Appendicitis

The appendix may become inflamed and fill with fluid. Many times, appendiceal endometriosis is misdiagnosed as appendicitis.

Share Your Story: Leidy

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A woman standing in front of a grassy lawn wearing a pink sweater, gray hat, and sunglasses

Leidy lives in Germany and was 35 years old when she was told she had Endometriosis. Now 42, she would like to share her story with everyone cares to read it. A battle which literally spans the globe in search of answers, a series of numerous misdiagnoses, and Leidy is one hell of a Warrior.

Leidy’s Journey:   I am now 42 years old but since my first period, I have had problems. 

My main problem is in my bowels. Which misled my specialists to find the correct diagnosis. The only issue I had, related to my period, was irregular bleeding. 

Each month I bled during my ovulation. My period lasts sometimes more than a week. And I bled during sexual intercourse. The pain during the period was not severe and Ibuprofen usually was enough to alleviate the pain.

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Endometriosis & the Appendix

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Diagram of the appendix

Here I go again, once more intrigued by Endometriosis growing in odd places inside the body.  Today I’m going to focus on the appendix.  I’ve read that many Warriors have their appendix removed because physicians may confuse Endometriosis pain for the symptoms of appendicitis.  But on Tuesday an article hit my email about Endometriosis growing on the appendix…and I became obsessed.

Please remember: I don’t write this to scare you, or freak you out, or say that all of your right-sided abdominal pain is from Appendix Endo.  Take a deep breath – I like to document these things in case anyone would like to discuss it further with their healthcare providers so they may be aware during surgery.  Appendiceal Endometriosis is considered extremely rare and it is suspected that only 1-3% of all cases of Endometriosis involve the appendix.  But…knowledge is power.

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Share your Story: Nathaly

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Woman standing holding a box that reads "Happy Birthday"

Nathaly was diagnosed with Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, and fibroids when she was 26 years old.  A year later, she shares her story with us.  And, Nathaly will be walking on March 25th with friends and family at our Endometriosis Awareness walk! Looking forward to meeting her ❤

Nathaly’s Journey: My story starts when I was only 11 years old. I often found myself curled up in a ball waiting until I would finally pass out so the pain could be over. My mother was very strict growing up so birth control was out of the question, even if it was for medical purposes.

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Endometriosis & The Bowel

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Diagram of human bowels

As you may know, Endometriosis is not limited to just your reproductive bits & pieces.  It can implant, grow, and fester in many places; the bowel included.  But what does that mean? How do you know if it’s on your bowel?  Today’s blog will go into that…Read on, dear Reader…read on.  Word of warning : I will be using words like fart and poop! Why dance around the subject with flowery words when I feel like I’m a giggly 12-year-old girl?

It is estimated that between 5-15% (and some even doctors guess it’s actually between 3-34%) of women with Endometriosis suffer from Endo on their bowels.  Bowel Endometriosis may affect the colon, the rectum, the large intestine, the small intestine, the colon, or the sigmoid colon.  The implants may be physically located on the bowels, or even just located adjacent to them in areas like the Pouch of Douglas, uterosacral ligaments, or rectovaginal septum. The close proximity of the inflamed and irritated lesions may be enough to induce bowel Endometriosis symptoms.  And these symptoms may also be caused by adhesions pulling or twisting the bowels.

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Share your Story : Sarah

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Sarah’s symptoms began when she was 13 years old…but her diagnosis not until she was 34! Why not? How is that possible?  It happens more than it should…curious? Read on, Dear Reader, read on.

Sarah’s Journey:  I don’t think I’ve had a single day where my female reproductive organs were active and NOT pissing me off. I got my period one day in summer when I was thirteen years old. And it just … didn’t stop. For the first year of my menstruating life, I bled for 25 days out of thirty. It was ridiculous, and led to me having anemia and needing fluids almost all the time. My well meaning GP at the time said my body was just “adjusting”.

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Going to the ER : “You Junky Pill Popper!!!”

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I’m one of the lucky ones: I’ve never had to to go the Emergency Room because of my Endo pain.  Before my surgery, I’d always just sucked it up, endured, lumped into a ball, hugging my heating pad, crying.  Never had I thought to go to the ER; I figured it was normal period cramps.

But many of my fellow EndoWarriors routinely do.  Their uncontrolled pain is so horrible that they take the trip to the ER, fill out the forms, pay the co-pay, wait for hours, and are poked, prodded, and screened…some may receive the help they seek.  But others are denied relief and are accused of being a pill-popping addict, a junky, a liar.  Others are screened for STDs or yeast infections.  Others subjected to embarrassing pelvic exams.  This is unfortunate and outrageous.

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Share Your Story : Dimples

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A smiling baby and text that reads People with dimple have a divine role in this universe: smile

Dimples, who wishes to remain anonymous, was diagnosed with Endometriosis when she was 20.  Now 21 and living in Cincinnati, Ohio, she’s started her EndoJourney last year.  She’s also recently started her Blog, EndoAnonymous.  And now she shares her story with us .

Dimple’s Journey: Hi! My code name is Dimples. ( my blog is anonymous). Starting to write this post has made me realize that sometimes I still operate in the “denial” stage of acceptance. Anyway it’s pretty obvious my diagnosis is still rather fresh, my Endo was found because my body has a surprising ability to produce large cysts on a whim. My periods had always been a little… off. My mother being the only female in the house and uncomfortable talking about these things assured me, the pain was normal even as it got worse, that the large clots happen, that some women’s periods were simply heaviers.

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