For the not so acquainted, let me start by explaining what is “Adenomyosis”’
The simplest and most understandable definition of adenomyosis I came across during my years of research was from Dr. Seckin, who explained it as follows: “Adenomyosis is essentially endometriosis confined to the uterus. It causes the endometrial tissue from the uterine cavity to grow into the muscle of the uterus, damaging the uterine wall. It’s similar to endometriosis, except that with endometriosis, the tissue grows outside the uterus.”.
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis are both metaplasia conditions, meaning that the disease cells will change into organs in which they invade. In the case of Adenomyosis, this causes abnormal uterus cell growth. Due to the similarities but subtle differences between Adenomyosis and endometriosis, Adenomyosis is often referred to as the “sister” disease of endometriosis.
My first encounter with this condition was when I was about 13 years old. At the time, my mum, brother, and I lived in the UK, and my brother and I were regulars on our bikes, riding from our home in Chillwell, Beeston, Nottingham, all the way to the city center. That particular Saturday, we decided to take a detour and head by the river, which meant our ride took a little longer than usual.
As we were heading back, I suddenly started feeling these intense, unexplainable stomach cramps. Next thing I knew, I was sweating buckets, feeling super hot, and nearly fainting. So, of course, I did what any 13-year-old girl would do—I stripped off my pink jumper and tied it around my waist to cover my favorite green and white striped pants (yes, I know, the color coordination was a choice).
The pain got so bad that I just couldn’t keep riding anymore. I had no choice but to get off my bike, and there I was, stumbling along as my brother heroically pushed both our bikes—one with each hand. By the time we got home, I could barely walk, and it took every ounce of strength in me not to burst into tears in the middle of the street (because, obviously, a girl must stay composed)
By the time we got inside the house and my brother was off parking the bikes in the garage, I literally had to crawl to the bathroom. I’m talking serious crawling—like, no dignity left. I barely made it, and then, of course, I vomited. Then, I collapsed on the floor, and let me tell you, the coolness of the bathroom tiles was strangely comforting as I floated in and out of consciousness like a half-conscious potato.
I could barely whisper to call for my mum, and my brother must’ve been the one to pass along the news that I wasn’t well, because 20 minutes later (which, honestly, felt like an eternity), my mum finally appeared.
She tried to get me to sit up so I could, you know, pee—because that’s what happens when you’re a human being—but when I looked down, we both realized something. I was covered in blood. Yes, my period had started. Luckily, I had the foresight to tie my pink jumper around my waist, which saved me from the ultimate public humiliation of everyone seeing my blood-soaked green and white striped pants.
And that, my friends, was the day my life changed forever..
My journey with adenomyosis 