About

My thoughts, stories, struggles, and triumphs as an invisible pain warrior.

Hello and welcome to our blog. I decided to call it Invisible Pain Warriors because that is very much what I consider my husband and I to be.

I have suffered from Endometriosis and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) for 20 years and was diagnosed 6 years ago and the age of 31, during a diagnostic laparoscopy to investigate the cause of my chronic abdominal pain and infertility.  Since that time, I have experienced a roller-coaster of symptoms, had a 2nd laparoscopic surgery to remove more Endometriosis and pelvic adhesions, and have suffered a significant increase in the severity and frequency of my Endo-related pain.

I also have another source of chronic pain, which isn’t as easily identified, diagnosed, or explained.  I usually refer to it as a “chronic facial pain syndrome” but it has been diagnosed as a number of things, including Trigeminal Neuralgia, Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia, Atypical Facial Pain, TMJ, and even just a headache.  While no one is quite sure what it is or how to fix it, it has had a dramatic effect on my daily quality of life.

My husband suffers from severe, intractable chronic pain resulting from a failed anterior cervical fusion surgery, which took place in December 2012.  He does not spend much time on the internet and will likely never add to this blog but his battle with chronic pain is something that I will likely write about as it is one of the most difficult and cruel things that either of us have ever witnessed or experienced.

We have both spent many years, thousands upon thousands of dollars, and expended endless time and energy searching for help and resolutions to our pain, but as of yet the medical community has done very little to help us (not for complete lack of trying), short of providing the minimum amount of pain medication necessary for us to function at any capacity.

Our current battles include:

Endometriosis
PCOS
Endosalpingiosis
Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia
Chronic Pain
TMJ
Cervicalgia
Infertility
Depression
Chronic Fatigue
ADD
Anxiety
Panic Disorder

We will likely post about these topics and many more.

This is a short summary of a very long story, with no end in sight, which I will continue to elaborate on throughout this blog.  I consider us warriors, fighting an invisible battle against a monster that no one can see.  I hope that sharing our story, our struggles, and triumphs along the way can help others who are fighting similar battles to know that they are not alone.