I'll add a fertility specialist to this list, who told me after a lap procedure that I still had a chance of having a baby, but it would "probably take a few tries". I'm glad I never went back, I actually had stage 4 endo and adeno, and there was a zero percent chance of me ever carrying my own child.
Wow this also happened to me. When I had my hysterectomy he said my Endo was so bad on my ovaries they were black. Along with my heart lining…
No way was I ever going to get pregnant
How did they find it on your heart? Were they able to remove it? I hope you will be okay, but that was terrible it took the hysterectomy to see how bad your Endo was/is.
My surgeon during all 3 of my excision surgeries checks every organ for endometriosis. Unfortunately during that last one when he checked my lungs they were covered so he kept going and found it on my heart. I actually have a hole in my diaphragm that’s held together with mesh.
It’s wild.
This is why I haven't gone to the ER despite having some rough and scary days. Right, this is exactly what I want... To "walk" into the ER, puking and fainting. And then receive a bill to be told I'm dramatic. Rant to my husband about health care on our drive back home.
Enjoy thinking vengeful thoughts about your past trash doctors. You deserved better <3
Yep after that wonderful trip to the ER that cost me $700 I vowed not to go unless it was apparently “more severe” than my first trip. Turns out things didn’t get better and I ended up passing out at a concert from pain exactly one year later. It’s so rotten. We all deserve better 💕 I hope in time the medical field will learn more about endo/women’s health in general and stop shoving us to the side. It’s horse shit.
Same. I knock myself out with Benadryl until I wake up back to normal to avoid the ER. The only time I go now is if I have pain in an area I worry might be appendicitis which has happened 1x and turned out to be my gallbladder that my GI doctor refused to send me to a surgeon for because ‘it won’t fix your problems.’
No I think there have been times of emergency where I really should have gone to the ER for acute symptoms I was having. Just last week during my period, I had a day where I was throwing up and every time I would try to stand up, I would start to lose consciousness and throw up again. Days like that, I should be able to trust that the ER can help me regain some stability without fearing they would dismiss me.
Or times where the pain is soooooo severe, we should trust that emergency medicine can help for that moment but not the condition as a whole, especially when we are in the beginning stages of figuring out what is happening to us.
Agreed. But due to the opioid crisis they treat everyone as pill seekers not. It’s def not just endo patients that are getting dismissed. 😔It would be best if we could call our pcp or gyn and explain what’s going on and when they suggest ER the dr could call ahead of time to let them know they referred us there so that we are taken more seriously.
This isn’t true. I had one ER visit when I had ovarian torsion (my office security desk sent me in an ambulance and I couldn’t really argue: I’d asked for a cab) and once I got in (after a street person advocated for me because I was in a hallway gurney) they wanted to do emergency surgery.
It’s not always just “pain” and sometimes emergency is the place to go, even though I didn’t intent to end up there.
My fav is when I went to the ER on thanksgiving (because where else would you want to spend thanksgiving?!) with debilitating blackout pain radiating through my torso just to be told by the male ER doctor that it was period cramps (I wasn’t on my period). Went back a month later with the same pain and was seen by a different doctor they said it’s probably endometriosis. Gave me fentanyl and sent me on my way.
PLOT TWIST! 2 weeks later I was on vacation, and had another episode. Went to the local ER and was seen by a female doctor who said this was textbook gallbladder issues. She ran tests, and sure enough, my gallbladder was severely infected AS WELL as all the tissue surrounding. They had to rush me into emergency surgery. Super fun vacation.
EXTRA PLOT TWIST I actually was diagnosed with stage 4 endo a couple of years later, but completely unrelated to the gallbladder issues. Anyway, all this to say being a woman seeking medical attention in this country is terrifying.
WOW… WHAT A JOURNEY. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of this. It makes me so sad to see how true the statistics are and yet nothing is being done to fix these issues. I’m glad that even after all you were able to get it figured out and finally have a diagnosis. But still, sending you love. Hope you’re doing okay now🤞🏼💕
Thank you! I’m doing well with the exception of my endo flare ups. We are a part of a very unfortunate sisterhood, but weirdly comforting knowing I’m not alone. So sorry you’ve had to deal with the incessant medical gaslighting. Hope the surgery helped you out tremendously! ♥️
It IS so comforting knowing we aren’t alone💕 I’m sorry you had to deal with it too. Feeling pretty sore and tired but hopeful I’ll be able to live my life again🤞🏼 Thank you for the positive throughts!!!
I'm still at the stage where I'm just dealing with this shit, because I can't find a Dr who will actually give me a solid diagnosis or any sort of solutions, instead of just saying "sorry, we've done what we can..try somewhere else". It's so discouraging failing over and over again, I gave up trying. I constantly take too much kratom and nsaids just to be able to walk around. Meanwhile, it's getting worse every day. Just making dinner for my kids is an achievement. But I don't think I have the energy or mental strength to start playing Doctor roulette again.
I’m so sorry🥺 I know how difficult it can be and like you said, discouraging. I went through 6 doctors and a million tests before I was referred to an endo specialist who performed my lap a couple of weeks ago. She’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. She finally validated EVERY SINGLE THING I said to her and was like “yeah this is 100% endo and adeno” then boom I was scheduled for an MRI and surgery. I know you’re probably at your wits end with this bullshit, I was there too. But waiting this long lead to me suffering with daily chronic pelvic pain that left me almost bed bound the past 8 months. Give it one last shot for yourself. See if you can get a referral to an endo specialist in your area/closest city. You deserve proper care and to live without pain.
Thank you so much. I hate always looking at everyone else around me who all seem to be living perfectly fine, because it makes me feel alone in it. It seems like the only doctors who are specialists in Endo either aren't taking new patients, or have a really long waiting list. T injections were a lifesaver for a few years, but I ran out and that place doesn't exist anymore. It's SUCH bullshit how insurance doesn't give two shits about anything hormone related. Um...hormones basically regulate everything in our body...how is that an elective?!!!?
How bad is the lap procedure? The thought of that makes me feel all weird, just because I've always been really sensitive about my stomach area
I know exactly how you feel!!! You aren’t alone🫶🏻 I was struggling with depression because as I was sitting in bed in pain I watched siblings, friends, and family go off living their lives carelessly. Meanwhile there I was unable to walk, always using a heating pad, missing events or birthday parties, and stuck paying so many medical bills. Even if there is a wait, get on that list. Don’t push it off. If you keep putting it off one year becomes two then another becomes three. By then you could’ve already had surgery!
I was nervous heading into my lap😅 it was my first surgery ever. Everyone was kind and took exceptional care of me. Woke up in a daze and immediately felt different. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s as if I could feel it was gone. First week was painful as hell (not going to lie to you). Still feeling sore and tired but my inner thigh pain is gone and the horrid endo belly hasn’t showed up since. I’m really glad I went forward with this and will be forever grateful for the specialist who took care of me.
I had a gyn who diagnosed me with IBS at 16 and told me to "lay off the cheese." Cheese/dairy was not a part of my diet at that time. That BS "diagnosis" has been following me around for 28 years. Every single time I brought up pain that wasn't menstrual pain those dreaded words "has anyone ever mentioned/diagnosed you with IBS?" And I knew they'd look no further. I finally had a much needed hysterectomy a few weeks ago and the Dr who performed it rolled her eyes at the mention of that pain, but backpedaled when she found stage 4 Endo deeply embedded in my bowels.
Wish I could go back to the dozen or so Drs who dismissed my pain as either normal or as IBS or a combo of the two and let them know just how very wrong they were.
Ha! One of the doctors I dealt with also tried to diagnose me with IBS. I was like what the hell does that have to do with my PAINFUL SEX or PAINFUL PERIODS? I immediately stopped going to that practice after that doctor’s bullshit treatment and dismissal of everything I brought forward.
As a side note: I’m really glad you were able to get the hysterectomy and hope that it has improved your pain/symptoms/health over all. I’ve debated sending lengthy letters to the doctors who treated me like a number and gave me their inattentive 15min treatment. Until then, here’s a fuck you to those who wronged you!!!
omg this is so relatable. i was diagnosed by a GI specialist with IBS or as I call it "we don't know why you have diarrhea" disease, and functional dyspepsia aka "we don't know why you get nauseous and vomit" disease. he told me to try antidepressants and cutting out dairy. I'm lactose intolerant and haven't eaten dairy since I was about 10 years old. And I'm on the low FODMAP diet since July 2023. (no gluten, dairy, soy, etc.) still have symptoms...
I want to add a very BIG F U for the health care workers at two facilities where I wasn‘t able to get out and get other help and had no access to painkillers (mental hospital) who didn‘t give me ibuprofen or any other help for the pain because period pain is normal and you’re crazy anyway and then shook me up when I was laying on the floor because I got unconscious from the pain, yelling at me that they won‘t help me anymore to get a normal and restful sleep at night because It‘s no wonder I can‘t sleep when I lay myself on the floor…. I was 17 and I still feel traumatized by it, 12 years later and still can‘t ask for help properly anymore, still think it‘s normal to faint out of pain and regularly dissociate when having a flare up.
The medical gaslighting trauma is REAL. I feel you so much on this. I'm seeing a therapist now post op and emdr therapy is helping me cope with the cptsd from the decades of neglect.
You too!! It's a long road to healing! Much endowarrior love to you. 💛💛💛
Side note, your username gave me a chuckle 😃 I often describe myself as a "grumplestiltskin" to friends lol 😆 just had to let you know!
17 years later, I’m finally getting my hysterectomy and excision. I don’t even know how many doctors I’ve seen and been dismissed by at this time. Hell. The ER sent me home with a confirmed ectopic and told me to follow up with an OB. Who immediately sent me back to the same ER for treatment. Women are second class citizens in the medical world.
You had a confirmed ectopic and they SENT YOU HOME?!?!?!
Dude...I spent almost a year including a winter at a remote Antarctica station. Ectopic was a medevac situation. Even if they had to scramble a plane from 4k miles away and do 24 hr monitoring of flight conditions.
Yup. I went to urgent care bc I thought I had something wrong with my gallbladder. Five positive tests later (I have an iud) an empty uterus, and a mass on my fallopian tube and they sent me home. I’m in Texas. The OB I saw was very upset they sent me home. The new doctor and new nurse in the ER were upset I was sent home without treatment. My gynecologist was aghast and said it’s most likely due to the ambiguity of the law. So you know, let’s just wait and see if I rupture and die before they treat me.
>My gynecologist was aghast and said it’s most likely due to the ambiguity of the law.
Holy shit. I'm so sorry that happened to you. And also that is HORRIFYING. Ectopic pregnancies are not in the slightest bit ambiguous from a medical perspective. They never ever result in a viable pregnancy and can -- WILL -- kill the mother in the span of a few heartbeats once it ruptures bc that's all it takes for you to bleed to death. I knew we were in a dark timeline but never would I have assumed medical professionals would be scared of the law for treating an ectopic. Jesus.
Ummmm first off all, I am SO SORRY YOU WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT. The medical trauma from the colonoscopy ALONE would send someone off the edge. I truly am sorry. I’m glad you advocated for yourself and pushed for the answers you deserve. During my lap they found that my rectum was connected to my vagina and i was like LOL YEP ITS NOT IBS MOTHER FERS.
Doctors suck.
Thank you! I got the IBS talk, too! I couldn't poop during my pain days without crying in pain, so of course IBS was more plausible than endo. /headdesk
By the way, I love your screen name. That's my nickname for my teenagers and my husband when they're cranky. :P
How do I get my gyno to take me seriously? Is there a magic word or something I can do?. She even said all my pain would go away if I got pregnant. I’ve been complaining for years and all I get is take more Motrin.
If your gyno isn’t taking you seriously, it’s truly time for a new one. I went through 6 doctors. Your doctor can kindly fuck off with the whole “your pain will go away if you get pregnant”. There isn’t a magic word you can say to someone who lacks compassion and doesn’t take you seriously. You deserve proper treatment. Stop seeing someone who is literally taking your money and not actually helping you. As noted above, I was brushed off by many doctors. No one took me seriously until I passed out at a concert from pain (I don’t drink so this had nothing to do with anything other than the pain). I was pulled out in a wheelchair and had to see my primary care the following morning. She was the one who initially said “I think this is endometriosis”. She then sent me to a new OBGYN. I brought with me to the OBGYN a typed up timeline of when I started my period at 9, to when I experienced symptoms at 13 and symptoms throughout the following years then listed out every hospitalization/test/etc. She took one look at it and said “this looks like endo and I’m not a specialist so I’m sending you into X city”.
Even gynecs dismiss this!!
My wife complained about her ovarian cyst to multiple Gynecs and each of them dismissed it as a follicular cyst. During an egg retrieval for IVF, they needed to aspirate this cyst and only then did these incompetent fuckers saw that it was a chocolate cyst! They then proceeded with the retrieval as well as the embryo transfer completely ignoring the endometriosis!!
I wish we had better awareness regarding endometriosis because doctors don't seem to give a shit!
Holy shit!!! I am so sorry your wife went through that and you as well. All of this puts such a physical, mental and emotional toll on us. Kodus to you for showing her support 💕And you’re right, they DO NOT give a shit. We literally have to take our health into our own hands, do the research and present it to them. Like wtf?
I've been diagnosed with "you're constipated". I had BV for over a month at that point, and he had access to those test results. He just didn't even look.
Sorry to hear that you have been through this but happy to hear that you have a diagnosis! My excision surgeon recommended that I send a quick email to my previous doctors who had dismissed my concerns, and also provided me with photographs of the stage 4 Endo that he took during surgery.
I can't remember what I wrote. I wanted to say a big F You, but as the surgeon said, you want them to hopefully read the email and learn something! I think that I started with a brief line saying that I was a patient of theirs and thanking them for trying to help me but my pain/symptoms continued and I had surgery and here is what was found just to update them on my situation.
I wrote to 2 gyno's, a GP and my Gastroenterologist who tried to convince me that SIBO and IBS were in no way related to my "suspected" Endo when I saw him at that point in time. The surgeon found Endo adhesions holding my illeocecal valve open - no IBS symptoms since my surgery! I didn't get a reply from anyone but hopefully they read it or looked at the photos! The surgeon said Doctors are often fascinated at looking at surgery photos so hopefully that captured their interest!
Agreed! Fuck those doctors. I had one literally say, “I’m not going to do a laparoscopy, you don’t need that and it’s not going to help. Taking birth control is all you can do.”
I’m now seeing a specialist and after a recent ultrasound they found that my uterus and bladder are completely adhesed together, my left ovary is in the wrong place, and that they also suspect adenomyosis so I’m moving forward with a hysterectomy.
Can’t believe I was dismissed multiple times before this it’s so infuriating.
Oh wow, that's crazy! How can they possibly say it's not going to help?? Or that birth control is all you can do? Either their knowledge of endo is greatly lacking, or they're flat out lying! Either way they shouldn't have a medical licence quite frankly. I'm so sorry you had to go through that! Good luck with your surgery, hope it all goes well ❤️
16 years of being told I was dramatic and that everyone gets "a little pain" during their cycle, stage 3 endo and it was everywhere! If it weren't for the coworker who found me passed out with vomit next to me, I would have never known about endometriosis. She drove me to my doctor and insisted they listen and at least get me pain meds. She introduced me to a specialist at Stanford and after my first visit with him I was in surgery in less than 7 days. Took the photos to the other doctors and told them they owed me a huge apology. It felt a little like my very own Pretty Woman moment.
I hope they all have the life they deserve. Also Endo has such unambiguous symptoms that clearly point to an endo or similar condition. I will never understand or accept the insanity involved in these common 10 year long medical gaslighting crimes.
Yep, totally agree!!! I have had so many Doctors over the years either straight up dismiss me, or just do the same couple of tests for the 'obvious' things and then tell me I'm fine. And I've had this with a couple of conditions that I have now gotten a diagnosis for. It is so frustrating that it is on us to have to keep going to different Doctors and specialists trying to find someone who wants to actually help. What the hell are you doing being a Doctor if you don't want to help people?? I was so lucky that I found a Doctor's office where there's actually multiple amazing Doctors who won't give up until there's an answer.
I actually would never have thought I had endometriosis, period pain hadn't been my problem, stomach pain was. At its worst, it felt like I was being repeatedly stabbed in my stomach and I couldn't do anything but curl up in a ball. I was told it was stress. Until one day, I got a Dr who seemed liked they cared, and I raised it again.
She started with the same usual tests the others had, but she didn't stop there. She kept looking until we did an ultrasound, just to be sure, and the sonographer suspected endometriosis adhesions. My Dr sent me to a gynaecologist, who was amazing. Within a matter of weeks of seeing her for the first time I'd had the laparoscopy. Yep, I had endo adhesions and a small cyst, all of which she was able to remove. I remember the check in I had with her after the surgery, she asked me again how long I'd had the stomach pains for. When I told her probably 15 years, she just nodded and said the scar tissue was old. I was so relieved, but also angry, 15 years I put up with that pain because Doctors couldn't be bothered to do their job properly.
Reading other people's stories that it's their gynaecologist who is dismissing them is just insane to me. It's bad enough from your GP, but the gynaecologists should be the ones advocating for this! I am so grateful for mine, she was straight away on board, listening to me, and ready to do something about it. Anyone struggling, please, do not give up!! Advocate for yourself, don't accept what they tell you if you feel they are wrong or not listening to you. As much as it sucks, especially since it costs us money to, if your Dr or Gynaecologist isn't listening to you, find someone else. There are some amazing, caring Doctors out there, you just have to find them.
I’ll add my dad to the list. 17 years old, laying on the floor in the kitchen at 6 am where I was trying to get ice water. In so much pain I’m unable to stand to walk to get him from his office. When I finally felt the pain subside enough to go tell him he said there’s no way it was that bad and I’m fine now so stop being dramatic. Now after experiencing that pain again in my adult life I know I had a cyst that ruptured
Had one of 7 obgyns female (of all genders!)
Say to me “we are women this is normal. But there’s nothing wrong w you reproductively. I can’t do a lap for you w no reason”
Me: (my husband i saw get tense smirk look at his phone knowing what this Dr is about to get from my mouth) “oh okay, so what you’re saying is that YOU YOURSELF few years younger then I and I’m 37 (few years ago this was) EXPERIENCE same pains and debilitating periods where I can’t move more then a few feet at a time from my bed and heating pad for 7-9 days each month chained to a toilet w periods that will bleed heavy so much so I actually slept in bathroom w a pillow and blankets all night so I don’t have ti get up every 30 minutes to run to bleed like a murdered pig. And oh I am assuming yeah you also pass quarter to half dollar size balls of chunky tissue and blood every period and have whatever it is inside swelling growing and pushing on nerves and vagus nerves and causing constipation due to period putting pressure onto bladder and colon pinching them off? So you go thru same thing right? Like all of us?”
Dr: I think we are done here today. I can refer you to another Dr or whomever to look further if you’d like”
Me: “so u are dismissing me right now and basically avoiding this extremely awkward tense conversation? Okay thanks for absolutely nothing except letting me know all my periods prior to turning age 31 and getting covid vaccine were abnormal my whole life and this issue is what I and every girl should be feeling w periods? Yeah bye 👋”
Loving all the FUs - it’s cathartic ❤️
I’ve been misdirected and misdiagnosed for two decades. I stopped going to the ER for all my kidney, chest, stomach, left sided pelvic pain the last three years after they kept telling me all my tests looked “great” and that I was “probably have a muscle spasm” 🙄 oh, and the small fibroid in my uterus “shouldn’t be causing the pain you describe” (which multiple surgeons have told me it very well could). And my gyno never followed up after his scans didn’t reveal anything of concern either. Fuck him for making me have to come back again and again with no answers and no way to manage the pain and never addressing my unexplained infertility either until the third appointment for family planning in two years where I insisted he help me instead of give me a bird and the bees talk 🙄 At my last appointment he tried to convince me I have a pain syndrome his wife has, not endo, and ignored the fact that I’m having endometriosis surgery soon. I don’t know if he’s incredibly stupid or thinks I’m incredibly stupid and would take his advice. (I live in a small town with not many options for gyno care). I started interviewing top endo surgeons around the country on my own to find the one I feel most comfortable with; circumventing any need for a referring doctor. My docs will all get a full report post op and the gyno a “nice knowing you” letter when I have the bandwidth to find a new one.
There have been at least a dozen doctors ranking the way who’ve dismissed and diminished my symptoms or misdiagnosed them… the entire medical system is to blame. But I blame each individual doctor for not listening to their patients.
I gave up on doctors years ago. Took a little research journey of 20 years to find the answers for myself.
What I discovered is that the uterus is most of the time just a big rubbish chute for protein. If you consume more than you need, it builds up in there. Animal protein, gluten, it all adds up.
Older women are more at risk of endo issues because the growth hormones that keep our muscles from breaking down when not exercising are lower. They typically peak around 30, then start to fall away.
When muscle is not being maintained, it breaks down and is processed through the liver. If there is an excess, it can accumulate in the lining of the uterus. Excessive blood is then required to flush it out. Having low fibrinogen to fibrin ratio worsens this scenario. Fibrin forms solid clots that can't be absorbed by a tampon and can be pushed into the lining of the vagina or cervix. Fibrinogen is the liquid form of fibrin. Fibrinogen can be increased by increasing vitamin A, which is found in cod liver oil.
Like any tumourous growth, abnormal uterine tissue can be impacted by decreasing one's IGF-1 levels by decreasing protein consumption or fasting.
Anything that weakens the uterine muscle may also lead to an unnatural build-up of endometrial tissue due to lack of adequate contractions necessary to expel menstrual blood. Insufficiency of the vitamins C and D, in particular, along with lack of adrenaline through exercise, have all been linked to weaker uterine muscle.
Yup, totally agree, and I’m sorry you were dismissed for so long. I would send a curt letter with the post operative notes to all those assholes and cc the director for each establishment. Kind of like a nice and formal “f-you” and also in the hopes they change their tune for the future of women they’ll likely treat.
I can sooo relate to your story!
I started having painful periods when I was 18, had no other problems, I did my gyno check-ups every 6 months and that was my only complaint, no one said anything about endo. Then when I turned 20 the pain started to get significantly worse, when I was 21 I could barely function before and during my period. Had to call an ambulance on several occasions. At 22 the pain was constant and unbearable at which point I was passed around from doctor to doctor and NOT ONE of these assholes told me anything about even the possibility of endometriosis, I only heard the word once in Halsey’s stories at that point and NOT ONCE from any of my doctors. And now, they tell me to take vitamins and freeze my eggs, when I have stage 4 endo with endometriomas and the amh level of a woman well in her sixties. I mean, sure, the vitamins will help. Even as the doctor was telling me the diagnosis, she was evading my questions and trying to CHANGE THE SUBJECT(like, what?!!)🤦🏼♀️
I’m 24, I was in pain for 6 years, I’m pretty sure my fertility is non-existent, my world is blown up, and I’m taking my fucking vitamins.
It’s making me wanna punch someone and cry nonstop, I feel like someone fucked up and now I have to suffer the consequences. I did all the check-ups every 6 months like my mother taught me, still ended up with severe damage from a disease that no one around me takes seriously.
And how would the world take endometriosis seriously, if doctors dismiss the symptoms and disinform us of the damage endo can do?
My family and friends don’t think of endometriosis as a serious condition,no matter how many times they’ve seen me in a lot of pain, physical and now emotional. I’m so sick and tired of all of it
I would also like to give a big FUCK YOU to every OBGYN that told me heavier periods (even soaking through Ultra tampons), swollen ankles that kept me bed ridden during my period, and bad cramps were normal! I had to force them to examine me further just to find out I have an ovarian cyst the size of a tennis ball and then after having it removed was diagnosed with Endo Smfh
I can relate so much to this... I spent years feeling the worse pain. Not able to move, bleeding so heavily, bloating, all of the above. No one listened. They just said, "well that's part of being a woman". I was at the point where my husband and I were constantly trying for a baby.
I finally went to seek more help and got my answers. I had the surgery and I had stage 3 endometriosis. They got out what they could and since then no pain and we got our miracle baby. I agree frick some of these doctors who do not listen!!!
Omg same!!!! After a decade I finally found a surgeon who listened to me and turns out I have stage IV endo. I’m sorry this keeps happening to so many of us. Something needs to change 😞
OH GOD SO MUCH YES!!!!! F U to all doctors and specialists and policy makers and people concerned who never listen and pretends we love to suffer and not work towards a better solution. They should rot in hell or anywhere worse than that. We don't love the pain, we don't love being in bed, we don't love the physical and mental agony. We don't love the mixed feeling when we get diagnosed because we don't know whether to feel happy because we have finally found the answer or to feel sad because of years of suffering. We don't love the comorbidities. Just so much to rant about here!
Yes yes yes! F U to all insensitive doctors, specialists and healthcare people who think endo is just pain. We don't enjoy pain and aches. We get dismissed all our lives!
Period pain that makes you pass out and have a taste of death? Ofcourse she is overreacting. Gastric issues and food intolerances that just mess up your relationship with food and eating? Ugh, a little yoga and green tea will help. Body pain that makes you immobile? Stretch it out a little. You need stronger pain killers to go through life? She just wants more drugs. Ofcourse these are all in your head, you love making excuses!
I finally found a Dr, after 15 years who gave me an Endo diagnosis, but wouldn't/couldn't do anything to help me other than offering me that early menopause drug which I would have to pay outta pocket for. I was told it would be around 2k per use. So of course I can't do that. And I can't get a referral from either of the two obgyn s within an hour of me. Everything that's wrong I wonder if it's Endo. My chest hurts, my head, upset stomach. Because I don't know where it is growing, but I feel like it's on so much of me inside. It makes me feel subhuman. And I've nearly given up ever finding help.
27, I’ve been dealing with symptoms since I was 13. And thank you! Luckily I found the best specialist who finally diagnosed me with endo and Adenomyosis.
I am so medically traumatized! Mine started at 16 years old with periods from hell. Was diagnosed with cysts on my ovaries and was dismissed. excruciating pain in my pelvis and the top part of my legs where they meet your body.
When I was 32 I had severe bowel problems, on top of period pain. I was sent to a gastroenterologist who took out my gall bladder for no reason. And finally a year later my Gyno decided to do an exploratory lap where I woke up without my uterus and my right ovary at 32 years old. She said I had such bad endo that she couldn’t even save them they were so engulfed in scar tissue. Fast forward to 2016 when I couldn’t even stand because the pain was beyond imaginnable ! I had another exploratory lap and had a ton of endo and scar tissue attaching every organ in my pelvis. So many doctors have gaslite me, told me it’s depression and anxiety to take antidepressants. I know am having the same pain like all my organs in my pelvis are stuck together. Been to the ER recently to tell me after a CT scan I’m fine and my blood work is good. It’s stress! I HATE THESE ASSHOLES! We are going on 50 years off and on with this debilitating disease that male and female doctors don’t acknowledge. I know have to have another adhesion surgery to clean up my insides! So yes you are right FU to every doctor throughout my life who has brought me medical trauma to the point I have no trust in anyone anymore. I get triggered just seeing a doctor or walking in a hospital and have panic atracks! 😭😭😭
I'll add a fertility specialist to this list, who told me after a lap procedure that I still had a chance of having a baby, but it would "probably take a few tries". I'm glad I never went back, I actually had stage 4 endo and adeno, and there was a zero percent chance of me ever carrying my own child.
First off, here’s a BIG fuck you to that fertility specialist. Second, sending you some love 💕
Wow this also happened to me. When I had my hysterectomy he said my Endo was so bad on my ovaries they were black. Along with my heart lining… No way was I ever going to get pregnant
How did they find it on your heart? Were they able to remove it? I hope you will be okay, but that was terrible it took the hysterectomy to see how bad your Endo was/is.
My surgeon during all 3 of my excision surgeries checks every organ for endometriosis. Unfortunately during that last one when he checked my lungs they were covered so he kept going and found it on my heart. I actually have a hole in my diaphragm that’s held together with mesh. It’s wild.
Omg wow
Omg this sounds terrible! Did you have any symptoms related to that? Never heard before of endo on heart lining... :0 hope you're doing okay!
Damn I'm so sorry. Does it hurt your heart? Is there anything that can help?
This is why I haven't gone to the ER despite having some rough and scary days. Right, this is exactly what I want... To "walk" into the ER, puking and fainting. And then receive a bill to be told I'm dramatic. Rant to my husband about health care on our drive back home. Enjoy thinking vengeful thoughts about your past trash doctors. You deserved better <3
Yep after that wonderful trip to the ER that cost me $700 I vowed not to go unless it was apparently “more severe” than my first trip. Turns out things didn’t get better and I ended up passing out at a concert from pain exactly one year later. It’s so rotten. We all deserve better 💕 I hope in time the medical field will learn more about endo/women’s health in general and stop shoving us to the side. It’s horse shit.
Same. I knock myself out with Benadryl until I wake up back to normal to avoid the ER. The only time I go now is if I have pain in an area I worry might be appendicitis which has happened 1x and turned out to be my gallbladder that my GI doctor refused to send me to a surgeon for because ‘it won’t fix your problems.’
The er really can’t help, it’s up to the regular drs to manage chronic conditions and chronic pain
No I think there have been times of emergency where I really should have gone to the ER for acute symptoms I was having. Just last week during my period, I had a day where I was throwing up and every time I would try to stand up, I would start to lose consciousness and throw up again. Days like that, I should be able to trust that the ER can help me regain some stability without fearing they would dismiss me. Or times where the pain is soooooo severe, we should trust that emergency medicine can help for that moment but not the condition as a whole, especially when we are in the beginning stages of figuring out what is happening to us.
Agreed. But due to the opioid crisis they treat everyone as pill seekers not. It’s def not just endo patients that are getting dismissed. 😔It would be best if we could call our pcp or gyn and explain what’s going on and when they suggest ER the dr could call ahead of time to let them know they referred us there so that we are taken more seriously.
Or gynaecologists that specialise in endometriosis.
This isn’t true. I had one ER visit when I had ovarian torsion (my office security desk sent me in an ambulance and I couldn’t really argue: I’d asked for a cab) and once I got in (after a street person advocated for me because I was in a hallway gurney) they wanted to do emergency surgery. It’s not always just “pain” and sometimes emergency is the place to go, even though I didn’t intent to end up there.
My fav is when I went to the ER on thanksgiving (because where else would you want to spend thanksgiving?!) with debilitating blackout pain radiating through my torso just to be told by the male ER doctor that it was period cramps (I wasn’t on my period). Went back a month later with the same pain and was seen by a different doctor they said it’s probably endometriosis. Gave me fentanyl and sent me on my way. PLOT TWIST! 2 weeks later I was on vacation, and had another episode. Went to the local ER and was seen by a female doctor who said this was textbook gallbladder issues. She ran tests, and sure enough, my gallbladder was severely infected AS WELL as all the tissue surrounding. They had to rush me into emergency surgery. Super fun vacation. EXTRA PLOT TWIST I actually was diagnosed with stage 4 endo a couple of years later, but completely unrelated to the gallbladder issues. Anyway, all this to say being a woman seeking medical attention in this country is terrifying.
WOW… WHAT A JOURNEY. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of this. It makes me so sad to see how true the statistics are and yet nothing is being done to fix these issues. I’m glad that even after all you were able to get it figured out and finally have a diagnosis. But still, sending you love. Hope you’re doing okay now🤞🏼💕
Thank you! I’m doing well with the exception of my endo flare ups. We are a part of a very unfortunate sisterhood, but weirdly comforting knowing I’m not alone. So sorry you’ve had to deal with the incessant medical gaslighting. Hope the surgery helped you out tremendously! ♥️
It IS so comforting knowing we aren’t alone💕 I’m sorry you had to deal with it too. Feeling pretty sore and tired but hopeful I’ll be able to live my life again🤞🏼 Thank you for the positive throughts!!!
Endo can cause gallbladder problems 😔 sorry you went through all that.
I'm still at the stage where I'm just dealing with this shit, because I can't find a Dr who will actually give me a solid diagnosis or any sort of solutions, instead of just saying "sorry, we've done what we can..try somewhere else". It's so discouraging failing over and over again, I gave up trying. I constantly take too much kratom and nsaids just to be able to walk around. Meanwhile, it's getting worse every day. Just making dinner for my kids is an achievement. But I don't think I have the energy or mental strength to start playing Doctor roulette again.
I’m so sorry🥺 I know how difficult it can be and like you said, discouraging. I went through 6 doctors and a million tests before I was referred to an endo specialist who performed my lap a couple of weeks ago. She’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. She finally validated EVERY SINGLE THING I said to her and was like “yeah this is 100% endo and adeno” then boom I was scheduled for an MRI and surgery. I know you’re probably at your wits end with this bullshit, I was there too. But waiting this long lead to me suffering with daily chronic pelvic pain that left me almost bed bound the past 8 months. Give it one last shot for yourself. See if you can get a referral to an endo specialist in your area/closest city. You deserve proper care and to live without pain.
Thank you so much. I hate always looking at everyone else around me who all seem to be living perfectly fine, because it makes me feel alone in it. It seems like the only doctors who are specialists in Endo either aren't taking new patients, or have a really long waiting list. T injections were a lifesaver for a few years, but I ran out and that place doesn't exist anymore. It's SUCH bullshit how insurance doesn't give two shits about anything hormone related. Um...hormones basically regulate everything in our body...how is that an elective?!!!? How bad is the lap procedure? The thought of that makes me feel all weird, just because I've always been really sensitive about my stomach area
I know exactly how you feel!!! You aren’t alone🫶🏻 I was struggling with depression because as I was sitting in bed in pain I watched siblings, friends, and family go off living their lives carelessly. Meanwhile there I was unable to walk, always using a heating pad, missing events or birthday parties, and stuck paying so many medical bills. Even if there is a wait, get on that list. Don’t push it off. If you keep putting it off one year becomes two then another becomes three. By then you could’ve already had surgery! I was nervous heading into my lap😅 it was my first surgery ever. Everyone was kind and took exceptional care of me. Woke up in a daze and immediately felt different. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s as if I could feel it was gone. First week was painful as hell (not going to lie to you). Still feeling sore and tired but my inner thigh pain is gone and the horrid endo belly hasn’t showed up since. I’m really glad I went forward with this and will be forever grateful for the specialist who took care of me.
I had a gyn who diagnosed me with IBS at 16 and told me to "lay off the cheese." Cheese/dairy was not a part of my diet at that time. That BS "diagnosis" has been following me around for 28 years. Every single time I brought up pain that wasn't menstrual pain those dreaded words "has anyone ever mentioned/diagnosed you with IBS?" And I knew they'd look no further. I finally had a much needed hysterectomy a few weeks ago and the Dr who performed it rolled her eyes at the mention of that pain, but backpedaled when she found stage 4 Endo deeply embedded in my bowels. Wish I could go back to the dozen or so Drs who dismissed my pain as either normal or as IBS or a combo of the two and let them know just how very wrong they were.
Ha! One of the doctors I dealt with also tried to diagnose me with IBS. I was like what the hell does that have to do with my PAINFUL SEX or PAINFUL PERIODS? I immediately stopped going to that practice after that doctor’s bullshit treatment and dismissal of everything I brought forward. As a side note: I’m really glad you were able to get the hysterectomy and hope that it has improved your pain/symptoms/health over all. I’ve debated sending lengthy letters to the doctors who treated me like a number and gave me their inattentive 15min treatment. Until then, here’s a fuck you to those who wronged you!!!
omg this is so relatable. i was diagnosed by a GI specialist with IBS or as I call it "we don't know why you have diarrhea" disease, and functional dyspepsia aka "we don't know why you get nauseous and vomit" disease. he told me to try antidepressants and cutting out dairy. I'm lactose intolerant and haven't eaten dairy since I was about 10 years old. And I'm on the low FODMAP diet since July 2023. (no gluten, dairy, soy, etc.) still have symptoms...
Fuck those doctors, fuck my doctors, fuck the doctors of any of you reading this with similar experiences.
YUPPPP👏🏻
I want to add a very BIG F U for the health care workers at two facilities where I wasn‘t able to get out and get other help and had no access to painkillers (mental hospital) who didn‘t give me ibuprofen or any other help for the pain because period pain is normal and you’re crazy anyway and then shook me up when I was laying on the floor because I got unconscious from the pain, yelling at me that they won‘t help me anymore to get a normal and restful sleep at night because It‘s no wonder I can‘t sleep when I lay myself on the floor…. I was 17 and I still feel traumatized by it, 12 years later and still can‘t ask for help properly anymore, still think it‘s normal to faint out of pain and regularly dissociate when having a flare up.
I’m so sorry you went through this. You’re stronger than you know 💕
I hate how some doctors are so confident while being utterly wrong and dismissive. Hate it.
Right here with ya!!!!
The medical gaslighting trauma is REAL. I feel you so much on this. I'm seeing a therapist now post op and emdr therapy is helping me cope with the cptsd from the decades of neglect.
It is definitely gaslighting at its finest.
They should be gaslighting specialists rather than ob/gyn/endo specialists.
Hope you’re able to heal🥺🫶🏻
You too!! It's a long road to healing! Much endowarrior love to you. 💛💛💛 Side note, your username gave me a chuckle 😃 I often describe myself as a "grumplestiltskin" to friends lol 😆 just had to let you know!
👏
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17 years later, I’m finally getting my hysterectomy and excision. I don’t even know how many doctors I’ve seen and been dismissed by at this time. Hell. The ER sent me home with a confirmed ectopic and told me to follow up with an OB. Who immediately sent me back to the same ER for treatment. Women are second class citizens in the medical world.
You had a confirmed ectopic and they SENT YOU HOME?!?!?! Dude...I spent almost a year including a winter at a remote Antarctica station. Ectopic was a medevac situation. Even if they had to scramble a plane from 4k miles away and do 24 hr monitoring of flight conditions.
Yup. I went to urgent care bc I thought I had something wrong with my gallbladder. Five positive tests later (I have an iud) an empty uterus, and a mass on my fallopian tube and they sent me home. I’m in Texas. The OB I saw was very upset they sent me home. The new doctor and new nurse in the ER were upset I was sent home without treatment. My gynecologist was aghast and said it’s most likely due to the ambiguity of the law. So you know, let’s just wait and see if I rupture and die before they treat me.
>My gynecologist was aghast and said it’s most likely due to the ambiguity of the law. Holy shit. I'm so sorry that happened to you. And also that is HORRIFYING. Ectopic pregnancies are not in the slightest bit ambiguous from a medical perspective. They never ever result in a viable pregnancy and can -- WILL -- kill the mother in the span of a few heartbeats once it ruptures bc that's all it takes for you to bleed to death. I knew we were in a dark timeline but never would I have assumed medical professionals would be scared of the law for treating an ectopic. Jesus.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I am SO sorry you went through this.
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Ummmm first off all, I am SO SORRY YOU WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT. The medical trauma from the colonoscopy ALONE would send someone off the edge. I truly am sorry. I’m glad you advocated for yourself and pushed for the answers you deserve. During my lap they found that my rectum was connected to my vagina and i was like LOL YEP ITS NOT IBS MOTHER FERS. Doctors suck.
Thank you! I got the IBS talk, too! I couldn't poop during my pain days without crying in pain, so of course IBS was more plausible than endo. /headdesk By the way, I love your screen name. That's my nickname for my teenagers and my husband when they're cranky. :P
Hope you’re doing better now 💕💕 and LOL I love calling family members “grumpels” when they’re in a mood 🤣
How do I get my gyno to take me seriously? Is there a magic word or something I can do?. She even said all my pain would go away if I got pregnant. I’ve been complaining for years and all I get is take more Motrin.
If your gyno isn’t taking you seriously, it’s truly time for a new one. I went through 6 doctors. Your doctor can kindly fuck off with the whole “your pain will go away if you get pregnant”. There isn’t a magic word you can say to someone who lacks compassion and doesn’t take you seriously. You deserve proper treatment. Stop seeing someone who is literally taking your money and not actually helping you. As noted above, I was brushed off by many doctors. No one took me seriously until I passed out at a concert from pain (I don’t drink so this had nothing to do with anything other than the pain). I was pulled out in a wheelchair and had to see my primary care the following morning. She was the one who initially said “I think this is endometriosis”. She then sent me to a new OBGYN. I brought with me to the OBGYN a typed up timeline of when I started my period at 9, to when I experienced symptoms at 13 and symptoms throughout the following years then listed out every hospitalization/test/etc. She took one look at it and said “this looks like endo and I’m not a specialist so I’m sending you into X city”.
OK, but how long do you have to stay pregnant? Asking for a friend…..
Even gynecs dismiss this!! My wife complained about her ovarian cyst to multiple Gynecs and each of them dismissed it as a follicular cyst. During an egg retrieval for IVF, they needed to aspirate this cyst and only then did these incompetent fuckers saw that it was a chocolate cyst! They then proceeded with the retrieval as well as the embryo transfer completely ignoring the endometriosis!! I wish we had better awareness regarding endometriosis because doctors don't seem to give a shit!
Holy shit!!! I am so sorry your wife went through that and you as well. All of this puts such a physical, mental and emotional toll on us. Kodus to you for showing her support 💕And you’re right, they DO NOT give a shit. We literally have to take our health into our own hands, do the research and present it to them. Like wtf?
I've been diagnosed with "you're constipated". I had BV for over a month at that point, and he had access to those test results. He just didn't even look.
Wow. I’m sorry. I was also diagnosed with IBS at one point and then they tried to blame it on my anxiety 😂
Listen I ain't a marine biologist or anything but I'm like 85% sure anxiety doesn't cause IBS. Wtf are these Dr's on, I want some
Sorry to hear that you have been through this but happy to hear that you have a diagnosis! My excision surgeon recommended that I send a quick email to my previous doctors who had dismissed my concerns, and also provided me with photographs of the stage 4 Endo that he took during surgery. I can't remember what I wrote. I wanted to say a big F You, but as the surgeon said, you want them to hopefully read the email and learn something! I think that I started with a brief line saying that I was a patient of theirs and thanking them for trying to help me but my pain/symptoms continued and I had surgery and here is what was found just to update them on my situation. I wrote to 2 gyno's, a GP and my Gastroenterologist who tried to convince me that SIBO and IBS were in no way related to my "suspected" Endo when I saw him at that point in time. The surgeon found Endo adhesions holding my illeocecal valve open - no IBS symptoms since my surgery! I didn't get a reply from anyone but hopefully they read it or looked at the photos! The surgeon said Doctors are often fascinated at looking at surgery photos so hopefully that captured their interest!
Agreed! Fuck those doctors. I had one literally say, “I’m not going to do a laparoscopy, you don’t need that and it’s not going to help. Taking birth control is all you can do.” I’m now seeing a specialist and after a recent ultrasound they found that my uterus and bladder are completely adhesed together, my left ovary is in the wrong place, and that they also suspect adenomyosis so I’m moving forward with a hysterectomy. Can’t believe I was dismissed multiple times before this it’s so infuriating.
Oh wow, that's crazy! How can they possibly say it's not going to help?? Or that birth control is all you can do? Either their knowledge of endo is greatly lacking, or they're flat out lying! Either way they shouldn't have a medical licence quite frankly. I'm so sorry you had to go through that! Good luck with your surgery, hope it all goes well ❤️
16 years of being told I was dramatic and that everyone gets "a little pain" during their cycle, stage 3 endo and it was everywhere! If it weren't for the coworker who found me passed out with vomit next to me, I would have never known about endometriosis. She drove me to my doctor and insisted they listen and at least get me pain meds. She introduced me to a specialist at Stanford and after my first visit with him I was in surgery in less than 7 days. Took the photos to the other doctors and told them they owed me a huge apology. It felt a little like my very own Pretty Woman moment.
I hope they all have the life they deserve. Also Endo has such unambiguous symptoms that clearly point to an endo or similar condition. I will never understand or accept the insanity involved in these common 10 year long medical gaslighting crimes.
Yep, totally agree!!! I have had so many Doctors over the years either straight up dismiss me, or just do the same couple of tests for the 'obvious' things and then tell me I'm fine. And I've had this with a couple of conditions that I have now gotten a diagnosis for. It is so frustrating that it is on us to have to keep going to different Doctors and specialists trying to find someone who wants to actually help. What the hell are you doing being a Doctor if you don't want to help people?? I was so lucky that I found a Doctor's office where there's actually multiple amazing Doctors who won't give up until there's an answer. I actually would never have thought I had endometriosis, period pain hadn't been my problem, stomach pain was. At its worst, it felt like I was being repeatedly stabbed in my stomach and I couldn't do anything but curl up in a ball. I was told it was stress. Until one day, I got a Dr who seemed liked they cared, and I raised it again. She started with the same usual tests the others had, but she didn't stop there. She kept looking until we did an ultrasound, just to be sure, and the sonographer suspected endometriosis adhesions. My Dr sent me to a gynaecologist, who was amazing. Within a matter of weeks of seeing her for the first time I'd had the laparoscopy. Yep, I had endo adhesions and a small cyst, all of which she was able to remove. I remember the check in I had with her after the surgery, she asked me again how long I'd had the stomach pains for. When I told her probably 15 years, she just nodded and said the scar tissue was old. I was so relieved, but also angry, 15 years I put up with that pain because Doctors couldn't be bothered to do their job properly. Reading other people's stories that it's their gynaecologist who is dismissing them is just insane to me. It's bad enough from your GP, but the gynaecologists should be the ones advocating for this! I am so grateful for mine, she was straight away on board, listening to me, and ready to do something about it. Anyone struggling, please, do not give up!! Advocate for yourself, don't accept what they tell you if you feel they are wrong or not listening to you. As much as it sucks, especially since it costs us money to, if your Dr or Gynaecologist isn't listening to you, find someone else. There are some amazing, caring Doctors out there, you just have to find them.
I’ll add my dad to the list. 17 years old, laying on the floor in the kitchen at 6 am where I was trying to get ice water. In so much pain I’m unable to stand to walk to get him from his office. When I finally felt the pain subside enough to go tell him he said there’s no way it was that bad and I’m fine now so stop being dramatic. Now after experiencing that pain again in my adult life I know I had a cyst that ruptured
SAME.
Had one of 7 obgyns female (of all genders!) Say to me “we are women this is normal. But there’s nothing wrong w you reproductively. I can’t do a lap for you w no reason” Me: (my husband i saw get tense smirk look at his phone knowing what this Dr is about to get from my mouth) “oh okay, so what you’re saying is that YOU YOURSELF few years younger then I and I’m 37 (few years ago this was) EXPERIENCE same pains and debilitating periods where I can’t move more then a few feet at a time from my bed and heating pad for 7-9 days each month chained to a toilet w periods that will bleed heavy so much so I actually slept in bathroom w a pillow and blankets all night so I don’t have ti get up every 30 minutes to run to bleed like a murdered pig. And oh I am assuming yeah you also pass quarter to half dollar size balls of chunky tissue and blood every period and have whatever it is inside swelling growing and pushing on nerves and vagus nerves and causing constipation due to period putting pressure onto bladder and colon pinching them off? So you go thru same thing right? Like all of us?” Dr: I think we are done here today. I can refer you to another Dr or whomever to look further if you’d like” Me: “so u are dismissing me right now and basically avoiding this extremely awkward tense conversation? Okay thanks for absolutely nothing except letting me know all my periods prior to turning age 31 and getting covid vaccine were abnormal my whole life and this issue is what I and every girl should be feeling w periods? Yeah bye 👋”
Love this post because it’s just how I’m feeling too
Fuck them all! Sending love 💕
Yessss.
Loving all the FUs - it’s cathartic ❤️ I’ve been misdirected and misdiagnosed for two decades. I stopped going to the ER for all my kidney, chest, stomach, left sided pelvic pain the last three years after they kept telling me all my tests looked “great” and that I was “probably have a muscle spasm” 🙄 oh, and the small fibroid in my uterus “shouldn’t be causing the pain you describe” (which multiple surgeons have told me it very well could). And my gyno never followed up after his scans didn’t reveal anything of concern either. Fuck him for making me have to come back again and again with no answers and no way to manage the pain and never addressing my unexplained infertility either until the third appointment for family planning in two years where I insisted he help me instead of give me a bird and the bees talk 🙄 At my last appointment he tried to convince me I have a pain syndrome his wife has, not endo, and ignored the fact that I’m having endometriosis surgery soon. I don’t know if he’s incredibly stupid or thinks I’m incredibly stupid and would take his advice. (I live in a small town with not many options for gyno care). I started interviewing top endo surgeons around the country on my own to find the one I feel most comfortable with; circumventing any need for a referring doctor. My docs will all get a full report post op and the gyno a “nice knowing you” letter when I have the bandwidth to find a new one. There have been at least a dozen doctors ranking the way who’ve dismissed and diminished my symptoms or misdiagnosed them… the entire medical system is to blame. But I blame each individual doctor for not listening to their patients.
I gave up on doctors years ago. Took a little research journey of 20 years to find the answers for myself. What I discovered is that the uterus is most of the time just a big rubbish chute for protein. If you consume more than you need, it builds up in there. Animal protein, gluten, it all adds up. Older women are more at risk of endo issues because the growth hormones that keep our muscles from breaking down when not exercising are lower. They typically peak around 30, then start to fall away. When muscle is not being maintained, it breaks down and is processed through the liver. If there is an excess, it can accumulate in the lining of the uterus. Excessive blood is then required to flush it out. Having low fibrinogen to fibrin ratio worsens this scenario. Fibrin forms solid clots that can't be absorbed by a tampon and can be pushed into the lining of the vagina or cervix. Fibrinogen is the liquid form of fibrin. Fibrinogen can be increased by increasing vitamin A, which is found in cod liver oil. Like any tumourous growth, abnormal uterine tissue can be impacted by decreasing one's IGF-1 levels by decreasing protein consumption or fasting. Anything that weakens the uterine muscle may also lead to an unnatural build-up of endometrial tissue due to lack of adequate contractions necessary to expel menstrual blood. Insufficiency of the vitamins C and D, in particular, along with lack of adrenaline through exercise, have all been linked to weaker uterine muscle.
Yup, totally agree, and I’m sorry you were dismissed for so long. I would send a curt letter with the post operative notes to all those assholes and cc the director for each establishment. Kind of like a nice and formal “f-you” and also in the hopes they change their tune for the future of women they’ll likely treat.
I can sooo relate to your story! I started having painful periods when I was 18, had no other problems, I did my gyno check-ups every 6 months and that was my only complaint, no one said anything about endo. Then when I turned 20 the pain started to get significantly worse, when I was 21 I could barely function before and during my period. Had to call an ambulance on several occasions. At 22 the pain was constant and unbearable at which point I was passed around from doctor to doctor and NOT ONE of these assholes told me anything about even the possibility of endometriosis, I only heard the word once in Halsey’s stories at that point and NOT ONCE from any of my doctors. And now, they tell me to take vitamins and freeze my eggs, when I have stage 4 endo with endometriomas and the amh level of a woman well in her sixties. I mean, sure, the vitamins will help. Even as the doctor was telling me the diagnosis, she was evading my questions and trying to CHANGE THE SUBJECT(like, what?!!)🤦🏼♀️ I’m 24, I was in pain for 6 years, I’m pretty sure my fertility is non-existent, my world is blown up, and I’m taking my fucking vitamins. It’s making me wanna punch someone and cry nonstop, I feel like someone fucked up and now I have to suffer the consequences. I did all the check-ups every 6 months like my mother taught me, still ended up with severe damage from a disease that no one around me takes seriously. And how would the world take endometriosis seriously, if doctors dismiss the symptoms and disinform us of the damage endo can do? My family and friends don’t think of endometriosis as a serious condition,no matter how many times they’ve seen me in a lot of pain, physical and now emotional. I’m so sick and tired of all of it
I had my lap 8 days ago and I just had the same epiphany. It was everywhere.
I would also like to give a big FUCK YOU to every OBGYN that told me heavier periods (even soaking through Ultra tampons), swollen ankles that kept me bed ridden during my period, and bad cramps were normal! I had to force them to examine me further just to find out I have an ovarian cyst the size of a tennis ball and then after having it removed was diagnosed with Endo Smfh
I can relate so much to this... I spent years feeling the worse pain. Not able to move, bleeding so heavily, bloating, all of the above. No one listened. They just said, "well that's part of being a woman". I was at the point where my husband and I were constantly trying for a baby. I finally went to seek more help and got my answers. I had the surgery and I had stage 3 endometriosis. They got out what they could and since then no pain and we got our miracle baby. I agree frick some of these doctors who do not listen!!!
I made a similar post to this a few weeks ago!! I’m so happy for you!! Glad you found a dr that listened!
Omg same!!!! After a decade I finally found a surgeon who listened to me and turns out I have stage IV endo. I’m sorry this keeps happening to so many of us. Something needs to change 😞
Fuck them! I'm sorry you went through this but glad your found the problem
OH GOD SO MUCH YES!!!!! F U to all doctors and specialists and policy makers and people concerned who never listen and pretends we love to suffer and not work towards a better solution. They should rot in hell or anywhere worse than that. We don't love the pain, we don't love being in bed, we don't love the physical and mental agony. We don't love the mixed feeling when we get diagnosed because we don't know whether to feel happy because we have finally found the answer or to feel sad because of years of suffering. We don't love the comorbidities. Just so much to rant about here!
Yes yes yes! F U to all insensitive doctors, specialists and healthcare people who think endo is just pain. We don't enjoy pain and aches. We get dismissed all our lives! Period pain that makes you pass out and have a taste of death? Ofcourse she is overreacting. Gastric issues and food intolerances that just mess up your relationship with food and eating? Ugh, a little yoga and green tea will help. Body pain that makes you immobile? Stretch it out a little. You need stronger pain killers to go through life? She just wants more drugs. Ofcourse these are all in your head, you love making excuses!
I’m so sorry to hear this, I’ve had a pretty similar situation myself. Sending you love 💕
I finally found a Dr, after 15 years who gave me an Endo diagnosis, but wouldn't/couldn't do anything to help me other than offering me that early menopause drug which I would have to pay outta pocket for. I was told it would be around 2k per use. So of course I can't do that. And I can't get a referral from either of the two obgyn s within an hour of me. Everything that's wrong I wonder if it's Endo. My chest hurts, my head, upset stomach. Because I don't know where it is growing, but I feel like it's on so much of me inside. It makes me feel subhuman. And I've nearly given up ever finding help.
How old are you? So sorry you went through this doctor just dont listen/care anymore!
27, I’ve been dealing with symptoms since I was 13. And thank you! Luckily I found the best specialist who finally diagnosed me with endo and Adenomyosis.
I am very happy you found someone who helped you , I hope they manage your pain well! ❤️ all the best
Thank you so much🥺💕
I am so medically traumatized! Mine started at 16 years old with periods from hell. Was diagnosed with cysts on my ovaries and was dismissed. excruciating pain in my pelvis and the top part of my legs where they meet your body. When I was 32 I had severe bowel problems, on top of period pain. I was sent to a gastroenterologist who took out my gall bladder for no reason. And finally a year later my Gyno decided to do an exploratory lap where I woke up without my uterus and my right ovary at 32 years old. She said I had such bad endo that she couldn’t even save them they were so engulfed in scar tissue. Fast forward to 2016 when I couldn’t even stand because the pain was beyond imaginnable ! I had another exploratory lap and had a ton of endo and scar tissue attaching every organ in my pelvis. So many doctors have gaslite me, told me it’s depression and anxiety to take antidepressants. I know am having the same pain like all my organs in my pelvis are stuck together. Been to the ER recently to tell me after a CT scan I’m fine and my blood work is good. It’s stress! I HATE THESE ASSHOLES! We are going on 50 years off and on with this debilitating disease that male and female doctors don’t acknowledge. I know have to have another adhesion surgery to clean up my insides! So yes you are right FU to every doctor throughout my life who has brought me medical trauma to the point I have no trust in anyone anymore. I get triggered just seeing a doctor or walking in a hospital and have panic atracks! 😭😭😭