DeniseB - Hostess Alumni 2001 - Hystersisters Article

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DeniseB - Hostess Alumni 2001

DeniseB - Hostess Alumni 2001

Date : 04-29-2003 - 09:21 PM - Readers : 1197

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Hi, my name is Denise and I'm 37. I grew up in Louisiana. I'm married to a wonderful molecular biologist named Steve and we live in Milwaukee.

I started having menstrual problems at age 15 in the form of shocking pain. Like many young women, I was told I was too young to have endometriosis. After a year or more I went on birth control pills, which ultimately made me sick (just about every gastrointestinal ill that can come with the Pill, I got). I went off at age 21 and struggled with the pain for another seven years. I finally had my first laparoscopy at age 27. A small amount of endometriosis was found and my surgeon and I agreed it was time to try birth control pills again to mask the symptoms. The new and different birth control pills we tried found new and different ways to disagree with me, and I went off again in a year. Two years later I had my second lap (in Georgia) (including severing the uterosacral nerves), then my third in 2000 here in Milwaukee. Each lap gave me extensive, but not complete, relief. In between I struggled with increasing menstrual pain, pain with intercourse, and finally (my favorite) painful orgasm. My third doctor and I agreed there were no further appropriate treatments for me and that if I had rapid recurrence of pain, I could reasonably choose hysterectomy if I wanted to.

In February of this year, I finally had enough. I went to my doctor, we talked about the options and agreed on hysterectomy. Actually, what she said was, "I'm game if you are." We scheduled my hysterectomy for March 8. In the two weeks leading up to my surgery, I spent a lot of time on the Hystersisters boards. The very specific information on surgery, hospital time, and recovery was invaluable. The support and caring were priceless. Plus, I think I'm the only patient my doctor has ever had whom she hasn't had to chew out for premature cleaning and grocery shopping.

My surgery went well. There was very little recurrence of endo from previous surgeries, almost all of it on the uterus. And the pathology report came back positive for adenomyosis. I was so pleased to have a positive diagnosis, and the guilty culprit (my naughty uterus) removed.

Now, for the first time, I am pain-free. I am able to schedule activities based on convenience and without worrying about whether it's a menstrually auspicious time. I am free.

I've enjoyed my time on this web site and appreciate all the help I got from all of you. Even though I feel mostly recovered (aside from the occasional nap), I have not been able to stop visiting to see how everyone is doing. I look forward to the chance to support other women on their quest for health and happiness.

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