I would get another opinion that's serious and doesnt cure anything.. Endo can still grow back. But if it will make her feel better then go for it! But I would get another specialists opinion before jumping blind with something that can't be undone.

Hey forteri,

I'm so sorry for your GFs pain. Oh God, we all understand more than you can ever know. THANK YOU for coming here to find answers/support for her. We are here for you, though we don't have all of the answers, by any stretch.

I can speak only from my experience, which is that removal of my uterus, tubes and ovaries @ 33 only alleviated the heavy bleeding of my periods. I had NO CHOICE as the disease had consumed my abdominal organs and caused liver failure before being diagnosed. The surgery saved my life, but ironically ENDED my life as I knew it.

I DO NOT recommend hysterectomy to "cure" this evil disease. It cannot be cured...at best managed. Please find another specialist. We are here for you. Feel free to read through the many posts of individual experiences and/or treatments, coping methods, meds, etc.

I commend you for seeking help for the one you love. Your greatest asset will be understanding. My husband sees me writhing in pain even sitting in a restaurant "pretending to be fine". He asks, "Baby...what can I do?". My reply is always the same..."Just LOVE me through this". He DOES. It makes one Hell of a difference I assure you=)

~~Pup

Thank you very much for this. I've only known her for a couple of years and had only seen her this badly in pain for a little over 1 year. She's been battling this for seven but already, I'm beginning to feel a sort of panic- a desperation to find 'the cure' to get this away from our lives so that we can finally start living. I know in the back of my mind though that she's probably always going to be in pain.
We found a center in NY that specializes in endo. The most relieving part of this is that they take medicaid. Because she couldn't finish school, she's had to work as a waitress to make ends meet. Unfortunately I only make enough to cover my own bills and student loan. (Another huge issue we have is that we've decided to have her apply for disability. I'm so scared of how we're going to make ends meet. I'm desperately trying to find a higher paying job but haven't had any luck in the few months that I started looking.) I'm going to cross my fingers for this second opinion. We really need some help with her pain management.
Thank you again.

PS- I told her your story about the dinner with your husband, speckledpup. You should have seen her smile. Thank you both for sharing your words with me.

forteri~ Hysterectomy is such a harsh thing to hear a doctor even bring up. Especially since there is NO CURE for endometriosis. So, why doctors even present this archaic surgical treatment as an option to help wiith endo is beyond me. A woman's reproductive system does so much more than to simply produce children.

Please watch this video as it explains it all so much better than i ever could. I copy and pasted it off of someone else's profile page...fightingforchange is her user name. I'm hoping she doesn't mind me sharing it with you. If you find it helpful than please direct your thanks to her as I have done after watching it. I've shared it with my mom who has been begging me for years now to have a hysterectomy. It has helped her to understand a bit more why I keep refusing to do so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_nY1az2k00

Disclaimer: i have heard from some women that have had hysterectomies that did indeed did get relief and that it helped them feel better, however I have heard from so many more that it made things worse. I'm also not sharing this to upset anyone. It is simply a RESOURCE TOOL.
~ Jenny

Thank you for sharing this. It was very powerful; idk how to contain myself. I'm gonna go be with her now....and apologize. I'll be back tomorrow to thank fightingforchange. Jenny, thank you.

forteri~ Your pursuit of knowledge in trying to understand this awful disease is beyond commendable and your g/f is lucky to have you. : ) I'm so glad that you've found a specialist that takes medicaid. Hopefully she will get proper treatment and finally some relief from all the pain.
Hugs~ Jen

I am one of the women who found great relief after having a hysterectomy. I think most women get really upset about having this surgery because, in a sense, it is unfair and insulting to us that it even has to be an option. Since my husband and I never wanted kids anyway, I decided to go ahead last May at the age of 34. They took everything but one ovary. This was my second surgery for endometriosis. The surgery was suppossed to be an hour and a half but took three and a half. I had a very skilled surgeon with a great reputation who did this with the DaVinci robot.
I couldn't be happier with my results. She told me I also had adenomyosis (endo inside the uterus) as well and that between a ton of scar tissue (this is where a lot of the pain comes from) and the endo, I wa a mess. For me, I couldn't stand taking the birth control or the Lupron anymore. I felt like shit all the time. Now I'm medication free, pain free, am regaining my energy and can have sex that isn't painful.
I thought it was important for you to hear another side about this from someone who has been there. Good luck to you and your girlfriend.