Endometriosis
A Woman's Battle With Painand How To Cope
My journey with Endometriosis began long ago when a doctor told me I had appendicitis,
which was a good trick since I no longer have an appendix. It took over a year of chronic
pain to find out what I was really suffering from. A strange disease that when you say the
name people either think you are dying or making it up. I am at a loss as to why so few
people know and understand Endometriosis since 1 in 4 women suffer with this disease.
Too many times have we heard it's all in our heads, because it is not. It is real, it is not
"just that time of the month", it is not normal, and it is time to speak out!
Endometriosis is a disease that is confusing not only to the sufferer but also to the patient.
It is defined as "the presence of tissue resembling endometrium (the lining of the uterus),
outside of that organ" by Dr. Lyle Breitkopf, M.D., author of "Coping With
Endometriosis". To put it in simple terms you might say that it's part of your body
that appear in the wrong place and causes all sorts of problems.
Endometriosis commonly has three basic characteristics. You can have one of the three or
you can end up suffering with all three. They are painful periods, pain during intercourse,
and infertility. Any way you look at it Endometriosis spells PAIN.
They really aren't sure what exactly causes Endometriosis and right now there just aren't
very many ways to fix it. There is really no cure. This is one mean disease. Not
only is it physically painful, but it is emotionally devastating for many.
Many women choose to try and become pregnant rather than go the hysterectomy route.
A lot of times this results in pure frustration because they are unable to conceive, or they
have to contend with the bitterness of being able to conceive just to find out that she can
not carry the child. I had three miscarriages before my first daughter was born and can
testify to the fact that miscarriage is just as bad as losing a child that has been born. It's
your child, you grieve, there is no way around it. Like I said Endometriosis is pure
pain.
So what do you do when you find out that you are dealing with this disease? First get all
the information you can, you can't ever learn to much. Then surround yourself with
support, because you are going to need it. Make sure your "significant other" knows that
what you are dealing with is NOT PMS. Make sure you have a good doctor-
patient relationship and if you don't, find a doctor that you can have one with, cause you
are going to need it. And make some decisions...well informed decisions.
Gaining Control
First of all let's make sure that it really is Endometriosis that you are dealing with. Your doctor may suggest a laproscopy and that is really the only way to find out for sure. Go ahead, it's a simple procedure and it's really not all that bad. It's better to know what you are dealing with than to guess, right?Now the decision comes do we try to treat it with medications or go for the hysterectomy. That is your decision and a very personal one. Please don't let anyone talk you into something you don't want to do.
If you choose medical treatment there are a few options. They will probably put you on a birth control pill continuously (you won't have a period). That works well for some women but be sure you know the facts about the pill before you opt for this. I did this for one year and I have to say it was a year without pain. But since then I have acquired migraines and you couldn't pay me to take the pill. The pill also is known to cause cancer in some individuals and the risk is particularly high if you are a women with cervical cancer in your family history, smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day, and/or drink more than 2 cups of coffee. I chose ultimately not to take the risk. But that is MY choice. You have to make the choice for yourself.
And last but not least please don't lose hope. There are new clinical trials all the time and maybe one day they will find a cure for this painful condition.
Resources on the Internet
The
Basics-
In partnership with Barnes and Noble you may now browse through their books dealing with Endometriosis. Fast and Secure online ordering also available.
Other
Survivors-
This page provides you with links to other sites of survivors of Endometriosis. Please pay
them each a visit.
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This page ©1997, 1998; 1999 Karen Cohen;Cobra Creations
