Endometriosis—the struggle is real. Killer cramps are NOT normal. Periods that last longer than 7 days are NOT normal. Heavy bleeding that soaks through a tampon every 2 hours is NOT normal; pain during sex is NOT normal. Bouts of diarrhea and vomiting that accompany every menstrual cycle are NOT normal. No, no, and no! For many people, this reality is just endometriosis at work.
Sad truth: Many of us are taught to downplay these symptoms. Our pain is diminished by parents, siblings, friends and even health care professionals who convince us that everyone goes through this.
Maybe that is why, according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America, it takes 10 years on average to receive an accurate endometriosis diagnosis. That’s a decade, people! That’s 130 periods of agony, 912 days of someone asking you to take Advil and suck it up. That…is not okay.
Endometriosis is pervasive. It affects 1 in 20 Americans of reproductive age and an estimated 176 million people worldwide. It occurs when tissue similar to the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) is found outside the uterus on other parts of the body.
There are lots of symptoms that can vary among patients. Pelvic pain is most common, as well as pain that coincides with menstruation. Other symptoms include heavy cramps, long-lasting bleeding, nausea or vomiting, pain during sex and, unfortunately, infertility. Some people may even experience symptoms throughout their entire cycle—a real drag.
In addition to these physical symptoms, endometriosis takes a toll on someone’s personal and professional life. Chronic pain can severely affect quality of life day-to-day; medical care can be extremely costly. Furthermore, absenteeism can alter relationships in the workplace and at home.
Despite the intense discomfort, many people do not realize they have endometriosis until they try to get pregnant. And because the disease tends to get progressively worse over time, approximately 30-40% of people who have endometriosis experience fertility challenges.
There is no simple diagnostic test for endometriosis—no blood, urine, or saliva testing can confirm the condition. The only way to verify endometriosis is to undergo a diagnostic laparoscopy with pathology confirmation of biopsy specimens.
On the bright side, many endometriosis symptoms— including infertility—can be addressed after diagnosis. The gold standard for endometriosis treatment is laparoscopic excision surgery. This involves a careful removal of the entire endometrial lesion from wherever it grows.
The first step to getting there is recognizing that your pain is not normal and seeking timely intervention. The earlier endometriosis is detected and treated, the better the results. Tracking your symptoms will make you better informed for your next doctor’s visit, and set you on a path to better (and less painful!) menstrual health.
For more information about Endometriosis, visit www.endofound.org
oh shit.
Can’t stress enough the early diagnosis part. My mum recently had to have a hysterectomy due to endometriosis and the doctors were like “well, if we’d known about this sooner, a much smaller operation would have been fine and we could have kept the uterus”. Get this shit checked early, guys
beeps, idk who you are on tumblr but if you’re following me, THIS THIS THIS
Yo! Went on the pill for period pain when I was 14 but it wasn’t till I was 23 that I was diagnosed with endo. And only then because I’d had such bad period pain, worse than ever (id have gone to the ER if it wasn’t that time of the month)
Follow this with a gyno visit, ultrasounds and a CT Scan that didn’t go well. (Apparently I’m allergic to the dye, nice to know.)
They finally decided that I had ovarian cysts and that they could be as a result of endo but can’t tell until they removed them with a lapeoscopy. (i say finally, was quite quick actually)
In the end when they got inside they were endomitromas and that I did have endo and the removed as much as they could.
Been fine since, not allowed a period so thats a bonus! It was go permenently on the pill till I get pregnant (if thats what I want and if I even can) or go through menopause in my mid twenties. Kinda… didn’t want that.
But as above, get checked. Seriously this stuff can mess up your insides, all your insides, this shit gets everywhere.
See a GP, see a gynocologist, get checked!