Diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 2 7,1 was told that the best treatment was to take the male synthetic hormone, Danazol. I had to take 600 milligrams a day for nine months. I was a little apprehensive about taking Danazol but realised that not all women suffered the side effects that I had read about. I decided that if the Danazol was going to get rid of the terrible period pain I was suffering every month then I was prepared to take the tablets.

Every day whilst on the medication I looked for side effects from the drug. I jumped on the scales every morning to see if I had gained weight. I peered in the mirror to see if I was growing a beard and I inspected my skin to make sure

I wasn’t developing acne.

I was surprised that I actually felt good during the time I took Danazol. For the first time that I could remember my whole life didn’t revolve around my menstrual cycle. No periods and no pain for nine months was sheer bliss. I did develop a few side effects, but the relief I obtained from the pain far outweighed the side effects.

I gained about six kilograms in weight. This gain appeared to be more a body building, muscular weight increase which didn’t bother me. I experienced some nausea and occasional vomiting but it wasn’t a major problem.

The only other side effect I experienced which, unfortunately, has been irreversible was a deepening of my singing voice. My upper range decreased four tones. Luckily, I am not a professional singer but I still get frustrated occasionally at the change. At the end of the Danazol treatment, a laparoscopy revealed no evidence of endometriosis and I subsequently had two children. Seven years later I had another laparoscopy and was again diagnosed as having endometriosis.

This time I took the trial drug Buserelin, one of the GnRH agonists. It was in the form of a nasal spray. I took the drug for six months and during that time had no side effects. I had been told by my doctor that I might experience hot flushes, dry vagina, depression or headaches. Luckily, I didn’t experience any of them. Another laparoscopy at the end of the Buserelin treatment revealed that apart from one endometrial cyst, the endometriosis had disappeared.

Six weeks after this laparoscopy I was back in hospital having the cyst and left ovary removed. Although I was a registered nurse and familiar with hospital environments, I was still nervous at the prospect of major surgery.

I need not have worried — everything went according to the plan my doctor and I had discussed. I had a continuous morphine infusion for the first 24 hours after the operation — it was great, I experienced very little pain. I was up walking around the day after surgery and drinking and eating the day after that.

I was discharged from hospital five days after the operation and was back at part-time work and playing sport six weeks after the surgery.

Three years later I feel great. I still get some ovulation and period pain every month, but nothing like the severe, debilitating pain I experienced before I had treatment.

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