Back Pain :(

A lot of you have heard me complain about my back pain lately, and those that know me from back in the day remember my really really bad cramps….

Guess I should post a general warning before I continue.

*** PG 13 – the following post is about ‘girl stuff’ – if you get queasy talking about tampons and such, please stop reading ***

So yeah, I was diagnosed with endometriosis back in 2nd year (1999), had surgery, some of the growths lazered off, and was put on depo provera. This probably all sounds odd, so if you are interested please read on.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that looks and acts like the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus in other areas. These areas can be called growths, tumours, implants, lesions, or nodules.

Pain is one of the most common symptoms of endometriosis. Usually the pain is in the abdomen, lower back, and pelvis. The amount of pain a woman feels does not depend on how much endometriosis she has. Some women have no pain, even though their disease affects large areas. Other women with endometriosis have severe pain even though they have only a few small growths. The pain often correlates to the menstrual cycle, but a woman with endometriosis may also experience pain that doesn’t correlate to her cycle. For many women, the pain of endometriosis is so severe and debilitating that it impacts their lives in significant ways.

Endometriosis can also cause scar tissue and adhesions to develop that can distort a woman’s internal anatomy. In advanced stages, internal organs may fuse together, causing a condition known as a "frozen pelvis." (How creepy does that sound!!!) It is estimated that 30-40% of women with endometriosis are infertile.

Now jumping back to depo provera. This is ‘the needle’. Depo-Provera is a contraceptive or birth control product which is injected every 3 months. This drug is very controversial due to the bone density loss that may be irreversible. But for now I’ll take bone loss over growths, tumours, implants, lesions, or nodules any day. Especially b/c when your on Depo you don’t’ get a period! Woo hoo!

I was on Danazol for a while to combat the back pain associated with the endometriosis, but didn’t want that to become a long term solution (there are some SCARY side effects when you start taking steroids– she says in her manly voice haha). The main reason I went off Danazol though was because I plan to join the Canadian Bobsled Team, and as Ben Johnson showed us, danazol has no place in the Olympics.

And that is why my back hurts.