“I’ve been on birth control pills ever since I can remember in my teenage years. At the age of 28, my fiancé and I decided to get off the pill in hopes of starting a family. I started experiencing debilitating periods. My periods brought gastrointestinal, pelvic, bowel and urinary pain. I also experienced pain with intercourse, lightning crotch and rectum, as well as nausea and fainting spells. Unbeknownst to me, these symptoms were the same symptoms I experienced as a teenager, but I had unconsciously hid these menstrual traumas from my brain, until finally my mother reminded me of my experiences as a teen. It turns out, I was specifically placed on birth control by my gynecologist for the same menstrual agony when I was 13.
I decided to go to my gynecologist of 15 years to figure out why I was in so much pain. She took an ultrasound in her office and found a small cyst in my left ovary. She explained that “these cysts go away on their own.” “Don’t worry about your pain”, she said, “It’s completely normal and related to the cyst.” I tried to continue with my life accepting that being on the bathroom floor was a normal thing when you’re menstruating. I missed work, I missed special events, I stopped doing all my favorite hobbies, and eventually started to develop anxiety and depression. Yet, my gynecologist dismissed my issues and continued to tell me to follow up every 3 months, as the cyst just grew bigger and bigger.
Two years later, I started advocating for myself after learning my cyst was much larger and I have grown another one on my right ovary this time around. “Why hasn’t my cyst shrunk as my gyn told me?” “Why did I developed another cyst” “Why have I not heard about other women experiencing the same pain I am during my cycle?” I started googling and found the word, “endometriosis”, along with many support groups and communities; and eventually, being officially diagnosed with Stage 4 Endometriosis via laparoscopic excision.
Never stop asking why and searching for answers. You can absolutely speak up and ask as many questions as you need to. Not only do you deserve answers, but you also deserve proper care.”
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