Anyone have endometriosis?

[KJL]

I was just interested to know if there was anyone else here TTC with Endometriosis? I have it fairly badly and had surgery to remove some scar tissue about 2 yrs before conceiving. I was told by the Dr that it may be difficult for me to conceive naturally and that was one the reasons we decided to TTC earlier than we had previously planned. I was also told that pregnancy is one of the only cures/treatment for endo, as the hormones produced in PG and breast feeding seem to slow down the re-growth. I have found that for quite a few months after having Layla the pain of the endometriosis died down . It's now starting to return

Just interested to hear if anyone else has it and how they are finding TTC etc.

I'm hoping that it won't cause problems again TTC

 

[waterlilie]

Well i'm thinking i might be having the same problem! haven't been diagnosed yet (seeing a gyneocologist in 3 weeks time) but have done some reading about endometriosis and i do have some of the symptoms described by women. I also read that it could be an obstacle to conception if severe so i'm quite worried and i know i'll be devastated if it turned out to be the case...

What were your symptoms then and what makes you think it's back now? it's great that you managed to have your daughter though

 

[KJL]

Well i'm thinking i might be having the same problem! haven't been diagnosed yet (seeing a gyneocologist in 3 weeks time) but have done some reading about endometriosis and i do have some of the symptoms described by women. I also read that it could be an obstacle to conception if severe so i'm quite worried and i know i'll be devastated if it turned out to be the case...

What were your symptoms then and what makes you think it's back now? it's great that you managed to have your daughter though

Hi hun, well it was a long road to my diagnosis In about 1999 I started having bad abdominal cramps, not just during my period but throughout the month. These pains got worse and worse over the yr and I was referred to a gynae. Over the course of 5 yrs I was passed from Dr to dr and the pain got increasingly bad. I was put on anti biotics on numerous occasions, and told I was fine...one dr even suggested it was in my head I am not the type to complain so I was so angry she suggested this TBH though I got to a point where I thought maybe I was a hypo In 2004 I was referred to yet another dr and she suggested a laparoscopy (she was shocked that no one else had suggested it!), had the procedure and hey presto diagnosed with Endo! I felt such a relief at finally knowing what it was! The Dr said it was quite a bad case and referred me to a specialist who recommended immediate surgery to remove some of the scar tissue around my womb, bowl and ligaments.

After I got married in 2005 my Dr suggested we not wait too long TTC as the scar tissue was starting to grow back again (they could see from an internal scan) so time was not on our side. In 2007 we started TTC, we were told not to expect much but 7 months later I got my BFP

Well I know it's returning as the abdominal cramps are starting to return. These are especially prevalent leading up to my period and the pain is quite bad. It is different for everyone though depending on where the scar tissue is growing. Mine is around my womb, ligaments and bowl so I also get pains going to the loo A lot of people get heavy periods too.

If you suspect you have it then go and get it checked asap. It can cause big problems if you have scarring in your fallopian tubes. Although there is unfort no cure they can manage it with surgery. Also some pills like Dianette or the Mirena Coil can help slow down the rate of growth.

Do you have a gynae you can speak to?

 

[lauramumof2]

I got got pg three times with it. The first time took a while, the second time not as long and the third time was very unexpected as we werent ttc and were using condoms.

 

[waterlilie]

KJL- Thanks for explaining all this to me so sorry they messed you up, some doctors cause more harm than good. I'm sure if you had been diagnosed properly, the disease wouldn't have developped so badly and you wouldn't have had to go through surgery etc..

The symptoms you described are quite severe compared to mine. I never get cramps in the abdomen and my period are not heavy. In fact they are quite light at the moment, i only had 2 days of medium flow in the last couple of months. I get horrible back pain just before my period but it's crippling sometimes and i also get some horrid black spotting 2 days before my period (used to be 5 days but got better lately) and that's what made me think of endometriosis.

I have an appointment booked at a fertility clinic in 3 weeks and i am planning to mention this and all my other problems to the doctor. I am determined to get a proper diagnosis and treatment if need be.

I hope your cramps are due to something else less serious than endometriosis and wish you lots of luck for a quick BFP

 

[KJL]

waterlilie I hope that it all goes well for you at the clinic. TBH depending on where the endometriosis has developed within your body the pain can be different for everyone. I also have very short periods which did confuse the Drs a bit as normally endo sufferers heavy painful periods. Make sure you insist that they do all the tests possible, I wish I had done so earlier on as I may not have had to wait so long for a diagnosis

Like I said endo is different for everyone and it ranges from the very mild cases up to the very severe.

Also depending on where the endo has grown it may/may not affect your fertility. As lauramumof2 said above she's conceived fine with it.

Don't worry yourself as what ever the outcome there is help and solutions

 

[lauramumof2]

waterlilie I hope that it all goes well for you at the clinic. TBH depending on where the endometriosis has developed within your body the pain can be different for everyone. I also have very short periods which did confuse the Drs a bit as normally endo sufferers heavy painful periods. Make sure you insist that they do all the tests possible, I wish I had done so earlier on as I may not have had to wait so long for a diagnosis

Like I said endo is different for everyone and it ranges from the very mild cases up to the very severe.

Also depending on where the endo has grown it may/may not affect your fertility. As lauramumof2 said above she's conceived fine with it.

Don't worry yourself as what ever the outcome there is help and solutions

I did go on the waiting list for IVF after an endoscopy but fell pg myself the week before the ivf cycle was due to start. Talk about cutting it close.

 

[KJL]

I did go on the waiting list for IVF after an endoscopy but fell pg myself the week before the ivf cycle was due to start. Talk about cutting it close.

wow that's lucky I was also warned I may have to go down the ivf route but I was lucky too