Hi Gemini,
I hope you don't have to wait too long for your postponed surgery. I hate the waiting!
Can you explain to me what DDD is? I've never heard of it.
I've had endometriosis since I started menstruating as a teenager. I would vomit and faint from the pain, but when I finally went to speak to a doctor about it I was told 'periods are painful'.
So I ignored it went ignored for 15 years, despite me seeking help from many doctors and gynaecologists. Then finally went to a gynaecologist and asked her if she thinks I might have endometriosis, and she said yes, and sent me to an Endo clinic. They decided to operate on me, as endometriosis can only be confirmed through surgery.
During the laprascopic surgery they removed all the superficial Endo tissue (anything which hadn't grown into my organs), and discovered deep tissue Endo on my large intestine.
When my surgeon explained that I would need a much more invasive surgery to remove the remaining Endo, I freaked out and stopped seeking medical advice. For five years I tried to treat myself with diet and herbal remedies. Until I could no longer poop. I'd go for up to 10 days without passing anything but mucus. And the pain was excruciating.
So in November, I went for the surgery to remove any deep tissue Endo they would find. It had spread alot, so they removed parts of my uterus, bladder, peritoneum, and 30cm large intestine.
After the surgery, I felt OK for about 12 hours, then started to decline. I knew something was wrong, but it took a week to realise my bowel had ruptured, and I had peritonitis and sepsis by the time they brought me in for emergency surgery. When I woke up, I had a colostomy.
Sorry, this story has been really long, I hope I didn't bore you to tears, I just thought the details could be helpful for anyone experiencing something similar.
Clair