[Canadian_Mickey]

Hi Everyone!

I think I really need this forum! I'm 25 yrs old, and have had a crazy few years with health problems. About 3 yrs ago I began having terrible pains in my ab area, and went through so many tests, and they could never find anything, so my doc diagnosed me with IBS, and put me on medication for spasms, a few months later I was making trips to the ER on a regular basis for the same pain, it got worse and worse and nobody could give me any answers, just kept putting me on more high powered medications. I had to quit my job, because I couldn't handle it anymore, I had just gotten married, and moved to a small town. In 2004, we moved out to Ontario from BC, and I was in such bad shape healthwise, I couldn't walk 5 feet, I couldn't climb stairs, basically I could do nothing for myself at all. I went to doc's here and they too couldn't figure out what was going on, and put me on even MORE medications...I was up to 9 I think...finally last August my doc sent me to the gyno and they said I had 2 ovarian cysts, and we'd wait and see if they shrunk on their own...months pass, I go back and they've started to shrink...Yay! But I'm still in pain...January rolls around and I have basically become too depressed to care about anything or anyone, frustrated with doctors, and being able to do nothing....I go back and my gyno says he wants to schedule me for surgery in the next 3 weeks to get these cysts out. Fine, I'm all for it! I have my surgery, wake up, and my surgerion comes in and says "we got the 2 cysts out, which actually ended up to be 3...and by the way you have stage 4 endometriosis, and have a 5% chance of ever having kids!" I was like what the heck are you talking about??!?! It turns out that the past 3 yrs I never had IBS, it was Endometriosis this whole time, and they should have caught it alot sooner then this! So I'm a little angry to say the least. It's been an uphill battle since surgery as nobody has really been helpful in explaining what Endo is, or how to deal with it. It's really caused alot of strain on me and my marriage, and find my self depressed about how much weight I've gained, and at the same time not really caring so much about myself to fix the problem and make myself feel good about myself...no matter what I do, I just feel like I'm an empty person, and fighting this crazy battle with a disease I'll have for the rest of my life...

I need help! I need to get my butt in gear, find positive things about myself, about my life, and get motivated to get back in shape....

Sorry so long....

[Leenie]

Hi Amanda and

Of course you can join us you can join any one of these wonderful boards here. Just jump right on in.

I can't blame you for being mad, gosh that is just a horrible misdiagnosis, just horrible. I am so sorry you are dealing with this.

You sound like you are ready for a change and i'm glad we are here to help.

Hugs and kisses and again, welcome to this little neck of the woods

[Mel]

Hi Amanda- I answered you on another thread but didn't realize what an awful time you had getting diagnosed or learning about the disease. I used to get the newsletter from these folks and it was very helpful: http://www.endometriosisassn.org/
At least knowing that I wasn't alone or crazy was helpful at first.

I don't know if they still put out a printed newsletter, since that was a very long time ago. Ironically, some of the best endo docs are/were in Vancouver.


Mel

[Canadian_Mickey]

Thanks for the welcome! Mel, nice to "see" you again! Thanks for the website! Will check that out ASAP!

Leenie, thanks for the welcome! I guess I just find it hard to keep going sometimes, like "What's the point?" It's really frustrating.

[liz321]

Welcome Amanda.........always nice to see other posters from Canada!

L