. I was 10 years old when I first got my period and was left in the dark wondering what was happening to my body. At age 13, girls and boys were split up for a half-day session at the vacation bible school I attended to learn about the way our bodies’ function and how to revere God within them. A hotline number where you could ask questions and receive pre-recorded answers was also distributed to us at my school.
In my late teens, I started having extremely heavy periods and such bad cramping that I needed to stay home from school for the first couple of days of my cycle because I was in so much pain. It was difficult to physically get out of bed because I was so weak. I spoke to one of my cool cousins — the one everyone asked about taboo topics — about my painful periods, and while it helped me to know I wasn't the only one going through this, we had very different experiences.
When I saw my first OB-GYN in college, I said to her, “I don't know what to do about this. It seems like it's not right.” She told me it was normal for some women to have heavier cycles or more cramping or both and suggested that I take more over-the-counter pain medicine, drink water and rest. What began as a general discomfort that didn’t seem to get any better escalated from very uncomfortable to, “Oh, God, please scoop everything out and throw it away.” My unknown condition affected my overall well-being. Things got to the point where a bumpy car ride and sitting in my chair in certain ways were extremely painful. There would be occasions where I would be so depleted and weak from bleeding so much, I would need to sleep 24-36 hours.
Throughout the years, I sought out specialists because I had seen several OB-GYNs, and even with increased visits, none of them thought there was an issue. I saw two pelvic health specialists, a, a surgeon focused on pelvic disorders and a host of other doctors, but none of them ever suspected endometriosis. I’d heard of the disease, but I assumed experts in women’s pelvic health would immediately know if I had it.I got married in 2003 and became pregnant with my son Ben six years later.
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)
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