Help My Hurt

Company’s calling - the road to a diagnosis for endometriosis

by Marijke Durning, RN on February 4th, 2008

Pat, a full-time mom in Birmingham, AL, discusses her experiences with endometriosis.

Can you tell me about when you first started experiencing the pain and what kind of pain it was?

Horrible back pain, to the point that I was bent forward, could not stand up straight, had to go to bed

Did you seek help right away?

Yes, and the doctors could not figure out what was causing such severe pain. I went to an orthopedic doctor because pain had begun to radiate out to my hips. Went to gastro doctor and had to do the barium swallow and x-ray. I went to the proctologist and had to have the Katie Couric special. All the time, the doctors kept asking me, are you sure this isn’t a “female” problem? And I would politely tell them NO, because I’m trying to get pregnant, it’s not happening, I’m taking Clomid and have to see my OB/GYN every month to make sure that I’m ovulating, and that the ovaries aren’t being overstimulated. Seems like there was one more doctor I went to about the pain, but I can’t remember which kind……..

My OB/GYN knew I was having pain “down there” and I asked him once if he thought it was endometriosis, and he told me “that’s an old woman disease, and you are far too young”. I was 24 at that time.

What have you tried to help you with your pain?

At that time, OB/GYN prescribed Motrin for me. Yes, it was available by prescription only back then (early 1980s). And it didn’t help at all.

Can you tell me a bit about what worked and what didn’t?

Consuming a bottle of champagne and eating M&Ms, while soaking in a hot tub. I did that often.

How does having this pain affect you in terms of how you live your life?

At the time, it was horrible. My daughter, who was 3 years old at the time, would try her best to console me. I remember once my husband came home from work, and I was lying on the floor of the living room on my stomach, crying, and our daughter was sitting beside me, stroking my head and telling me it was going to be ok. I couldn’t sleep more than just a few hours at a time, couldn’t clean the house, cook meals, shop……it was awful for me AND my family. It affected ALL of us.

If you were to look back over what you have tried/haven’t tried, would you change anything?

Surgery was the only cure to fix endometriosis. So I guess I wish my OB/GYN would have recognized the symptoms SOONER. (this went on for nearly 2 years)

What would you say to someone in a similar situation who is just starting to try to find treatment and relief?

Get an MRI/CAT scan, blood work, whatever, to speed up the diagnosis process. Ask for help, whether it’s drugs for pain, a babysitter so that you can take a nap, a friend to cook a meal, hire a housekeeper. That’s what friends, family and your church are for.

Would you like to add anything?

Let people know that you are hurting, and that you are having a difficult time dealing with it. I can’t help your pain, but I would gladly cook a meal for you, take your kids to school, do your laundry, run the vacuum, etc. Even though your pain is still there for, I would feel like I was taking away some of your worry/anxiety, and help ease your mind.

Thank you Pat. I hope that doctors are more aware of endometriosis, but you never know. Your story may have struck a chord with some people and given them another avenue.

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POSTED IN: Acute pain, Chronic Pain, Company's Calling, Pain Management, Women's Issues