Tuberculosis

An infectious disease that may cause chest pain, coughing up of blood, fatigue, and more. In the rare cases of lung Endometriosis, TB may be a misdiagnoses.

Bladder & Endometriosis

| Bloomin' Uterus
Diagram of the urinary system in humans

You’ve likely heard that Endometriosis can grow in all sorts of places inside the body.  Well, the bladder and urinary tract are no exception.  Endometriosis implants can grow on or inside the walls of the bladder or along the urethra.

Symptoms

Common symptoms patients may complain about with bladder Endo are frequently needing to pee, pain when the bladder is full, painful urination, and an urgent need to pee.  Some also suffer from blood in their urine when they’re on their cycles (may be hard to distinguish…given the natural course of what a period does…).  This urine-blood may not be perceptible to the naked eye and require a lab test.  And as usual, many EndoWarriors only have these symptoms during their periods; others have them 24/7. It should also be noted that many with bladder Endo don’t present any symptoms.

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Endometriosis & The Lungs

| Bloomin' Uterus
Graphic of human lungs

I’ve read bits and pieces here and there that Endometriosis can grow on or inside of your lungs.  An EndoSister had posted in one of the many Facebook support groups that I follow that she has Endo on her lungs, which causes her to cough up a lot of blood.  Others replied that they have it as well, but it leaves them in the hospital with collapsed lungs every month.  Which got my juices flowin’ to find the documented cases of Endometriosis on the lungs, how it was excised (if at all), etc.  Here goes!  This is NOT meant to scare you.  Just educate us all, including myself.

Endometriosis is usually found within the pelvic cavity, but has also been known to be found northward and latching onto the liver and diaphragm.  It has also been found on the membranes surrounding the lungs and heart.  Even rarer, it has been found on the brain, in the lymph nodes, and on the eyes.

Thoracic or Pulmonary Endometriosis is when Endometriosis implants/adhesions are found in your thoracic region, and can be found on your trachea, bronchi, diaphragm, lungs, or heart.  It was first medically documented in 1953.  Today, we focus on the lungs.

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Endometriosis Adhesions : what are they?

| Bloomin' Uterus
taffy pulling machine

A lot of women who suffer from Endometriosis also have adhesions.  You may have heard the term “adhesions” but just don’t know exactly what they are, or what they do. Well, I’m here to help!

After my first excision surgery in June of last year, I was told that I had adhesions which needed to be cut and/or removed. What the heck?  My doctor described it as scarring which acted like spider webs, stretching from organ to organ, entangling my organs, or even stitching two organs together.  These restrictions are known to cause intense pain if the organ’s movements or function are limited in any way. They may also cause infertility if the Fallopian tubes are blocked due to the woven-web of adhesions, preventing the egg from traveling to their wonderful, spongey, wet, warm home.

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