Growing up, I experienced awful cramps during my period. In high school, I’d have to take off work for the first two days of my cycle because it was just too much. I would lay in bed with heating pads and ice cream, just waiting for the pain to go away. I thought it was normal, and that everyone experienced this, but boy was I wrong.
One day, I realized that the pain I suffered through during my period wasn’t the same as my friends. Of course, no woman enjoys that time of the month, but my friends’ experiences felt like a walk in the park compared to mine.
I decided to go see a gynecologist towards the end of my senior year of high school to figure out what was going on. After asking me a few simple questions, my gynecologist told me that I have Endometriosis. I was confused, but relieved to finally know that there was a name for what I was experiencing.
After learning a little bit about what this disorder entails from my gynecologist, she encouraged me to switch my oral contraception to one containing specific hormones that will decrease the amount of pain I experience. I took her advice and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Sure, I still have cramps during my period, but they aren’t comparable to the type of pain I used to experience.
So, what exactly is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is essentially when the lining of your uterus grows outside of where it is supposed to be. The pain that is associated with this disorder is caused from bleeding not only from the cells and tissue inside the uterus, but also from the cells and tissue growing outside the uterus. An estimated 1 in 10 women suffer from endometriosis in the United States.
What are some of the symptoms you should look out for?
Pain during that time of the month is not the only symptom that is experienced with Endometriosis. Sometimes, this disorder can cause pain during sex. This is due to the constant friction against the tissue that is growing outside of the uterus. This can result in pain and bleeding during or after sex.
Excessively heavy or elongated periods, fatigue, and infertility are also common symptoms that come along with this disorder.
What should you do if you think you have endometriosis?
If you think you may have Endometriosis, it’s not the end of the world. I encourage you to schedule an appointment with your gynecologist. They can prescribe you medication, like an oral contraceptive that releases certain hormones to subside the pain. If you are experiencing extreme pain that affects your day to day life, you may need to go see a doctor. They may recommend that a sample be taken from an endometrial lesion or remove the lesion all together to help suppress the pain.
I never expected to have Endometriosis and living with it comes with some complications. But going to the gynecologist and finally figuring out an answer to my problems was the best decision of my life. It’s always better to take control of your body rather than letting it control you.