PERSONAL STORY: WENDY LOVE

When I was in high school I was constantly in pain especially around my menstrual cycle. I would complain all the time about this pain but no one believed me, probably because I was a troublemaker. I used to have to regularly use the bathroom during that time of the month. I would actually have to fight with my teachers to let me go to the bathroom because I went so much. I was told by all the adults around me that it was normal. Being only a teenager and not knowing very much I said, "OK" and started to hide the pain I was in.

After high school things seemed to calm down a bit I didn't have as much pain. I do remember that my boyfriend at that time had to come to my rescue a few times. There were a couple of occasions during my period that he had to lift me either into or out of the bathtub because the pain was so bad. On one of these occasions I was babysitting, and he called the father home from work and took me to the hospital.

My experience there was unsuccessful. They ran a pregnancy test (which was negative), and a few "standard tests" as they called them. They didn't find anything wrong so they gave me a shot of demerol and sent me on my merry little way. I never went back.

They couldn't tell me what my problem was so I figured that I would just continue to suffer in silence. I now have a baby girl. I didn't have any pain. I was so relieved. Then, disaster struck. My daughter was four months old at the time when I started to bleed. I thought I was getting my first period back so thought nothing of it, except that I was still bleeding two weeks later.

My boyfriend took me up to the hospital again because I was in serious pain. At the hospital the doctor informed me after more testing that I have a cyst on my ovary. I had to have surgery to get it removed from my ovary. I consented and away I went to the surgery table.

I was informed that the doctor was ONLY going to remove the cyst from my ovary. I put my life and female organs in his hands. Now I know that was stupid but at the age of 19 how was I supposed to know? I came out of the surgery to be informed that I am minus one ovary but this won't cause any problems and that all the pain I was suffering from before was due to this ovary.

Expecting that all my pain was going to be gone, I thanked the doctor and went home. I was still having odd pains here and there, but I chalked it up to still healing from the surgery.

A year later when I went to the bathroom to have a bowel movement I started to shake, sweat, and cry because of the pain. I went to my family doctor told her everything and she sent me to a Gynecologist. He performed a laparoscopy and found that I have Endometriosis. He wanted to get me back on the surgery table to remove it. (I made him sign a form saying he would not remove anything or do anything else other then the exploratory surgery). I ended up getting pregnant so the surgery was cancelled. After my pregnancy I went in to talk to him about the surgery and he refused to do it.

Again I went to my family doctor for another Gynecologist. This time she gave me a female doctor. I ended up missing my appointment because I got called into work. I called them to let them know I would not be coming and I would book another appointment later. When I called to book that appointment they then proceeded to tell me that I needed to find another doctor because I missed my last appointment.

So again I went to my family doctor who sent me to the current doctor I am with. After two years of being told I needed surgery I finally had it. I am know having other problems other then the pain, which only eased off for approximently two monthly cycles. I am constantly tired, sick with head colds, and am having regular pain in bowel movements along with muscle pain every day. I am currently on Toradol which eases the pain a bit but not by much.

I am hoping to visit my Gynecologist very soon to see if he can help me with these new problems that are ocurring now. I just hope that I don't have to wait 20 years before they find out what else is going on with my body.

I am thankful that I was able to have children and am hoping that I will still be able to in the near future. I encourage everyone to find something that will help them in dealing with their condition, whether it be research or something else. For myself my way of dealing with it is to help others. I am currently helping my cousin run a support group for females of all ages who are dealing with endometriosis in the Kitchener/Waterloo Region.

I wish everyone success in finding a doctor who is right for them and in dealing with their Endometriosis.

Wendy Love

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