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Brandie Hall

5/23/2014

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My name is Brandie Hall, I am 31 years old, and I live in Jacksonville, FL. Born at 27 weeks (pre-mature), I weighed 1 pound 13 ounces and spent two months in the NICU. I have Retinitis of pre-maturity, Scoliosis, and I also have Von Willebrand disease (a condition where my blood does not clot good.) Everyday, my doctors tell me how lucky I am to be alive!

I started by menstrual cycle when I was 12 years old. From the beginning, my cycles have been heavy; so heavy that I spoke to Hema oncologist about it because I thought maybe it was my clotting disorder that was causing cycles to be so heavy but that was not the case. Every month I had horrible cramps that felt like someone was stabbing me over and over again. Often, I would miss school because of my cramps and my cycles being so bad. I took birth control pills and even did the Depo shot, which couldn’t help either.

At 19 years old, I had by first daughter, by C-Section because she weighed 9 pounds and 11 ounces at birth. Then, 2 years later, I had my second daughter. After both children, I still seemed to have heavy period cramps. I decided to get and IUD for 5 years, after my second child, it did help me with cramps and I had no period.  4 years into the IUD, I decided to get it removed. I got pregnant for the last time with my son. I had Placenta Previa with him, causing me to be in and out of the hospital for months. I had to have him through an emergency c-section, 7 weeks early. 3 months later, the doctor took a look at my uterus, ovaries and tubes and said it looked pretty bad. He sent this information to my GYN to review. She reviewed it and said that I had to do a vaginal ultrasound to confirm the findings. Turns out, I had scaring on my uterus muscle, black (dark chocolate) cysts on both ovaries, and both tubes were clogged. I had to have a full hysterectomy in 2011. When the pathology results came back, she confirmed that I had endometriosis. She said that the hysterectomy should cure me, but 6 months later, that was not the case. My pain had returned, worse than before. She decided to put me back on birth control pills for over a year; that didn’t do anything either.

In July, I got a CT done which the results landed me in another surgery in August 2013. After 4 hours in the operating room, the doctor told my husband that it was endometriosis again and my bladder had fallen. She put me back on birth control pills, and even suggested that it may be time for Lupron. She decided to do another exam and said “you look fine, I don’t see or feel any endo. Have a good day!” WHAT? She was my doctor since 2001 and she was giving up on me!

Today, I am still in pain. So much pain that it affects me being an army wife. It effects everything in my life. Endometriosis is a horrible, nasty disease. I am sharing my story with hopes that people will listen and be willing to help me. I am going to the Center for Endometriosis in Atlanta. The cost of my procedure will be thousands of dollars. I am accepting donations for anyone who would like to help.

http://www.gofundme.com/88aor4 


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Mandy Wood

5/23/2014

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"I remember it like it was yesterday....Today I'm 31 years old, have 6 surgeries behind me & enjoy being an advocate for Endometriosis & helping other women whom I love to call sisters. 
 
Back in 2000 I had just graduated high school, was working two jobs & just settled in my first & very own apartment when I started having serious debilitating pain putting everything I worked for in risk. Since the age of 13 I always remember having horrible pain with my menses but the doctors didn't seem to connect the dots. For 2 years I went to every kind of doctor there was and nobody could find anything wrong. Pretty soon my family & my friends started thinking this was all in my head and that I was attention seeking.
 
Finally in 2002 I heard the word Endometriosis for the very first time & the symptoms sounded a lot like my pain so then I was off to a gynecologist. My doctor decided to due a laparoscopy to see if this was the problem & sure enough I got my diagnosis of Endometriosis in May 2002. It's been a bumpy ride an I have learned so much. After years of research and learning about Endometriosis a friend referred me to the CEC in Atlanta where I had excision surgery and by far the most successful treatments by far. I did extremely well until the fall of 2012 when my local doctor decided that I needed to have a hysterectomy & in desperate hopes of pain relief I reluctanctly agreed knowing that wasn't a cure but I was so desperate for relief.
 
Thankfully that did help me but even today I'm not pain free. I will say though that Endometriosis has made me so much stronger & it will not break me! Through my journey my faith has grown stronger, my family & friends mean more to me than ever & I wake up everyday happy & hoping to help another sister in need. One at a time little by little we will win this battle."

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