Category: Journal Entries

Endometriosis sufferers have a higher risk of Crohn’s disease.

A study, done over 10 years, consisting of over 35,000 Danish women who had been hospitalised due to endometriosis has found that there is a significantly higher risk of Crohn’s disease.

 

The study concludes that where Endometriosis has been surgically verified, the risk of having Crohn’s disease is 80% higher than those without.  Where the diagnosis had not been confirmed surgically (symptom only diagnosis) the risk was 50% higher than the normal population.  The study was undertaken from 1997 to 2007, the women were then followed up for up to 13 years, 320 of the women developed Inflammatory Bowel Disease and 92 with Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease generally causes complications within the gastrointestinal tract, including diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss.

The study was led by Dr. Tine Jess and a team of researchers at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark.

BMJ journal Gut article:

Journal Entry March 14, 2006 (Arianna)

Well back from the group meeting – was like going to uni – the whole lecture hall was packed!

It was a very informative meeting and as soon as I get my next period I need to ring for my day 2 blood test. I’m a tad confused though because they said that if you get your period after 10am then it’s not considered day 1 or something like that, but shouldn’t matter, I usually have mine before then.

They talked about how things work there and the cycles and possible problems. There was a nurse there who spoke about the nursing staff, and the counsellors and an embryologist as well as one of the consultants.

They focused on the long cycle of treatment which doesn’t really apply to me as the consultant told me that I’d be doing a short cycle due to the drugs that they’d be using and my prior reaction to them, but we will wait and see.

All in all it was a very good meeting.

DH will have to do a sperm sample as he’s not had one done before at this hospital. Not sure if I need a smear test as I had one in 2003 and I know my 3 years is up in Dec of this year, but we shall see.

I’m going to put everything together into a plastic folder to take with us. I’ve been tracking my periods for well hmm let me count…..*pause while counts on fingers*…13 years now so I will be putting the last 2 years or so into a spreadsheet and putting it in the file. The consultant already has hundreds of charts I’ve filled out. LOL

My only concern is that because I don’t know when my periods are due, this whole “you take this drug 1 week before your period is due” won’t work – but we’ll see what the consultant says.

Hope everyone is okay!

Arianna

Journal Entry March 13th, 2006 (Arianna)

Just thought I’d post to say Hi and do a check in.

We have our IVF group meeting tomorrow night and I’m getting rather nervous about all of it. I’m so afraid of the drugs as I’ve had them before and they turned me into a monster and I’ve got permanent damage from them – so am really scared that the same thing will happen again and the damage will get worse. Thankfully the consultant is fully aware of my concerns and has promised his support and monitoring of things.
I’m having a hard time coping with not being pregnant yet – but I suppose it’s just a normal aspect of my life really.

Am really busy work wise and am getting very stressed by one of my client’s who is a total tit. He seems to think that I can do my job without giving me access to information that I require and then he argues with me when I tell him that I can’t do it if he doesn’t give me the information to do the job!

I’m attempting to get into shape (Katherine you are a great inspiration cause you look totally fab and remind me of how I looked when I was younger) but am not being very successful as my knee is bothering me when I do a lot of walking (it’s a very old injury that probably never healed properly). I’m determined to look fab in my bikini when we go to Spain in May! I’m also trying to drink 2 litres of water a day – but man is it hard! I keep having to run to pee and some days I wonder why I don’t just sit on the dang toilet all day – or connect a hose to it. LOL

I think that’s it. I will do an update tomorrow night or Wednesday after the group meeting thingy.

Hope everyone is okay!!!

*HUGS*
Arianna

The day I’ll never forget Contributed by shannonrussell

I remember hearing those words out of the doctors mouth. Yes you have Endometriosis. I wanted to cry. Two days earlier was my 20th birthday. I got engaged. My fiance knew there was a chance I had it but we were hoping for the best. After finding that out the doctor told me there was more. I thought to my self “Oh great what can be better than this.” The next words out of his mouth I didn’t want to think about. He said, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you also have a syst on you right ovary. Its about 3cm x 2.5cm and we might have to take the whole ovary.” All I could thing about was 20? How does this happen at such a young age. I go in soon to find out what is the next step, but im really nerves. The nights get so bad. The doctor gave tylenol 3 for the pain and Motrin for the inflamation. I’m now hoping I can still get pregnant. For anyone who reads this I feel your pain. I think I just need someone to talk to who understands what im going through.

Help wanted Contributed by Christy

My name is Christy and I have had endo for 12 years. I am now 25 and I just got married and we are now trying to have a baby. I have been on birth control pills since I was 13 to help with the pain and this is the first time that I have been off of them. I am sceard that the pain is going to be too much for me but I really want to have a baby. I am looking for someone to talk to about this. Someone that has been on the pill for a long time and has had endo for a long time but still was able to have a baby. If you are a person that I can just talk to about some of this please e mail me at
cmcconaughy@jetproducts.com

Thank you
Christy

Arianna and Michael (Arianna) – #3 January 9th, 2002

Okay I feel like I’m dying or something. Last Wednesday I started getting the cramps and I had such horrible back pain. Then on the weekend the insomnia hit and the headache.
Yesterday the period hit full force as did the cramps, the headache, the nausea. Now I just need the hot flashes to make it all complete. I just want to curl up in bed and not move. I wish my doctor would attempt to help me ease the pain with my period, but I think that’s asking for a miracle.

Arianna and Michael (Arianna) – #5 January 26, 2002

For just over a week now I’ve been suffering from this annoying pain on my left side and lower back that steadily got worse. Not only that but I kept running to the bathroom even if I only drank a thimble full of water. I suspected a kidney infection.

I finally made an appointment with the doctor and I saw her yesterday morning and guess what…I’ve got a kidney infection. I went in, did a urine sample, the receptionist dipped the stick in it and asked if i was expecting my period any day now. I said nope not for another 2 weeks, and she said oh hmm, I said I’m susceptible to high protein levels. The doctor came in, looked at the stick, asked where the pain was, said “Yup you have a kidney infection” She wasn’t happy about me waiting an entire week but she understood why I had done it.
She’s given me a course of Macrobid to take for 7 days. She hopes I won’t have an allergic reaction to this stuff. She also ordered me to drink lots of cranberry juice. I wanted to laugh since that’s what I’d already prescribed for myself. :o)
I guess I’m going to have to not ignore any pain that I do have, especially if I realise it’s not endo pain. Oh well…Live and let Learn as they say.

Arianna and Michael (Michael) – #4 January 13th, 2002

Right – Time for another entry – this months difficult period is finally over – seemed to go a bit faster this month…

I think it went faster as I was less involved due to Arianna’s depression with her period this time- it has meant she has been very quiet compared to normal – makes it very hard to know what she is thinking as she becomes very withdrawn – she also snaps a lot – not a big issue for me. However i feel her family bear the brunt of it – especially since my little miss becomes very stubborn in some opinions and hates it when she feels peoeel are intruding on hr space.
Unfortunately I cannot do very much for her at this time – maybe it will improve when she comes over – if not I am sure we can come to some sort of compromise 🙂

She worries about my reaction needlessly really and she tends to worry about coming to england due to all the unknowns we have at the moment – however I believe all will be ok and we will resolve all !!

Thats all for now

Mike

Arianna and Michael (Arianna) – #4 January 13th, 2002

Okay well the dreaded period is over…thank god! I’ve still got a bit of pain and such but it’s almost over. Still having some issues with lactating, but right now my biggest concern is that I was a total monster with PMS this time and I’m depressed.

Not quite sure if it’s the endo causing the depression or if it’s cause I’m worried about how my life is going to turn out in regards to when I’ll get to be with Michael permanently, but something sure has me depressed. I’m not as affectionate as I normally am and I can’t seem to get past a few things, I just seem to be throwing myself into my course work and staring at a computer screen. Well I guess that’s enough of this journal entry since it seems to be straying from the endo side of things. Wonder what Michael will post in response to this?

Arianna and Michael (Michael)- #2 November 15th 2001

For me tonight was a better night, though I suspect not for Arianna…

Well tonight was a bit different to last night, Arianna was definately in a more cuddly mood, and she was missing having me to hug with etc… After a bit Arianna started to cry but this subsided after a while unlike the previous night, I’ve no doubt she was in as much pain but she seems to cope with it better after a few days, compared to when she was in pain constantly her reactions are more extreme when it starts up again, this is unfortunate – but I am thankful she is not in a lot of pain everyday as she was before August’s operation. thats all for now . Michael Helm

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