My Endometriosis diagnosis journey is probably a little different than most. Partly because my symptoms are/were atypical, and partly because my Gyn didn’t believe me.
When my menstrual cycle started in Junior High, I was like every other girl. It started sporadically with varying frequency, duration and heaviness (for lack of a better word). But it stayed that way for months. My friends settled into the appropriate 28 day cycle with 3-5 of moderate bleeding. Then there’s the cramping factor. Some of them got mild to moderate cramps, but most didn’t get much at all while I would doubt over in pain. A friend of mine specifically remembers instances of that, but I only remember crawling up in a ball after I got to the nurse’s office.
By the time I was 15 & had been dealing with it for 2+ years, my GP finally agreed to put me on the birth control pill to help regulate my menstrual cycle and to ease the heaviness and the cramping. And it did, to a point.. My cycle became regular yet was still heavier & longer than my friends. But it was something I could live with.
And I did live with it, occasionally trying other birth control pills over the years. I lived with it for the remainder of high school, another three years, then all through college, another 3½ years.. Even when I had seemingly unrelated issues, I lived with it.
By the time I graduated, moved out & got my first job, I was having ongoing & consistent issues, but not necessarily tied to my cycle anymore.
Because of my earlier issues with my cycle & that it initially eased with BCP, he referred me to a Gynaecologist
So, he sent me to see a Gyn and she does a bunch of blood work, physical exam & even did a pap smear. All came back negative except for my Iron levels were low. Give the amount of menstrual bleeding, it wasn’t surprising..
Because my symptoms were atypical, not directly connected to my menstrual cycle and I was having issues with evacuation, she figured it wasn’t endometriosis and recommended that I see a gastroenterologist.
So off to the gastroenterologist I go.. I got the lovely experience of a colonoscopy resulting in a basic diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. From there we began moderating food and supplements, tracking triggers and even after we found out the culprits I was still having severe abdominal pain that was no longer connected to in moderated bowel issues..
Back to the Gynaecologist I go. She was still convinced I did not have Endo. She finally agreed to a lap basically to shut me up. Guess what she found!
Unfortunately, she did not have the long enough tools to reach everything to remove it all.. So, that meant I had a full laparotomy to remove the rest 6 months later.
So, that was my journey to diagnosis
Fibromyalgia 
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