to have pain in their teenage years, sometimes even starting in junior high school. While similar in timing, this pain is completely different than normal menstrual cramps. It is not uncommon for these girls to miss a couple of days of school each month from cyclic pain that can exceed the level of pain patients experience after major surgery.

A lack of awareness of this disease can leave these girls without a correct diagnosis and support from their physicians. This can lead to a lack of appropriate treatment for the pain and invalidation of the patient’s situation. Her family is now led to believe that psychological issues drive the severity of her pain.

In this tragic situation, she is effectively held prisoner and tortured by her own body in broad daylight, with no one who fully understands her situation or who can effectively help her.

The symptoms usually progress as she matures into a young woman. Both the severity and duration of the pain typically increase. Initially most days each month are pain-free, but the number of these days slowly decreases until there are a greater number of non-functioning pain days. The unpredictability of the increasing number of pain days makes it challenging to maintain a functional life. It becomes increasingly difficult to make plans for a future date as it becomes more likely that it will be a pain day and she will not be able to follow through on her commitment for the activity.

As a disease, endometriosis can take away many additional aspects of a normal life. Mothers cannot reliably meet the needs of their children when the pain is too severe to function. Wives try to push through the pain to be intimate with their husbands, but eventually the pain becomes too intense to continue. Grinding fatigue as severe as that experienced with advance cancer is present in most cases. Bloating, moodiness, and bladder and bowel issues are common as well.

Feeling like a vibrant desirable woman is long since gone. Acting like the loving compassionate woman, mother and partner that she truly is becomes more and more difficult. The stress on family relationships is common and real.

Even at this stage, most women fight the disease, refusing to let it completely take over their life. You would most likely pass right by them in public, having no idea of the devastation they are dealing with. Most of the time they get up, put on a brave face and do their best to live a normal life.

The medical definition of endometriosis does not even begin to describe the reality of what it means to have endometriosis. The next time you hear about endometriosis, please remember how devastating this disease can be to a person. While endometriosis can be frustrating, if you have a loved one, friend or co-worker who suffers from endometriosis, please remember to treat them with respect and compassion.

We would like to hear your thoughts, stories and experiences. Post a comment below and tell us what you think.