endometriosis? am i not too young?? :/

umm. Just after a little advice here. My auntie suffered from endriometriosis and now, unfortunately, cannot have children.
Worringly I suffer from all the same symptoms she had when she was younger. Her plea's were ignored when she went to the doctors about it and not long ago I was taken into hospital with severe stomach cramps, only to be told I had period pain. My family now think I have endriometriosis and so I am scheduled to be checked out soon.
Worst thing about all of this is...im 17.
Can anyone help? just tell me if im swimming deeper than i need to be? many thanks.

Well I was kind of in the same boat. All of my family member always had "bad cramps". So I have 2 aunts and 1 grandmother that had hyster's due endo. I started having all of the same symptoms as my aunt when I was in high school. I was ignored by medical professionals as well. But while I was in high school I was put on depo shot for years and it helped a whole lot. I didn't have cramps. Birth control pills also helped. Also I have 2 beautiful girls and I had no trouble getting pregnant. I would just talk to your doctor about exactly what's going on with you. Express your concerns. And ask your options. Write down everything so you are sure you ask the questions you want to!! Good luck to you.

thankyou very much for your advice and hope you have given me. i am going to the docters soon and so i will do as you have told me. thanks a lot x

I hope we are able to offer you support and information that will help you receive the best medical care you can find for your situation!

Definitely talk to your doctor about all of your symptoms and concerns. Don't be afraid to ask A LOT of questions!

If your doctor feels you may have endometriosis, it is possible that s/he will want you to start some type of treatment plan such as birth control pills or shots like Depo Provera. Discuss the ins and outs of each choice suggested to help you determine which one might be best for you.

Depending on your situation, your doctor may want to do a laparoscopy to 100% diagnose any endometriosis. If your doctor suggests surgery, you will want to ask how skilled s/he is with removing any endo that might be found. If your doctor is able to excise the endometriosis, it could offer you the best outcome.

A hysterectomy should only be considered as a last resort for endometriosis. A hysterectomy is not a cure for this condition and thus less invasive, alternative treatment plans should be tried first.

You may want to consider consulting with an endometriosis specialist if your doctor definitely feels endo is the culprit. A specialist should be able to offer you the best long term outcome, including helping you with fertility.

We do have many Endometriosis Resources you may want to read through to learn more about this condition.

I wish you all the best for your upcoming appointment and hope your doctor has some answers for you! Sending s and best wishes your way!

Epic Failure, I started my periods when I was 14, and it was all down hill from there. However, don't be scared! I was put on birth control pills to help with the severe cramps I had. They helped for a while. However, I married when I was 22, and we wanted children right away, as my husband is 7 years old than I am. I stopped the birth control pills, and the pains came back. I was referred to a young gynecologist, whom I was very comfortable with. He suggested a laprascope, which gave me the official diagnosis of endometriosis. He suggested a round of drug therapy for six months to completely stop my periods. I was so disappointed, as I wanted to have children right away. However, I went through the treatments, and afterwards, the cramps were much better. I had difficulty at first getting pregnant, but after a couple of easy tests, they found I was not ovulating regularly. I was put on fertility medications, and was able to get pregnant. I had a very healthy little boy, and 13 months later, got pregnant again, without use of any medications. We had another little boy, and then four years later, had a little girl. In between each pregnancy, I no longer had the severe cramps or pains of endometriosis. So, for me, the endometriosis did not mean no children. I did develop other issues after my last baby, and have had some minor procedures to correct those. However, they were not caused by the endometriosis. I had to have a hysterectomy at age 44, because I had developed fibroids. When my doctor did the surgery, he had to scrap a couple of spots in my abdomen for scar tissue that was left over from the endo, but there was really not much damage there. He felt it was because I addressed the endo early.

I hope my story gives you some hope and comfort. Having such bad cramps, and the worries and fears of not having children later in life, can be very tough. However, find a doctor that will listen to your concerns. It may take 3 or 4 doctors, but find one that you are comfortable with, and someone that you feel will assist you in dealing positively with your pains. I wish you the best of luck in the future!!