The picture on the left is of Dina and her daughter. The picture on the right is of Dina and her sister.

Hi, my name is Dina. I am 35 and married and have 3 kids: Zachary 13, Amanda 11, and Christopher 9. I have been married for 13 years.

Ever since I was a teenager I have suffered with my periods, even in high school. I would have to call my mom to come pick me up, because of the very bad cramps and low backache I could not stay in school, it would drive me nuts! I would then come home and take 2 prescription Motrin, go to sleep and after 2 - 4 hours, I would feel some what better. I always thought that this kind of period was normal. I didn't know any better, no one in my family would talk about stuff like that. In the summer of 1984, I became pregnant with my son. I was 3 months along when I got married. My mom told me that my periods wouldn't be so bad after I gave birth. Because my sone was so big, I had to have an emergency C-section. Soon after, when my periods started again they were just as bad as ever, only this time they lastted longer and were heavier with huge clots, so my doctor put me on BC until I was ready to conceieve again. 8 months later, I decided to go off them and try to get pregnant. 9 months laster my daughter was born. It was a scheduled C-section, did the round of BCs again, 2 years later my son was born, C-section again and at the same time I had my tubes tied. That was 1988.

This time I didn't go the BC route, because of my tubes being tied, but my doctor advised me to stay on them to keep my period regulated. Me, like a fool, didn't listen to him and in 1991 I had to have my first laprascope. Two simple cysts were drained - Dr. at that time, I guess because he didn't have a clue, said nothing about endometriosis. After that everything seemed to go about the same (heavy periods, and all that goes with it). In 1993, after a night of going dancing, when I got home and went to bed, as soon as I laid down, all of a sudden I had this severe right sided pain. My husband took me to the ER thinking that something was wrong with my appendix -- ultrasound showed a pretty good sized cyst on my right ovary. They gave me pain meds and sent me on my way.

In 1994, I decided to see a new doctor because by this time I was really beginning to wonder what was wrong with me. My symptoms at that time were: low back pain, stabbing, dull, pulling pain around my right ovary, and I was bleeding non-stop for about 6 weeks. Dr. ordered a transvaginal ultrasound and it showed a huge cyst on my right ovary, a polyp in my uterus, so I was scheduled for my second lap the next day. That surgery was a little tough. My dr. had to call for an assistant to help him. After that laproscope I was given a name for my pain: stage 4 endo. He told me I had a huge chocolate cyst on my right ovary, he drained most of the fluid from it. I also had dense adhesions thru out my whole pelvic region and also at that time, I had a D&C done. I was in so much pain at that time I thought I was going to die. What a lovely Christmas that was. So in Feb 1995 I decided for a total hysterectomy with both my ovaries removed, and I had my appendix out. I was told that this should improve the quality of my life. Boy was I wrong!!

Six months later, I was back at my Dr's office complaining of lower lef-sided, deep pelvic pain. So within the next 4 months I went thru a number of tests. I had a sigmoidoscopy, barrium enema, an AVP, and CT scan. The scan showed a thickening of the retosigmoid junction of the color, son in March of 1996, I had my third lap. All the doctor found was dense adhesions so he lysed them, only to have my pain return 5 days post-op. Thow months after this I went to the Johns Hopkins Pain Clinic in Baltimore. I could not believe how I was treated. They were rude, did not want to listen, and basically told me I would have to live with the pain. I said, I don't think so!

In June of 1996, I went to see another dr. He is an RE. He said he would try to help me, so in July 96 I had my fourth lap. This time this dr dug a little deeper and found that part of my colon had attached itself to my old vaginal cuff and he also lysed adhesions -- pathology report. Endometriosis was found in the adhesions, I could believe it, but hey, with my body, I kinda knew I still had it. To my disbelief my pain returned 8 days post-op. I was devastated :-(

So, once again, I found myself at my dr's office. The dr I am seeing is so kind and compassionate and he really listens to me. He told me that we're in this together and we will not quite until i am cured.

So, this time, he pulled me off my HRT for 8 weeks. I was a total basket case and plus being in pain, it was not a pretty sight! Since that didn't work he tried trigger point injections thru my belly wall at 2 week intervals. That didn't work, then I tried physical therapy. I tried the TENS unit and ultrasound with heat, and of course it did not help me a bit. So, in Jan 1997, my dr and I decided to try the pain-mapping procedure. It is a surgical procedure in which I was awake for part of it. It is also called mini-laproscope. From what I remember I thought I handled it pretty good, but my dr. tells me otherwise! After they put me to sleep, they did a normallaproscope, he again lysed dense adhesions. I wasn't surprised 5 days later when my pain returned. So that was my fifth lap.

So then in Feb 1997, I went to see a general surgeon to see if he could help me. So the end of Feb I had an exploratory done on my lower left abdominal wall. He severed a nerve to see if that would lessen my pain. As the story goes, my pain came back! So, in April, I had more tests done. I had a colonoscopy done, negative findings, but, of course, I knew that. I also had another CT scan done and had a MRI then, again nothing. I have no luck at all. So then my dr. tried the trigger point injections thru my vaginal wall. That was no fun and didn't work. Then I had 2 different nerve blocks done in the hospital, didn't help either. I should invest in that hospital!

In July, I went to see an orthopedic dr to rule out any back problems, that visit went well!!!

So that basically brings me to now, the other day I went back to see the surgeon who did one of my surgeries last year and he says he will try to help me. I am expected to have a lparoscope/laprotomy with possible bowel re-section. I hope this time it will work. I am really positive about it. It has been a long and hard three years, especially for my husband and kids. They want their old mommy back, they cry right along with me, I am so glad that I have a really supportive family and I love them dearly.

If I had known 3 years ago about everything I do now, I don't know if I would have had the hysterectomy or not. One thing I can say positive is that I don't miss those really bad period days and all that came along with it. If anyone out there is considering having this surgery, please really think about it. Once your organs are out, there is no going back.

My current symptoms are: Lower left sided, deep pelvic pain all the time, really painful bowel movements. It feels as if I'm going to passout, it is not fun, and the meds that I have to take is like having a pharmacy in my medicin cabinet. Knowing me, I might have left some things out, but I think I got everything written down. My e-mail is Dina3rsm@aol.com if anyone wants to e-mail me.

I am always lookig for someone to talk to. Knowing that there are other people who are going thru what I am makes me feel like I am not alone.

Thanks for listening,

Dina :-)