My story- part 3

So we've made it to the end of 2015 and I recovered from my migraine attacks and was on 2 tablets a day to keep it that way. Everything would appear to be under control, I had been put on the NHS under Dr Hanna and colleagues everyone couple of months however I'd still experience pain everyday, constantly tired and struggling to eat when sickness struck. 

And Christmas Eve proved a momentous time for another change, I ended up down the doctors with awful pain in the upper part of my abdomen. Which was clouded to to be gastritis. But I was in the new year of 2016 was reffered to another gatreontologist Dr Dewar. Gyne side had also tried to improve my pain by issuing me with a hotmail injection called Zoladex every month which did improve my pain but caused me great anxiety and hot flushes so was discontinued.

I have since had an endoscopy (which came back clear) and 3 a&e visits which brings us to the present day. Sitting on the sofa, currently tackling glandular fever, endo pains never failing to flair up and what I call the 'mystery' abdominal pain which is yet to be discovered. And that's my medical story...however I actually wanted to write this blog to communicate the other effects that chronic illness can have on sufferers which are your relationships, social life and career.

My story- part 2

So now you've been informed on all the factuals I'll continue with the next part of my story... after my  operation (technical name laproscapy) I was put on a course of contraceptive pills which would take me down to having a period every 3 months in hope to minimise the endometriosis growth. And indeed for a few months seeing me into the new year of 2015 I felt better until February/March time when all this pain returned alongside my 'favourite' symptom of all... NAUSEA. I found myself going about my day to day heaving and reaching when I felt sick, not eating, not sleeping and experiencing terrible pain in all of my stomach.

So obviously we returned to good old Dr Stier only to be told that the amount of pain I was experiencing and the location of the pain couldn't possibly be gynaecology based so referred me to my second specialist Dr Azante (my amazing gastreontologist) and after a series of tests including X-rays and MRIs and blood tests we found that I had a slow acting colon, which in short is where my colon doesn't exactly function normally and as a result my large intestines had become, to put it nicely 'blocked up' so another set of tablets were distributed and I couldn't help but feel like I was on a cycle around from previous months.

Gladly these tablets seemed to go their thing and alongside some diet advice I was on the road to recovery or that's what I thought, after a couple of months all my symptoms again returned but annoyingly by this point I couldn't tell which pain was which and it was so frustrating to figure out what was causing me all this discomfort!!! A new little symptom joined the team mr migraine, I could hardly make it to school and finally I was admitted to hospital with numbness and loss of feeling on all the left side on my body with excruciating pain, fortunately after CT scans and nephrology tests it was concluded that I had experienced a hemeplegic migraine attack. And after 4 days in hospital with my paediatric doctor Dr Kahn I was well enough to return home for a recovery over summer.

Endometriosis- the facts

Endometriosis is a disease that effects 1 in 10 women so that 10% of women worldwide. It's a disease that is doangnosed to girls and women that have cells like the ones that line the womb in different parts of their reproductive or even digestive system. And each month theses cells react in the same way that the cells in the womb do, building up and bleeding out however the cells of a endometriosis patient have no where to escape furthermore causing this chronic condition. This therefore causes pain during or outside of the period cycle and can in 50% of patients cause infertility. Other symptoms include bowel or urinary problems, extreme fatigue, nausea and pain in the lower abdomen however it can also affect social life, self confidence, relationships and school/worklife.

For more on the science side of things do google it or visit Endometriosis UK website 

My story so far- Part 1

Where to start really???

I guess I start back in 2013, I was 14, I started my period at the age of 12 so I had grown to understand the ins and outs of my monthly visit from auntie red however started to get this awful pains in my belly and of course took a trip down the GP. After pushing them for a while they finally agreeed to send me for a ultra sound scan. 

Okay we're going to detour for a minute to talk about my first experience of an ultrasound scan, there I am sitting in the waiting room in full school uniform with dad laughing a joking about to make time go faster and I take a moment to look around, EVERYONE in that waiting room assumed I was pregnant I knew it. It was to this day the most funny thing I've experienced because they were so unaware of what was happening inside of me- which is ironic in a way because that exactly how a lot of people view me now... 

Back to this history lesson however, yes turns out I had a nasty ovarian cyst growing on leftie (poor old lefie) so next step was to get a referral to a specialist (note: the word referral haunts me now as in my world REFFERAL= AGNOSING LONG PERIOD OF WAITING) so it ended up I was missing so much school mum and dad decided we were going private (how posh) so went to see good old Dr Steir  (number 1 of MANY gynaecologists I've had the pleasure to speak to) and the following week I was going under the knife. 

 So the big operation day arrived, got to Chesfield Hospital, shown to my room and then took my first pregnancy test (protocol and all for the procedure) but that was a funny wait with my mum and dad assuring them that the only way I would've been pregnant was by the power of god and I could be giving birth to the next Jesus. 

I had to fast for this operation may I add, not a major task you may say but I will now also add that my bloods were not taken prior to the op so had to do all that whilst footless OH THE AGGONY! At this point in my journey of health. Amelia Davies was very very scared of needles- like sick dizzy cry type of scared so it took a total of 3 attempts to get my blood but finally by 10pm I went down and returned safely from the procedure. Yay! Anaesthetic is not my friend also, I was SO HUNGRY after my op but nooooooo mr anaesthetic wasn't having any food so it was straight to sleep for me. 

Or sleep was what I thought would be happening, turns out in hospitals you have to be checked on, in my case every 2 HOURS!!!! So it was a sleepless night but was obviously thankful to dr stier and his team of amazing nurses who helped me but god did I consume some foood the next morning. 

So Dr Stier returns in the morning to inform me that yay all went well the cyst is gone BUT and this is the biggest BUT ever. "We found some endometriosis"

And this is we're it all got pear shaped... t.b.c

And it begins

So I've officially taken the plunge... I'm going to write a blog!!! A firm warning to any grammar police sitting in the sidelines, my spelling and punctuation is awful and I don't intend to correct it so buckle up and prepare for the detailed events of my day to day living with the silent assassin which also goes by the name of endometriosis.