Endo sucks!

That's right...I said it SUCKS!!

As a teenager, I always had very painful periods, but I was always told that cramps and pain is NORMAL. Then, come to find out that's it's NOT NORMAL...look at how much time I've wasted!!

I had it all...the cramping, the back aches, the nausea, the pain that radiated down to my knees and up my back and all of the other yucky things that I won't mention here. I still can't believe that I thought this stuff was normal!!! It wasn't until I came upon the "Dealing with Endo" thread on OvuSoft that I realized that my problem was bigger than I thought it was. I'm SO glad that I found that board - especially because it has netted some WONDERFUL friendships even though many of us are hundreds of miles apart.

In October 2003, I finally talked to my OB/GYN about my symptoms, and he immediately mentioned that it was possibly Endometriosis. We scheduled my Laparascopy (the only way to definitively diagnose Endo, by the way) for December 10, 2003. I had my Lap that day and he lasered what was found...

Two months after my surgery, Phil and I were thrilled to find out that we were expecting baby #2. Apparently, the surgery helped in that respect. I felt really good during that pregnancy and had no problems except for an infection that went undetected for a long time and caused Mackenzie to be born at 34 weeks. After an 11 day NICU stay, she came home and is still doing just wonderfully.

So later on, I find out that Endo should be *excised* and NOT lasered...yep...it's back with a vengeance now! If you do not remove all of the Endo implants, they will continue to grow, and that, apparently, is what is contuining to go on with me. All of the symptoms that I had before my surgery have slowly returned - each month getting more intense than the last. I had been completely down-feeling about the whole thing, and I was thinking that another surgery was going to be in my very near future.

Then...my dear Endo buddy, Sharon, introduced me to my best pal - NPC! That's Natural Progesterone Cream. Progesterone is the hormone that a woman's body makes from ovulation on until her period begins. Apparently, my body does not make enough Progesterone, so I began using the NPC after many months of discussions with Sharon and her other NPC Pals about it. (I don't like to take any medications or herbal remedies - especially ones that I'm not familiar with.) The first few months using the NPC were kind of rough-going. Still lots of pain...lots of symptoms...but then around the 5th month of using NPC, something happened. VERY LITTLE PAIN. Still some pain, but FAR less than it had been. I've never been so excited in my whole life!!! : ) I know that my Endo will continue to grow, and eventually I will have to have another surgery, but if this NPC can help me to control my symptoms, then this may keep me from that for awhile.

Anyway, it's been a LOOONNNGGGG road so far, and I'm sure I'll face this for many more years to come, but at least I have hope in knowing that there is help!