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Endometriosis Community
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What do I do?!
by o0theresa0o, Mar 23, 2008 11:08PM
In March of 2005 I went to a sexual health clinic and mentioned that I was having minor pain on my right side when sneezing etc. The doctor advised I probably had a cyst, and if I was concerned, to let my family doctor know. I let it go.
In June of 2007, I was finding that the pain on the right side was becoming more persistent, especially when laying down and coughing, or sneezing. My family doctor referred me to a gynecologist to be seen in March of 2008.
In October of 2007, I was working out and experienced an awful shooting pain in my right side. I rested, and let it go. A few days later I was driving, and sneezed. The pain was so incredible that I nearly drove the car off the road. I realized I needed to see someone immediately. I went to the walk in clinic and had an ultrasound done. They said I had a 2inch hemorrhaging cyst on my right ovary, and in six weeks, I should return.
Three weeks later, I found myself in the hospital with horrible back pain accompanied with sharp shooting pains on my right side. They could not find anything (not even the cyst), gave me a shot for the pain and sent me home.
Being alarmed by the severity of my pain, I demanded to see a gyno sooner than March. There weren't any taking patients within the tri-city area, so I was advised to look for someone on my own. Finally, after calling doctors and begging them to see me, someone agreed to see me in Jan. of 08.
After explaining my pain, the gyno advised that she suspected I have endo.
She put me on LoEstrin to take continuously (no placebo week), and told me to come back in May.
The last 16 days I have been discharging black stuff, along with regular menses. I have been in a lot of pain, particularly aching in my lower right back, which sometimes radiates up my spine and down my right leg. When stretching, coughing, laughing, sneezing, during sex, bowel movements, and sometimes urinating, I find myself wrenching over in pain. Even reaching over to get the remote control had me doubled over.
This just passed Monday I was admitted to the hospital for a severe migraine accompanied with high blood pressure (I am just shy of 22, healthy eater and quite thin), and pains in my pelvis. They said that they suspected that I had been hemorrhaging again and was experiencing Toxic Shock from the blood.
The gyno wants me to keep up with the LoEstrin until May. I am getting to my wits end. I have missed 6 days of work this year already (we are given 10 a year!!), and my relationship with my boyfriend is suffering as I rarely want to be intimate, and when we are, it usually ends up with me in tears. My social life has gone to the dogs, my roomie feels like he has to walk on eggshells with me being so moody, and I think I have been denied a promotion recently because I am not 100% on my game. I am not nearly as active as I used to be and am gaining weight, which is resulting in a lowering of my self-esteem. As if that wasn't enough, the pain is horrendous. Getting out of a car puts me on the brink of tears.
I have been using Anaprox for pain, but it really doesn't do anything. I have more recently been taking three 400mg extra strength advils all at once, and even that doesn't completely alleviate it.
I need some advice, and some encouragement. I think this is beginning to send me into a downward spiral that could result in depression. I feel so defeated, angry, frustrated, and upset with this situation, and all I want at this point is for them to remove the entire thing just to end this nightmare.
In June of 2007, I was finding that the pain on the right side was becoming more persistent, especially when laying down and coughing, or sneezing. My family doctor referred me to a gynecologist to be seen in March of 2008.
In October of 2007, I was working out and experienced an awful shooting pain in my right side. I rested, and let it go. A few days later I was driving, and sneezed. The pain was so incredible that I nearly drove the car off the road. I realized I needed to see someone immediately. I went to the walk in clinic and had an ultrasound done. They said I had a 2inch hemorrhaging cyst on my right ovary, and in six weeks, I should return.
Three weeks later, I found myself in the hospital with horrible back pain accompanied with sharp shooting pains on my right side. They could not find anything (not even the cyst), gave me a shot for the pain and sent me home.
Being alarmed by the severity of my pain, I demanded to see a gyno sooner than March. There weren't any taking patients within the tri-city area, so I was advised to look for someone on my own. Finally, after calling doctors and begging them to see me, someone agreed to see me in Jan. of 08.
After explaining my pain, the gyno advised that she suspected I have endo.
She put me on LoEstrin to take continuously (no placebo week), and told me to come back in May.
The last 16 days I have been discharging black stuff, along with regular menses. I have been in a lot of pain, particularly aching in my lower right back, which sometimes radiates up my spine and down my right leg. When stretching, coughing, laughing, sneezing, during sex, bowel movements, and sometimes urinating, I find myself wrenching over in pain. Even reaching over to get the remote control had me doubled over.
This just passed Monday I was admitted to the hospital for a severe migraine accompanied with high blood pressure (I am just shy of 22, healthy eater and quite thin), and pains in my pelvis. They said that they suspected that I had been hemorrhaging again and was experiencing Toxic Shock from the blood.
The gyno wants me to keep up with the LoEstrin until May. I am getting to my wits end. I have missed 6 days of work this year already (we are given 10 a year!!), and my relationship with my boyfriend is suffering as I rarely want to be intimate, and when we are, it usually ends up with me in tears. My social life has gone to the dogs, my roomie feels like he has to walk on eggshells with me being so moody, and I think I have been denied a promotion recently because I am not 100% on my game. I am not nearly as active as I used to be and am gaining weight, which is resulting in a lowering of my self-esteem. As if that wasn't enough, the pain is horrendous. Getting out of a car puts me on the brink of tears.
I have been using Anaprox for pain, but it really doesn't do anything. I have more recently been taking three 400mg extra strength advils all at once, and even that doesn't completely alleviate it.
I need some advice, and some encouragement. I think this is beginning to send me into a downward spiral that could result in depression. I feel so defeated, angry, frustrated, and upset with this situation, and all I want at this point is for them to remove the entire thing just to end this nightmare.
angela
Hugs, Shelley
About the lap... how long did it take for you girls to recover from it? What would you suggest to prepare for it? Is there anything I should know? Any tips on how to deal with pain, or something? Any advice is appreciated.
I agree with you ticked that I need to start getting copies of my tests. I hadn't really thought to ask for it, but it might be good to have in case I want a second opinion. The doctor I have seems to be pretty good though... I hope.
Shelley, are there any questions you think I should ask that might help me with this? I mean, I obviously have my own, but was wondering if you might know of something I could ask that may help me out.
I really appreciate the dialogue here. This has been a very frightening, and difficult experience for me, and having some people who actually get it to talk with is nice.
As for the lap, it's a quick recovery, just a few days til you're back on your feet and doing pretty much whatever you want to and feel like doing. A lot of docs will do them on Thursday or Friday of one week and send you back to work the following Monday. My suggestion post op is to make sure and get yourself up and moving several times a day. They will fill your abdominal cavity with gas so that your organs will be easier to see with the scope, that gas will be expelled and/or absorbed by your body but you still run a risk of some of it getting trapped under your ribs and it is painful! I learned the hard way that I had to force myself to get up and walk, to keep things moving or I was going to regret it...I've had 4 laproscopic procedures so this isn't my first rodeo, I've done and tried it all at some point or another. Plan to stay a day or so and don't over do it, you'll know what you're capable of. If there is anything else I can do for you, don't hesitate to send me a message...I'll try to help. Also, if you're prone to nausea ask the anesthesiologist about giving you something like zofran in your IV before you're put under, it greatly reduces the upset tummy after surgery.
Best of luck, Shelley
Anyway, I am going to be taking 2 weeks off of work after the surgery