Hello all,

Here's another empirical story on endometriosis.

I was 18 when I was hospitalized with severe pain, my doctor found "rampant
endometriosis."  He told me that I'd never be able to have children.  One of
his partners said they should just do a hysterectomy and save me some pain and
trouble.  I was 18!!!  I said, no thank you.  Fast forward a few years, still
lots of pain and amazing PMS every month.  New doctor tells me that if I don't
get pregnant by the time I'm 25, I can just forget it, because I'll be so
scarred I'll be sterile.  So I sell my business and get a job with some good
health insurance and my fiance and I get started trying.  I had four
miscarriages (all at 6 weeks).  The infertility doctors I was seeing told me
they were due to the fact that the embryos could not implant correctly due to
all the scar tissue.  They told me to gain weight, to chart my temperatures,
to stand on my head.  I finally got pregnant at the right time and things were
OK, then I started to bleed, immediate bed rest.  After 13 weeks, we got
married since we felt I'd actually carry to term.  New doctor in the practice
tells me that if I breastfeed, my endometriosis will begin to heal, since I
won't have periods for a while.  I was a good patient and had a typical
hospital birth.  Matthew BF for 3-1/2 years, I did not have periods for 16
months, they were certainly far less painful, then gradually the pain levels
built up again.  Andrew was a surprise pregnancy, great pregnancy, fabulous
home birth.  He's still nursing at 2-1/2 yrs.  Periods came back again at 16
months postpartum, again they have been far less painful.

I'm so glad I didn't get that hysterectomy!

BTW, I have learned recently that there could have been other reasons for
those miscarriages.  I read Marilyn Shannon's book, "Fertility, Cycles, and
Nutrition,"  she has a lot to say about these issues.  It's quite a worthwhile
read.

Bye,

Christine Gurzler