Endometriosis

[livingwith]

Hello..
I am a 20 year old female and I think I may have endometriosis . I have always suffered terrible periods, which have made me go to the hospital almost everytime.. My husband gets terrified everytime i get my period because I am in so much pain..
I have had an abortion when I was 17 and I suffered an ectopic pregnancy just after I got married about 1.5 years ago..Whenever I go to the ER, they just pump me full of narcotics and send me home.. I hate it.. I have tried evening out my period...Read the full article

[Carol Sherman]

I come from a long line of women who suffer with endrometriosis. My younger sister's period's were so bad she would pass out. I never passed out, although many times I prayed I would. Because, my sister's periods were so severe, she was referred to a gynecologist and was put on "homorne therapy" (birth control) at an early age. Not only did it stop the severe symptoms of her periods, but she never had problems with having children. I on the other hand, did not have "hormone therapy" and struggled for years both with the periods and with trying to have children. I finally saw a specialist who told me I had endrometriosis and explained it to me utilizing his chest and arms as a visualization method for me. He told me to pretend his chest was the uterous and his arms the fallopian tubes. Now he told me to focus my attention to the one side he still had his arm outstretched and with his other hand he made a fist telling me to visualise as an ovary. He crossed his fist to his other had which was outstretched and covered it over the fist, explaining that when ovalation occurs the fallopian tube moves and covers the ovary at which time an egg is released to travel down the tube. He explained the tube then moves back away from the ovary. He further explained when you have endrometriosis instead of the cells (blood cells) all flowing out (period) if there is no fertilization, the cells will travel through the tubes and outside the uterine walls abnormally. Until the cells flow outside the body they are living cells with a short life span, they attatch themselves to uterous (normally on the inside) and if not fertilized they die. These cells that have behaved abnormally form adhesions (scar tissue) gluing tissue to tissue and the uterous and tubes no longer are able to move freely for fertilization. When they try to move, it is painfull (cramps) the more adhesions the more painfull. If the scaring is too bad it cannot be surgically repaired. The master control he explained is hormones. When the hormones are unbalanced the cells do not get complete information causing the irradic behavior. The hormones produced during pregancy corrects endrometriosis and this is why birth control is used for treatment and can be of great benefit if the damage is not too severe. I wanted children so much, but my doctor was fearful the damage was too extensive. Fortunately, I went before it was too late and I have 4 most amazing kids. Do I sound like a proud mom? I am! I was so fortunate to find my GYN. No one should have to "grin and bear it" or be drugged senseless. Fear is worse than truth. Get another opinion, it sure can't hurt and hopefully it won't be too late.