Endometriosis
I've written about my health issues previously, but I never went into detail. That's about to change.
Don't worry, there won't be too much detail … but I want to explain because I need the prayers and support of my friends and family right now.
This morning I went to see Cindy Farquhar, one of the country's top gynaecologists. She suspects that I have endometriosis. I'm sure most of you know what that is, but for those who don't, here is a bit of information on it:
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrial stroma and glands, which should only be located inside the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body. Endometriosis lesions can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity. The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain. The pain often correlates to the menstrual cycle, but a woman with endometriosis may also experience pain that doesn’t correlate to her cycle. For many women, the pain of endometriosis is so severe and debilitating that it impacts their lives in significant ways. It is estimated that 30-40% of women with endometriosis are infertile.
I haven't had any issues with infertility (and I'm SO thankful for that) but I have been experiencing severe pelvic pain for the past 6 months. I previously suffered from dysmenorrhoea when I was a teenager, but after I had kids the problem seemed to just disappear (very common, apparently). Then all of a sudden, the pain was back, and worse than ever. So over the past few months I have had exams, blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound to try and find out why. None of these showed anything, so my GP referred me to Dr Farquhar. After doing yet another exam and taking my history, she started talking about endometriosis. She told me that my main option is to have laparoscopic surgery. The main reason is to diagnose endometriosis (in fact it is the only way to properly diagnose it) and, if any is found, it can be cut out or burned off.
She has left it for me to decide whether to go ahead with the surgery or not. There is a chance that they will not find any endometriosis, and then I would have paid $6,500 and undergone general anaesthesia (for the first time in my life!) for nothing. There is a contraceptive device that may help, but that is also expensive and seems a little ridiculous since Rob has just had a vasectomy!! I'm taking very good anti-inflammatory drugs at the moment, which do help, but I would prefer to find a more permanent solution to the problem.
So I've got a lot to think about and I need your prayers and support. I need to make the right decision, and at the moment I have no idea what to do. Hopefully I will choose correctly and whatever that choice may be, I hope it will lead to a better quality of life for me.
posted by Hannah @ 3:09 pm
10 Comments:
Crazy! That surgery would be covered under our country's medical system. Maybe you should move here? In all seriousness, I will pray for you that you will know what to do!
Angella - sorry, I should have clarified ... I could have this done under the public health system but I would be waiting for AGES. Months, or years. And if I want Dr Farquhar to perform the surgery, I would need to go privately. We have health insurance, but that only covers UP TO 80% so we would still need to fork out around $2,000. Tyler's surgeries were done privately and we had to pay around 25% for both of them.
Hannah, my thoughts are with you at this time. Sending you good vibes.Whatever you decide I am sure will be the right decision for you.
Big decisions for you Hannah, sending a big hug and positive thoughts to you, ....hang in there, it will all work out for the best eventually.
Hannah - I confess to being a lurker who has never commented on your blog before! Big step forward... Anyhow, just wanted to say that my thoughts and prayers are with you and I'm confident that you will make the right decision. Having had several friends who have really struggled with this for a few years, the surgery really has made all of the difference, not only to the pain but also to their general well-being. Ju.
Hannah, thinking of you ... to me personal opinion only, anything that you can do to improve your health is worth the cost ... take care.
Oh Hannah, its always difficult deciding to spend large sums of money - but you are so important to so many people and your good health has no real price tag!
Will pray for you!
Hi Hannah,
What a rough situation to try to figure out what to do. My mom had endo, of course that was about 25 years ago and procedures have changed. Back then total hysterectomies were the norm. I know she hated that so if she had the chance she would have jumped at the chance for the type of surgery you are being offered.
Of course it's a difficult decision as any surgery is risky but knowing what my mom went though even she had the radical hysterectomy she was still glad she chose that instead of not at all as the pain was gone.
Good luck, I'll send good wishes for you to make the right decision for you.
Oh, Hannah... I had no idea. I did read your post about you having health issues, but did want to pry. It is an expensive surgery, and it must be hard to decide on what to do, especially as there are no guarantees it will work. But it will be money well spent even if it gives you the chance of feeling better and pain-free. Like you, I had dysmenorrhea when I was in my late teens, but luckily it was the primary kind that was fixed with pharmacy meds, and got better over the years. My prayers and wishes for a pain-free future are with you, Hannah.
Oh crud...I somehow deleted my first post. :(
Anyway, Hannah, I'm so sorry you are having to have this burden of decision making on your shoulders! I'll be praying that the decision is 100% right for you.
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