Terrified of flare ups and don’t know how to proceed
I have not officially been diagnosed with endo, but it was confirmed last fall that I have an endometrioma and I have many many symptoms for endo. I was aware of what endo was but not all the symptoms or full extent of the disease. My gyno made it sound like it was only a disease that caused some pain during intimacy and heavy periods.
I have had three flare up episodes in the past 9 months and the most recent one was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever been in. I didn’t realize till the third one a month ago what was going on. I was on the bathroom floor screaming, unable to move, and dry heaving. The next day I couldn’t walk everything was so sore from the flare up. I did some research and figured out what is going on and made soooo many life style changes to be as anti inflammatory as I can be.
I’m at the point in my cycle now where these flare ups tend to happen and I have been fighting off panic attacks for the past two days (ik the stress isn’t helping). On top of the terror of a flare up I’m scared in general and so angry at my gyno. I found out that this “period” disease can grow into any organ in my body, and is consistently ranked one of the most painful conditions to live with.
I guess I post all this to get it off my chest, but to also ask how did you all cope with the realization of the severity of this disease?? I feel overwhelmed and lost, and honestly hopeless. I start grad school in a week and I’m terrified this disease will progress to the point I can’t continue my schooling…