After reading all of these, I, once again, put a big "Hats Off" and do truly appreciate, all of the women in the world. Especially, mrs. jed.

Options to a hyster for Endo sufferers:

Angelface and anyone else considering a hysterectomy for endo-

I know you don't need to take it for contraceptive effect but have you tried going on "the Pill" or other hormonal therapy designed to regulate or stop ovulation? It can really help.

Conservative surgery to remove growths may be an option instead of radical surgery (removal of ovaries and uterus). Alternative therapy may prove helpful.

Please check out these links for some more info http://www.endometriosisassn.org./treatment.html

http://www.womens-health.co.uk/endo4.htm

Hormonal therapy does have certain risks as noted, esp fpr smokers, coffee drinkers and those with a family history of cervical cancer. (See this link.)http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/5248/endo.html

I know this isn't about getting the operation done, but I was so excited about this I wanted you all to see it!! I even asked my family doctor about it when I had my hysterectomy.
Check out this article my mom sent me. I hope they figure it all out before I'm to old!!!
http://www.reuters.com/news_article...1360999&fro
mEmail=true
(you have to copy and paste the last part
I hope you find it as interesting as I did!

Here's a working Link to the story,Reuters news - Transplanted mouse womb bears fruit

They've also recently reported sucess transplanting small portions of pig and goat testicles under the skin on a mouse's back and had them grow and produce viable sperm.

Science News - Mice produce pig and goat sperm

thanks for sharing this with us!!

i found out that i had endo just before i turned 20 my doctor first thought that it was my iud that was causing me so much pain he removed it but the pain didn't stop so he did a loprascopy and a dnc and found a few cystes he removed them and not even a month later i was pregnant again. i now have 2 wonderful daughters and my tubes tyed. my last lapo the doctor said that there wasn't enough to remove and then he wanted to put me on hormone therapy to keep it in check, i declined because i did the research on the different hormones and i didn't think that the side affects were really worth it, so i requested that he send me to an endocrynologist. he did. my new specialist has been a great help plus the endo doesn't flare up quite as much but that doesn't mean anything. i'm lucky that i have avery high pain tolerance otherwise i would be going to the emerg for demoral. tylenol and advil just don't work for it and i'm allergic to morphine and codiene so there goes the T3's, unfortunatly what does work on curbing the pain is pot but i refuse to that during the day when my little ones are up and i won't do it in my own home out of respect for my husband and kids. i figure though that if the endo gets worse i will have to have a partial hysto but even that isn't 100% gaurenteed to stop it neither is a full hysto or hormone therepy but the hysto worked on my mother and grandmother so who knows... (gotta love inherited genes)

Originally posted by s_quiggles i found out that i had endo just before i turned 20 my doctor first thought that it was my iud that was causing me so much pain he removed it but the pain didn't stop so he did a loprascopy and a dnc and found a few cystes he removed them and not even a month later i was pregnant again. i now have 2 wonderful daughters and my tubes tyed. my last lapo the doctor said that there wasn't enough to remove and then he wanted to put me on hormone therapy to keep it in check, i declined because i did the research on the different hormones and i didn't think that the side affects were really worth it, so i requested that he send me to an endocrynologist. he did. my new specialist has been a great help plus the endo doesn't flare up quite as much but that doesn't mean anything. i'm lucky that i have avery high pain tolerance otherwise i would be going to the emerg for demoral. tylenol and advil just don't work for it and i'm allergic to morphine and codiene so there goes the T3's, unfortunatly what does work on curbing the pain is pot but i refuse to that during the day when my little ones are up and i won't do it in my own home out of respect for my husband and kids. i figure though that if the endo gets worse i will have to have a partial hysto but even that isn't 100% gaurenteed to stop it neither is a full hysto or hormone therepy but the hysto worked on my mother and grandmother so who knows... (gotta love inherited genes)

yeah thanks for the inherited genes!!!!I know what ya mean!

The unfortunate truth about endo, is once you have it, there is no true way of getting rid of it.

I was diagnossed when I was 24, only had it on my supporting ligament and one ovary. Within 6 months I went into emerg, they thought it was my appendix. But it wasn't the endo had gone everywhere in that 6months. They did surgery to remove what they could with the "promise" that it would be gone for at least 2 years.

It took 1 month of healing and another month of getting my strength back again (I run my own horse farm). Then 2 more months and I could feel the pain again.

Pain killers is not an option, unless I want one of my horses to kill me or a student. Plus even thought they take away my pain, they put my brain to sleep. Not worth it.

Now they have me on a potent drug called Lupron. It has made and unbelievable difference. I'm now 28 and am in menopause, and having to do some add back hormone therapy to protect my bones. But I can function, and I no longer have days where I feel that death would be a blessing.

It's important to do reasearch, be your own advocate. And question, question, question. Your Dr. may not like it, but it's your body and your life. Also have a good group of people for support.

Most importantly remeber that what ever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and endo doesn't kill, therefore we all must be awfully damn strong.

Good luck.

Mother_goose2 to the bowl!

Thanks for sharing your experience with endo. Glad to hear you have achieved workable control and pain relief.

Cheers from a fellow horse lover.

PS Did you see the contest to win a year's supply of feed for one horse? Here's the link incase you missed it. As posted by Spook: horse food for a year!


Endo and conception, pregnancy:
FWIW, Some time ago I recall reading that women with endo who are trying to conceive may have their reproductive system shut down through hormone use until the endo growths shrink, then they go off the hormones and try to conceive. If they suceed, the endo usually is not a problem while pregnant. If they want more than one child, they try to conceive again as soon as possible following birth of the first child. Don't know if this approach is still currently approved.

Thanks for the welcome.

And I did see the horse food contest. Wouldn't that be a great one.

Getting pregnant is a possible way to allow the body to clean up the endo. Although sucessfull in some cases it does not work in all.

The catch with endo is that the cells need hormones in order to grow or at the very leased hang around. And unfortunatly we all need hormones to function. Hormone supression works for a little while, but is not great long term.

Also during pregnancy your body still has hormones floating around. So for some that have severe or agressive endo, pregnancy is not a cure-all.

It does how ever work for some people. Getting pregnant with endo is difficult, which is why the supression before trying. Once pregnant endo does no harm and should be managable.

For myself none of this is an option. My endo is aggressive. Thank-God I have supportive people around me and a high pain tolerance (most of the time )

Staying positive is a great step in all things.

Been doing more reading. Found a super site! http://forums.obgyn.net/forums/womens-health

You can search the forums.

Search = hysterectomy endo
Search = ablation
Search = lupron
yields TONS of info.

ie Read the following:

Q: I have been looking everywhere for this answer to this and I cannot find it...can an ablation work if the diagnosis is endo?

A: No. Endometrial ablations only work inside the uterus, to remove the uterine (endometrial) lining. Endometriosis occurs outside the uterus.

Apparantly total hysterectomy is NOT a cure-all for all endo sufferers as it may fail to remove all of the offending tissue and because even with no ovaries the body can still produce estrogen.

Seems to me laproscopy to (hopefully) remove the misplaced tissue would be my treatment of choice.

H'okey dokey! Jumpin in here again!
I had an ablation done because I was bleeding every week or so, (nonstop period! YAY! ) When that was done in '98, they didn't see any endo.
Then about 6 months later, I started getting more pain, and had to suffer with it till June '00. They did a look see again, and I had one single spot of endo, so they went in AGAIN in Sept. '00 to take it out. The next month, I had one of the worst attacks I've ever had. Since then, about every third month or so, I end up in ER for a shot. The other months hurt, but not as bad.
I had another laproscopy, (different doc) in June, and it was aggressively removed. Unfortunately, I ended up in the ER again this month, so the next step will be a hyster.
There IS a newsgroup out there called Witsendo. I can't remember the email you sign up to, But I know Donna is from Winnipeg (The leader). I got off of it after a while because SO many women were signing on thaat I was getting about 90-100 emails a day to sort through! So I don't know if it is still running.

Still running! Witsendo

This is also a very comprehensive 'personal stories' endo siteEndo sisters

wow thanks for all the links, i go in on thursday for my surgery ill let ya know how it was!