jami242

I am 32 years old and was diagnosed with IBS 7 or 8 years ago. I had my very healthy and happy son, now 5, after TTC for only two months. The pregnancy was fairly uneventful, although I was diagnosed with preeclampsia towards the end of the pregnancy and had to be induced 2 weeks early. I had my gallbladder removed about 3 years ago. We went through fertility treatment (fertility medication and IUI) for about a year and have since taken a break because of the stress.

My husband and I have been TTC a second child for the past 2 years, unsuccessfully. Last summer, I was hospitalized for an early miscarriage that was extremely (physically) painful and likely was an ectopic pregnancy. For the past 5 years, I have been struggling with what I thought was IBS, going back and forth between constipation and diarrhea. I have been hospitalized 3-4 times for severe abdominal pain. I have had just about every test imaginable that would indicate any serious digestive disorders, all with negative results. Most recently, I was hospitalized with severe right lower abdominal pain and pressure. The pain feels like a sharp pinching/pulling pain. If I cough, laugh or sneeze, it worsens. It also seems to worsen with physical activity... housework, getting out of the car, etc. Again, the doctors went the gastrointestinal route and ruled out any serious causes, including appendicitis, although I did have fluid around my appendix.


I have been trying to rule out any potential triggers and causes for this pain... and this week, noticed that it seems to be aggravated by urination and bowel movements. I have always had painful periods and menstruation, so I had assumed that this was normal for everyone. Like clockwork, I get severe, painful diarrhea with cramping and nausea at the start and throughout menstruation. I also have severe shooting pains during menstruation in what feels like my rectum... especially standing up or sitting down. The pain will take my breath away. I also have pain in my thighs when I have a bowel movement. This happens just about every time. I have lower back pain throughout most months, but worsens during menstruation. I have menstrual migraines, worse during ovulation and menstruation. I experience extreme fatigue and have most recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia due to fatigue, joint pain and swelling. I feel like a hypochondriac with all of these symptoms, but I just really want to feel good again and have the energy to give to my son. If this solves the infertility issue, that would be fantastic. I am only 32 years old and should not be feeling so ill all of the time.

I just made this connection and have been wondering if all of this could be endometriosis. I plan to call my ob/gyn on Monday for an evaluation. Does it sound like I may be on the right track with this?