Hi I’m Jess and I was diagnosed this time last year.
I had been experiencing bad periods from the age of 15 and was put onto the pill at 16 to regulate my periods. I took the pill for 6 years until I had a suspected blood clot and had to stop the pill all together.
From then I had been having severe periods both in pain and heaviness and there were some months where I was completely bed bound or screaming in pain when trying to go to the toilet. I also had some pain during sex which got worse over a few years, within this time I had also been trying for a baby but had no luck.
In January 2018 I was rushed into hospital with a severe pain in the right side of my stomach. This turned out to be a severe water infection. Once this was treated I continued to have a constant pain in my right side which came and went over the next month. After this time I thought enough was enough and went to my GP. After a few scans and internal cameras we found a large cyst which was said to be a Dermoid cyst which is a cyst with different cells and folicals. I was told I needed to have this cyst removed as it would grow and slowly take over my ovaries.
Fast forward a few months and after CT and MRI scans (the cyst had grown double in size within this time) I was booked in for my operation which was booked for August 2018. Nothing about endometriosis had been discussed as nothing has appeared on the scans…
When I had awoken from my operation my consultant approached me with a sad look on his face and he explained to me that when they began to operate they found endometric tissue which had grown around my womb, ovaries, tubes and bowels… I was also told that I was at stage four for endometriosis. One of the worse stages. He also advised about having children as soon as possible as I have a two year window before I would be extremely difficult to conceive…
I was distraught as a simple operation turned into my worst nightmare. The cysts had actually turned out to be chocolate cysts caused by my endometriosis.
A year on and I’m at terms with my diagnoses. I was advised to have a coil inserted to help with pain and periods and it seems to be working okay. It still hits hard about my chances of conception but I am keeping positive and hoping that more information will be given about endometriosis so that other woman won’t be in my situation.
