smiling through the Pain
When I was told it can cause infertility, I was stunned
GP, but was told I had IBS.
Over the years, I just learnt to live with it.
But by 2015, it was too much. The bleeding and pain was so bad, I hardly left the house.
‘I can’t handle it anymore,’ I cried to my GP.
She suggested a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding.
By now I was 43 and lucky enough to have two beautiful children. So I agreed to the op.
But when I woke up after, doctors said they’d been unable to remove my womb.
‘You’ve got endometriosis,’ I was told.
It’s a condition where cells of the womb lining are found elsewhere in the body.
In my case, cells had attached themselves to my fallopian tubes, ovaries and bowel.
Nobody knew what caused the condition.
And it’s difficult to diagnose, so it often goes undetected.
I was told common symptoms include heavy, painful periods. ‘That explains a lot!’ I said. When I was also told it can cause infertility, I was stunned. ‘We’re so lucky to have Beckie and Josh,’ I told Mark, 47.
In January last year, I had surgery to scrape the lining of my womb away from where it had attached itself.
Then I had a hysterectomy.
After, the bleeding stopped and the pain disappeared.
‘I feel incredible,’ I told Mark. It was like a new lease of life. Sadly, it didn’t last long as the pain returned later that year.
Doctors had warned that the cells could re-grow.
I’m now waiting for tests to see if my endometriosis is back.
I’m in constant agony. It’s so bad I’m housebound, can’t work.
I try to remain positive, and
I’ve even set up a support group
on Facebook – Endometriosis and Fibromyalgia Support and Awareness.
Living with endometriosis isn’t easy.
But with my army of friends, family and other sufferers, I know I can take on anything.