“I thought the pain was normal” – my life with endometriosis

We are in the middle of Endometriosis Awareness Month in March. But even after this month—which is intended to help raise public awareness of this all-too-common and extremely painful condition and educate people about it—the suffering continues. One in ten women is affected, totaling 200 million worldwide. Our dear Carlotta, who is responsible for outreach and support for doctors at OvulaRing, shares her very personal story with you today.

Hi, I’m Carlotta, and I’m #oneoftenth.

The first time I experienced severe menstrual cramps was when I was 17. Before that, I had felt uncomfortable a few times during my period, but it hadn’t really limited me much. That was also when I started missing school because of the pain. I went to the pharmacy and got some medication for menstrual cramps so I could manage the pain.

For about five years, I didn’t really question my period cramps. I thought that kind of pain was normal. At home with a hot water bottle, it was bearable, and if I had plans, I knew which medications I could take. During my studies, I started here at VivoSensMedical working on the OvulaRing team. Through How to use OvulaRing I started paying more attention to my own body and realized that many women hardly experience any period pain. After doing a self-test, I found out that I probably have endometriosis.

However, when I thought of endometriosis, I pictured very severe symptoms involving fainting, emergency room visits, and surgeries. I was still managing my pain with painkillers. Over time, though, I started noticing side effects from the painkillers, so I decided to try going without them—which ended with cramps so severe that I was lying on the bathroom floor crying. So I started exercising more and eating healthier. Going for walks and light jogging, as well as cutting out dairy products, helped me the most. While this reduced the pain, I didn’t want to completely overhaul my diet, so I never managed to go entirely without painkillers.

By the end of 2019, just under three years later, the pain had become so severe again that I was severely limited even with painkillers. That’s why I decided to get a hormonal IUD. That was about a year ago. Now I no longer need painkillers, and I can manage my period just fine with a hot water bottle.

Another testimonial: Lisa became pregnant naturally despite having only one fallopian tube and endometriosis

Here you can find help and advice:

Latest article on tagesschau.de: tagesschau.de/knowledge/health/endometriosis

Endometriosis Association of Germany https://www.endometriose-vereinigung.de/

Understanding Endometriosis https://www.jenapharm.de/service/endometriose.pdf

What is endometriosis? Endometriosis Association of Germany https://www.endometriose-vereinigung.de/was-ist-endometriose.html

Certified endometriosis centers in Germany https://www.endometriose-vereinigung.de/zertifizierte-zentren.html

Note: A personal account is no substitute for medical advice; if you are experiencing severe pain, you should seek medical attention.