u/iluvkaden

my pain in my hips and pelvis is now so bad and has impacted my mobility enough that i'm going to have to get a mobility aid. i ordered a single forearm crutch to try first.

is it bad that i almost feel kind of silly for needing one? i'm only 18 and i'm not even officially diagnosed (but endo is pretty likely) and i'm going to have to use a crutch. i know it'll help and i know that it'll be worth it but i'm so nervous about it. i'm nervous that my friends or family will judge me. i'm nervous that other people in public will judge me (i live in the south and people are not always the most understanding with disabilities, especially those that are invisible). i feel like a faker in a way.

i ordered a pink one so that at least it's cute and my favorite color, but i'm still so nervous about it. has anyone else been through this? how did you get past the nerves?

hello!! in case this matters, i'm 18 and i've been struggling with many of my symptoms since i was about 13/14, but they've worsened with age, especially in the past few months. i was unable to see a doctor for a while (we just never really were able to get to it) but my pain is now so severe every month that at least half of every month is filled with pain and it's starting to cause mobility issues (i'm also starting college in august) so i can't avoid it any longer. all of my symptoms point to endo and some of my family members have had it, so we believe it's my most likely diagnosis as of right now

my first appointment is in two weeks after i get back from a week long trip. it's just going to be with my primary general doctor for a simple consultation and so that she can recommend my next step. i'm absolutely terrified. i know many women struggle with not being heard or being told that they're being dramatic and i am really scared that's what's going to happen to me.

how can i communicate my symptoms in a way that makes sure i'm taken seriously? what can i do if i'm not taken seriously? how can i bring up the possibility of endometriosis without sounding like one of those 'i saw a tik tok about this and i have one symptom so i believe i have it' kind of people? i'm just so anxious and scared and i know the journey ahead will probably be long and difficult. any advice will be so helpful and very very much appreciated!!

(i wasn't sure how to flair this post, so i picked advice as it seems closest)

hello! i am starting at msu in august as a freshman and i'm majoring in biochemistry premed and doing the cursus honorum honors pathway. i'm asking this question to see if anyone has been in a similar situation and knows an answer!

so for context i have suspected endometriosis, which if you don't know is a disease that causes very severe pain. i have textbook symptoms that very much impact my life and it definitely made high school more difficult at times. it also causes me to have severe hip and pelvic pain that can cause mobility issues for several days out of the month. i never tried to seek out accommodations in high school because i was too scared to ask for help for something like that, which made school much more difficult and stressful. i don't want to do that again, especially with a higher workload than i had in high school.

anyways, the issue is, i will not be able to get a formal diagnosis anytime soon because the only way to diagnose this disease is through surgery. i know you need to show documentation to get accommodations through the DRC, so i was wondering if for example a note from my primary doctor (or possible specialist if i'm able to be seen by one soon) saying that this suspected disease negatively impacts my life would be enough documentation.

if anyone could help or give me advice that would be very much appreciated!! thank you!!

hello everyone! i've been thinking about this and i didn't know how or who to ask and i thought maybe someone here would have some answers. for context, i am not formally diagnosed (i'm in the process of trying to figure out how to get diagnosed in my area!) but multiple family members have been diagnosed and i have very textbook symptoms of endo, so it is my most likely diagnosis. i'm starting college as a freshman in august.

so usually for about two weeks before, during, and then about a week after my period, i am in severe pain. cramps to the point of almost throwing up or passing out, shooting pains down my legs, migraines, etc etc. in general, i overall just feel extremely sick and exhausted and i am in a lot of pain. more recently, i've also started getting this awful deep joint pain in my left hip to the point that i can barely walk for several days. these symptoms all leave me practically bed bound throughout several days of the month. once i get to college, i know i will have to walk a lot (most of my classes are a 15/20 min walk from my dorm).

now that all of that is out of the way, how can i communicate with professors about my issues, especially without a formal diagnosis? when i was in high school, i could get away with skipping school and keep good grades, but that will be much more difficult with labs, lectures, and all of my other coursework (i'm a biochem premed major and i'm taking a liberal arts minor through my schools honors college, so basically i have an insane workload). has anyone else been in this situation? how can i handle this until getting a formal diagnosis and actual treatment? thank you for any help or advice anyone can offer!

hello! for context, i am not officially diagnosed but endo is my most likely diagnosis so i thought maybe i could ask here. i have nearly every symptom and several women in my family have endo as well if that's important. the main reason i am not yet diagnosed is because i have not been able to get any appointments to get anything diagnosed, despite major pain since i was around 14. (i am also recently turned 18, so i was always told to wait until i was a bit older and my hormones settled a bit).

anyways, now my symptoms are becoming much more severe (passing out and throwing up from pain, huge clots, bloating so badly that my lower belly is completely hard to the touch, extreme pelvic pain, being overall just completely sick, etc etc) and MUCH more long lasting (for example starting much earlier in my cycle. for example, i am already experiencing some painful cramps and i'm 2-3 weeks away from my next period). i also have started to get deep, aching pain in my left hip thats so severe i have to basically limp around (it also worsens before and during my period) and i'm worried that if my problems are in fact endo that means it may have spread to my hip since i've heard of that happening. also, if this is important, ibuprofen and menstrual painkillers don't make a dent in my pain. my heating pad helps with my more mild cramps, but for my severe cramps (which makes up for most of them) it doesn't help much at all. a lot of the time, all i can do when i'm cramping is just lay on the floor and cry and hope it goes away sooner rather than later

basically, i'm here because i am desperate. i am in severe, constant pain and am unable to even get diagnosed. i'm starting college in august and i am terrified that the pain will interfere with my studies. it feels like i'm starting to lose so much, because for half of the month i'm basically unable to function because i just feel awful. i really need advice on 1.) pain management and 2.) how i should handle my future appointments in a way that i am taken seriously. i just need help and i don't know where else to turn. i'd really really love any advice at all on how to handle this, thank you!