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Share Your Story: Patti

| Bloomin' Uterus
Brunette woman wearing a white shirt standing up against a wall covered in red and green leaves

Patti was diagnosed with Stage IV Endometriosis when she was 21 years old.  Today she is 52 years young and lives in Ontario, Canada.  She continues to suffer, but holds tightly onto Hope and has a wonderful network of supportive and understanding friends and family.  Fight on, Patti.  Fight. On. ❤

Patti’s Journey: My Endometriosis Journey, By: Patricia Anne Young

One day after school, my friend invited me back to her place for a swim. We got changed, and I told her I’d meet her outside, as I had to use the washroom… little did I know I was about to become a “Woman”. I was 12…

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Share Your Story: Lakia

| Bloomin' Uterus
African American woman smiling poolside, wearing a white wrap, holding a glass of ice water, and a stuffed giraffe toy

Lakia was diagnosed with Endometriosis when she was 29 years old, after suffering with symptoms since the Sixth Grade.  Now she’s 30, living in San Diego, and she’s found our little support group.  I met Lakia just a few weeks after her diagnositic surgery and she’s recently undergone a difficult decision for her second surgery! Lakia has proven to be an amazing and incredibly strong woman, and someone I am proud to call friend.  Her story follows…

Lakia’s Journey: I always thought in my mind that my reality was normal. But what is normal? My first period was in sixth grade. I remember being so excited because I finally felt like a woman! I stuffed my bra everyday, secretly shaved my legs, and wore tinted lipgloss. But that first period felt like a rite of passage. All of the boys will like me now! Little did I know what was ahead…

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Reader’s Choice : Endometrial Polyps

| Bloomin' Uterus
Tiny mushrooms growing on a log

One of our local EndoSisters has recently been diagnosed with endometrial polyps, something I know absolutely nothing about.  So what happens when I know nothing? I research!

What is a polyp?

A polyp is an abnormal overgrowth of tissue, usually a lump, bump, or stalky growth (hence the mushrooms above).  They’re most commonly found in the colon, but can be found in the uterus (known as uterine or endometrial polyps), cervix, stomach, throat, nose, and ear canal.  There can be just one polyp…or there can be lots.

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A Quick Update from Surgery

| Bloomin' Uterus
A woman smiling in a surgery gown and blue paper surgery hat
A quick pre-op snapshot

So, surgery took place on Wednesday, September 21, 2016.  It’s main intent was to take a look inside to see if my Endometriosis had returned, to excise any lesions and free any adhesions.  The official list of procedures to be possibly done that day, “Robotic Assisted Right and/or Left Ovarian Cystectomy, Excision of Endometriosis and Lysis of Adhesions, Possible Enterolysis, Urethrolysis, and Cystoscopy.”

The surgery took a little over two hours.  I did not get to meet with my surgeon afterward, unfortunately, but did have the pleasure of speaking with him on the telephone before I left the hospital that day.  What I remember:

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Endometriosis & Leg Pain/Sciatica

| Bloomin' Uterus
Woman soaking in a bathtub. All we see are her legs.
Photo by Elizaveta Dushechkina on Pexels.com

I have heard from several EndoWarriors that they suffer from leg pain; whether it be their hips, upper thighs, or radiating pain down their leg(s).  Today we delve a bit deeper into leg pain complaints and Endo.  Have upper leg pain? Lower back pain? Tailbone pain?  So do a lot of people…but so do a LOT of women with Endometriosis.  A 2011 study surveyed 94 people with Endometriosis.  Of them, 51% complained of leg pain.  Cysts may also be contributing to leg and lower back pain. And although you may have some of these symptoms and think you have sciatic Endometriosis…please be aware that it is considered incredibly rare. And it may just be that your symptoms are a result of pelvic floor muscles being too tight (pelvic floor therapy may help) OR that adhesions and/or Endometriosis has pulled your anatomy out of whack. But, please, do read on:

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Share your Story : Kyla

| Bloomin' Uterus
Text that reads "I don't know how to proceed at this point..."

Kyla is 34-years-old.  Nine weeks ago she had a total hysterectomy and is struggling with a potential diagnosis of Endometriosis and needs our help…

Kyla’s Journey: Hello everyone .. I recently had a total Da Vinci hysterectomy with bilateral tube removal due to several years of horrible pain with my monthly cycles and irregular bleeding with painful intercourse. I have had a very rough recovery, suffering 2 large hematomas and am still slowly recovering at 9 weeks post op. I have suspected for a long time that I had/have endo. My Dr. Has not discussed her findings during my hysto. ..she has only told me that she removed extensive scar tissue.

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Endometriosis & The Bowel

| Bloomin' Uterus
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

| Bloomin' Uterus

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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