Endometriosis: A Conclusive Diagnosis

"It's endometriosis", said my surgeon, "It's widespread, but it's not deep". As I lay in the hospital recovery room in a state of anaesthetic-induced delirium five years ago, after my first laparoscopy, I breathed a sigh of relief: I had a disease and a ‘name' for a series of symptoms that I had tolerated for at least six years. And, finally, I had an explanation for my chronic pelvic pain, and debilitating menstrual periods.

I was not shocked by my diagnosis because of the prevalence of endometriosis in my family. In fact, my knowledge of the disease provided doctors with a ‘starting point' for my diagnostic process. Despite this fact however, it took around six months - from initial ultrasounds to exploratory surgery - to reach a conclusive finding. On reflection, I realise that I could have had ‘peace of mind' much earlier - the signs were there but I resisted acting upon my symptoms for fear of ‘known' (to me) medical interventions, such as, surgery.  In addition, I took a stoical attitude to my situation: I believed that it was normal for women in their mid 30s - post-children - to experience cyclical pain and to have ‘topsy-turvy' menstrual periods! Having a conclusive diagnosis enabled me to shelve those misconceptions, and gave me a benchmark for measuring pain in the context of my endometriosis symptoms.

Content Updated April 24, 2008