Step Talk

I am sorry to hear of your situation and I hope that you are feeling better soon. I do not know about endo so I can't comment on that. I do have experience with female problems (ovarian cysts, ruptured ovary, and fibroids). I too had difficulty sitting for long periods of time and was in a lot of pain. I used motrin for relief and it worked better than any of the other drugs out there (tried advil, aleve, tylenol, pamprin you name it). I ended up trying motrin because I was watching a Dr. on Oprah (not sure if it was Oz or some one else) anyways they mentioned that the best drug to relieve pain from female problems was motrin and surprisingly it was.

Another thing to try is a heating pad over the abdomen. Wehn traveling I would wear one of those heating patches for women. If any of this might be of any help to you my only suggestion would be that if you use the heating patch wear thich underwear or maybe even two pair. I seemed to always feel as though the patches got pretty hot. They gave you 8 hours of heat though (charcoal activated). I hope you are feeling better. Good luck with finding relief.

Step Mother's Motto this week is:

You don't have to LOVE me, you don't even have to LIKE me... But you will RESPECT me.

I have endometriosis too, and it used to affect my bowels, intestines, etc. I had cramps so bad and raging diarrhea that you wouldn't believe. (Sorry if that's TMI). My doctor prescribed "the pill" and I have had NO SYMPTOMS ever since. Is that an option for you? It keeps the problem from spreading, and it can actually reverse some of the damage that has already been done. I would NOT wait several weeks to go in, though; I would put your health as a priority, even if it means having trouble finding a sitter. It would be so much harder to find someone to take care of her PERMANENTLY. You don't want to mess with your health. Best of luck. Let us know how it turns out.

some cosmic level...hahaha

Anyway, I had endometriosis since I was 14. 3 1/2 yrs ago, I had to have a hysterectomy b/c of it. Endometiosis is kinda of like a benign cancer in that it multiplies to different areas of your body. It is a sticky substance kinda like glue. It can bind your bowels together and cause other problems as well. Not long after my hysterectomy, I had to have my gallbladder removed and they found that it was covered with endometiosis, which is why it wasn't working. I suffered from extreme cramps and lower backaches and headaches...all from endometriosis. Since it bound my bowels together, I also had bowel trouble all the time, couldn't eat hardly anything without it making me sick. I also had such a heavy flow that I had to use super tampons and 2 pads because of flooding. I would also have to change my tampon every 15-20 mins. Gross, I know, but it is the nature of the beast. Since I had my hysterectomy, I have only had minor problems w/it.
The best thing to help it is either birth control pills, or hysterectomy. I had 5 laporoscopies where they would go in and burn it all off, just so I could get pregnant. That helped for a while, but then it grew back. It was horrible. I sure hope you don't have it, but I think if you did, you would have known about it long before now. It is usually hereditary as well, so check w/your mom, or grandma. Both mine had it really bad. This is one reason I did not want girls. I hope I didn't gross you out too bad, just trying to be helpful.

With my history of DVT (blood clot in my left leg) I will not ever be allowed to take hormones again. That clot started while on orthotrycycline. GYN surgery of any kind means blood thinners for me after for 6 weeks because I am more likely to clot with a surgery that causes a hormonal change.

When my old GYN first diagnosed me with endo we discussed treatments and he said I was not a candidate for hormone therapy due to the clot history. So pretty much no treatment until it got much worse. From what I have read, the surgeries to help spreading endo are not very successful, and most women end up with hysterectomies.

"Om Tare Tutare Ture Mama Ayurpunye Jnana Putin Kuru Svaha"
~Sita Tara Mantra

Talked to my sister tonight and she didn't have her hysterectomy because of endo, and neither did my mom (prorated uterus was my mom's reason, after having 4 kids.)

I wonder if my three Csections contributed, and caused some adhesions. I was already diagnosed with endo years ago, when my periods went whacky and I had ultrasounds to find out why. It was in the beginning stages.

"Om Tare Tutare Ture Mama Ayurpunye Jnana Putin Kuru Svaha"
~Sita Tara Mantra

it is why I lost my first baby. When I had my emergency surgey for my ectopic pregnancy my Dr said I was loaded with endomeriosis so he cleaned me out. ( I have pictures...lucy me ) I always thought painful periods were normal.

I turn 40 this month & am the only woman in my maternal family to not have had a hysterectomy by my age for this issue. I am not really ruling it out as since I had my son a year ago my "visitor" is extremly heavy. Even when they remove the endometriosis it usually comes back.

If you do have a hysterectomy do not let them leave any of your cervix. My friend had it done last year at 46 & because they did it laproscopically & the Dr left some of her cervix she still has periods. She was not happy about that.

The thermo heating patches work great for car trips.If you are truly hurting make the two trips to the gyno, I know how hard it can be with a little person but this is important.

Sorry that you are going through this.

I have to go to the doctor next week for possible endometriosis as well. They think I may have it and that could be why I haven't gotten pregnant yet. I have to go in for a consult and they want to schedule a laparoscopy for me also.

I was on the pill for so long I never thought about having it - now my periods are very similar to what Sia described above. NASTY!!

Good luck to you