I was diagnosed with endo when I was 20. I had my first lap at the end of 1985. At that time it was stage 4 but my tubes were still open thank goodnesss. From the get go of 13 years old I always had painful severe cramps and always very heavy bleeding. I found out they suspected endo when I was 18 but no one told me until after I was married and complained so much. My first obgyn did a lap when then I was 20. I immediately went on danocrine gained a ton of weight with all the other wonderful side effects. I immediately switched to a fertility specialist.

That next year of 1986, I went through 2 more laps to clean me up and help with pain. In between charting temps and trying to get pregnant because they said better do it now because I wont be able to later with it this severe at such a young age. I finally went on clomid for 8 months of attempts of insemination. Nothing happened so we decided to do more surgery to take a peak.

So had a lap March of 87 got cleaned up again.

Well no success with baby but by October of 87 I was just dying of pain. Had a quickie Lap and everything was a mess. Ovary was embedded in uterus, colon, bowel , tubes were just clumped together so everytime I moved , went to the bathroom or walked more than 15 minutes I was dying. So November of 1987 had a Laporatomy 6" incision because the work was going to be so tedious my fertility specialist recommened a oncologist/gyno to do the surgery she was wonderful.

I went into this surgery expecting to lose my right ovary but she managed to save it and disconnect everything then filled the area up with fluid and tacked things away from each other so they could heal properly. That surgery took me a good 10 days to get up and feel semi okay and I was only 23. Well at that time I healed through the holidays.

That next year i tried to get pregnant no luck. I was hurting again and had another Lap in spring of 1989. That time tubes were blocked and he couldnt even see my ovaries from so much adhesions, scaring and disease. I was told by that fertility doctor I needed to do In vitro but at that time only a new fertility specialist in town did it the transvaginal retrival verses the way where this doc did it via lap. So I switched docs in April of 1989.

We decided to try ivf. So from that time I started the meds and the whole process.Plus the doc got a new partner so now there were two great docs to work with. Attempted my first ivf in July had 4 embr. put back didnt work. To say the least I was devasted. Decided to do it again at this time I did the transfer in October. Low and behold it worked..two implanted by the 14 week one reabsorbed in my body and had a high risk pregnancy. Had many problems but son was born premature we both almost died. I had a total placetal abruption and almost bled to death. I was told he wouldnt survive he beat all odds. He is now 8 years old. I attempted ivf 7 times after him. I know I wanted to have more children but I finally gave it up after 10 years.

Finally with years of suffereing I finally had a Lap in December of 97 with a new obgyn who specializes in endo too. Well insides were worst than he thought he said he wished I would have signed a form to remove some things but I didnt. Well now im planning on having a hysto. its been over half my life suffering and i know i wont be pain free but i know it will have to improve some. I worry about being only 33 and doing this but my quality of life is the pits. I take birth control pills now, daily anaprox then depending on pain , vicodan to percodan. I want to be able to move on with a "normal"life I hope that is possible.

Thank you, Jennifer