My fight..

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_On August 19th, 2005, I was diagnosed with endometriosis at age 20._

_I had just started my first serious relationship and we were just moving in together. _

_I had been battling severe pains and rich periods since I was 11.. a year after my first menstruation._

_I had gone through 3 surgeries already because of my abdominal pains.. at first they thought it was a umbilical hernia (11 years old), the second time they guessed it was my appendicitis (12 years old) and the third time they thought it was a cyst (14 years old).. when nothing of it stopped the pains I was told it was all in my head.._

_I stopped seeking medical care for 5 years.. with increasing pains and bleedings._

_One day it was unbearable, and I called in panic to my local ob/gyn where I got to talk with a midwife. After listening to me for several minutes, hearing me talk about my pains and bleedings, she simply asked me; _

_"Has anyone, ever, talked to you about endometriosis? _

_"No.. what's that?"_

_"It sounds like what you are having.. I'm gonna make you an appointment with a doctor for further consultation.."_

_After that conversation I hung up and just sat there for a moment.. then I called my mum. _

_"Mum? Have you ever heard of endometriosis? They think I might have it.."_

_My mother gasphed for a minute and went quiet.. then she said;_

_"Two years ago, I did a hysterectomy, because of my bad menopause. . When I woke up from the surgery the surgeon told me that everything gone well, but that they had found traces of endometriosis in my abdomen.. and that I probably had had it for all my grown up life. I had painful periods as a young girl/ woman, but it all started to reduce as I got pregnant with you and your siblings.. never thought much of it after that.. Didn't think it could be what you had.."_

_I got an appointment later that month. I saw this ob/gyn I never talked to before.. at first she was reluctant to if I had endo or not, but, when told that my mother had suffered from it she changed her mind.. _

_Due to my lack of doctors appointments during 5 years I had not been to an ob/gyn for long.. mostly because of my last session, when I was 14, that had been very traumatic and painful._

_She wanted to do an exam, but I refused.. I nearly got an anxiety attack just by thinking about it. She asked me to come for a new appointment, where I could just talk about how an exam works etc . This I would do for a year until she was able to make an exam on me.. later, the same year, she made the surgery where my endometriosis was finally diagnosed. _

_During the years after my diagnosis I tried many different treatments.. None of them worked for long. Me, and my then-boyfriend, tried to get pregnant. I had 6 misscariages and 1 ectopic pregnancies.. no children. _

_Before we, me and my ex, had the chance to start any fertility treatment, we broke up.. It all had taken a great toll on or relation. I was 27, and singel for the first time since my early twenties. I met a new man, but it didn't work out. And almost a year after that I met my partner I live with now._

_He has 2 children from his previous relationship, 12 and 14, and we are now trying to get one of our own.. His kids biological mother is 6 months pregnant with twins.. I'm happy for her but at the same time so very, deeply saddened.. When is it my turn?_