A is for April & Adenomyosis

So March was Endometriosis Awareness month and April is Adenomyosis Awareness month. I'm SO lucky to have both so this month I get to write about my second disease, lucky me! So here are some facts about Ade, and what it means for me in particular..

What is Adenomyosis?

It is a chronic disease where the lining of the uterus grows in the muscle layer of the uterus. It shares similarities to that of its evil twin Endometriosis causing pelvic pain, fatigue, bloating, nausea and bowel/bladder function issues. It has a large impact on womens mental health also. Over time the Ade can cause the womb to grow and enlarge in size, causing women to sometimes appear like they are pregnant.

It is much less common than Endometriosis with 1 in 100 women suffering rather than the 1 in 10 of Endo. It can be diagnosed via laparoscopy and MRI.

For me it has made my womb soft and sponge like rather than tough as a muscle should be. When I had my first laporoscopy back in 2014 the muscle was so spongy, the surgeon nearly perforated the womb. On my pictures you can see large areas of dark red veins over the womb, like ivy taking over the side of a house or fence. Thats the Ade.

Treatment

A hysterectomy is the only thing that will cure the Adenomyosis. Remove the muscle that is infected by the disease. Makes sense. Apart from the possible implications and side effects of removing the womb from any woman, let alone a 26 year old female!

I tried a relatively new procedure back in 2015 called Uterine Embolisation. I have posted about this previously. Unfortunately it wasn't a successful procedure for me but it is worth exploring all your options before committing to the final big operation.

Infertility

For me it has become apparent that my chance of have children naturally is highly unlikely. I have Endometriosis on my ovaries already so that would make it hard to conceive. With the added Adenomyosis attacking my womb, there is a high risk that I wouldn't be able to go full term and my womb could rupture.

I have accepted that a hysterectomy will be part of my life and that takes a while to get your ahead around. But don't give up. Ensure you look at all paths and avenues. Get multiple opinions if you can. Adenomyosis has its name of the evil twin for a reason but it doesn't have to destroy your life if you don't let it.

A x





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