Suffering In Silence

15th Oct 15

19 Comments

The Story Behind My Endometriosis

Disregard the pretty outfit picture. This post is going to be about what I’ve been suffering with in real life. I know a lot of girls and women suffer from this and it’s not widely discussed. I don’t even think there is enough information or even general knowledge in regards to the illness but I’m about to keep it all the way real and tell you about my whole experience with this little bitch called Endometriosis. For a long time I’ve had very heavy periods. I’m the kind of girl who has to wear and tampon and a pad and change them both two every hour otherwise the consequences are socially dire. I’ve never known why I’ve had heavy periods, I’ve always just assumed it was something that I’ve always dealt with but when I think back, I realise this was not always the case. I used to put my heavy periods down to the fact that my periods would only ever last 3 days but I soon realised that it was abnormal.

Not only did my heavy period ruin my life for a couple of days a month they also introduced me to the shitty world of Anaemia. Being anaemic means that I don’t have enough iron in my blood and this affects my haemoglobin levels. This means that it’s hard for me to wake up in the morning or even go to the gym because I have no iron and that means that I have no energy and sometimes less oxygen. I was told by several doctors I was loosing so much blood during my monthly periods that it caused me to become anaemic. They prescribed me with a contraceptive pill as well as something that would help lessen the flow.

Now, I realise that my diagnosis was a bunch of bullshit regurgitated by doctors who had to adhere to their 5-10 minute patient slots and they didn’t really take the time out to help me properly because they simply couldn’t. I started to notice that every time I had bowel movements during my periods I would get a sharp pain as if someone was stabbing me which made me dread them. This happened to me every single time for the first day or so and I though it happened to every girl. I didn’t think it was abnormal. Now that I’ve been through what I have I know that THIS IS NOT NORMAL and the reason for this excruciating pain was due to me having endometrial tissue on my bowels.

Now lets go back in time to January this year. I was at work as I was having period pains. Now, funnily enough, I never usually have period pains but only ever on occasion. I remember I was getting up to visit another office but my pain started getting worse. I thought it would be okay and I could walk the pain off or take some ibuprofen but the pain continued to escalate extremely. I remember I had an overall ache across my ovaries and my back but between every 10 second interval I would get the sharpest of pain that made my eyes water. There are literally no words in the human language that could describe this pain but the closest thing I could think of would be like contractions when one is going into labour.

I’ve read a lot of forums on Endo and many women have said that the pain of Endo is incomparable to labour and that Endometriosis actually hurts much more than having a human child – CAN YOU IMAGINE. The pain became so unbearable that I started to faint every so often. Bare in mind I’ve never fainted before so this whole experience was terrifying. An ambulance was called but didn’t turn up for 2+ hours! Eventually my colleague called a cab for me to take me to the hospital. Unsurprisingly I fainted in the taxi too because the pain was too much to bear. We got to the hospital and I couldn’t even walk in. The pain was so bad that I couldn’t move my legs. I couldn’t even open my eyes to see because they were filled with tears and honestly I was so delirious at the time. They got me a wheelchair and it took me about 10 minutes to be able to sit down in it. Over the course of 4 hours I was put in a hospital bed and given heavy painkillers which knocked me right out – anything better than the ordeal I had been through. As time went by after the ordeal I would still suffer from the pain but it would come and go in stages. I must have seen about 7 different doctors a total of 15 different times over a course of 6 months.

I was told that they believed it was a cyst on my ovaries that had burst- yet another diagnosis with no tested grounds. I had so many scans internal, external and manual. I literally had every kind of scan you could think of and no one really knew what was wrong with me. It was all just guess work. Eventually I became really depressed by my situation and it was disappointing that I was in and out of hospitals and doctors surgeries and no one knew what was wrong. Also, I felt as if myself and my illness were becoming a burden on my friends and family who didn’t understand and thought I was exaggerating. I felt that no one really understood what I was going through.

Eventually I was referred to a pelvic specialist who told me that he believed that my ovaries were stuck to the wall of my uterus but even if that wasn’t the case, he would find whatever it was that was causing the pain and see to it. My surgery came as a real last minute surprise and the recovery was hard. The pain got worse and the medicine stronger and I felt useless for a while. I had laparoscopic surgery and I was cut into through my belly button and two more incisions were made below my ovaries. They found endometrial tissue on my left ovary and on my bowels and removed it. They also found a small fibroid growing on my ovaries which could be the result of my anaemia as fibroids live off of your blood.The experience was a life changing one but it made me realise that there is not enough information or help on Endometriosis.

Endometriosis by definition is ‘a condition resulting from the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the womb and causing pelvic pain, especially associated with menstruation‘

So, to elaborate, the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus begins to grow outside of your uterus involving your ovaries, bowels or pelvis. It’s not normal to have painful or super heavy periods. It’s not normal for painful bowel movements during periods. If you feel like you can relate to my symptoms then tell your GP ASAP! It’s so serious and Endometriosis can lead to infertility if it’s not dealt with the right way. Many women are suffering in silence and they don’t know what they are suffering from. I didn’t even know I had Endometriosis until I had the surgery which goes to show how misinformed I was. Please feel free to ask my any questions on here or privately over email on info@melissaswardrobe.com

Jacket – Zara

Lace Bandeau – Forever 21

Skirt – Zara

Socks – Wolford

Shoes – Christian Louboutin

Sarah Enuwa Audu

I never heard of this illness until your mentioned it. God has a reason for everything and one of them could be using you to inform the ladies out there who are of through this. I know it’s not easy but I pray for strength for you, nice write up and stunning look as usual.
Princess Audu
- melswardrobe
  
  I know right! It’s not widely know/dicussed. I definitely believe you and I think that this may have even been the case. I’m just so happy that there was help for me and I’m recovering well. Thank you, Sarah xxx
Auntie Christie

Melissa, I’m sorry that you have to go through this pain. As a believer, I strongly understand that sickness is not from God but from the enemy. There are many accounts of this in the Bible. It seems after many diagnoses and hospital visits, your pain wasn’t subsiding. I am praying that the bounds of Satan and his agents over your life in the form of sickness be broken, in Jesus name. If you believe you can be healed, I suggest you touch and pray over your tummy area everyday; and declare healing in Jesus name.
Be blessed!
xoxo Christina
http://www.justmissedtherunway.com
- melswardrobe
  
  Thank you so much! Thanks so much for the prayer, it means a lot to me xxxxx
vieve u

Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s a shame you had to go through all that. By His stripes you are healed! xx

http://www.vievebutterfly.com
- melswardrobe
  
  Thank you so much my love xx
Blvck Bee

Wow, it’s insane that you had to go through all that pain for such a long time because of all the futile information the doctors gave you. Plus must have been frustrating to not be understood by those around you.
Glad to hear you were able to find help and hope you don’t have to go through all that pain anymore.

Agnes x

http://www.blvckbee.com
- melswardrobe
  
  Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It was hard but im getting through it and will be 100% better in no time! Thanks again.
  Mel x
Lindsay

Hi Mel,

I really feel for you and I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I have suffered from severe endo my whole adult life and know how debilitating it is. I have had five operations over the last eight years, culminating in a total hysterectomy in January this year aged 35.

I was blessed with my miracle child following IVF four years ago, but my reproductive system shut down shortly after I gave birth. My endo was at its worst and a hysterectomy was the only option for me. Labour was nothing in compared to my monthly endo pain. I gave birth naturally at home with no pain relief. Ironic considering the concoction of drugs I had to take for my period pains! You are absolutely right endo pain is much worse than labour. It was only after my apparently “easy labour” that people realised how much I was suffering every month. Labour wasn’t easy, it was just that endo for me was much worse.

It’s over six months since my hysterectomy and although that was very challenging I now have my life back. Don’t suffer in silence periods should not rule your life, fight back. Any questions please ask me, whilst my husband supported me, I felt totally alone in my suffering as I knew no one who had endo and everyone around me was getting pregnant. This is not the case, there are people out there who understand, you just need to reach out to them.

Lindsay xx
Ps fabulous outfit you look gorgeous
- melswardrobe
  
  Oh my gosh, Lindsay. Your post made me gasp is disbelief! I can’t believe that you’ve endured all of this and I can’t beleve how terminal it became in the end. It’s crazy that here isn’t enough awareness about this causing many to suffer. So glad to hear that you’re back to yoru old self though! Thank you for sharing your story with me. I’ll forever cherish your honesty. God bless xx
- Lindsay
  
  Yes it was horrendous but I’m on great form now. I just want people to know that a hysterectomy is not the end, for endo sufferers it’s the beginning! I read so many negative comments about it, especially in younger women. Any questions please ask I really do empathise and care xx
Eunice Musa

Hello Mel:

Thank you so much for sharing your story. It was heartbreaking to read about how you were suffering not knowing it was something more serious, glad you had the surgery and hoping that things are much better now.

Much love xx
- melswardrobe
  
  Thanks for even reading my story, Eunice! I’m glad that I’m recovering too. Thank you for your well wishes xxx
joyfuljoyous

Well done for sharing Mel. I believe your post can really help others who maybe suffering in silence. I can’t imagine the pain you’ve been going through. Having birthed two child, for you to say your pain is worse than labour leaves me speechless. Glad the surgery has helped. xo
- melswardrobe
  
  Thanks so much my love. I know it’s honestly the hardest thing to comprehend! Thanks for the support xxx
Louisa

Wow thanks for sharing Mel! You would think in a developed country that top-notch medical care would be a piece of cake (at lease compared to Nigeria). I’m glad you are feeling better. Stay blessed.
- melswardrobe
  
  I know right! It’s extremely dissapointing but thank God that there was light at the end of the tunnel xx
Gifi Amo

It’s amazing what people are going through. I also thought having strong periods were normal. Thanks for being open about this, you have helped many young girls and women.
Annaliese Minařík

Thank you for sharing your story, I was diagnosed with endometriosis last year ( I already have 2 kids) a pill was prescribed for me but after a year I started losing hair and my doctor decided we have to change to another pill,and that’s when the worst happened apparently during the transition to the new pill j got pregnant and it ended up being ectopic, still recovering from the nightmare and I still have to go back on the pill, my doctor said being sterilized doesn’t solve the problem. I just have to live with it with the help of the pill 🙁