A young woman has opened up on how her endometriosis was so bad that she had no choice but to undergo a hysterectomy at 25.
Taylor Lee was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2018 after suffering from low blood pressure, light headedness, fainting, pelvic pain, fatigue, brain fog, low iron and gastrointestinal issues from the age of 17.
And on top of that, after having an MRI scan, doctors discovered she also had adenomyosis - a condition in which the inner lining of the uterus breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus.
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Taylor, a court clerk, tried several different treatments to ease the pain she was experiencing, but, after speaking with her doctor, decided to have a hysterectomy at just 25-years-old to improve her quality of life.
Taylor, from North Dakota, US, now 27, explained: "By the time I was 24, I had seen 17 different doctors specialising in a range of things from cardiology to urology but there was still no explanation for my symptoms.
"I finally got diagnosed with endometriosis after having a laparoscopic surgery; by this time my pain was severe and I couldn't function in my daily life without passing out from the pain and having to hide my multiple trips to the toilet to vomit.
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"I was embarrassed and ashamed of my life.
"I was initially put on hormonal oral contraception to stop the endometriosis from growing but six months later, the pain got progressively worse and after an MRI, they found that adenomyosis was present.
"My doctor and I had multiple conversations about this and it was determined that it would be in my best interest to have a hysterectomy; at this point I was so miserable and became dependent on my parents as caregivers.
"I couldn't function and was not living the life I wanted and I knew that the quality of my life was more important than having biological children in the future.
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"So, I decided to go ahead with the hysterectomy".
Despite having a hysterectomy at such a young age, Taylor remains positive about the future.
For her, the operation was necessary in order to restore her quality of life, and she's made peace with welcoming children through other means, like adoption, should she and her husband Jackson decide to go down that route in the future.
She added: "If my husband and I feel like we would want to add to the family then adoption is a great choice.
"But right now, the only thing that is on my mind is that we are both happy, healthy and pain free
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"When people find out I had a hysterectomy at such a young age, people tell me I was too young.
"But sometimes you have to make sacrifices and my sacrifice was my uterus.
"It was the cards I was dealt and I have learned to live with them.
"Having a hysterectomy was one of the best decisions I have ever made".
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If you're struggling from endometriosis and need support, visit Endometriosis UK here. You can also donate to vital endometriosis research here.
Featured Image Credit: CatersTopics: Endometriosis, Real, Life, health news