a few questions about endo symptoms/diagnostic journey?
hello!
i want to ask about the criteria/diagnostic process/how anyone here learned they had endometriosis.
for context, i'm a minor, and i've always dealt with irregular periods and heavy bleeding (oddly enough, i haven't missed a period yet this year). i'll go through anywhere between 5-10 of those overnight period pads in a day and still manage to leak. it feels like i cant focus on anything but the pain and the cramps get so bad that i have to lie completely still in bed and wait for it to pass. my insides always feel raw (like peeling a potato). for a while, it felt like the pain would radiate up my chest, but after almost a year, the pain felt more centered around my pelvic area. lately, the pain has spread to my knee joints (i get achy stabbing pains), and it feels like nothing works anymore, not my heating pad, not dark chocolate, not even OTC pain medication (which i barely ever use! i shouldn't have a tolerance, should i?). basically, everything feels stabby and achy and terrible, sometimes even when im not on my period. i've talked to friends about my experiences, and they've told me that it doesn't seem normal; they've talked to me about their parents with PCOS/endo since what i deal with sounds.
i know that maybe things will even out when my body is done developing, but how did you find that you had endo? how did you know something was wrong? am i just worrying too much? what if i am?