Part 2 of My Endometriosis Journey

So remember I wrote sometime back regarding my endometriosis?
I thought since it is endometriosis month I should come back and let you know how it all unfolded and finish part of my story…

If you haven't read Part one of my endometriosis journey you might want to start there before reading this...

I had always gone for my Dr’s appointments and done my pap smears every month. I was being seen by Dr Engel at Jakaranda Hospital who has now retired. When he did my tests he confirmed that all was okay.. 

I was the type of girl who had their periods for 3 days at most and they were painfree, I often used to brag that I am like a boy, period or no period my life is not disturbed by this occurrence of nature.  It took me sometime to get a new Dr and I was undecided if I should get a female or a male Dr. So for about 2 years I did not go for my annual check up’s besides that I was in an on and off relationship and I was not worried about much.

I found a female Dr at Meulmed and I just did not have an experience that made me want to go back. One of them being that she ONLY wanted cash and the cash was paid DIRECTLY to her and she quickly put it in her bag that was under her table. That just made me feel somehow, but alas, I was not there for that I was there to do my check up. All went well she said, and even gave me an injection for HPV

It was a year after that that I met my husband and we got married. After we got married, the only thing that we both looked forward to is to expand our family… We tried the natural way, of course *chuckles*
We were in no way worried that the process would take longer than it needed to.
I cannot lie, the process of trying to conceive started consuming me bit by bit and sex slowly became a “duty”, for me that is…

Every Time my periods came, I had a breakdown that would ruin my week, not just my day. I would be so miserable and I would cry, badly! My late mother – may her soul rest in peace, would get silent crying phone calls and shame she just knew.
My friends also did not know how to console me anymore. I remember one of them saying you must pray Kgomotso. *I thought to myself, like I don’t pray* uuuhhhhhgggg

Lest I digress…Back to my endometriosis journey

I remember it felt like mother nature was punishing me, my periods became more and more painful every month, my sex life was just not at the quality that I wanted it to be, it affected me badly as a woman. I thought I mean people bond through coitus, and how are we to bond if something so natural is painful?
How long will this man have to be “ understanding”?
This sounds like a recipe for disaster!

My period pains were also affecting my quality of life and I had to cancel on events when I had my periods. People can understand for so long and then the invites dry out because you and your damn period pains are always cancelling on people, sometimes even at the last minute!
I remember this one time I got my periods while I was at work, it was a very embarrassing day for me. I did not mess on myself, but I could not contain the pain!!! I remember lying on the floor in my office, sitting down on a chair was just not possible and I had to go home.
My colleagues must have thought that I was dramatic much!!!

So one morning as I was busy with my exam studies I had this sharp that felt like lightning, the effect felt like I was about to be hit by what I imagined to be a tornado.
I had painkillers and thought, it will subside like it usually does… I had my hot water bottle on my abdomen and was also drinking warm water hoping the pain would go away… Pain said I am here to stay and you better give me attention now!
Believe you me when I tell you the pain got worse and worse… After an hour, my husband came and suggested I go to the ER. I chuckled and wondered, who goes to the ER for period pains?

Never mind that, I am bleeding, I do not want things that are uncomfortable inserted in me while I am bleeding! Like nooooo!!!
I thought he was joking when he mentioned the trip to the ER… No, he was not, he had a very stern look. He said let’s go. It did not seem like I could get out of it…

I gladly went, when I got there, they administered pain meds through a drip, and I briefly passed out. When I woke, they had ordered an abdominal scan at the radiology department.

What they discovered was shocking to the medical staff and us! The Dr advised that we needed to see a reproductive Dr immediately, as a matter of urgency. The Dr that was there said that I had engorged ovaries and what seemed like multiple fibroids.

Me? I had that? The gynaecologist had said all was fine mos? I thought about her and how she put that R1500 in her purse! mxm...
Fortunately for us one of our family members was under training as a gynaecologist and my husband called him and he advised that we see Dr Biko at Femina. He was said to be the best in the industry and to this day in South Africa, I agree that it was one of the best decisions we took.

I called to make an appointment to see Dr Biko, we were only able to get an appointment after 3 months! Shoooooooo…

Where would I be in 3 months? Yho!
I called everyday to check if there was a cancellation, and NO! 
No one cancelled on Biko seemingly…

It was frustrating because my periods did not stop being painful and my discomforts did not go away. The medicine that they gave me was to manage the pain I had at that time. 

To continue reading about my journey with endometriosis click >>HERE<<

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