I feel so sad that it’s taken almost 40 years to discover I have endometriosis

[Picklemeyellow]

The gynae just rung me. I had an MRI a few weeks ago (at my request).

So it turns out that I have endometriosis and adenomyosis!
He’s going to refer me to the endometriosis clinic. Says I’ll probably need a hysterectomy!

Almost 40 years of awful periods, 5 years struggling to get pregnant, painful
ovulation, endless years of gynae consultations, endless us scans, several hysterocopies, years of anaemia and iron infusions and a uterine ablation.
Years and years of IBS and guts issues which resulted in 2 colonoscopies, 2 gastroscopes and a pill camera endoscopy and told it’s ‘just’ IBS and basically all in my head and they only discover I have endometriosis at the grand old age of 50 and only because I requested this mri myself because my sister was diagnosed at 44!

I am glad it’s been discovered but feel so sad for all of those lost years struggling.

I hear you, @Picklemeyellow. I’m glad you’ve got a diagnosis but I’m so sorry it’s taken so long.

I'm quite similar to you in that I had terribly painful and heavy periods from when they started at 12, was told by GPs that 'it'll all get better when you have a baby' (great, just what you need to hear as a young teen!), effectively had one week in 4 of agony for decades until I was late 40s when a sudden, dramatic pain crisis led to a diagnosis of an ovarian cyst.
Even then, a different GP reviewed my scan and waved away the result, insisting it was 'just constipation' (!) - given I was, much later and only after having to pay privately for treatment, diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis, I look back at that as a particularly special low-point.

It’s an absolute disgrace that women are left to struggle with this awful disease.

wow. Same story from different posters twice in 3 days