Hello, my name is Erica, and I was diagnosed with endo when I was 23. My period began when I was 15 as well as all the turmoil that went along with it! My symptoms started out with unbelievable pain and nausea. Those are my worst symptoms with this disease. When I was 16 I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I then was diagnosed with IBS. From 16 until 23 I did everything the doctors told me to do. Still no improvement.
By the time I turned 21, I looked like death. I am 5’9″ and was 115 pounds from all the weight I lost due to vomiting so much from this disease. I am suppose to be 135 pounds for my height!! So every month for almost a year and a half my parents would take me back and forth to the ER. Each and every time I was misdiagnosed with just having the stomach bug. Finally an ER doctor said to me that this may be endometriosis because there is no way I can have the stomach bug 12 months out of the year and at the same time every month. I finally went to the GYN and I had my first laparoscopic surgery in August of 2012. It was confirmed that in fact I have endometriosis and that I am covered!! In October of the same year I had the more extensive surgery where they lasered off the endo. It was not until I woke from that surgery that I received possibly the worst news of my life – I may never have children.
Thankfully I have a very supportive boyfriend who understands the disease and is okay with what the future may hold. I am not that okay with it because if it was caught earlier I could have done something to greater my chances of having children. This disease has made me very sad over the years and for the most part I am still pretty sad and it is partly due to the fact that I am still nauseous almost every single day. I still try and go out, do stuff, and hang with friends, but it gets tiresome more times than not.
I am 25 now, and thankfully I got a good year out of my surgery because I only had to go to the hospital five times this past year. Unfortunately, the pain and nausea have returned greatly and my doctor says I am due for another surgery. Please if anyone has shared similar symptoms to me especially with nausea – how were you able to cope with it and what are some remedies or actions you are taking to deal with it?
Thank you,
Erica
New Hampshire
Submitted 12/13/2013
The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
This story is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
