I am now going to Sowela and I am going in to Computer Technology. I enjoy spending time with my best friend, my family, and my cat, Tiger. I am adding this page to tell about my battle with endometriosis.

My Battle with Endometriosis

On October 1, 1996, as I was sitting in Geometry class, my name was called over the intercom. I was told that I had to go home; but when I got in the truck, we were not going home but to the doctor. My nightmare begins. Most people say, "It's no big deal," but to me it was. I mean it was my first time going to a gynecologist and I was having many problems. Many blood test were run as well as other medical tests. After all of the results came in and everything else was done, my doctor decided I needed surgery. It took her thirteen months to decide if I needed surgery or not. The surgery was done and we found out what the problem was. We found out that I have a scary disease called endometriosis. I was disgnosed with endometriosis on November 10, 1997.

After we found out what the problem was, something had to be done about it. So I was put on a drug call Lupron. Lupron was not a good thing for me. Now I am not saying that it is not good for anyone because I know some people that it has worked for. Although I was not one of them. I started the Lupron on December 17, 1997 and finished it on May 15, 1998. My experience with Lupron was not a good one and I would like to share it because if someone else is having the same problems it is good to know that you are not alone.

When I took the first shot in December I thought that I was going to bleed to death. I bleed for about two weeks and it was really heavy. My doctor was told and she said that it was okay the Lupron was just trying to work its way into my body. Well January and February went okay besides the pain, but it was not that bad. I started to fall in March. I had a period and on Lupron to my understaning you are not suspossed to have a period. I had a period and it was accompanied with terrible pain, but the pain never quite went away. Well I called the doctor again and she said that it was nothing to worry about and that I seemed to be fine. So I took that and went on with life. April came and also another period, this period lasted about 12 days so I thought it would be a good idea to let my doctor know and she wanted to see me the next day. She thought that one period was okay but she didn't quite understand two. I went to the doctor and she said that everything "appeared" to be okay and I didn't need to worry about it. Well I had another in May and now I am finished with the drug I hate called Lupron. I am going to have surgery in July to try and laser out all of the growths.

Endometriosis is a very scary disease. It scared me when I found out that I had it, and I am still scared because it affects every single day of my life. So many women have this disease, and yet doctors know so little. I just wish that I could find a way to get people's attention about this disease. Maybe then something would be done about it.

*Update*

I just had my surgery and my doctor said that she lasered all of the endometriosis that she could detect was there. She also told me that the Lupron had help shrink the endometriosis significantly. She said that I will always have to watched for endometriosis although, I can have as many kids as I want. I was really worried about the having kids part, but now I don't have to worry. I'm really happy about that. I had a terrible reaction to the pain medication though and I am lucky to be able to type this right now. Kim, my best friend, stayed with me all day to make sure I was okay.(Thanks Kim!) I am very lucky to have someone like her. My sister, Wendy also stayed with me most of the day.(Thanks Wendy!) I know it was really hard for the both of you, but I am really glad that you two stuck around. It means a lot to me and I still get tears in my eyes when I think about it. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart. I am really glad that my doctor thinks she got it all. Now maybe I can be without pain for a while.

**Update2**

I started having problems yet again in August and I decided to go to a specialist in November. Luckily I have Kimmy because without her I would not have been able to get the appoiment. I was scared to go to anyone else but the lady doctor because I am so shy and so young...I am only 17. Well I went to the specialist and he told me right away after he examed me that my uterus was tilted and the only way to fix it was to have surgery. Well the last thing that I wanted to do was have surgery again, but he sat in the room and talk to me for over an hour about it and I decided that it was the best thing to do and hopefully I would get relief this time around. Well needless to say he wanted to talk to BOTH of my parents about this procedure so we got a late appointment in the afternoon. We didn't get out of his office until 7:00p.m. He wanted to make sure that I was okay with everything and that I didn't have any questions that he left unanswered. I had surgery on the 16th of December and I am glad that I did because I had more problems that just my uterus being tilted. Come to find out I had one tube blocked and my ovaries were not letting eggs out. My bladder was also smashed by my uterus and my colon was attached to my abdominal wall by endometriosis. He fixed all of that and he also got the endometriosis out. I did have problems after surgery though and that was because a nurse gave me too much medicine after the doctor told them that I am very senstive to medication. I was in recovery for over three hours and everyone one was worried I am sure. Finally I was able to go to my room but I was still having breathing problems. Kimmy had school that day and she couldn't miss but she called often. Well when I was in the room and she called she then decided that she was going to have to come to the hospital. My mother was there by herself and she honestly did know what to do. Really she shouldn't have been by herself. Kimmy came to my rescue...Thank God or I would still be there. I was having sleep apnea so they had me on a moniter and oxygen. Oxygen going through your nose burns. When Kimmy got there she got them to take the oxygen off and she got me something to drink. I was so thirsty and I was susprised that they had not offered it to me sooner. After I was relieved from the oxygen and had something in my stomach I felt much better and I was ready to go home. Kimmy talked them in to letting me go home and she took me home that afternoon. And here I am 7 days later telling everyone about it. I honestly feel great! Kimmy thanks for being my Angel here on Earth. I love ya.

Thanks for your time,

Mandy Trim