I’m looking for advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation. I have endometriosis and have had 8 laparoscopies in total. The first 5 were performed before I was under the care of an endometriosis specialist, as I was diagnosed quite young and specialist care wasn’t as widely available at the time. I now have an excellent endometriosis specialist who I trust completely, and my more recent surgeries have been performed under specialist care. Unfortunately, despite receiving good treatment, I still seem to get a pattern of recurrence. The frustrating thing is that surgery works for me, but only temporarily. I generally get about two years of significant symptom relief after each surgery before the pain and symptoms gradually return. I’m now finding myself back in that position again. My most recent surgery (2 years ago) confirmed endometriosis in the pouch of Douglas, pelvic sidewall and paracolic gutter. I also struggle with significant bowel symptoms, including constipation, diarrhoea, painful bowel movements and the feeling that my bowel symptoms flare alongside my endometriosis symptoms. At the moment I take my pill consistently and don’t miss doses. I’ve tried multiple hormonal treatments over the years including Depo Provera, Mirena and various forms of birth control. My doctor has suggested Visanne, but I’m very reluctant to start another hormonal suppression medication because of previous experiences and side effects. I’ve recently started pelvic physiotherapy and have completed two sessions so far, but both appointments have caused symptom flares afterwards. I’m not sure whether this is normal early on or a sign that my body isn’t tolerating the treatment well. I’m also hoping to trial CBD suppositories if they are approved. Beyond that, I honestly feel lost about what options I have left. One of the hardest parts has been losing the ability to exercise the way I used to. Physical activity was a huge part of my life, and having to continually reduce what I can do because of pain has had a significant impact on my mental health. I used to enjoy training and being active, but now I often find that exercise aggravates my symptoms, which has been incredibly difficult to accept. I’m not necessarily looking for medical advice, but I’d really like to hear from people who have had recurrent symptoms despite multiple surgeries. Has anyone else had repeated surgeries but continued to experience recurrence? How do you manage your pain day-to-day? Have you found anything that has genuinely helped improve your quality of life outside of surgery? Have pelvic physio, CBD products, pain specialists, exercise modifications, dietary changes, or other approaches made a meaningful difference for you? I feel like I’ve exhausted so many options and would really appreciate hearing from others who understand what it’s like. Hormonal medications aside from the pill really messed up my mental health, so I would like to know whether anyone has found better alternatives. ❤️   submitted by   /u/ReasonableAd3894 [link]   [comments]