Please advise Chronic pelvic pain on right

[nina1975]

I am 16 years old and have been suffering from severe pelvic pain for 2 years now...It started in August of 2007 I was developing ovarian cyst every month during my menstrual cycle and it is always only on my right side.They would develop then rupture on there own (very painful). My Dr then put me on the pill to stop ovulation it didn't work. I have tried several different birth control pills including the depo shot so far nothing has worked. The pain at first was only coming once a month for the first 2 to 3 months, after that it's all month long.

I have had 2 laporscopic surgerys with in 7 months of last year. The results of the first sugery they found a cyst 4cm growing off my ovary to the webbing of my fallopian tubes and Dr surgically removed it. The result of the 2nd surgery a band of scar tissue was squeezing my ovary the Dr cut the band and  also had my appendix removed as well. Since both surgerys my sypmtoms have not changed which are and have been since the pain first started.

My sypmtoms are: severe pain on right side that travels to my lower back, severe swelling and bloating, nausea, fatigue,loss of appetite, stabbing throbbing dull achey (achy) pain, hurts when up for a long period of time, can't walk, very very tender to touch, pain is always there. Fluctuates from a pain level 5 to 10. Starts as a 5 and in a couple of days the pain becomes a 10. Last for a few more days as a 10, then becomes tolerable again. Have seen about three doctors and have gotten no results. If anyone has experienced these symptoms or may know of a Dr or if you are a Dr who could help please reply. This has consumed my life for way to long I was missing so much school and falling behind in my classes I had to be home schooled. I have no social life and am miserable everyday I pray every night for an answer. I plead for anyone or Dr to please help or advise with any answers. I don't want to be in pain any longer...

If u wish to reply please do so to my mother's email
***@****

[ALT76]

I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this - especially at such a young age!  First of all, the stuff they found during your surgeries is endometriosis.  Has anyone told you that?  It is when the endometrial tissue that is supposed to grow inside your uterus grows on the outside.  The problem is, surgery can be a double edged sword.  It can provide some relief, but generally after the surgery is performed, scar tissue forms.  The scar tissue (also called "adhesions") can be JUST AS PAINFUL as the endometriosis itself.  The other thing is, with the human body, size is not a factor of pain.  Some women with endometriosis are considered "level 4" where the endometriosis is rampant and wrapped around all of their organs - and they feel almost no pain.  While some women are level 1 and just have a tiny bit attached to something and are in excrutiating pain.  There is no rhyme or reason to it.  My guess is that the second surgery when the found the ovary with the scar tissue it was the same ovary that they messed with in the first surgery?  

They can remove the scar tissue - but sadly, it WILL come back.  The other problem is, while endometrial growths can be helped and inhibited with hormones like the pill, scar tissue does NOT respond to hormones.

I am terribly sorry - I really know how consuming the pain can be.  I had my first lap in December '07, and six months later the pain was so bad and even worse than before my first surgery.  Before my first lap, the pain was mostly limited to my periods, which were incapacitating - I was once hospitalized just for the pain from my cramps!  But 6 months after my first lap, the pain was EVERYDAY.  I sucked it up that way for 4 more months until I finally caved and had a second lap.  For me... so far so good!  But I'm in my good phase, it's only been a little over 4 months since surgery.

I'm sure it has affected your life - it certainly affected mine!  Endometriosis can be very traumatic to deal with.  And I also hear you on the doctors.  It took me a year and a half and 4 different doctors (I just kept moving on!) to finally diagnose everything that was wrong with me.  The problem with endometriosis is that unless it takes the form of an endometrioma, which is a cyst on the ovary made out of endometrial tissue (not ALL cysts are endometriomas - most are fluid filled - these are solid masses or filled with blood), all other forms of endometriosis cannot be detected just on ultrasounds - you need surgery to see it.

My advice would be to try to find someone who specializes in endometriosis.  I'm not sure where you live, but this is a good website with lots of info, and if you scroll down there is a link towards the bottom that had "endometriosis doctors" in different states.

http://www.endo-resolved.com/specialist.html

You should check out all of the other info on the website as well!

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE to contact me directly (send me a message on my profile) if you have ANY other questions!

good luck!

-amy