I have endometriosis

I have endometriosis. I had no idea that I even had it until Andrew and I started trying to have a second baby. It's annoying that it took us trying to conceive to find out but the bright side is we found out. I will be having surgery tomorrow to find out how sever the endometriosis really is. I also will be having a polyp removed from my uterus and they are going to run a dye through my ovaries and fallopian tubes to test function. The surgery should take about two hours and is out patient. Recovery time is just a few days. 

I keep having people asking me how I'm feeling about having the surgery. Honestly I am so excited! I am a little nervous but that comes along with any surgery. I am mostly excited. I am so thankful that we found a doctor who was willing to look at the whole picture and listen to my concerns about my body. He did a thorough exam and listened to my complaints and worries. He had a great possible cause (endometriosis) for the delay in conception. He also had a plan of action that should remedy the problem, a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, which will happen tomorrow. I am excited to be taking action finally.

I say finally because we have been on this journey for 18+ months now. For the last year I have gone to the doctor every 3 months or even every month to figure out why it was taking us so long to conceive again. I knew that there was something going on with my body that wasn't right but my (old) doctor kept assuring me that everything was fine with my body. It has been a long process and it still isn't over but at least now we have a plan of action (3 doctors later). Even better than the plan is the fact that we are acting now! 

I have had such a hard time with this whole process for many reasons but I have also learned a lot throughout it. As a matter of fact I'm very sure that my learning isn't over. I know I'm going to learn so much more after surgery and as we continue on this journey to complete our family. Shoot I'm going to feel better than I have in years because I should be pain free! 

I have documented this entire journey and will share parts of it in the future but for now this is a great start. It is no longer a secret about what is going on with me. Not that it is anybody else's business anyway but more that I don't have to walk around with the weight of this on my shoulders. I have a medical condition just like so many other people do. I fortunately don't have anything near a severe as many other people deal with everyday. I hope that anyone struggling with infertility or struggling to conceive knows that they are not alone. There are so many other people out there that are struggling with similar or the same issues. If you are struggling with infertility or even having a hard time conceiving I want you to know that you aren't alone. 

I want to leave you to consider how you are tackling the circumstances that you are facing today. I encourage you to stay positive and see the good in every situation. I encourage you to understand the implications of how your choices determine your day. 

With joy in my heart and a focus on the positive I'm off to finish cleaning my house so that my caretakers over the next few days only have to focus on playing with Blake and keeping him happy!