ENDOMETRIOSIS

[Owlunar]

There was an excellent programme about endometriosis on SBS last night and it is being repeated today

It has affected my family badly - nearly every woman has had some kind of surgical intervention - my daughter will be having a hysterectomy in a couple of weeks, my grand-daughter has just had surgery to remove some lesions of endo, my sister and an entometerial ablation and I am pretty sure my nieces have a hard time as well though I know little about my extended family

I thought my daughter and grand-daughter had inherited all this from me - bad thought and totally unnecessary - I think our father's mother might have had it - she was always ill and had a lot of surgery though what the issue was - not discussed and 

This smacks of today's attitude - I really thought we lived in a more enlightened society but from what I heard on Insight last night no - this is not the case - women still suffer from discrimination from the GP to specialists to the work place and employment prospects 

And it really does affect every aspect of a woman's life - I remember having regular periods that started every 4th Thursday afternoon and caused no trouble - then without warning - irregular periods with severe pain and other symptoms and guess what? 

It was really hard to get a doctor to listen - I have not been guilty of doctor shopping for medication but back in the 1980s I did search for a sympathetic GP and things happened fairly quickly after a D&C which didn't help to the surgeon who agreed to operate

But yes - a good question - how can any male really know what a woman endures?  A sympathetic husband can help his wife and extend that to the women he works with - he would understand that "women's troubles" were real - and I am thankful for those males in my past 

But for all the women a male OBGYN sees he still cannot know the devastating effects endometriosis has on women and every aspect of our lives - how destructive it is - how hard it is to get a doctor to listen - misdiagnoses - loss of wages through loss of sick days and holidays - loss of time at school - embarrassing moments in other ways -

Exhaustion!!

I have been through it and as decades have passed I can forget but with my daughter and grand-daughter suffering from endo it has been brought sharply into focus

Okay ladies - have you been on this ride or are you on it at the moment?

I can't really help except undertand - and I do - but this is such a private subject - which should not be the case - so hidden - so taboo - at least we can talk about it here.

Dec

[Owlunar]

Thanks @greenpea and @Former-Member

[greenpea]

@Owlunar :). I had endo and it made me so sick it was precancerous when they took out my uterus and cervix. I was very lucky.  Thanks for letting us all know the show is on Dec xxxx

[Owlunar]

Thanks @greenpea

It's on SBS at 3.30 pm this afternoon - and from what I have noticed lately they run old programmes at the weekend so the chances are good it will be on again - I actually recorded it last night

I am glad you had a hysterectomy before you developed cancer - I bet you had to wait a long time before you had the surgery - my daughter had two operations earlier this year - she didn't need to suffer so much - as much as it concerns me that she is having another operation I am glad it is being attended to

I wish you the best and thanks for sharing

Dec

[BlueBay]

Hi @Owlunar@greenpea

I had endo for quite a while. When I was in my 20’s married and unsuccessfully able to fall pregnant I was told I had endo. 

Had some treatment but feel I had it for the next 20 yrs. now going through menopause I don’t hsvr the symptoms snymore. 

[Owlunar]

Hi @BlueBay

I'm sorry you have had endo too - so many women have - I am surprised - I guess I have had things on my mind for years and havn't thought much about it

Getting pregnant is diffiult with endo but it can also cure it - but then my sister when through that - had trouble getting pregnant then had two children and had to have an operation - and one of my nieces has had a hysterectomy and the other one has bad periods - she has yet to have a family - and my daughter is having a hysterectomy week after next - but she feels okay atm - we had a good talk yesterday

I remember my Dad being really cruel about his mother being sick all the time and I think now she might have had endo too - of course no one talked about that then - and I would not have been told anything about that when I was young - I only have one female cousin and I might get the chance to ask her if she knows but she is a lot  younger than I am - and she has two daughters so I am wondering if they have it as well

There's no need to reply to this - I know you are battling right now

Dec