What is Endometriosis? In layman’s terms, it’s when the cells the are supposed to live in the uterus also live outside the uterus.
What does that mean? Well, it means those misplaced cells act like they would it they were in the right place. They have the menstrual cycle, but it’s on the bowel, on the outside of the fallopian tubes, uterus, ovaries, etc, on the rectum, on the bladder, on the kidneys, basically any of the organs in the abdomen. But not only that, these cell can migrate anywhere within the body. This includes more serious, but rate places like the heart, lungs, the spine, and the brain.
What does it feel like? It hurts!! Most women have a regular menstrual cycle. Some women have bad cramps and heavy bleeding..Us with Endo have horrible cramping, debilitating pain that last the duration of the cycle & for up to a week prior & after, and those cycles are irregular & erratic – some times lasting up to 2 weeks, sometimes with only a week, or days, in between. And remember, this happens in those cells that have meandered into the rest of the body, so not all the pain is necessarily in the lower abdomen
What else can happen? In addition to those fun issues already discussed there can be issued with infertility.. With tissues not being where they are supposed to be, the women’s reproductive system is turned into a war zone. And it can really f*”kin hurt to engage in sexual activity. Cuz the tissues are not where they are supposed to be, internal and things very easily get rubbed the wrong way. Add to that the common co-morbidity with Irritable bowel syndrome which in and of itself sucks.
Over the years I’ve dealt with a lot of different kinds of pain. I’ve had broken bones, pulled muscles, sprained ankles, torn muscles, chronic Charlie Horses/nasty muscle spasms, concussions & even thrown out my back. Each of those feels different from each other, right? Before a Fibro diagnosis, they are dealt with appropriately.
I’ve also dealt with pain due to endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, CFS/ME, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, regular arthritis, kidney stones, gallstones… And each of those feels different from each other. I can even differentiate between IBS pain & Endo on my bowel pain.
I’ve dealth with all sorts of different types of pain..
But once you hit that one diagnosis, many doctors don’t bother looking past it. This happens way to often for those of us with Fibromyalgia & even ME/CFS.. When you go to the ER or even just to your family doctor with a new pain issue, many of us are spoken down to and even dismissed saying the pain is due to fibromyalgia. The one time I’ve have a pain that I said wasn’t fibromyalgia but it actually was happened when I had chest pain. It was costochondritis & while this is a Fibro issue, it’s understandable the first time or three that I freak out & head to the ER thinking heart attack.
Now, I’m lucky. I have had a great support system & have over recent years learned to be my own advocate without being a bitch about it.. I have not experienced this problem much with fibromyalgia. I did however experience this at the beginning of my medical journey in my 20s.
I kept having abdominal pain.. After being put off by my GP once or twice, him thinking it was just gas, he sent me after a 4 month wait, to a gynecologist. She did an exam & sent me back to my GP telling him to send me to a GI doc.
So, GP sends me to a gastroenterologist.. After a 6 month wait there, I was scheduled for a colonoscopy (that was fun..not) and was determined to have Irritable Bowel Syndrome.. After getting it settled down by diet & medication, I was still having abdominal pain. GI tells my GP to send me back to the gynecologist.
I had another 2 month wait to she her agai,n over a year after my previous appointment. She tells me, “you don’t have endometriosis”, because my symptoms were atypical, despite still being consistent with Endo. She did agree to do an investigative laparoscope to shut me up & “just in case” she was wrong. She Was Wrong. I had Stage 3 Endo across my abdomen. So the investigative laparoscoped turned into a treatment laparoscope where she tried to in size and burn off any visual endometriosis cells. She has to go back in 6 months later to get the remaining endometrial cells higher in my abdomen that she missed the first time because she “didn’t have long my enough tools”.
So I learned early on to be an advocate for myself, with support from friends & family. If you feel your are being dismissed, say so. Cuz yes, your pain *could’ be from your fibromyalgia, but it ‘could’ also be something else.
So, my doctor’s know that if something’s not right, I will stand up and say so, not taking no for an answer.
Those who know me personally, would probably say to me, yeah, but what about that issue with your shoulder? To be honest, that is still a work in progress. Now that physio is back available, I’ll be asking my GP for a prescription & get that set up. Yes, it started in March, and I’m just getting to treatment now. But remember, alot of things closed here in Canada for quite awhile, so yeah, it’s taking a little longer to get things dealt with in this issue.
This is kinda like the get to know style of bingo, but it’s just for you. Check off what applies to you.
I originally just posted this on my regular social media, but choose to write about here.. The reason I do is the reaction of a friend of mine, Susan.
Late last year she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now, she has been struggling with acceptance that her life he’s been permanently altered through no fault of her own. Recently she say the post on my social media of my bingo card (see below) & noticed that she checked the few spaces I had empty. She then got curious & looked at the rest of the card noticing that she actually checked a majority of the boxes aswell.
This was her “Ah-ha” type moment. And realized “I have a chronic illness.” I think this realization, and acceptance of the hard truth has actually be a relief for her. She’s realized that there are limits and she has to learn where her limits are. But she’s no longer stuck and is able to move forward.
While I’m not happy that my post gobsmacked her in the face with the truth, I am glad she’s got the acceptance and is moving forward.
See where my 3 bingo lines are. How full isUis your card? I know someone who actually checks each box. 😦
Fibromyalgia 
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