worries.

I was on three months of Lupron shots over the summer to shut down my reproductive system and clear out any remaining endometriosis that wasn't caught during my April '13 laparoscopy.  My case of endometriosis was classified as advanced -- Stage III, so my uterus and bladder were affected, and my doctor wanted to be sure that everything was taken care of.

I think I've written before about my laparoscopy and my particular experience with endometriosis.  I never really experienced much pain with it -- or not pain that I acknowledged -- and I was very fortunate in terms of symptoms.  My laparoscopy revealed that I was riddled with endometriosis, and my doctor was especially shocked by how much he removed from my bladder.  Apparently he has rarely, if ever, seen such a thing in a 26-year-old.

Prior to my surgery, I had had pain that I didn't recognize as pain.  I'm not really sure why.  My pain was related to my bladder, and I often felt it after emptying my very full bladder -- kind of a stretched-out discomfort -- and when holding my urine mid-stream (like when you have to pee in a cup at the doctors office).  I really didn't think anything of it and only recognize that it was pain in hindsight.  In fact, during my medical history interview with my RE, I answered that I never experienced pain, and I was being honest.

Once my surgery was complete and I was on the Lupron injections, my bladder pain was completely gone.  And that's when I realized that I had indeed been uncomfortable.  At my August 7th appointment where I was completely checked out by my RE and where I confirmed I was no longer feeling any bladder pain, I was telling the truth.

I'm worried now, though, because I'm experiencing some of that same discomfort again.  And I don't know why, and I don't know how that's possible.

It's not all the time.  In fact, it's not even every time I have a full bladder.  And it's not as uncomfortable as it was.  I can't predict when it's going to hurt and when it's not.  I'm not even sure if I should call it pain.  But it doesn't feel like it did when I was on the Lupron, and I'm afraid it's either going to affect our ability to move forward with IVF or the outcome of IVF.

I will of course bring this up at my mapping appointment next week, but each time I experience that discomfort, I can't help but wonder if somehow my endometriosis is back.  But how could it be?  I've been on Lupron injections and then gone straight into birth control -- both of which remove and then prevent endometriosis.  Maybe it's all in my head?  Maybe I'm just worried in general?

Has anyone else out there had bladder pain related to endometriosis?  I've done my fair share of googling, but really I need to stay away from all that.  I don't need to start wondering if I have cancer (and believe me, I will wonder that!).