endometriosis/"girly" issues

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hellznrg- I was under the impression this was a female only board, besides which this is a very innappropriate place to attempt to flatter anyone (i.e. "picking up chicks" should not be done HERE).

Everyone else- ouch.

PCOS= polycystic ovary syndrome.

I have multiple rather large cysts in both ovaries (as in they look like really holy swiss cheese on an ultrasound)...

When I started, I was far from 'regular', too.

I've been to different doctors and 3 different gynocologist due to my severe cramping and heavy bleeding. I was given pain killers and told what I had was just hormonal or muscle spasms. It wasn't untill I was in my 30's that the new gynocologist (A male who looked 12) told be that cramping was not normal and that neither was heavy bleeding. He wanted to know why I tolerated it for so many years. When I went in for surgery and he saw the damage of the endometrios he said he was very surprised I was able to carry my two children to term. I had two tumors he removed and I lost my left ovary and left fallopian tube because of endometriosis. I had it all over my organs he said and he did alot of lasering to get rid of it. I was given dupon lupron shots.....4 times then the pills (I reacted to the shots) And now birth control pills. If I want to get pregnant then I stop the pills. I can't understand why I was allowed to suffer so many years, and why didn't someone tell me something was wrong. My gynocologist said to me, "anytime you are in pain, that is your body telling you something is wrong," When I had my first period after treatment I told him i was spotting, he told me no I wasn't that what I have is a normal period. I have been cramp free and I am no longer anemic (side affect from heavy periods) for about 15 years. I don't understand, endometriosis is the leading cause of sterality...(ok I spelled that wrong) among women, and yet I wasn't treated when I first had the signs. And my FIRST gynocologist was a woman.

Oh correction here.I only take birth control pills, dupon lupron pills were only for two months.

Both endometriosis and PCOS...but there's no option for that

Another thought for gals having heavy bleeding NOT due to PCOS. I've found out that von Willebrand Disease, a usually mild bleeding disorder runs in both My family AND my husband's! THankfully, I do not have it (there are no carriers, if you have the gene, you have the disease, it is not carried on the x chromosome like hemophilia.) But my dh has it, and so do both of our boys. It is the most common bleeding disorer and is thought to affect 2-4% of ALL people, no more or less common in any race or nationaliuty. Men w/ this disorder do not typically have problems, perhaps frequent nosebleeds (dh and boys have NO symptoms, found out b/c dh's brother had a bad clotting time prior to surgery adn the whole family was tested) but WOMEN w/ this disease will often have heavier periods that often last longer than average. This leads to anemia, tiredness, etc. ANyway, I think more awareness about this common disorder needs to raised.

There is a nasal spray that women can use once before or right after their period starts that could stop the heavy period problem if vWD is the reason for it.

I have PCOS, diagnosed last year. I'm on medication for it. My extra male hormones(testosterone) is what led to it. I keep wondering if there might be a connection between it and AS.

I had this huge ovarian cyst. It started with pain and stomach problems and then it started growing and growing. After they scheduled tests to see if it was a tumor or not they decided to schedule more tests. And while they were waiting (this was months) it ruptered. When it did that it damaged a nerve ending in my abdominal wall and then I developed fibromyalgia. No one could figure it out until I went up to Mayo. I think my doctors might have been trying to kill me or something. I was in so much pain I was just about bed ridden for months and months. Fortunately the pain is now controlled with a patch... I guess it was a rare type of cyst. And I switched doctors and found better ones. But no one had a clue at first- even though it was on my left side they kept trying to convcine me it might be my right side and apendix or whatever, and then I had surgery and when the surgeon found nothing she told me it was all in my head... I lost my job, had to drop allmost my entire course load. Destroyed my health. But I have been making progress these past couple of years, slowly. I'm still in constant pain, but it is at a level I can handle now.

I was so fortunate, the second I felt a lump on my abdomen, my doctor did an exam and discovered a lump on my ovary as well as the one I noticed. I was schedule for an ultra sound within two weeks, saw the gynocologist almost immediatley and he scheduled a biopsy and more ultra sounds to rule out cancer. Then I was put on the shots for 4 months and then laser surgery which is where he found the endometriosis. You know....if it would have come to a man having trouble with his private areas....they would be on it IMMEDIATELY, you just don't hear of the delays we are hearing here and the "It's all in your head" when it comes to male problems. Unless it's impotence, which now.....they are finding that isn't true anymore, and they have treatments for that. And yet we as women...our treatments are still so far behind....go figure.

I'm getting a laparoscopy done in about two months. I've waited 7 months and visited many doctors for someone to come to this conclusion.