I always had painful and heavy periods from age 12. It continued until I had my daughter in 1989. I was told that after having a baby I wouldn’t have painful periods anymore. When my baby my was nine months old, I had a new pain with my period which defies description and my periods got heavier. I could not not sleep at nights. I went to my doctor who sent me to a a different gynecologist in Mandeville. After some tests I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I was told that I had to go for depo-provera injections every three months. After the first month had passed, the pain returned with a vengeance so I had to have an injection each month. I started piling on weight as a result of these injections.

After a year, there was no improvement and I started having problems passing my stools. I was now living in Kingston so a friend recommended Dr Frederick. I went to see him, he sent me for an ultrasound. He said my endometriosis had spread and I needed surgery. He went in and to his dismay there were lesions on my ovaries, bowels, fallopian tubes, etc. He had to remove these lesions and then he put me on an NSAID that cost three quarters of my monthly salary each month.

Thankfully, this worked after taking this medication for a year.

About 6 years later I moved to the UK and the endometriosis showed up again. It wasn’t painful but I was never able to get pregnant. Eventually I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids, when I developed heavy, painful periods again. Finally, after medication which affected my eyesight, I opted for a hysterectomy eight years ago and God knows that I have been pain-free since then.

During my endometriosis years I discovered that it was a genetic condition, as I realised that a number of my cousins and aunts also had this condition……..now my daughter has it…