This is what happened when I was diagnosed with Endometriosis

Since I was a teenager I have suffered with irregular and painful periods.

I wanted to get it checked out so when I reached 19 I had laparoscopy. I was told there was nothing wrong with me. But I know now that I should have been diagnosed with endometriosis.

I moved to Limerick in 2004 this is when things got really bad for me. My periods got really heavy and painful. I lost a lot of weight and being away from friends and family made me really lonely and run down.

After a routine smear test in 2007 my Doctor said ,’I think you have endometriosis but let’s get it confirmed’. She referred me to a gynaecologist in Dublin.

I was booked in for another laparoscopy in early 2008. When I went to the hospital my gynaecologist told me that if she found the endometriosis that she would get rid of it that day! I was a bit shocked as I thought this was just an exploratory examination. My husband was really supportive and not invasive.

She did find endometriosis that day and I was in surgery for two hours, getting the endometriosis burnt out of me. I felt angry that I had not been diagnosed at the first laparoscopy when I was 19.

This was a really dark period for me which was to get darker.

Part of the post operation treatment was to get an injection that would last 3 months and starve the endometriosis. It effectively brought on the menopause. I suffered from nausea, hot flushes and anxiety. It affected my memory, I had to write everything down. I survived the next few months and gradually started to feel better. My cycle started to return to normal and I had periods again.

In 2009, we decided to try for a baby. Every month was a disappointment. I filled out charts I was very in touch with my cycle but nothing ever happened.

But after three years of complete baroness I managed to get pregnant. It was just 4 months after my Dad died really suddenly. So I figure he gave someone a piece of his mind at the pearly gates and this was his gift to us!

In October 2013 after 18 hours of labour baby James came into our lives. We were beside ourselves with excitement and fear.

All was going so well and I was due to hit the dreaded 40 soon we decided to try again. It took so long with James we decided to get on with it! By another miracle I got pregnant in December 2015. Finally baby Mark 9’10 oz was born on 1st September 2015. We were so overjoyed.

Each day has it trials and tribulations and I have felt nothing but exhaustion for weeks on end. But when I look back on my journey and think we may never have had our two boys in our lives, I count my blessings.

By Aisling Purcell

Originally published at mummytimeweb.wordpress.com on August 27, 2016.