Suspected endo, and my passion.
This is my first post on Reddit ever, and I’m so thankful to find people going through what I’ve been going through.
I’ll make my back story short, but I’m just about to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in psychology, and I have an amazing position I’m already working at a trauma and addiction rehabilitation center as a mental health technician. The greatest joys of my life have come from my career, and someday dream of getting my PsyD. (I plan on going to grad school as well and try to work 32 hours a week)
I’m a trauma survivor myself, and have the Mirena IUD since 2018. I’ve already been diagnosed/confirmed with PCOS/PMOS and painful bladder syndrome. This all started with what I thought were recurrent UTIs, and now I use a cane when I check on my patients, sometimes to walk and sometimes to prevent my sciatic nerve from acting up at night. I’m used to extremely strenuous work due to the unpredictability in my field, and now I am using intermittent FMLA weekly for months.
My pelvic floor therapist, urologist, and gynecologist are all advising me to take the next step to laparoscopy/excision surgery (I believe that means it’s suspected endo). My supervisor has it herself, and assumes I should just get better with menopause. “I did it, so you can do it” mentality.
I’m faced with the fear that I need to leave my job, and hope I can find something more manageable with remote work until I get my surgery. I’m still waiting for the call from the specialist.
At what point, if I ever, did you choose to leave the career or passion that keeps you going because of this disease? Nobody teaches you how to be sick.
Thank you all in advance for reading my story, and sending love to all 💖