u/AnayahDC

Today I learned that endometriosis can mimic cancer, and I’m honestly stunned this isn’t discussed more often.

It’s already one of the most painful chronic conditions documented. It affects 1 in 10 women, is incurable, its exact cause is still unknown, and treatment is largely limited to surgery and hormonal suppression.

Then I found out it can infiltrate organs, form
masses, spread throughout the pelvis and beyond, and in some cases even resemble cancer on imaging or during surgery. It may be a benign disease, but its behaviour can be strikingly similar in some respects.

Yet people still say things like, “It can’t be that, it’s just bad periods.”

The disconnect between the reality of this disease and the public perception of it is honestly astonishing.

What do you think has to change before endometriosis is taken as seriously as it deserves to be?

I (26F) have had endometriosis and adenomyosis since 2022. I’m terrified of what happens when I want kids.

I was diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis in 2022, but I didn’t start birth control until December 2025.

The only reason I finally went on it was because I had my Bar Finals coming up and couldn’t risk getting my period. My flare-ups were so severe that I’d end up admitted to the hospital for days, and my parents finally agreed that I needed treatment.

Since starting birth control, my quality of life has improved dramatically. It’s the reason I can hold down a job, have a social life, pursue my career, and even get out of bed in the morning without debilitating pain.

On the rare occasions I miss my pills, I’m reminded of what life used to be like. The bleeding returns, the pain is three or four times worse than my current baseline, and all the other symptoms come rushing back. It’s honestly terrifying.

This leaves me with a question that I can’t stop thinking about.

When I’m ready to have children, how do I come off the medication that essentially gives me my life back?

I know I’ll have to stop birth control in order to ovulate and try to conceive, but then what? If my symptoms return to how they were before, I genuinely don’t know how I’d cope. I wouldn’t be able to work. I wouldn’t be able to continue my education or advance my career. And there’s no guarantee I’d get pregnant immediately—it could take months or longer.

How long am I expected to live in that level of pain while trying to conceive?

Has anyone here with endometriosis and/or adenomyosis gone through this? How did you manage the pain while trying for a baby? Were there treatments that helped while you were off birth control?

Lately, I’ve even found myself wondering whether I should give up on the idea of having biological children altogether. I never imagined I’d be asking myself that, but this disease has made the future feel incredibly uncertain.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar.

I, F (26) have had endometriosis and adenomyosis since 2022. I didn’t get on birth control until December 2025. I had my bar finals coming up that month and couldn’t afford to have a period and end up admitted for a protracted period of time and that finally convinced my parents to let me get on birth control. Since I got on birth control it’s greatly helped my quality of life, the only reason I can hold down a job, have a social life, or even get up from my bed in the morning pain free is because of this drug. And the days I miss it, I see hell. Bleeding, triple or quadruple the pain I’m used to amongst other symptoms. This has put me in a quandary, when I’m ready to have kids how do I stop this drug that affords me a life, to have kids? I have to stop taking BC to have kids, to have an ovulation obviously so how do I do it then? I can’t work if this pain comes back, I can’t pursue my education or career if the pain comes back. Funny enough there’s no guarantee that I’ll conceive on my first try so how long do suffer for until I conceive?

Anyone who’s been through what I’m currently going through please help me. I’m currently contemplating not having kids at all for real